Smart Bitches Trashy Books | All of the romance, none of the bullshit.

Emdee gave me a heads up as to today’s Dear Abby, wherein the discussion of romance novels continues in response to last September’s letter from a concerned mom whose daughter was reading romance.

Abby received many a reply from current authors, including Bitchery member P.C. Cast, who all told Abby that her perception that romance is about unequal power structures between the protagonists is a bit outdated. Author Kate Douglas did mention that her romances are “‘sexual fantasies’ containing graphic descriptions’ but her reply seems to have been couched in a caution that parents should be aware of what their kids are reading - though that doesn’t preclude them from reading romance.

Several readers wrote in to defend their love of the romance, as well. My favorite is “Never Promiscuous, Always a Feminist” who said, “I was normal, curious and shy around boys—but nonetheless longed for romance and adventure. Those books were “spicy,” but they filled that niche without any risk to my physical health or reputation. I lived vicariously through them and avoided getting into “real life” trouble because of it!”

When we first wrote about the original Dear Abby letter, I asked for recommendations for heroines who were strong, independent, and self-relient heroes.

This time I have to ask: if you were giving a young woman curious about romance her first experience with the genre, what book would you offer?

Have you seen the Christmas catalogs that come a-pouring in the mailslot every day? Holy McCow. They started in the beginning of October. Too early!

But it’s never too early for gift ideas, even if you’ve got a writer who needs a birthday gift, or a friend who fishes having a big anniversary.

Check out this incredible gallery of bookshelves made from books done by artist Jim Rosenau. His collection of shelves and sculptures crafted of hardbacks is really freaking cool.

Now to start saving my Smart Bitch pennies and hinting to the hubby how much I need a bookshelf - made of real books. 

Natalie over at RT send me a heads-up that RT is hosting their annual Best First Line contest - and the entries are almost as interesting as the comments.

So much of what the editors have to say are rules for writing fiction - rules with which I can’t always agree. I understand things like “show, don’t tell,” and how vagueness is boring. But the others? “Start at the beginning of a conversation but the middle of the action?” I can think of a few examples where that would be as boring and vague as starting a novel with “Hey, you.”

Which one do you like? And what do you think of the best of that list, and the worst? 

In a very tongue-in-cheek account of the recent news articles, and I admit I giggled at the idea that “every hoo-ha is worth looking into,” DCist asks if the ad in question made you “angrier than that time daddy took away your beloved wild horse and half your inheritance because you made off with his darkly handsome sworn enemy?”

Snort.

The comment appearing as of this writing asks why we should “walk on eggshells to avoid offending stupid people?” Then, the same person calls us romance readers “illiterate.”

A different kind of snort.

We here at SBTB poke fun at romance. I mean, have you SEEN the cover snark? But we do it because we love it unashamedly, and read our romance with glee and pride. We know we’re not dumb.

But the comment? Pfft. Right up over that one’s head. Perhaps the issue isn’t so much one of intelligence vs. stupidity. It might be more as to whether people are secure about their intelligence in the first place. 

I was really enjoying my morning glee, and along came a heaping cup of what-the-fuck to make me glare and seethe. Although we mentioned this issue in passing back in August, the reminder made me growl enough to rant about it.

Seems a man named Fred Head is running for State Comptroller in the state of Texas. His website accuses his Republican opponent, Susan Combs, currently the state agriculture commissioner, is a writer of pornography.

Guess what she wrote? You get one guess. Seriously.

Oh, the joy of reading romance. I had no idea it was so powerful. It makes me stupid AND it makes me a prurient partaker of pornography. Perhaps I should feel guilty about enjoying the genre so much, but somehow, I feel sexually empowered, confident, and more intelligent.

Head’s website is kind enough to offer “extraxts” (sic) should you wish to examine how Combs’ “pornographic book”
disputes her claim of being a “person of high moral standards” and is a “two faced hyprocrite who was obviously more concerned with her literary career and seeing her name in print than the morals of the young People of Texas.”

My personal jaw-dropping favorite part of this nonsense is where he accuses her of having an “insatiable ego” because her name appears at the top of every other page.

I have to wonder if this man has ever read a book.

I shouldn’t be shocked or surprised about this kind of absolute crap, and should just shake my head (or pound it on the nearest hard surface) when Head “challenges Susan Combs to fully explain to the People of Texas why she wrote a pornographic book, apologize to the People and withdraw from the race for Comptroller of Public Accounts.”

Combs’ responses, detailed in the press coverage regarding Head’s accusations dismiss the attempts to malign her as “irrelevant and ill-advised.” I’d say. Her attempts to turn the discussion back to state issues is also pointed.

As one wise person I spoke with said, “If that’s all he’s got, he doesn’t have much.”

Perhaps it’s time for me to develop, with my outstanding knowledge of the intricacies of chemistry, a Smart Bitch Valium, which will render me impervious to continued insults and snide remarks as to my choice of reading materials.

Or, just stick my nose in a romance novel, where I belong. 

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Cassie Edwards Articles

• A centralized document of the Cassie Edwards texts (Rev. E, 2/21/2008, Tracks 22 Books, Added a Table of Contents)

One Big-Ass Bastard

• Bill Napoli, who’s a real sexist ass-hat
• Engaging in some friendly Googlebombing
• Another Napoli Update
• Smart Bitch Endorsed Art Auction
• WE WIN AT THE INTERNET