I am a big fan of Quin Ivins! I loved "The Love Factor." You don't have to be a lesbian (or a woman, or a man, or a whoever) to enjoy every genre. If the writing is good, it's good!
The romance novel has a lo-o-ong history and may even be the first form of fiction (some of the oldest scrolls ever found were romance novels!). And did you know one of the biggest audiences for Romance is gay men (boy, those dukes can really rock the outfits!)? I myself have been reading them since I was 11 -- as that is what was about the house. (Mom was a great fan of Dame Heyer, whom I found a bit too tame--but will definitely look into The Masqueraders!) It was great escapism, a whisper of British history (not counting the wild inflation in numbers of titled hot gentleman), innocent indulgence of one's sexual fantasies--all perfectly good reasons to read romance! My appetite for something a bit more, ahem, explicit grew along with the genre. Thank goodness there are more adult themes for those of us who aren't into vampires and shape-shifting badgers (they all have their places and audiences). Now that I am 60-something, I am enjoying authors who take it all with a large dose of smelling salts and have fun with the genre (like Caroline Lee). Also happy to see more well-rounded characters (female and male intelligence and agency are sexy!).
Thanks for the fun comment and the recommendation of Caroline Lee! I just finished The Duke Undone, by Joanna Lowell, and just loved it. It’s well-plotted, spicy, and full of interesting information about painting school during the pre-Raphaelite era. Highly recommended!
“The day after Valentine’s Day is an excellent time to celebrate romance without all the stressful expectations and consumerist hoopla.”
Not to mention 50% off candy!
Wish I had known you back then and been to that party -- it sounds amazing!
Not a fan of romance but... not even sure why?
My guilty pleasure is true crime. I have this unrealistic feeling that if I watch enough Paula Zahn episodes, I’ll be able to avoid tragedy in my own life. And I follow things like the Idaho college student murders for the same reasons. If I learn enough about it, I can avoid it. Weird!
This is so interesting: I wonder if all “guilty pleasures” fulfill a psychological need--for safety in the case of true crime, and for a secure way of experiencing a bit of stress in the case of romance and horror? If that is true, these genres ought to be celebrated!
My guilty pleasures run toward spy novels and I've been plowing through the Slough House series by Mick Herron. I learned about the books from watching the fantastic Apple TV series that's based on them. John Le Carré has died, alas, so we will not get any new novels from him. Herron's books are funny and as one of the reviews said, as if Le Carré were filtered through CATCH 22. I am loving them. In the TV show, Gary Oldman as burned out spymaster Jackson Lamb is pitch-perfect and hilarious.
I have been reading and watching them too! Gary Oldman is just brilliant, and I admit to having a tiny crush on River. I’m only on book 2--no spoilers!
I LOVE those P&P valentines! 😂 We just finished watching the 1995 miniseries (it was my first time!) and it was wonderful. I want to check out those Regency romances you recommended.
I thought you used ChatGP or AI Art or something to create that Honey Badger book. Wow... It's real!
I don't think it's considered a guilty pleasure, especially in recent years with The Walking Dead and now The Last of Us dominating TV, but I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic fiction, doesn't even need zombies!
Top three:
1) Earth Abides by George R Stewart. No zombies. My favorite novel of all time, it's the father of the genre, having directly influenced Stephen King's "The Stand" and Justin Cronin's "The Passage", it's unique to the genre in that it explores in depth the ecological and social impact of a world where 99% of the humans are gone.
2) The Girl with all the Gifts by M R Carey. If you haven't read this, go in blind. Don't even read the back. The audio book is fantastic too, if you have an audible account you won't be disappointed by Finty Williams sublime narration.
3) The Passage by Justin Cronin (love the whole trilogy). Looking forward to his new book coming out in May.
Oh wow, I LOVED The Girl with all the Gifts! I will definitely check out your other recommendations, especially The Last of Us (anything with Nick Offerman is something I want to see).
I am a big fan of Quin Ivins! I loved "The Love Factor." You don't have to be a lesbian (or a woman, or a man, or a whoever) to enjoy every genre. If the writing is good, it's good!
