1. Links of Interest
Post of the week: The Book Smugglers’s first Cover Matters column takes on whitewashing. It’s long and detailed and comprehensive and persuasive. I believe this important topic deserves nothing less. Go read it.
Georgette Heyer is on tour!
Beginning Monday March 1, 2010, Georgette Heyer will be going on a virtual tour of the blogosphere. Check out these participating blogs where you’ll find reviews of a number her works, as well as general information posts about this classic author.
An excellent post by Richard Herley, a author who has just concluded a 2 year experiment: he offered his books as free downloads, asking for payment if readers enjoyed them. The post connects up a wide range of issues, including how readers buy, why writers write, and how the digital age is changing reading habits. (from Books, Inq.). At one point, he worries:
People brought up on hyperlinks will not be receptive to the linear experience of a novel or short story.
Author Janet Mullany at History Hoydens explores the difference between good friends and improper relations in Georgian England. Of Jane Austen, she writes:
For Austen, true intimacy and love is between sisters, not friends.
(From BookNinja) Michael Schaub, managing editor of BookSlut, is interviewed by Willamette Week Online. Very funny. Among the interesting bits:
OK, yeah. I’ve gotten some nasty emails from writers whom I’ve reviewed negatively. There was this guy… Toby Young. He wrote a terrible book called How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, which was then made into a terrible movie. Basically, this guy is just a dick, writing about his experiences being a complete dick. I thought it was charmless and poorly written, and I said as much. It’s a real job hazard, having to read crap like that all the way through.
Keira at LoveRomancePassion is really doing yeoman’s work trying to keep up with and organize all the blogs in Romland. Check out 50 New Romance Novel Blogs. And did you know she has created a Google bundle with hundreds of romance blogs?
In big philosophy news this week, a letter by the founder of modern moral philosophy (and geometry and a lot of other things), René Descartes, was found at Haverford College in PA . In it, he talks about writing Meditations on First Philosophy, a text that I and every other philosophy professor in the western world will make you slog through if you take one of our classes.
The Tools of Change publishing conference happened in New York last week. Luckily I don’t have to spend any time telling you what I think, because Don Linn’s summation of the conference does it for me.
2. Great Taglines in Romanceland
I’ve been shopping for a new tagline for this blog, and just like when you are shopping for a new car, and you suddenly take a keen interest in all the other makes and models on the road, I have a new appreciation for great tag lines in romance blogging.
Here are a few I’ve admired recently:
Bodice Ripper Reviews: Honest Insightful and Funny, Dammit
Save Black Romance: It Tastes Better When its Chocolate…
Leontine’s Book Realm: Home of the Beefcake Preview Club and the Smutty Society
Moriah Jovan: All the things your mama told you not to talk about in public
Lurv á la Mode: A feast for the reading romanticist
Smart Bitches Trashy Books: all of the romance, none of the bullshit
Right now I’ve got “because litblogs aren’t just for literature”. I am self-consciously trying to create a space for folks like me (and most of you) who read romance and literary fiction, both. We’ll see if it sticks. [changed, temporarily, to "Rethinking Romance fiction"]
The theme creators call the banner design “flames”, and that’s what it looks like to me, but people are seeing … other … things. This is kind of a Rorschach test. Tell me what YOU see in my new header and I will predict what kinds of books you enjoy. (kidding!) [Changed to dirty brown.]
3. Random
I nuked my old blog, and did not do any forwarding due to various complications, not least my innate laziness and selfishness. You can find any old Racy Romance Reviews post, with comments, here at Read React Review, by using the search function (top right), but your old Racy Romance Reviews links won’t redirect here. I am very sorry about this inconvenience.
To subscribe to this blog, just click here, or scroll to the bottom and click the RSS icon.
I’m on spring break for the next two weeks, and for the first time in 8 years am not going some place warm. Expect a lot of posts as I don my slanket, brew a pot of tea, and park myself in front of my kitchen woodstove for a fortnight.
Happy week!
Related posts:
- Monday Morning Stepback: Vlogs, holiday tipping and travel blogging The weekly links, opinion and inanity post. Extra inane version. 1. Links of Interest I have been writing posts so...
- Monday Morning Stepback: PM Edition: how to gift an ebook? The weekly links, opinion, and randomness post 1. Links of Interest Books on the Knob is a good bet for...
