One genre of literature that I love to read is
romance. I know what you're thinking: Romance?!? Yuck! Who reads those except for bored housewives and spinsters with a couple dozen cats? (Believe me, I've read that same line MANY times in opinion sections on blogs.)
Romance gets a bad rap and the critiques run the gambit: from saying they
are simply bodice rippers to more serious accusations of rape scenes and
machismo. Many, many years ago (just
kidding, we're talking the 70's and 80's here) many publishers wouldn't publish
romance novels unless the hero was super-masculine and basically forced his way
on the heroine. Of course this had more to do with female sexuality then male
sexuality. It wasn't really considered right for women to "want" sex
so it had to be forced on them.
Today, you can find many college educated, feminists writing
romances. Long gone (for the most part anyway-I'm sure they still exist, I just
don't read them) are the forced sexual encounters and fearful, whimpering
heroines. Two authors that come to mind are Eloisa James and Julia Quinn.
Eloisa James is the pseudonym of Mary Bly, a Fordham
University
Julia Quinn (also a pseudonym for Julie Pottinger) is a Harvard graduate who started writing
romances while applying for medical school and even appeared in Time magazine, a very rare feat for a romance writer. She is intelligent, funny, a feminist, and an excellent writer. Love Bridget Jones? Jane Austen? Then you will LOVE Julia Quinn. Already a Julia Quinn fan? Check out the cool items over at Cafe Press.
Julia Quinn is one of my favorite authors-across any genre.
Her books are of course filled with love and romance; but they're also very
humorous, sweet, and page turners like you wouldn't believe. I gobble
her books up the first day of publication and finish them usually the same day.
If you've never read a romance novel, I would give her books a try.
Julia Quinn has a
new one that just came out on May 29,
2012 called A Night Like This. (Her last one was called Just Like Heaven...get it?? This newer series is titled after The Cure songs! I even begged her on Facebook to name her next book Boys Don't Cry.) This Smythe-Smith is a spin off of
her most popular series: The Bridgertons. So if you've never read her before, I
would start with The Duke & I, the first in the Bridgerton series.
Here are all 8 books in The Bridgerton Series with their UK covers. I love, love, love the UK covers so much more than the American ones. They are more reminiscent of Jane Austen and the regency era.
Here is a video of Julia Quinn giving a speech at Bellevue, Washington (why does it seem like all the best authors live in the northwest?).
Have you read Julia Quinn or Eloisa James? What genres of literature are your favorite to read? Any recommendations for great summer reads?
I love this! Do you have the first book of the series? I want to borrow it.
ReplyDeleteI do have it. It is packed away but if you want to borrow it we can get it out. :)
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