I agree! All three of her novels are wonderful! When I start reading one, I can’t put it down!
Thank you so much Mari ❤️
Thank you for writing such great books!
The romance novel has a lo-o-ong history and may even be the first form of fiction (some of the oldest scrolls ever found were romance novels!). And did you know one of the biggest audiences for Romance is gay men (boy, those dukes can really rock the outfits!)? I myself have been reading them since I was 11 -- as that is what was about the house. (Mom was a great fan of Dame Heyer, whom I found a bit too tame--but will definitely look into The Masqueraders!) It was great escapism, a whisper of British history (not counting the wild inflation in numbers of titled hot gentleman), innocent indulgence of one's sexual fantasies--all perfectly good reasons to read romance! My appetite for something a bit more, ahem, explicit grew along with the genre. Thank goodness there are more adult themes for those of us who aren't into vampires and shape-shifting badgers (they all have their places and audiences). Now that I am 60-something, I am enjoying authors who take it all with a large dose of smelling salts and have fun with the genre (like Caroline Lee). Also happy to see more well-rounded characters (female and male intelligence and agency are sexy!).
Thanks for the fun comment and the recommendation of Caroline Lee! I just finished The Duke Undone, by Joanna Lowell, and just loved it. It’s well-plotted, spicy, and full of interesting information about painting school during the pre-Raphaelite era. Highly recommended!
“The day after Valentine’s Day is an excellent time to celebrate romance without all the stressful expectations and consumerist hoopla.”
Not to mention 50% off candy!
Wish I had known you back then and been to that party -- it sounds amazing!
Not a fan of romance but... not even sure why?
My guilty pleasure is true crime. I have this unrealistic feeling that if I watch enough Paula Zahn episodes, I’ll be able to avoid tragedy in my own life. And I follow things like the Idaho college student murders for the same reasons. If I learn enough about it, I can avoid it. Weird!
This is so interesting: I wonder if all “guilty pleasures” fulfill a psychological need--for safety in the case of true crime, and for a secure way of experiencing a bit of stress in the case of romance and horror? If that is true, these genres ought to be celebrated!
And thanks for the tip about the candy sales!
My guilty pleasures run toward spy novels and I've been plowing through the Slough House series by Mick Herron. I learned about the books from watching the fantastic Apple TV series that's based on them. John Le Carré has died, alas, so we will not get any new novels from him. Herron's books are funny and as one of the reviews said, as if Le Carré were filtered through CATCH 22. I am loving them. In the TV show, Gary Oldman as burned out spymaster Jackson Lamb is pitch-perfect and hilarious.
I have been reading and watching them too! Gary Oldman is just brilliant, and I admit to having a tiny crush on River. I’m only on book 2--no spoilers!
A crush on River. OMG. Yes! Me, too.
I LOVE those P&P valentines! 😂 We just finished watching the 1995 miniseries (it was my first time!) and it was wonderful. I want to check out those Regency romances you recommended.
They are all wonderful!
I thought you used ChatGP or AI Art or something to create that Honey Badger book. Wow... It's real!
I don't think it's considered a guilty pleasure, especially in recent years with The Walking Dead and now The Last of Us dominating TV, but I'm a sucker for post-apocalyptic fiction, doesn't even need zombies!
Top three:
1) Earth Abides by George R Stewart. No zombies. My favorite novel of all time, it's the father of the genre, having directly influenced Stephen King's "The Stand" and Justin Cronin's "The Passage", it's unique to the genre in that it explores in depth the ecological and social impact of a world where 99% of the humans are gone.
2) The Girl with all the Gifts by M R Carey. If you haven't read this, go in blind. Don't even read the back. The audio book is fantastic too, if you have an audible account you won't be disappointed by Finty Williams sublime narration.
3) The Passage by Justin Cronin (love the whole trilogy). Looking forward to his new book coming out in May.
Oh wow, I LOVED The Girl with all the Gifts! I will definitely check out your other recommendations, especially The Last of Us (anything with Nick Offerman is something I want to see).