Musings: The problem with Romance Critics

books-20167_640If you read any of my reviews here (and I hope you do!) you should notice I read a variety of genres. I read Young Adult, New Adult, Dystopian, Romance, Sci Fi, Literature, Horror, LGBT and the list actually does go on from there. I don’t review everything I read because not everything is worthy of a review. I read a lot of 3 star books and in general those reviews would be pretty boring so I try to stick to the 4 and up or the 2 and below. So if it seems I read only a certain genre on here that would be why!

But one genre that I do read a ton in is romance. I love romance books. Which is why I get so incredibly annoyed and quite honestly pissed off when I hear over and over about how dumb romance books are or how predictable and fluffy they can be. I assume those people have never read the romance books that I am reading because I don’t read predictable or dumb romance books – those would be the ones I pick up and put down immediately.

I love romance books because they are so all encompassing. They can include literally every genre there is, so you have paranormal romance, the urban fantasy romance, contemporary romance, historical romance, sci-fi romance, inspirational romance, Christian romance and the list seriously goes on and on and on from there. A ton of young adult books can be considered romance because most of them are centered around a romantic triangle of sorts, even while other dramatic events are taking place.

What I hear over and over again is – oh romance is fluff. REALLY? Not the stuff I read. I read Nalini Singh’s captivating Psy/Changeling series with it’s great world building and a build up over 12 books as of now with 3 different races – the Psys, the Changelings, and the Humans trying to coexist. I read Singh’s Guild Hunter series with it’s insanely complex mythology, and a gritty world where archangels guard over their cities. I read Sarah Mayberry’s and Shannon Stacey’s contemporary books with real life settings and real life problems that are so incredibly well written, laced with humor and with intense feeling that I don’t see how it’s any different from any other “normal” book.

I read Ruthie Knox and Tessa Dare. Jill Mansell, Mary Balogh, Jeaniene Frost. I was super excited to read new author Mary Ann Rivers and fall in love with her writing. I just discovered Elyssa Patrick and Sabrina Elkins and absolutely loved their recent releases. Ruthie Knox and Nalini Singh both recommended Laura Florand and off I went to discover yet another author I loved with a totally new twist. I discovered the New Adult genre by reading romance and fell in love with Colleen Hoover, Jessica Park, K.A. Tucker, Tammara Webber.

That’s the other thing I’ve discovered about the romance genre – the people. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a group of book lovers online and then even more lucky to discover a small group of romance lovers within that group. I love having friends who read some of the same books I do. They suggest great books for me to read and we have excellent book discussions on who to read next. We band together because when people get asked what genre they read what we hear most often is anything BUT ROMANCE or I don’t read fluff. We have long discussions about how our favorite books are so not fluffy, they’re emotional and intense, hilarious and suspenseful. I love my romance book friends – they are ridiculously awesome!

But I’ve found that the authors are also just really amazing. Maybe that’s true with all genres, I don’t know. But I find that these authors are kind and funny on Facebook and Twitter. They interact with their fans, give recommendations and get them. Quite honestly, it makes me like some of them even more than I did before.

So the problem with romance critics is that they don’t get it. These books definitely have romance in them obviously. But there is SO much more to them. There is humor, suspense, action, mystery and so much more. But you know what? If you don’t want to read romance that’s totally fine with me. I’m cool with that, I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi either. So don’t read it.

But please do me a favor. Shut up about how stupid or vapid Romance books are unless you read them and want to review them – because obviously if you do so that’s your prerogative to not like something you’ve read. But if you don’t read them then just shut up already. Say you don’t read romance. Leave it at that.

And stop using the word fluff. My books are not fluffy, my cats are fluffy. Get it straight.

~Clio

Authors are even better in person…

I love authors way more than traditional celebrities. Meeting Tom Cruise wouldn’t really faze me but meeting my favorite author would make me go into complete fangirl mode. However, I had never had a chance to meet any authors at all before this summer.

