We’ve officially entered November and I had a nightmare last night that it already started snowing. Hope everyone is curling up with some good books during the colder temperatures!
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Author Sonali Dev is at NPR Books, recommending Diwali romances with Indian characters:
If you’re wondering why holiday lights have already gone up in some of the homes in your neighborhood, the answer is probably Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. Like all holidays, it’s a time of love, family, and food. A time when the Indian American community comes together to satisfy all the stereotypes in one fell swoop — sparkly silks and heirloom jewelry, syrupy sweets and deep-fried savories, all that decadence only a tad bit heavier than our nostalgia.
I’ve only read one of the three books on the list, but you can bet I’ll be adding the other two to my TBR pile.
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If you’ve been waiting to give Love Between the Covers, a documentary on the romance genre, a try…it’s now officially streaming on Netflix! Aw yeaaahhh!
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For readers who have been waiting for Judith McNaught’s titles to finally go digital, well the wait is over! Beginning yesterday, November 1st, fourteen titles will now be available digitally. Click here for a full look at the list from Amazon. I also want to say that I’m loving the updated covers. What McNaught titles are you excited to finally buy for your e-reader?
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Battery chargers!
Every few months a bigger, better, and lighter weight battery charger comes out. At this point I have 3 in various sizes—lipstick sized, 6.5oz, and the 12.5oz, which lives in our travel bag. I can recharge my kids' DS, tablets, my phone, etc, before it runs out of charge. - SW
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Lastly, I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween. I’m sure you’re all on costume photo overload with people posting some good get-ups that they’ve seen, but I really wanted to share this one I saw on Twitter. It might be the most adorable thing you see all week.
https://twitter.com/traciethoms/status/793324421952012288
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Don’t forget to share what super cool things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!
I looked at some of the Judith McNaught titles and nearly bought a couple when I read some of the reviews. Are her books as horribly abusive and rape-filled as some of the reviews make it out to be?
Most Kindle models are $20 off through Thursday, starting at $59.99:
https://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=6669702011
I also became aware that there is furniture designed especially to suit the decorating aesthetic of serial killers and/or scrotophiles:
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ripleys/status/790002056387977216
thank you for that shout out about Love Between the Covers!! Was able to catch just a bit of it in the beginning but I think i’m gonna love it! Yay, netfix!
@meg Her historicals are definitely of the Old Skool variety very Alpha males, Mary Sue-ish heroines, lots of angsty-ness but IIRC the only one that might classify as “rape-filled” would be Whitney, My Love. She went back some years ago and re wrote some of the objectionable parts but it’s still a definite love it or hate it type of book. She was my gateway into romance way back when so her books hold a special nostalgic place in my shelves. I would recommend starting with her contemporaries Paradise and Perfect though they are a little dated. Paradise is one of my favorite romances of all time and Perfect is a close second.
@meg:
I’ve read four of McNaught’s stuff, and yes, it’s Old Skool. Paradise was beautiful, Good Book Noise included, but the rest of it… it’s troublesome, but it grips you and the good parts are real good.
(the next also goes for @Gigi)
For example, “Once and Always”. I really liked that book the first time I read it, but every time I’ve tried to pick it up I notice more and more things that are wrong. There’s so much that it gets right, but there are some big things (hero rapes the heroine twice, never apologizes), and some smaller things (the grandmother’s plans for atonement. Nothing learnt from her past mistakes.), that won’t work for me.
So I don’t even try to read her anymore. Even if her emotional development of characters really works.
I loved Perfect but it’s been years (decades?) since I read it so not sure how it will hold up. Given the price, I won’t bite… I wish they would discount these old books. So frustrating when older books are full priced. I feel like most of the people who would buy already have it in paperback and we’re then paying full price for a second book.
I absolutely LOVE many of McNaught’s books. They’re delightfully lengthy for one thing. Sooo much angst. Total alpha dudes. Meddling family. Very old school. I read them when I was a wee lass. I don’t really remember most of them being rapey but it’s been an age since I read them, because of the no digital thing. Almost Heaven and Paradise are probably my favorites, totally gonna get them and reread!
Tender Triumph is the first “interracial” romance I ever read and it’s dated and troubling but despite that I really liked it. I honestly don’t think I ever read a McNaught I didn’t like. She was my 90’s Kleypas/Dare/Milan: an auto buy!
Just wanted to let you know that your links are not working/showing up on some browsers. I had the same problem with the Holiday Gift List yesterday as well.
@Maite I don’t recall Once and Always much as it and Until You are my least favorites. It has been years since I’ve read it but I do remember the hero being a huge jerk even for a MCNaught hero. I re read A Kingdom of Dreams and Paradise often but the rest I’m afraid to touch as I’m sure my tastes have changed drastically since I first read them.