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

Ah, the Romance! Not set in the US or in the United Kingdom? You have the hankering for the man-tittied perfection that is the Fabio, a perfect Italian stud hero?

The Bitchery is here to help you out:

Ah, the American West in historical romance. Petticoats. Horses. Leather. Men named Chet who want to get in your petticoat and who smell like leather, sweat, and horses (and why does that turn people on? I’d run for the hills if approached by stanky Chet).

American Western Historicals also present a unique opporunity: your antagonist? The force acting against your couple? Throughout the WHOLE BOOK? Could be the weather!

Now that is an opportunity right there- The Weather Channel: “It Could Happen Tomorrow - The Romance Series.”

If you’re not thinking cold fronts, what Western Historicals would you recommend?

I rarely participate and try to leave the brilliance up to y’all, but I have to put in a word for one of my faves. I am a sucker for old school Jude Deveraux, and I love Wishes, particularly for the somewhat cranky “fairy godmother” who thinks being thin will solve the heroine’s problems (she’s so wrong), and who conjures herself up a year’s worth of People magazine to amuse herself for an afternoon.

So - what other Western Historicals would you like to recommend?

Candy discussed this topic at length in a rant about children’s books that are way better than the Harry Potter series, and a lot of you had some fantastic recommendations for YA and children’s novels that were better than HP and his division of children into four ranked groups (that’s the part of the HP series that bugs the hell out of me: “You’re lame and ineffectual, so you’re a Hufflepuff.” WTF?).

Candy requested good children’s novels and books to read aside from HP, and while I’m sure there will be some overlap, I wanted to send out the Bitchery Request for Recommendations - YA Romance.

Simon & Schuster is releasing YA Romance under SimonPulse. I’m sure other publication houses have similar intentions. So, if YA romance is having a surge of sorts, what YA romances do you recommend?

Lovelysalome asked for several different romance recommendations, and while I can’t launch them all at once, I am going to go bit-by-bit to ask for more Bitchery Booklists.

I’d be curious about recommendations for books about non-American / non-English subjects.  Mexico, Australia, the Orient, harems, WWI, Russia, Caribbean, Klondike, other European locales - ANYTHING outside of the regular old settings!

So, what are your recommendations? Bring it on! 

Kate R’s comment that Edith Layton writes some good stories, though she is plagued by bad cover art, gave me an idea - what books and/or authors do you recommend as great stories, despite being afflicted with horrible cover art?  Good books, with bad covers, please! List ‘em up!

(Note: I edited this post at 2.25pm EDT for clarity, as my original wording was not clear, largely due to absence of caffeine in my bloodstream -SBS)