935196_4296103779079_1580414677_n In July some book friends of mine informed me that New York Times best selling author Khaled Hosseini of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns was coming to Ohio to promote his new book And the Mountains Echoed. I was ecstatic! This is an author whose books really moved me and I admired. The signing was huge, with a couple of hundred people coming out to meet him. Khaled did a Q&A talk where I found him humorous and really engaging. Also way cuter than I expected! Due to the size of the event there was no picture taking, but I did get my book signed and got to shake his hand.

My next author meeting was totally different. Tessa Dare and Gayle Callen were coming to Dayton.They both write romance novels – Tessa wrote The Spindle Cove series that I had really enjoyed and Gayle I had yet to read. This was at a bookstore in Dayton where there was a small crowd. This was much more interactive and I really loved seeing them talk to us so candidly. I thought they both were really funny and I thought it was awesome that Tessa recognized a friend of mine from their Twitter interactions. I’ve since read Gayle’s latest release that I had signed and loved it. I left there a bigger fan than I was going in.

971108_10200258989500777_870582190_n I then was able to go to a small bookstore in Delaware, OH and meet Patrick Rothfuss who has a huge fan following. The Name of the Wind is a fantasy novel a fellow muse convinced me to read, which I completely loved. This small bookstore was packed and Patrick was amazing. He was hilarious, answered many, many questions in philosophical and funny ways and he stayed way late. Patrick was willing to take pictures with every single person and signed multiple books for just about every fan there.

So my experiences so far have been vastly different. But the common thread they all shared were that the authors were SO great. Since in general authors are like idols to me maybe I assumed they would think they were better than their fans, or thought they’d act snobby. If anything, my meeting these authors made me love them even more. If you can manage it I would highly recommend going to one!!

~Clio

Look for any of the books from these awesome authors here: Search

Ramblings From the Odd Muse Out……

622516_10151562979950064_1131408446_oSometimes I despair over being a muse. Don’t get me wrong. I love it. This blog is so much fun. The fellow muses are amazing. It’s not often you can get 5 women to all agree on something, but the blog is also so much fun!

However, I have to confess…..sometimes I feel like the odd muse out. Trust me when I say all of the other muses are girly girls….meant in the best possible sense of the word….They are cute and cuddly and they all seem to love HEA books. They get all giggly over all the latest romance books and I am left wondering what is wrong with me? I mean, really, can’t I be part of the giggling muse in-crowd too? Seriously, I can giggle….listen……

Bwhahahahahahahahahaahah…..

Okay, maybe not…..see what I mean? Didn’t that sound a bit like some evil laugh right there? Seriously, there was nothing cute and bubbly about it, was there?
Now I know, my fellow muses are so wonderful that they will read this blog post and come running and offer me chocolates and some story of a studly man hunk that they are sure will cheer me up…..they will tell me how this book or that book is just like my very own HEA story….

So, now that I’m over my self-pity party, I realize that this is what this blog and my friendship with my fellow muses are all about….fun and good times with people you care about…but since this is a literary blog, let’s take it a step further….

Where else can you find total acceptance with a group of strangers other than in the literary world?

I said a moment ago that I love this blog and how much fun it is….but it’s not because we are all doing something we love. It’s also because of the followers. It’s also because of the fellow muses. But there is more…..It is because all of us, muses and followers share a common interest. Love of reading….not a common genre of books…..but the love of books themselves….

You see, I’ve been an odd muse out pretty much my entire life….and for that lifetime, I’ve also been fortunate enough to have a strong passion for reading….no matter how or where I was going, or how far I was going to have to walk, I never felt lumbered enough where I didn’t carry some sort of book with me….school, over night stay at grandma’s house, family vacation….wherever, I always toted along that book….just in case….

Now that I have found other literary friends, I have truly felt accepted for perhaps the first time ever….

Let me try to explain…..sure there are school ties that bind us….if you went to a certain school you found connected to the other students….but perhaps not to the students of the closet rival school….so your binds ended right there….
you can feel a bigger bind with people in your hometown….perhaps your state, your favorite sports team…..hell, even your Country….you can even form a bond just because you share the same gender with someone…..

But think about it…..with literary friends, you don’t have to all read the same things. I know fellow literary friends (I won’t name names Muses!!!!) that read nothing but fluff, and I still consider them some of my favorite people in the world! To take it a step further, they don’t seem to mind that I read some really oddball stuff….
But think about it….open up your mind….My love of the written word has brought me great friendships from every walk of life…..Different genders, different generations, different cultures, different genres and different reading preferences.