- Monday Morning Stepback: Reviews of Unavailable Books — Do They Bug You? 1. Links of Interest: First, a public service announcement: please note that Wendy the Super Librarian has a new address,...
- Monday Morning Stepback Links of Interest Holly at Book Binge posted about Facebook Fan Pages, especially for authors, and why they can annoy...
- Monday Morning Stepback: a contest winner, a cyber confession, and a pity party 1. ‘Sup Saturday gift certificate Contest Winner: What follows is the list of 26 entrants, in the order they commented....
- Monday Morning Stepback: Yom Kippur edition! Actually, there is nothing Yom Kippurish about this post, except that it’s going up just after Yom Kippur ends. 1....
#1 by Ana on March 1, 2010 - 9:08 am
Quote
My mondays are not complete without your MMS posts now. I luurves them
Thanks for the kind words about our Cover Matters issue.
ALSO, the Don Lin link is the same link at the Descartes one!
I like the tagline!
#2 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 9:11 am
Quote
@Ana: Ok, fixed the Don Linn link. Whew. And thank you for the great post and kind words!
#3 by Maili on March 1, 2010 - 9:23 am
Quote
There are the famous Christmas aliens in your banner. They were popular with WarOfCraft* users during the early 1990s. Like I said, so retro of you.
I have to admit I’m not sure if I like the ‘because litblogs aren’t just for literature‘ tagline. It has implications I think it doesn’t mean to have.
*Or whatever it’s called. I can’t remember. I don’t think I even want to know.
#4 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 9:25 am
Quote
@Maili:
such as….???
And thanks for the explanation of images!
#5 by Laura Vivanco on March 1, 2010 - 9:31 am
Quote
I’m with Maili on this: “I have to admit I’m not sure if I like the ‘because litblogs aren’t just for literature‘ tagline. It has implications I think it doesn’t mean to have.” When I first saw it, I thought the implication was along the lines of “Because litblogs aren’t just for literature … sometimes we read, react and review trashy stuff too.”
And what do you mean when you say “folks like me (and most of you) who read romance and literary fiction, both”? Do you mean “modern literary fiction” or “literature”?
#6 by Carolyn Crane on March 1, 2010 - 9:51 am
Quote
OMG, Georgia OKeefe flames! Is that what people meant? Okay, the ‘litblogs aren’t just for literature’ doesn’t work for me either. But I LOVE the flames. I could see just the flames acting as your tag.
Actually, I’m surprised at your premise for your blog as you state it: “folks like me (and most of you) who read romance and literary fiction, both”
To me, that is not what you’re up to here, and though I know you are morphing now, I still don’t understand this to be your direction. This could be presumptuous of me, but I think you need to forget about the tagline and more accurately describe what you’re doing, in as klunky, verbose language as you want (not for use anywhere), and then when you have that right, it will be easier to get at a tag.
#7 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 9:59 am
Quote
@Laura Vivanco: ok, assuming you can speak for Maili, you are both right … that is not what I meant.
I meant… you can do the things one does on a litblog — literary criticism, philosophy of fiction, leftist cultural analyses, such as feminist theory, etc. — while reading material one doesn’t normally think of as “literary”.
@Carolyn Crane: Oh, that is good advice. I will see what I come up with.
thank you!
#8 by Laura Vivanco on March 1, 2010 - 10:07 am
Quote
“assuming you can speak for Maili”
I wasn’t trying to speak for Maili, nor was I stating that I knew which “implications” she was referring to. I was simply concurring with her that
Maybe she identified some implication(s) that I haven’t.
#9 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 10:29 am
Quote
@Laura Vivanco: Of course, Laura, you do not speak for Maili. I meant something like, “I’ll just bet you two have similar concerns”. But I have no evidence for that.
#10 by RfP on March 1, 2010 - 11:09 am
Quote
Another vote that “because litblogs aren’t just for literature” conveys something that I wouldn’t want to say about romance.
#11 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 11:18 am
Quote
Type your comment here@RfP:
Ok, the tagline goes. As do the flames, lol!
#12 by Janet W on March 1, 2010 - 11:22 am
Quote
Crazy flames … like early geek shirts! Bought at stores that purported to be surf shops too. Hmmm. And had no idea what the tag line meant … but didn’t fuss because I guessed it wouldn’t stay and who cares anyway when you have THIRTY ONE days of Heyer!! Thank you
#13 by Sarah Frantz on March 1, 2010 - 11:45 am
Quote
I see dark brown. I’m on Firefox both at home and at school computer.
