My friend Heather raised a very interesting, yet shocking question to me last week. She knows about my love for romance novels and actually asked me, as I read romance novels, do I get my jollies off? (meaning, do I masturbate while reading the sex scenes) She assumes the only reason women read romance is to "get their jollies off". Heather also thought there were many passages about "heaving bosums" and "the expanding one eyed purple warrior of love".After I explained to her that I have never tried to pleasure myself while reading even the most scandalous of books with scorching hot loving going on, she seemed interested in reading some of the books I have enjoyed. She didn't want books which too many cliche sex scenes and preferred paranormals, mainly with vampires. (She is a big fan of the now cancelled Moonlight that aired on CBS)
My mission was to go through my book collection and find the best of the best, where she will put aside all preconceived notions and perhaps join the ranks of becoming a romance crack baby like myself.
These are the books I gave her:
How'd I do? Would you have picked some other literature to bring her over to our side?
As for the question about "getting your jollies off", that is better left unsaid. *G*
19 comments:
Not sure about the Ward book, but the other two I think you hit dead on. I think you could have added some early Kenyon Dark-Hunters in there. Good stuff, that.
Nice going... and LOL at the "jollies" Snort!
I think the Ward book is a good introduction--she may not become addicted, but at least she's been exposed
*innocence*
*blinks at her assumption* huh?
Anyway - I think you did good. If she likes Vampire books, then JR is the one to try her out with. If she likes the ones you gave her, maybe try Laura Adrian next.
Throw in some Urban Romance like Driven and she should really get her eyes open as to what great romance there are out there.
No Lisa Kleypas????????????
Hm..OK well I'd have put Welcome to Temptation on that list.
Well, I get rather excited when a new I've been dying for is here...or when I finally get to read it. Does that count as...er... enjoying myself ;)?
These are good hooks to reel her in, but it also depends on her taste. Drama drama, light hearted drama, etc.
These all look like excellent choices to me. I actually haven't read Demon Angel yet but I still bought it since it sounded so good, which should count for something :-D. Singh and Ward would certainly have been my first 2 choices too. I might also have suggested Tanya Huff's Blood Books, Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (not centered on vampires but they are still a part of the series) and Sherrilyn Kenyon's early Dark-Hunter.
I think you did great, Katie. Those are the best of the best there. I do agree with Kristie, that if she ends up liking the crack, you should hand over Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed series, it's also excellent. Also, for a taste of something different, what about the WARLORDS OF THE PLAINS series by Elizabeth Vaughan? That's one of my favorites to hand over to someone who hasn't read romance. And also CL Wilson. Both great examples of paranormal/fantasy romance, IMO.
SIGH about the jollies question. There are easier ways to get yourself off for God's sake.
I don't own any Sherrilyn Kenyon *ducks from the flying books aimed at my head*
Hopefully she will come back to me in awe of her reads and I can give her more of each book in the series. Oh yes she will be a BDB crack baby, mark my words!! MUWAHAHAHAAA....
katie(babs), I think YOU should try Shiloh Walker's Through the Veil, and then pass it on to her.
kristie(j), you are so right. It's quite a leap to make, isn't it? I mean, yeah, there's erotica and stuff, but c'mon! Is it not a bit like assuming that people read detective stories to enjoy the vicarious thrill of killing someone?
I'm with anne I would have added the Dark Hunter series, Dropped the ward series, and as Kristie said try the Adrian series if she doesn't like the ward.
Good picks!
Good choices Katie!
Great question. I'm always struggling with this! I want so desperately to get my friends hooked on romance novels so that I have SOMEONE to drool over books with, but so far they have all resisted my drug pushing. Sadness.
Ward has very explicit love scenes. I would worry about giving someone who is squicky about reading sex one. If she doesn't want to read any sex I would give her Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. It's Urban Fantasy, but it's absolutely wonderful. You might also want to give her a lighter Paranormal to try, like You Slay Me by Katie MacAlister. Good luck!
Oh and great choice with Demon Angel. MJB is Amazing.
Vampire lover... JR Ward was good for the first three books, but have to say other just weren't fascinating to me, liked the Kenyon earlier Dark Hunter novels better. Lara Adrian was good as well. Might introduce an anthology containing some vampire series Love at First Bite comes to mind.
Love the Warlord series by Elizabeth Vaughan for general fiction readers.
CL Wilson and Nalini Singh are great for fairytale/fantasy readers. The Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop is a great as well.
Might also point out that more and more "romance" is being incorporated into other genres these days and also some classics that are considers romance like The Princess Bride and Pride and Prejudice.
If they are insomniacs (such as myself) all of the above because they can use the material to waste times otherwise spent sleeping (who needs sleep anyway, like who needs food, books are considered fiber aren't they). It is certainly better than melodramas and soaps on TV.
Now I will stop rambling and attempt sleep again. (Still giggling for the "jollies" questions!)
Still giggling... that whole "jollies"thing mad me remember that my mom always called romances "lust and thrust"
I think Dark Lover is excellent. I think also that Outlander is a classic gateway drug that sucks anybody in. If she is used to more literary fare, I'd start her off with Bitten, which is a tightly written, really cliche-less book and a super HAWT read.
But I would say OUTLANDER is major. Look at what other people's gateway books are, and outlander is frequently there. it was for Sula and me.
Waiting to hear back from my jolly friend :D I wonder if she has gotten her jollies off yet?
Outlander was my gateway drug too. The only problem is that some people are intimidated by it's sheer size.
What makes Bitten "Literary"? I just finished it. Author Mark Henry called it literary fiction too, and I admit the comment went straight over my head.
I would have went with some Dark Hunter books too...maybe you can pimp those to her when she's done with this batch.
This batch is great though, I loved Wrath's book as well as Demon Angel so good on ya!
LMAO about the jollies...*raise brows* Gotta save those kittens! haha.
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