[bksvol-discuss] Re: Mindless frivolityRE: Re: 2 questions for the gang

  • From: Shannon Curry <shannon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:52:58 -0600

Oh, Harlequin. I have to admit I hate their titles, too. Although they are good for a quick read when I want something easy to proof. (There's one on the checkout list called Betrothed: To the People's Prince, which I've meant to grab because the title makes me giggle. I know it's probably not going to be an awesome book, but that awful title does make me wonder what horrible things might be found inside, and like a trainwreck, I can't look away.


Shannon

At 01:22 AM 3/2/2010, Kim Friedman wrote:
Hi, Shannon, I like romance books with good titles in them. I can't say I'd
jump at "The Billionaire's Blonde Bombshell", because that's so hokey. I
don't know if you've ever read Clare Darcy's stuff, but what I read I liked.
I also like Diana Gabaldon's books because Claire and Jamie are relating
together as a married couple and the sex there is described correctly and as
part of every day life. I know the romance genre has the man-meets-woman,
both-have misunderstandings, both realize they love each other, and they
marry. I do like it when they have emotional depths to their characters and
experience growth in their personalities through healing or understanding.
That kind of book satisfies me where you can get to know or like the
characters. I admit to talking to the characters saying "Don't act like a
moron buddy" or "What's with you, honey, don't you listen?" or "Don't act
like a bitch/bastard". Shannon, with regard to frivolity, I am a folksinger
and in my repertoire there are silly songs. I personally think silliness is
a necessary part of life to combat when you're feeling too frazzled and
things around you are entirely too grim and serious. I suppose this is an
effort for us to keep a balance in our lives and in the world. Regards, Kim.


-----Original Message-----
From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shannon Curry
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 9:44 PM
To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: Mindless frivolityRE: Re: 2 questions for the
gang

Mostly I said what I said because I thought someone had to stick up for the
pr0n-loving contingent on the list.

I agree that gratuitous sex is never good, but I also think that one
person's gratuitous sex is another person's really hot encounter. I can
think of a couple of erotic romance authors who are masters at making sure
every scene contributes to the relationship and is plot-relevant. But I'm
pretty sure lots of people would still dismiss their books as having too
much gratuitous sex.

That being said, I'd so much rather read gratuitous sex than gratuitous
violence. At least in romance novels--at least those written after, say,
1990--you know that the characters like each other. But I can't take graphic
violence, and my tolerance for torture porn (which is how much of it comes
across) is quite low.

Shannon



At 11:32 PM 3/1/2010, Kim Friedman wrote:
>Speaking for myself, I don't care for sex or violence if it's
>gratuitous, i.e., when there's no reason for it. In romance novels I
>get, you pretty much know that sex will come up at some point in the
>story because of the feelings of the protagonists. I can accept this as
>it fits. I really like it if there's genuine caring going on and sex is
>used to show there is not only desire but some sense of commitment and
>caring occurring. I feel uncomfortable when there's coldness and
>nastiness being praised. It distresses me when people are heartless
>toward each other and sex is a weapon. I also think it depends on what
>the author is trying to do in the story. If violence is used but is not
>regarded as glorious then I think it's there for a purpose. I do have
>problems with some of James Patterson's books because he overdoes the
>psychopathic killer thing. I don't like this "Well if you have one
>serial killer in the novel to scare the bejabers out of people, why not
>have two or more." This is overkill. I suppose that's why I'm unwilling to
read horror novels. I don't like anything too gruesome.
>  If I can't find something I like about the author's characters, it's
>probable I might not care for the book. If the writing's good, the
>story's good, and I care about the characters, I'll read a book even
>though I may not care for the language or there's descriptions of sex or
violence.
>Regards, Kim.
>-----Original Message-----
>From: bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>[mailto:bksvol-discuss-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shannon Curry
>Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 9:29 AM
>To: bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: 2 questions for the gang
>
>I'd just like to put my vote out there for mindless frivolity. I enjoy
>it all--strong language, explicit sex, all of it. I figure there are
>volunteers out there who are better at reading and proofing serious
>work. Me, I like fluff. I can read more of it, and I read enough
>serious required texts that I feel no guilt about asking for an explicit
romance novel to proof.
>
>Shannon
>
>
>
>At 08:41 PM 2/26/2010, Roger Loran Bailey wrote:
> >I am going to have to agree with you on that one. I have nothing
> >against sex scenes and I have nothing against the very most graphic
> >and explicit sex scenes, per se. But how many body parts rubbing
> >against how many body parts described in how many ways can there be
> >anyway. It also happens that the more sex scenes and the more
> >explicit the sex scenes there are in a book the less interested in it I
am likely to be.
> >That is because the book as a whole is likely to not have much depth
> >to it. That is to say, they tend to be mindless frivolity.
>
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