Woman BingoPUP December reads

I didn't see a thread, so I'm starting one for those of us still valiantly trying to fill their cards.

I just finished The Cavalry Maiden for the "women in combat square", about a Russian aristocrat who disguised as a man and joined the Russian cavalry for the fight against Napoleon. Rather odd, but interesting.

>1 MissWatson: Thanks for starting this thread.

After two months of not finishing my last two squares, I have finally finished the next to last one: Women in Combat. I read Danger Close : My Epic Journey as a Combat Helicopter Pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan by Amber Smith. I found this a particularly hard square because I'm opposed to war. I read Danger Close since I've read several books about women pilots this year. Ms. Smith describes in detail her experiences as a female combat pilot. In addition to flying many very difficult missions, she faced discrimination as a woman; she had to prove to many male pilots that she was a capable professional. When a male pilot hit her parked helicopter, she was blamed for the accident by the officials doing the investigation even though other pilots said she was not a fault.

Now all I have left is the Woman as spy square. Trying to decide between Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott about women during the Civil War or Fair Game by Valerie Plame Wilson, the CIA agent whose cover was blown by the Bush administration. I'm leaning towards the Civll War account, which at least one other reading read for the Women in Combat square.

I particularly want to finish this Bingo card since I coordinated setting it up.

Von Trollen und Menschen by Selma Lagerlöf fits for the "short story collection".

edited for touchstone

Today, I can add At risk by Stella Rimington for the "female spy" square. A thoroughly enjoyable thriller.

Unsere Hochzeiten by Dorit Rabinyan was for the "author from the Middle East" square. Not really my cup of tea.

Red Dust by Gillian Slovo for the "African author". So many shades of grey, and not in the now infamous sense of E.L. James.

And with one final mad dash I have completed my Bingo card. Yippee!
The book, Iola Leroy, or Shadows Uplifted, is difficult to judge fairly from a modern viewpoint. Today we see cardboard characters spouting antiquated platitudes. But that does not detract from the fact that here a woman stands up for her and her people's right to be free, educated and treated as equals.

How is everyone else doing?

edited for touchstone

>7 MissWatson: Congratulations MissWatson.

I read Fair Game: How a Top CIA Agent was Betrayed by Her Own Government by Valerie Plame Wilson for the "about a spy" square. This also completes my Woman BingoPUP card.