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

It’s HABO Monday: all day, we challenge the memory of the Bitchery, which automatically has to be better than ours.

The first request comes from Lacinda:

I remember reading a book about 8 years ago, maybe more, featuring a woman who was essentially kicked out of her house when her husband served her divorce papers. She had a business with a friend restoring furniture (mainly wicker?), and she ends up getting together with his smokin’ hot self.

There may also have been a lighthouse, but I was young and there were lots of romance novels around, so it’s hard to say.

Wicker! Divorce! Possibly a lighthouse? Now that is romance.

Given the time difference this might have already happened, but Australia’s ABC will feature a program (Sorry - programme?) on 6 October at 10am with Ramona Koval looking at how romance novels have changed since the first world war:

We delve into the world of square jaws and ripped bodices and ask how romance writing has changed over the years. How different are romance titles of the 21st century from those published during the First World War for instance?

BZZZZT! Personal Foul! Five yard penalty for use of “ripped bodice!”

But I’ll be curious to hear it - so tune in Aussies, and let me know how it is? I mean, it’s not like WWI romances and 21st century romances are even nearly the same. It’s like saying New Zealand and Australia are the same.

[Thanks to Wendy Palmer for the link!]

CNN’s review via EW.com loved it. I’m so happy - and I so want to see it.

Best quote:

But one of “Nick & Norah’s” most radical accomplishments is to incorporate a population of interesting, creative, cute gay guys who lead fulfilled lives that have nothing to do with being any straight person’s colorful sidekick. (It’s a stunning feat, really, tossed off with ease by director Peter Sollett and screenwriter Lorene Scafaria, working from the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.)

Another achievement is granting Norah a Jewish identity that’s as much an unremarkable, unshticky part of who she is as the fact that she’s cool, she loves rock, and she doesn’t drink.

Commence fist pumping. 

Winners of Bitch Magazine Subscriptions - I has them!

First: the good news: Bitch Magazine raised the needed funds well before the October 15 deadline.

Second: more good news! The following people have won a 1 year subscription to Bitch - congratulations!

Lizzie (greeneyed fem)
Lys
MT
Grrrly
Claire
Ashlyn
amy lane
Elaine L
JennyMe
Leila

Email me so we can coordinate winning bitchery Bitch-ness!

Over here in the US of Holy Shit, we have a few problems. A few, big, huge giant, honking seven hundred billion dollar problems. Add to that a light-your-pants-on-fire contested presidential race (aren’t you glad I write a romance blog and not political punditry? I know I am) and you have one very exhausted Sarah who is more than ever grateful for every opportunity to take refuge in the “yes, it will end happily” world of the romance novel. The billionaires, they don’t lose their shirts or invest in sub prime mortgages in Harlequin Presents’ world. They don’t need no stinkin’ Dow. Their money is inherited and, since they’re worldy wise and brilliant, probably collecting more interest sitting in shoeboxes under the bed.

Anyway, over here, it’s crazy pants time. The election is a little over a month away, there’s debates on television (note: I think any candidate who does not answer the damn question asked of them should lose time to talk. There should be a moderator with time docking power, is all I’m sayin) and signs and ads everywhere, and the tension is only going to increase. Which leads me to my next question:

How do you feel about authors discussing politics? A few authors have emailed me privately with videos and links, and I’ve discussed the current presidential race over email with heaps of people, but more than once, I’ve had someone remark that they feel awkward saying anything on their blogs about the political situation. One author said she didn’t feel like she was in a position to get political: whereas it’s ok for actors to embrace activism, for authors of commercial fiction, it’s not ok at all.