As I’ve been sitting her pondering it….I wonder what else could do so?

George RR Martin wrote:

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one”

I would just like to point out that it’s not just the words on the page that enables us to do this….it also the combined love of these words that we share with one another…..if you want to get people talking, really talking to one another, give them something they are passionate about and open the door….
How many times have you seen a stranger with a book and started a conversation based on it? I know I have! What a thrill to feel that instant bond with a stranger! Haven’t tried it? Take the chance and do so! You might be really surprised how easily a conversation starts over a book….it doesn’t even need to be a book you’ve read or would even consider reading!

The best part of about being a person that reads is that reading encompasses so very many different areas….and because it does, so many readers are open to new ideas….when you read a lot it’s so hard to simply see the world in black and white anymore….I, for one, see it in various shades of vibrant colors….
I know that without reading, so many doors I have walked freely though would not have been open to me…So many of the people I love most in this world would be unknown to me…..

So yes, perhaps for now on, after this long rambling post, I will be known as “Urania – the rambling muse”

But I also know that even though I sometimes feel like the odd muse out, that in fact, I belong to a very large and loving literary family that loves me despite my excellent reading tastes……
Bwhahahahahahaahahahahahaha (see! Did THAT sound more like a giggle there?)

Much Love and Happy Reading,
Urania

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Why I Read

As I raced around to note a bunch of book club reads and new Advanced Review Copies of books, I felt rushed. I have this list of books I want to read and review by certain dates, but I just don’t know if I’ll have time. I’d need to read pretty fast to get it done.

So I stopped and reflected. I shouldn’t be rushing to read, no matter what. Reading shouldn’t be a chore. Why am I stressing about something I love doing? Why am I reading, anyway?

Apart from that moment of stress, I consider reading my favorite hobby. I read to relax. Just the process of seeing, consuming and understanding written words relaxes me. That’s why I enjoy my morning coffee with the newspaper. Or the back of the cereal box.

I also read to escape. You’ll notice I review a lot of Happily Ever After type books. That’s because I’m trying to forget – for a little while – about my worries, the stuff I have to do the next day, and the crazy things happening in the world around me.

In the past I read to learn, to be informed, to become enlightened. But now I just want some really good writing to draw me in, and a nice happy story to entertain me.

I decided I’m not going to rush around or give myself time limits to get certain books read. I’m going to savor the writing, settle in to the characters’ lives, and enjoy the happily ever afters — however long it takes me.

–Calliope

What Makes a Good Book Good

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I’ve been thinking about what makes a good book GOOD. I know, I know – developed characters, an even and forward-moving plot, a genre I like, good writing…. But there’s something else that’s not so objective.

I need the characters to be relatable. The plot has to be somewhat realistic (that’s over a 5 on the realism scale -yeah i made that up- where 1 is unrealistic and 10 is nonfiction). The book has to evoke emotions – make me laugh and cry. There have to be enough details that I can see what the characters see, but not so much detail that it bogs down the plot. Dialogue has to be natural, not contrived.

But you know what it really is? The book has to make me want to invest in it. I’ve got to be drawn in and live the story I’m reading. I want that book to speak to me!

Since having a kindle and putting quite a few free-or-on-sale books on there, I’ve experienced some books that just aren’t good. I’m either bored with the characters or driven crazy with unnecessary details. Sometimes the plot seems to be going absolutely nowhere– because it isn’t. And sometimes the characters are so contrived, I find my eyebrows raised… page after page after page. Why do I put myself through it?!

The most recent failure was Coffee Beans and Blue Jeans. Or Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans. I struggled to 20% and just couldn’t go any further. If you’ve read it and enjoyed it, please let me know what its redeeming qualities are. Maybe it deserves a second chance. Or maybe it doesn’t!

I have 700 books on my kindle, all unread and waiting for me. I’d like to find one that moves me rather than struggle through one that frustrates me.

So…. Hello, “Geoducks Are for Lovers.” I’ll let you know how it is in a future review. If I finish it. 😉

-Calliope

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