A reader named Jacqueline contacted me to ask if I’ve ever read any Victorian romances – not romances set during the Victorian era, but written during the Victorian era. I had to think on it before I realized that if I had, they were in grad school syllabi gone by, and I didn’t remember much of them. Jacqueline reads some favorite Victorian authors every winter, and when I asked her for recommendations, boy howdy did … Continue reading Victorian Romances
Lent, the period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, is marked by many with acts of penance, fasting, and prayer. Sometimes, the fasting is of a particularly type of food. I know a few people who give up chocolate or wine or alcohol altogether for Lent. Emily did something different: Hello ladies of the Bitchery! I need your help. I am desperate for some book recommendations. I gave up romance novels for lent, … Continue reading She Gave Up Romances for Lent
Time for another Good Shit Vs. Shit To Avoid, this time prompted by Amanda, who is searching for books with strong female friendships: I am looking for a book to read. I’ve been a little bored with the romance novel offerings and here’s why: Why doesn’t anybody ever have a friend? None of the women ever have any friends! I mean, sometimes they have a convenient “This is my friend, sometimes I see her in … Continue reading GS vs. STA: Friendships
I received a request from Stephanie, who is looking for a reading list, so I’m breaking out the Good Shit vs. Shit To Avoid category to help her build a full and happy Kindle: I’m a female soldier about to deploy and need to fill up the old Kindle…..any suggestions? I’m looking for series with lots of books, in particular, as opposed to just individual books. My favorites would be more along the lines of … Continue reading GS vs. STA: Filling Up the Kindle
A reader and graduate student named Kate emailed me this question: “Intrigued by the concept of well-written, professionally published erotica, I downloaded some of your recommendations. After sampling several I found a pattern that bothered me and yanked me out of the story. All of the male characters – and sometimes the females too – are described physically, right off the bat, as being tall, handsome, and having perfect sinewy muscular bodies that I’ve certainly … Continue reading Physical Erotic Perfection
First, it’s Thanksgiving here in the US, and I’m thankful for you. Yes, you, right there. Hi! Thank you for coming here to talk romance and books and general wittery and asshattery and wtfery, and for making this site so fun and very, very pink and red. You’re awesome. I hope wherever you are, you’re having a good meal. In your honor (yes, YOU) I’ve made a donation to Feeding America, the national network of … Continue reading Thanksgiving, Food, and Books
Good Shit vs. Shit to Avoid time! I had an interesting email (many of them are, thank you, thank you) about books featuring the heroine who is surprised by a relationship – and by someone’s interest in her: I’m looking for a book where the heroine is genuinely not interested (romantically) in the hero. I know, I know, it’s supposed to be a romance novel, but lately I’ve lately been reading books and watching dramas … Continue reading GS vs STA: She’s Hit Over the Head with the Anvil of Love
Anonymous forwarded the following to me, and of course, I have to inflict it on the rest of you. Enjoy. Kerrelyn Sparks’s Eat Prey Love is, in my opinion, a What Not to Write, but the “werepanther spooge” part sticks out. Some background: Our hero is a shapeshifting werepanther, and when he is killed, he comes back to life and kinda goes up a level in strength, abilities, etc. all Marty-Stu-like. And when he comes … Continue reading What Not to Write: Spooge.
Rani writes in asking for help with a book she read 10 years ago, or thereabouts: It has been driving me crazy not being able to recall this book. Please, please post this to your readers so I can finally get some relief. Read it about 10 years ago and it’s stuck with me this whole time. It’s 1800s. Girl somehow ends up in the spying business. She has a spymaster, who was the guy … Continue reading HaBO: Spy Lady
Oh, it’s a beautiful thing when food imagery is used in sex scenes. It’s all 9 1/2 Weeks spliced together with Iron Chef – wouldn’t that be the very best in a sensual interlude? Unless we’re talking snack foods, as Kathleen discovered: Thank you for pointing out the Books on the Knob website. I have had a lot of fun downloading the free ebooks. One of these was The Bite Before Christmas by Heidi Betts. … Continue reading What Not to Write: Snack Food Edition
Alert Reader N. answered the call for any examples of What Not To Write with an email message that made my jaw drop. As part of a regular feature here at the Hot Pink Palace of Bitchery (where the drinks are free and the man titty shelters us from the harsh rays of the sun), we’re taking a look at descriptions, both sexual and non-sexual that yanked us out of the storyline. Some of these … Continue reading What Not To Write: Callouses
