Want A New Look?
Followers
Blog Archive
-
►
2010
(121)
-
►
October
(8)
- Winner of Renee Rearden Contest
- OOO two of my favorite authors have new names!
- Guest: Renee Rearden on Vampires, Werewolves and P...
- Review: CSN Products for lil ol me :)
- I got the results! SO Thankful!!!!
- Adult Blogger Tag along! Come join in the fun!
- Getting ahead on TBR pile and prayers please
- Review: Forbidden Pleasures by Amanda McIntyre
-
►
September
(13)
- Guest: Cherish D'Angelo New Novel and contest!
- Cute, two movies, a funny and upcoming...
- WINNER for Keta Diablo Giveaway
- Decisions, decisions, descisions
- Interview & Giveaway with Keta Diablo!
- Review: Where the Rain Is Made by Keta Diablo
- RL outsmarted me again
- OMS I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!
- WINNERS of the Blogfest Giveaway
- WOW
- Blogfest 2010 and contest!!!
- Adult Blogger Tag Along Weekend!
- Review: A Season of Seduction by Jennifer Haymore
-
►
October
(8)
Search This Blog
Some of my Favorite Songs
In and Out of Love
*Click on video to enlarge*
The Best Band Ever!
Memories
Adult Tag Along
Awards
Labels
- 4 Stars (5)
- 4.75 (1)
- A Highlander's Temptation (1)
- A Worthy Cause (1)
- Alexandra Ivy (3)
- Allie Mackay (5)
- Amanda Ashley (1)
- Amanda McIntyre (3)
- An Echo In The Bone (4)
- Anna Campbell (2)
- Antidepressants (1)
- Anxiety (1)
- Blog Awards (10)
- Bodice Rippers (1)
- Book Trailer (1)
- Breast Cancer (1)
- Cat Thursday (1)
- Cats (1)
- Cheryl St. John (1)
- Cindy Miles (2)
- Claudia Dain (6)
- Contest (47)
- Deborah Raleigh (1)
- Depression (1)
- Diana Gabaldon (5)
- Diana Groe (1)
- Diana Palmer (1)
- dining room (1)
- Donna Lea Simpson (2)
- E-Books (1)
- E-readers (2)
- Emily Bryan (1)
- eyecandy (3)
- Flood (1)
- Freebies (1)
- Funny Kitties (1)
- Generics (1)
- ghosts (3)
- Giveaway (31)
- Goodies (1)
- Great Causes (1)
- Guest (1)
- Guest Blogger (4)
- Happy Easter (1)
- Happy New Year (1)
- Happy Thanksgiving (1)
- I-Team Challenge (1)
- Interview (18)
- Interviews (1)
- jeaniene frost (1)
- Jennifer Ashley (4)
- Jo Goodman (2)
- Kathleen Givens (1)
- Kerrelyn Sparks (5)
- Keta Diablo (3)
- Kindle (1)
- link (1)
- Lusting for covers (7)
- Madeline Baker (1)
- meme (5)
- Merry Christmas (2)
- Michelle Sinclair (1)
- Monica McCarty (1)
- Movie (1)
- Never Love A Lawman (1)
- New Books (3)
- Outlander Reading Challenge (3)
- Outlander series (6)
- Pamela Clare (7)
- paranormal romance (9)
- Paula Quinn (2)
- pen names (1)
- Poll (1)
- Prayer (1)
- Ratings (1)
- Reading Challenges (4)
- Recent Projects (1)
- Review (36)
- Review Policy (1)
- Reviews Indexed (1)
- Romance (1)
- sale (1)
- Sapphire Blog Designs (1)
- Sapphire Quill Award (20)
- Sarah McCarty (3)
- savings (1)
- Sherrilyn Kenyon (1)
- Soapbox (2)
- SRR Outstanding Blog Award (2)
- Stacey Kayne (2)
- Submit Book For Review (1)
- Sue Ellen Welfonder (7)
- Teaser Tuesday (1)
- Thanksgiving (1)
- To good not to share (1)
- Top Pick (23)
- Upcoming reviews (1)
- vampires (14)
- Vanessa Kelly (1)
- werewolves (5)
- Westerns (1)
- WIN A KINDLE (2)
- Winner (11)
- winners (6)
Friday, August 7, 2009
Romance Novels = Bodice Rippers: I don’t think so!
3:59 PM |
Today I’m getting on my soapbox about a subject that I have heard time and time again and one that never fails to tick me off! Let’s see if you all agree…Ok every romance reader has heard this sentence or a variance
of it sometime in their life… “Romance! That’s not literature,
that’s not a real book. All those books are is sex, sex, sex. There
is no substance to the stories.” Ok first off let me say I myself have heard this that romances aren’t “real books” many times. Ah excuse me but I strongly disagree! Yes they are! When these people say this stuff I’m sure I look at them like they have two heads. Then I quickly ask if they have even truly ever sat down and read one to know what they are talking about before they pass judgment on an entire genre of books. Now what always blows my mind is a lot of these same people that voice these pious judgments have no problem at all reading Shakespeare who wrote about incestuous relationships, suspense or mysteries where many of the plots revolve around murder and theft, sometimes rape and other various crimes and so on. Ah ok so reading about a person making love is offensive and vulgar, but someone shooting, beating, stabbing or running over another human being is not to them?
