Friday, September 1

some thoughts, questions and observations...

Pulled from the October's RT Mailbag (page 6)...

Time travel and paranormal are going to destroy what have been known as romantic books...

Give it a freaking break. These books have been around for years, their growing popularity (though how popular are time travels right now?) fits with genre cycles. Don't like them, don't read them, when their sales start to fade something else will come to to forefront.

Also from RT...

A letter from Judith McNaught (ad on page 12):

Dear Reader,

When the hardcover edition of
Every Breath You Take was published, there was an overwhelming uproar from reader's about the hero and heroine and their love story...

I've decided to expand their story in the paperback edition...


I read this book, did I miss the "overwhelming uproar"?

Why are Danielle Steel's books considered romance?

October looks like slim pickings (at least for me), but December looks pretty good. New books from... Eloisa James, Karen Ranney, Meg Cabot, Linda Howard, Marjorie M. Liu (though I don't read her), Aliison Kent (SG-5), Erin McCarthy to list a few.

My husband finally finished Holly Lisle's I See You. To quote him "It was pretty good, even with the ghost thing." I figure that's probably high praise considering he thinks I read nothing but trash. The "ghost thing" left me scratching my head, the man lives and breaths Stephen King, hello, the king (haha, sorry for the bad pun) of things that go bump in the night, including ghosts, can the man say "The Shinning"? Now he's reading Nora Robert's Northern Lights, which "isn't bad so far."

9 comments:

Wendy said...

Time travel has floundered a bit and just hasn't enjoyed the resurgence that paranormal as a whole has. There's been a few that have come out, but hardly what I would consider a flood!

I'm a little burnt out on paranormals. While I've enjoyed the ones that have fallen in my lap (for review), it's not a sub genre I actively seek out on my own. I have a few in the TBR, but frankly they're a small minority.

I tend to have little patience for readers who whine about how this or that is going to "ruin" romance. Yes, I whine a lot about the lack of western romances so what do I do? I buy almost all my westerns new (when they are published) and I don't buy books that I'm "tired" of (almost all Regency set books, a good chunk of paranormals) and believe you me, I ain't running out of books to read anytime soon.

Sam said...

Heavens, straight romance? What, no choices for those who like their romance mixed with a little paranormal time travel? LOL
Oh well - there will always be those who intend to rain on the parade.

nath said...

let's face it... no paranormal, no time travel... what's left then? Yes, straight contemporary romances or historical romances with almost the same plot in everyone of them. oh yeah, I can see the sales shooting through the sky. As for Judith McNaught, I must have missed the uproar too... however, I'm glad she's going to extend the story - but which part? the part on the island (please no) or the post-island (yeah, please!)

Jenster said...

Exactly how can a certain genre ruin romance? If you don't like it, don't read it. There's plenty of other stuff. Bah!

I ordered Morrigan's Cross yesterday for DH and myself. I'm anxious to read it as it will be my first Nora Roberts. Isn't that worthy of a party or something?? Maybe one with margaritas?? Or at least chocolate.

Kristie (J) said...

"Time travel and paranormal are going to destroy what have been known as romantic books..."

Huh???? Since when??? I've been reading them for years and that statement makes no sense to me whatsoever. True there are more paranormal books out there than in previous years but I'm sure something else will rise up when the paranormal cycle fades a bit. "Like maybe the western?" she said hopefully.

erika said...

I occasionally lurk at SimonSays Mcnaught message board and that's where the uproar was. Here's a link to the site: http://bbs.simonsays.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=5

Tara Marie said...

Wendy, I can understand being burnt out on paranormals, I'm picky about what I read, though I do seek them out. I think it's probably pretty obvious my patience is shot too--LOL.

Sam, variety is the spice of life, right?

Nath, I'm so unimpressed by Judith McNaughts last couple of books, that I can't tell you what the damn thing was about without looking for a synopsis or blurb.

Jen, Yikes, this might not be the best series to start with, this book is heavy on set up and a little lighter on romance. I'd recommend the Quinn Series as a better start. But, heck, this is worth a read too.

Jane, like I said to Nath, I can't even remember what the McNaught was about. Over the last couple of years I've found reading different sub-genres keeps me interested, if all I read was contemporaries or historicals I'd be reading a different genre altogether.

As to why the lady was complaining. She hated Linda Howard's Killing Time, which is one of the few time travel books out there right now.

Kristie, my reaction was the same as yours, if you don't like them don't read them, not real hard, there are certainly enough other things to read.

Erika, thanks I figured the uproar was somewhere--LOL.

Kate Diamond said...

What a tease! Your comment about Eloisa prompted me to head to her webpage, but thus far I can't tell who the main character will be in "Pleasure for Pleasure." My gut says Josie, but what about Griselda? And who the hell is going to snag Mayne? The man must marry.

Thoughts?

Tara Marie said...

Kate D. I didn't even go over to EJ's site, figured there wouldn't be enough info, but I think I saw the next book is Mayne's over on Romance Buy the Blog. I can't wait. It has to be Josie and Mayne, right?