It's Cover Snark, but Just one Book
Anything that makes people read more makes me happy. Therefore, the Harry Potter phenomenon makes me happy. People are really, really excited! About a book! How fucking cool is that? But man, I wish people would go nuts over a better book. Oh yes, that’s right. I think Harry Potter is vastly overrated. The premise is all right, but based on what I read (all of the first book, half of the second) the writing … Continue reading Better than Potter
Sarah: Fallen from Grace? More like, Fallen from a great height and is now a member of the walking dead. Perhaps a basic anatomy drawing course might be in order for that artist. Yeesh. And is it me, or is his head an entirely different color than his undead body? Candy: I can just imagine the conversation pitching this cover: “So I’ll smoke a bunch of crack, see? And then I’ll, like, watch Fight Club … Continue reading When MSPaint Attacks!
Just got back from Powell’s Books. The intention was to hang out with my friends and buy The Demon’s Daughter and ONLY The Demon’s Daughter, but instead I came home with the following: Olympos by Dan Simmons. Hey, I already have Ilium, and I was waiting until Olympos was released to begin reading. I’m itching, just itching to start these books. WHEEE! I wonder if Dan Simmons came to town for a reading/signing? I’ll be … Continue reading Is there a 12-step program for this?
Man, you guys came up with some real doozies, but my favorite name was Bitchy-Bitchy Bang Bang, submitted by your favorite Super Librarian (and mine), Wendy. Behold, Wendy! Your shiny new Smart Bitch title! It’s even gas-efficient. Guaranteed to get at least 38 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway. Honorable mentions go to: Fellow Smart Bitch Sarah for “The Simian Rectum” (which I modified to “The Sapphire Simian Rectum) Joyce Ellen … Continue reading Announcing: The Name for Candy’s New Car!
PJ, for correctly guessing the answers for today’s personal ad contest. We bow before your superior knowledge, PJ, because da-yum, reading and remembering a Harlequin Superromance published by a midlist author in 1996 takes some doing. Anyway, kneel down and receive your title. Henceforward, you shall be known as:
All right kittens! Here’s another Personal Ad Challenge. Guess the title, author and heroine’s name (for the love of God, DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE THE HEROINE’S NAME) and win yourself a spankalicious Smart Bitch title. Make Me Purr SWF, hotshot doctor, soul trapped in pet cat’s body after attempting to escape a fire set by nefarious co-worker. Please help me escape this body because grooming my ass is starting to give me a serious case … Continue reading What’s up pussycat, wohhhh woh wohhhhhh
I have to give this book an F because I am so damn bored by it I don’t even want to finish it. I’m on page 135 out of 311 and I couldn’t give less of a shit about these characters. So this will have to be a half-finished review because I can’t be bothered to give a damn. I think it speaks volumes that I am in my 2nd trimester and flush with hormones … Continue reading The Demon’s Daughter by Emma Holly
BEHOLD! Candy’s new whoremobile! Another shot of my new machine: I am especially glad to get rid of my New Beetle because last Thursday night, the engine splashguard/rock plate (an unwieldy plastic piece that bolted underneath the car) decided to spontaneously come loose, dragged along the ground while I was going 55 mph on I-84 and SCARED THE EVERLOVING CRAP OUT OF ME. It’s a BAD thing when a new-ish car with less than 100,000 … Continue reading Smart Bitch Contest: Name Candy’s Car!
In their Romancing the Blog column today, Scott & Scott write: In interview after interview, from the smallest local gay newspapers to the New York Times Magazine, reporters ask us about the impact our gay romance novels have on the community; they ask us what we represent within our culture. Perhaps this is easier for us to articulate, given our minority status…. Thus, we are disappointed that straight romance writers accept condemnation of the work … Continue reading Breaking it Down
There’s been a pretty interesting discussion on The Lipstick Chronicles about the girl ghetto in mystery fiction. Of the four responses, I have to say Harlan Coben’s interested me the most, especially this bit here: TLC: Do you think male readers want a different type of story than women (i.e., gun-toting loner vs. something more relationship-oriented and emotional), or is it all about perception? HARLAN: I think female readers may be more open than male … Continue reading You Read Like A Girl.
I know there’s a lot of theories about who the reader identifies with, the hero or the heroine. Some of these covers, with the hero looking right at the reader – yeesh – make me wonder if the theory of heroine-identification is driving some art departments in their cover selections. All I can say is, these dudes? Not romantic. Not even close. More like…creepy. Sarah: 1. Sir, are you holding your kilt closed? 2. Sir, … Continue reading No, no, don’t look at me!