That just blows my mind! Somehow in their mind sex is more taboo to read about than someone getting their throat silt or worse. I just have never understood nor will I ever understand that.
Yes romances usually do have sex in them, but any book that even remotely speaks of life in any realistic format does in some form right or at least in a small reference. Love is spoken of in the Bible and so is sex many times.
Unless someone has taken a vow of celibacy most humans do get involved in romantic relationships sometime in their lives. And if your lucky and find the right one…marriagee and a family is a huge part of life that many enjoy! It’s one of the cornerstones of our existences, and it’s a blessing there is nothing ugly about it, unless someone chooses to make it so.
Now I already hear some of those people saying but some are about tawdry affairs etc… Ok I’ll grant that let’s face it … in life there are always going to be a few that will take things to far and do things that aren’t right or that they shouldn’t have. But again that’s just the way things are in this world unfortunately. But just like not all people will commit crimes not all romances are cheap and tawdry with no other context but sex. So why must they lump all romances that way when only a few out there may be that way?
I’m not saying that I agree with all the forms of sex that appear in some romances. I’ll say straight out I don’t. I don’t like all of the romances and erotica books out there myself, but I don’t go trash talking an entire genre or the people that enjoy them because I don’t like them. If I don’t like a book or a genre I just simply don’t read them myself. What is my cup of tea isn’t necessarily someone else’s. That’s just life and there is nothing wrong with that. But to say or suggest that romances and the people that read them are somehow inferior in some way is just insulting, and I think extremely uninformed as well.
Many romances have amazing storylines! Some historicals have amazing details about history and the times and events of the era it was written about. I have learned a lot about the way people lived in the Regency periods, the Civil War, the American west, the American and French Revolutions, and many other times romances I have read.
That knowledge fed my previous interest in History and led me to further research and wanting to learn more and more about the way people lived, worked, and died in the past and see how certain movements came about etc.
Some romances are totally fictional like the very popular romances about vampires, werewolves etc. (which I personally find very fascinating and read a lot as well.) And it provides a getaway from the trivial and boring and oftentimes stressful trials of daily life for me and many other people. Why is that such a bad thing?
I have read literature all across the board, the classics, mystery, nonfiction, general fiction, westerns, and so on. But out of all of the genres I have read romance has always been my personal favorite. Why? Because when I read I like to read about people and their lives interesting events and relationships, love, and for the book to have a happy ending. I read to escape life to relax and enjoy a good story and let’s face it in these troubled times everyone
Yes romances usually do have sex in them, but any book that even remotely speaks of life in any realistic format does in some form right or at least in a small reference. Love is spoken of in the Bible and so is sex many times.
Unless someone has taken a vow of celibacy most humans do get involved in romantic relationships sometime in their lives. And if your lucky and find the right one…marriagee and a family is a huge part of life that many enjoy! It’s one of the cornerstones of our existences, and it’s a blessing there is nothing ugly about it, unless someone chooses to make it so.
Now I already hear some of those people saying but some are about tawdry affairs etc… Ok I’ll grant that let’s face it … in life there are always going to be a few that will take things to far and do things that aren’t right or that they shouldn’t have. But again that’s just the way things are in this world unfortunately. But just like not all people will commit crimes not all romances are cheap and tawdry with no other context but sex. So why must they lump all romances that way when only a few out there may be that way?
I’m not saying that I agree with all the forms of sex that appear in some romances. I’ll say straight out I don’t. I don’t like all of the romances and erotica books out there myself, but I don’t go trash talking an entire genre or the people that enjoy them because I don’t like them. If I don’t like a book or a genre I just simply don’t read them myself. What is my cup of tea isn’t necessarily someone else’s. That’s just life and there is nothing wrong with that. But to say or suggest that romances and the people that read them are somehow inferior in some way is just insulting, and I think extremely uninformed as well.
Many romances have amazing storylines! Some historicals have amazing details about history and the times and events of the era it was written about. I have learned a lot about the way people lived in the Regency periods, the Civil War, the American west, the American and French Revolutions, and many other times romances I have read.
That knowledge fed my previous interest in History and led me to further research and wanting to learn more and more about the way people lived, worked, and died in the past and see how certain movements came about etc.
Some romances are totally fictional like the very popular romances about vampires, werewolves etc. (which I personally find very fascinating and read a lot as well.) And it provides a getaway from the trivial and boring and oftentimes stressful trials of daily life for me and many other people. Why is that such a bad thing?
