Today’s Romance Novels

Today’s romance novels are not the bodice ripping, sex saturated, moaning and groaning, air head woman vs. chest beating man, empty stories of the 70’s and 80’s.  Today’s romances have evolved to complex plots, with smart, savvy heartsheroines and sensitive, flawed heroes.  The old romance books had the domineering man “rescuing” the passive woman.  Today you’ll find strong, independent women who sometimes do the “rescuing”.  While most of today’s books have the “happily ever after ending”, some stories end up “happy for now”, or “satisfied with my live as is”.  Most romances today don’t center around just the two main characters.  You learn about their families and friends, the town they live in, the world around them.  Today’s romance reader is smart, educated, thoughtful, and complex.  Today’s romances run the gambit from historical England, to the wild American West, to the military, to small town life.  They can be inspirational, suspenseful, other worldly and a whole host of subgenres – so many that everyone will be able to find the right fit for their reading pleasure.  It is a bit deceiving to label a book “romance”, when it fits quite nicely as a “literary” novel.  Below is a list of just a few of the romance subgenres.

  1. Medieval
  2. Historical (England, Scotland)
  3. American Historical
  4. Western (Contemporary)
  5. Western (Historical)
  6. Contemporary (Serious)
  7. Contemporary (Humorous)
  8. Suspense
  9. Thriller
  10. Military
  11. Paranormal(Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters)
  12. Paranormal(Ghosts, witches)
  13. Futuristic/Fantasy
  14. Regency Romances
  15. Victorian Romances
  16. Inspirational(Historical)
  17. Inspirational(Contemporary)
  18. Erotic
  19. Chick Lit
  20. Romantic Mysteries

The Library has an excellent selection of mass market romance paperbacks located on the main level near the front windows.

Which is your favorite genre?

BOOK REVIEW: The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin

We’re all familiar with the story of Charles Lindbergh and his place in history, but what of his wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh?  We can barely recall her accomplishments in aviation history, as those accomplishments were overshadowed by her husband and Amelia Earhart.  Many people don’t know Anne was the first American woman to earn a first-class glider pilot’s license, or that without Anne, Charles would not have been able to achieve all his successes.

Author Melanie Benjamin takes us on a journey through the incredible life of Anne Morrow, using her imagination to weave a riveting story blending fact with fiction.  From Anne’s early days as the daughter of an Ambassador and student at Smith College, to wife, mother, aviator, writer, and person living in the shadow of a famous man, the author does a wonderful job of peeling back the layers of this complex and talented woman.  We also learn that Charles Lindbergh really wasn’t the hero everyone thought he was.

This is a well written, well researched book that keeps your attention.  I couldn’t put it down and read it in one sitting!  It also would be an excellent book club selection.

Look Who’s Writing Romance!

harlan cobenHarlan Coben’s new book, Six Years, is being touted as his first “romantic thriller”.   During his appearance this morning on the Today Show, he admitted he was a die hard romantic at heart.  He’s been married to the love of his life since he was 20 years old.  Also during the interview, Mr. Coben announced that the actor Hugh Jackman will be playing the role of Jake Fisher, the lead male character of the book.

The publisher’s description reads: ” Six years have past since Jake Fisher watched Natalie, the love of his life, marry another man. Six years of hiding a broken heart by throwing himself into his career as a college professor. Six years of keeping his promise to leave Natalie alone, and six years of tortured dreams of her life with her new husband, Todd.

But six years haven’t come close to extinguishing his feelings, and when Jake comes across Todd’s obituary, he can’t keep himself away from the funeral. There he gets the glimpse of Todd’s wife he’s hoping for…but she is not Natalie. Whoever the mourning widow is, she’s been married to Todd for almost two decades, and with that fact everything Jake thought he knew about the best time of his life—a time he has never gotten over—is turned completely inside out.

As Jake searches for the truth, his picture-perfect memories of Natalie begin to unravel. Mutual friends of the couple either can’t be found, or don’t remember Jake. No one has seen Natalie in years. Jake’s search for the woman who broke his heart, who lied to him, soon puts his very life at risk as it dawns on him that the man he has become may be based on a carefully constructed fiction.

Harlan Coben once again delivers a shocking page-turner that deftly explores the power of past love, and the secrets and lies that such love can hide.”

Sounds like a winner!

BOOK REVIEW: Three Sisters by Susan Mallery

This is a story about three very different women who live in three very distinctive homes on the same street.  Because theirs are the only homes on the street, they are thrown together to forge a very special bond.

Andi is jilted at the altar in Seattle and decides to make a drastic change in her life by buying a rundown home on Blackberry Island.  Being a pediatrician, she plans to have her practice on the main level, and live on the floors above.  Of course, the contractor she hires is single and sexy, but has his flaws too.

Deanna is the “perfect” mom, “perfect” wife, “perfect” homemaker.  But by being perfect, she’s in danger of losing herself and her family.

Boston is an artist who married her college sweetheart.  The death of their six month old son puts her marriage in jeopardy.

The stories of these three women and the men in their lives are intriguing, relateable, poignant, and compelling.  The author weaves emotional tales of love, tragedy, courage and friendship.  I felt so connected to the characters, that I actually cried at the end!

Top 15 Authors of 2012

dollar signMost authors will tell you, it’s very hard to earn a living as an author.  There are, however, a few exceptions to the rule!  Forbes Magazine came up with the 15 top earning authors of 2012.  Results are based on computations by the Forbes staff.

1.  James Patterson – $94 million
2.  Stephen King – $39 million
3.  Janet Evanovich – $33 million
4.  John Grisham – $26 million
5.  Jeff Kinney – $25 million
6.  Bill O’Reilly – $24 million
7.  Nora Roberts – $23 million
8.  Danielle Steel – $23 million
9.  Suzanne Collins – $20 million
10. Dean Koontz – $19 million
11. J K Rowling – $17 million
12. George RR Martin – $15 million
13. Stephanie Meyer – $14 million
14. Ken Follett – $14 million
15. Rick Riordan – $13 million

Do you have a favorite?