Why are the women in romance novels (or any novels, for that matter) always beautiful, attractive and/or drop-dead gorgeous? At the very least, they are plain – although this is usually their own personal view of themselves.
Just once, I’d like to read about a homely woman who finds love…
[Pearls Before Swine by Stephen Pastis]
I feel this way. Oddly enough, I buy used books and tend not to think about where they’ve been, only that they are now with me and only me. Forever…
Best book quote of the week…
‘But I’d forgotten what it’s like to be a novice with a world of possibilities ahead of you.’
— Graham in No Strings Attached by James McArthur
Word of the Day…
[image source: Powell’s Books @ Tumblr]
Tsundoku:
A Japanese word
(n) buying books and not reading them; letting books pile up unread on shelves or floors or nightstands
Why are the covers of gay romance novels so different than those of mainstream romance? Are we, the ones who actually read (and look forward to!) the sex scenes between two men, really afraid to see two men embracing on the cover? Or are publishers afraid of offending someone whose eyes might happen upon the book by mistake?
Typical mainstream romance cover art: Half-dressed man embracing half-dressed woman, smoldering looks, shuttered eyes.
Typical gay romance cover art: One handsome face in the foreground, a second handsome face in the background. No smoldering looks, no shuttered eyes. No touching?!? How is that romance?
I sometimes wonder why I read romance novels. I love the idea – two people find their way to each other, overcome difficult obstacles, fall in love, and live happily ever after.
But the reality is that life is not a romance novel. There are more obstacles to surmount than any romance novel ever dreamed of. While those obstacles are usually too mundane for any publisher, they overwhelm us in daily life.
“…You want to live happily ever after. Life ain’t like that.”
— Mickey in The Yankee Club by Michael Murphy