#14 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 11:46 am
Quote
@Sarah Frantz: I just removed the flames! It;s not you.
If you blink around here these days you miss major changes. sorry!!
@Janet W: I know, isn’t that Heyer event FANTASTIC!
#15 by Sarah Frantz on March 1, 2010 - 11:47 am
Quote
Nope, got a dark brown wall on IE as well.
#16 by Sarah Frantz on March 1, 2010 - 11:48 am
Quote
Oh, duh.
#17 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 11:49 am
Quote
@Sarah Frantz: See, you blinked.
#18 by M on March 1, 2010 - 11:56 am
Quote
Read, React, Review: The Literature of Love!
Maybe you should have a contest for a tagline.
Btw, I liked the flames and saw nothing suspicious in them. I also liked the book design you had at the old blog. I wouldn’t suggest combining the two, though. *g*
#19 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 11:58 am
Quote
@M:
nice ideas, both of them! thank you!
#20 by Laura Vivanco on March 1, 2010 - 12:49 pm
Quote
I was subscribed to the thread, but wasn’t getting notifications. Has anyone else had this problem? It might be due to my email, rather than a problem with the blog.
#21 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 1:19 pm
Quote
@Laura Vivanco: I haven’t heard. but there are a lot of little things I am finding I have to re-do or update. This may be another one.
#22 by RfP on March 1, 2010 - 2:02 pm
Quote
Pity I missed the Georgia O’Keefe flames. I could use a guffaw.
#23 by Maili on March 1, 2010 - 2:25 pm
Quote
Laura pretty much stated why I had a problem with the old tag.
I basically felt it had an implication this blog was willing to slum by checking out genre fiction outside the respectable boundaries of literature. As in, “Hey, we’re going to do a two-minute drive through a ghetto! Whoo! So courageous of us, eh!” A bit dramatic, but it pretty much had that implication. Sorry I didn’t explain my comments earlier.
#24 by Victoria Janssen on March 1, 2010 - 2:26 pm
Quote
It seems to be working for me now.
#25 by Laura Vivanco on March 1, 2010 - 2:55 pm
Quote
Thanks, the email notifications are working now.
#26 by Tumperkin on March 1, 2010 - 5:41 pm
Quote
Oh good – I found you! (Not that easy actually – I forgot to save a note of your new URL so googled your new name and didn’t get a quick link to here. However, I got a Twitter result and found you via that). You should ask fellow bloggers to do a linky. I will do one and my 12 readers will be able to find you without difficulty *g*.
I won’t comment on taglines since I don’t have one myself…
#27 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 5:47 pm
Quote
@Tumperkin: You found me! yay! i am working on a new project “How to sabotage your blog and alienate your readers in 24 hours or less.
but yes, please link, you may only have 12 readers but they are QUALITY.
”
#28 by Jill Sorenson on March 1, 2010 - 6:04 pm
Quote
Cheers to the new RRR! I’ll do my best to lower the discourse with smutty talk and inane commentary.
#29 by Liz on March 1, 2010 - 7:10 pm
Quote
I liked the flames. But the brown looks vaguely like leather, which is good too.
I think if you just capitalized Romance in your tagline, you could drop “fiction” and it would be all Rs. But shouldn’t you be all academic-y and say “(Re)thinking”?
Hey, why not “Ro(man)ce”? I’m pretty sure you could work parentheses into ALL the words if you put your spring-break mind to it. (Am I dating myself with my ’90s French-theory PhD use of parentheses?) Kidding–I actually like that tagline a lot.
I’m just envious because my 2-week “no one will come to class during the Olympics and we can rent our parking” break is over.
#30 by Jessica on March 1, 2010 - 7:24 pm
Quote
@Liz: LOL. I love gratuitous parentheses, and I am a modernist to the core!
But if I get rid of “fiction” I am afraid people will think this is a relationship advice site — not that some romance blogs don’t aspire to be that. But I don’t.
#31 by KMont on March 2, 2010 - 11:55 am
Quote
Hey, I just saw my feast was in your stepback! Thank you for the shout out.
And congrats on getting this newer site up and going.