Do you/know romance, bodice-ripper fans?

[shootingstar]

It's been decades since I've read a romance novel. In fact, I haven't read a novel in the past few years. And 1 of my university degrees was English Literature.

Have you read any in last few years? I had a good friend who occasionally read bodice-rippers.

I'm asking because a few months ago, I learned that my eldest niece is writing romance novels. A big detour from geological engineering. I'm pleased that she is smartly feminist, etc. ...at least evidenced by her twitter feed.

[zoom-zoom]

In fact, I haven't read a novel in the past few years. And 1 of my university degrees was English Literature.


Now I don't feel so bad. I, too, have an English Lit. degree (also 1 of more than 1 degrees -- the other is in Communications/Photography)...and rarely ever read. If I get caught up in a series I will inhale them all, but it's been a while. I think I'm mostly overwhelmed...there are SO many good books out there that I just don't know where to start. And due to the Internet I am constantly reading, just not novels/fiction. I will learn everything I can about a given topic, though. I spend the day googling.

I never got heavily into romance novels. They always seemed so formulaic. My BFF is really into the funny Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum novels. I think I made it through 3 or 4 before I got bored, because they were all the same. I get bored too quickly with predictability.

[shootingstar]

I have this feeling if women here read romance novels, they might not want to tell us. No problem. We have our pleasures.
I should tell my niece to write romance with a totally different situation --and this is a woman who did have a former career (as an engineer) working with predominantly men.

[thekarens]

I have this feeling if women here read romance novels, they might not want to tell us. No problem. We have our pleasures.
I should tell my niece to write romance with a totally different situation --and this is a woman who did have a former career (as an engineer) working with predominantly men.

I wouldn't have a problem telling you if I did, but frankly it's not my thing. I prefer a story with romance being a very minor part. I'd say 90% of my reading is fantasy/sci fi followed by mystery/thriller.

When my partner and I got together 15 years ago I read a few lesbian romances/sex books, but that has been it.

[Trek420]

I never got heavily into romance novels. They always seemed so formulaic.

Yep. Boy meets girl. Girl gets house. :p

[OakLeaf]

Oh, I'm not ashamed to admit I went through a phase. I'm not that much into porn of any kind at this stage in my life, that's all ...

[Crankin]

I've never read "bodice rippers," or novels labeled "romance," although a lot of the contemporary fiction I read has strong relationship themes as part of the story. But, I am getting a picture of a certain genre that Shooting Star means, of which I know nothing about. I would tell you guys if I read them, but the only person I've known that did, was my ex-MIL.
I am a voracious reader, but I stick to historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and I also belong to a virtual Women's Adventure Book club, which is mostly books about cycling and hiking adventures. I don't read the selection every month, but most of them are easy reads, I read in between my other books. Never been a fan of sic-fi, fantasy, or mysteries, and it was hard for me to teach those genres when I taught middle school English. But, I did, and found that the YA versions of these genres were a bit easier for me to like.
Never got into any series and I am probably the only person on Earth who has not read one Harry Potter book.

[Helene2013]

Nope Crankin...no Harry Potter for me either. hihi

I'm not in bodice-ripper books. Read some, but the romantic cute ones as light reading before bedtime, don't want any sexual "torture" either. I would not read that. I'm more into medical thrillers or suspense books (not the Stephen King type).

But most of the time, I read on my tablet from Next Issue (magazines) before bedtime. On vacation, I prefer to take the time to read a book. Problem at bedtime is if the book is good, I will keep reading and keep saying...ok...closing at the end of this chapter...at every chapter. And then I can't get up in the morning to get to work. haha

[Crankin]

I read tons of magazines, too, helene. But I prefer reading magazines in paper form. The only one I got digitally, is Peloton.
I religiously read the New Yorker weekly. Some of the fiction is a little rough for me, but I read at least one of the pieces, and all of the non-fiction articles. I learn a lot. When I was teaching, I felt stupid compared to the other English Language Arts teachers... they were so intellectual and my closest colleague went to the Bread Loaf Writer's School, which is very selective. Reading the New Yorker helpefd me have a common language and we often discussed the articles.
This is the only part of teaching I still miss... sigh. Real intellectual stimulation, which is not the same as when I meet with my supervisor to discuss my cases, now.

[shootingstar]

I haven't gotten around to reading Harry Potter yet.

The niece who writes romance writers is the one who lost her mother (my sister). So in my own aunty way faraway..thousands of km. away, I'm just trying to scope out who would be reading romance novels these days. She writes romance because she likes happy endings. When I read that on her twitter feed, I was sad.

She's planning to attend a national romance writers' conference. I'm glad she's going.

[BikeDutchess]

She writes romance because she likes happy endings. When I read that on her twitter feed, I was sad.

I don't think there's anything wrong with liking happy endings. No worse than, for example, liking (or writing) "whodunits" where the crime always gets solved.

[salsabike]

Right--nothing at all wrong with liking happy endings. I'm wondering if shootingstar was feeling sad because her niece, who not all that long ago lost her mother, was yearning for happy endings, after such a big loss for them both.

I think romance novels is so broad a term. I would guess that different subtypes of romance novels appeal to different groups of people.