I have read literature all across the board, the classics, mystery, nonfiction, general fiction, westerns, and so on. But out of all of the genres I have read romance has always been my personal favorite. Why? Because when I read I like to read about people and their lives interesting events and relationships, love, and for the book to have a happy ending. I read to escape life to relax and enjoy a good story and let’s face it in these troubled times everyone
could use a lot more happy endings!
So when someone looks down their noses and calls romances bodice rippers,I just smile and say “I don’t think so! And maybe if you read one every once in a while you would be a happier person.”
So when someone looks down their noses and calls romances bodice rippers,I just smile and say “I don’t think so! And maybe if you read one every once in a while you would be a happier person.”
Labels:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About Me
- JennJ
- I'm a full time mom, part time Graphic Designer and yes an avid romance reader. My faves have always been romance novels and I'm proud of it! What can I say I'm a hopeless romantic at heart.
Link to SRR
What I'm Reading
My Bloggin Buddies
My Blog List
-
Monday Morning Cuteness!8 hours ago
-
Writing as Therapy9 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Winner!3 months ago
-
-
-
-
7 comments:
Oh I agree with you. If you go to Ms. Moonlight's blog, you will see she did a post on this as well.
And we all had a lot to say about it!
If people can watch the Titantic and not complain about it being to romantic, then they can read a novel!!! But I agree with you, don't dis something just because... Research firs, then speak!!
AGGHHHH!!!!
My verification word is twish...
T(hey) wish....!!! HAHAHA
I really don't get the judgemental attitude of certain people about romance. I always tell them that, though economy is bad, the romance genre is one that shows increase in profit. That if they haven't tried it to just zip their mouths. And I mean trying as in various authors within various subgenres. Romance readers often also read crime/mystery/fantasy et cetera but most of us don't go belittling those genres.
Romance, sex, love, arguing, making up, having bad times going to the good times, in one form or another it is all a part of life. I always wonder what kind of relationships these people have because is romance that bad? Is sex that bad? (okay, talk about it on twitter and you get a few unwanted followers but besides that)How do these people view the romance in their personal lives then?
I love reading the romance, always have, always will and no one has or ever will make me turn my back on this genre. I flaunt it any way I can because romance, love and sex within many settings is not something to be ashamed of!
I think there will always be those who are threatened by women who want to proudly celebrate their own strength. And to be honest, most people who tell me how trashy romance is, are people who don't even bother to read. Bleck.
Alexandra Ivy
Hi Cecile! I know isn't it just infuriating. That always burns me up grrr. Oh I didn't know Ms. Moonlight had done a post on this I'll have to go to her blog and read it I would love to hear what she had to say on the subject.
Hi Leontine! I hear ya! I wonder the same thing! Some of these people must have very sad love lives for them to have such jaded opinions on romance. And yes believe me I wasn't downing the mysteries and suspense genres I read some of them myself. But it just always amazed me that some people look so down on love scenes but they have no problem at all with crime and or graphically violent scenes in novels. Just kinda makes me scratch my head you know what I mean.
HEY Deborah! I am overjoyed to have you here! And I completely agree I think they do have a problem with women of strength. And right again a lot of them don't read much at all that love to voice the sneers at romance. So really they have no room to say anything at all. Do come back and join in the talk anytime hon! I hope to see ya here again soon! ;)
Nice article about romance.
The romance novels have come a long way since the 70's. There's so many genres now, and many times, the main theme of the story is vampires, werewolves, the Civil War, and countless others (with of course, romance).
Romances are the top-selling fiction books these days and will be for a long, long time. Why? Because peeps love to escape to another time, another place, but mainly because everyone longs for that special love that rocks their world.
Thanks for the soap box rant! We needed it.
K. Celeste Bryan
Author
http://katskwipsandrants.blogspot.com
Hi Kat! I couldn't agree with you more that is exactly why romance is and always will be popular no matter what the blah blahs say! So glad you stopped by and commented and glad you liked my rant lol.
Hope you come back and visit soon! :)
AV,無碼,a片免費看,自拍貼圖,伊莉,微風論壇,成人聊天室,成人電影,成人文學,成人貼圖區,成人網站,一葉情貼圖片區,色情漫畫,言情小說,情色論壇,臺灣情色網,色情影片,色情,成人影城,080視訊聊天室,a片,A漫,h漫,麗的色遊戲,同志色教館,AV女優,SEX,咆哮小老鼠,85cc免費影片,正妹牆,ut聊天室,豆豆聊天室,聊天室,情色小說,aio,成人,微風成人,做愛,成人貼圖,18成人,嘟嘟成人網,aio交友愛情館,情色文學,色情小說,色情網站,情色,A片下載,嘟嘟情人色網,成人影片,成人圖片,成人文章,成人小說,成人漫畫,視訊聊天室,性愛,性感影片,正妹,聊天室,
情色論壇