[shootingstar]

Bikeduchess, I never thought of that before...whodunit/mystery novels do have happy endings also. I used to read whodunits several decades ago. Nowadays I might watch a British or Canadian police thriller on tv. But not much. I don't enjoy watching stuff involving mysterious deaths anymore.

I disliked horror my whole life. One woman at work, who is having problems sleeping, makes sure she doesn't watch any scary movies before she goes to bed. Otherwise she ends up with nightmares.

Yes, I feel sad. But especially sad because I worry about my niece and nephew.

It appears (to me), at glance that the world of romance writers, is full of women love to do their own thing. I bet for my niece who had jobs in a predominantly male field, is in for an interesting experience. Romance writing or other types of writing, including journalism, is getting tougher and tougher in terms of earning a decent wage.

She has ventured into writing a bk. that was even more than simply erotica. Jeez. Other stories which actually I think she must have fun writing, one involving an engineer ...she lives with her BF, an engineer. (and also she was an engineer herself)

[rebeccaC]

encourage her creativity shootingstar.

Bodice rippers…wasn’t that usually a handsome, powerful and wealthy male and lots of non-consensual sex, which becomes consensual and everything ends in bliss…repeat....now....she succumbs to lust and falls into loving arms is better :) I’m sure there were some well-written ones and probably worst written ones for those who like that.

My first erotica book was finding anais nin’s delta of venus at my grandmothers. I follow a few erotica blogs/writers/zines/comics. A month or so ago i re-read stacey donovan’s ‘dive’ which was probably the first one I connected with as a teen….a cousin gave it to me.

Lots of well-written erotica to read and include into a good conversation shootingstar.

eta..and nothing wrong with carrying around a hard copy of harry potter and the philosopher's stone everywhere for a few days.....:)

[lauraelmore1033]

I worked in a used book store in my late 20s and the owner and her loyal customers were crazy for romance novels--especially the steamy ones. I was heavy into Science Fiction, but I TRIED to read a few romance novels, just to get a little more in sync with the "community". I don't think I was able to finish a single one. Just wasn't my cup of tea. I gathered that the authors did tend to be well educated and intelligent, but that the publishers had a strong control over what went into the novels, from style of writing, to types of characters to types of plots. Obviously, they were onto something, but I think you'd really have to already love the genre to be happy concentrating on it, or producing something that didn't seem mechanical.

[salsabike]

encourage her creativity shootingstar.

Bodice rippers…wasn’t that usually a handsome, powerful and wealthy male and lots of non-consensual sex, which becomes consensual and everything ends in bliss…repeat....now....she succumbs to lust and falls into loving arms is better :) I’m sure there were some well-written ones and probably worst written ones for those who like that.

My first erotica book was finding anais nin’s delta of venus at my grandmothers. I follow a few erotica blogs/writers/zines/comics. A month or so ago i re-read stacey donovan’s ‘dive’ which was probably the first one I connected with as a teen….a cousin gave it to me.

Lots of well-written erotica to read and include into a good conversation shootingstar.

eta..and nothing wrong with carrying around a hard copy of harry potter and the philosopher's stone everywhere for a few days.....:)

We need a "like" button for posts. I like this one.:)

[BikeDutchess]

I'm wondering if shootingstar was feeling sad because her niece, who not all that long ago lost her mother, was yearning for happy endings, after such a big loss for them both.

Thanks for helping me make that connection, Salsabike.

[shootingstar]

This year, a filmmaker will be releasing a documentary about the genre of romance writing and the people (many women) who write them. This is an article that talks about it: http://www.macleans.ca/society/why-romance-novelists-are-the-rock-stars-of-the-literary-world/ Article says it's an area where women dominate in creativity..which might tend to be downgraded like some other disciplines where women traditionally dominate. For instance, is the genre as "low" as a violent shooting suspense novel, etc.?

Best for now with my niece is to keep the doors of communication open. She is 30 yrs. old by the way. So ask yourself, if you were 30, would you want a pesky aunt inquiring all the time? :p

I know she got into this about 2 yrs. ago or so. She also found out I had a blog shortly after my sister died because I started to notify family members occasionally when I published a new blog post. She also has an aunt on her father's side who was assistant editor for a major national newspaper for the publishing industry.

Sure, this is a woman who presented scientific papers to conference rms. full of men...many her father's age. (She complained to me....) Her father is assistant professor of engineering at a major university. I last heard that she has not shown her father the novels she has written. Probably embarrassed.

Related to writing and happy endings: My blog coincidentally tends to focus on positive stuff that I've seen/experienced too. I don't use it to rant a lot nor air all my problems with family and friends. I do want to leave a good digital footprint legacy..primarily for family, good friends...it reflects some of the best of me. It also makes me feel good, for days when I'm in a bad mood or someone has told me I'm in a bad mood. My immediate thought now is: You have no idea: my blog shows something better of me. I too, want happy endings / happy thoughts for others and of myself too. Is that deluding myself?

I don't care except that the Internet is full of strangers. Being always negative about loved ones is bound to bite back.

***If anyone is interested in her free romance stories...pm me.