Pearl likes to watch TV sometimes, and she likes being adorable while she's doing it:
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Sun Bo Tao is a notorious playboy and the Emperor's best friend. When he criticizes the Emperor's foreign policy, however, Xian Feng punishes Bo Tao by making him Master of the Festival of Fertility, wherein eligible noblewomen throughout China come to the Forbidden City to compete for the position of Empress. I know what you're thinking: a playboy surrounded by desperate virgins... how could this POSSIBLY go wrong?
I love Jade Lee's Tigress series, which also takes place in Imperial China (although during a different time period), and this novel has all the elements from those books that I like: well-drawn characters, an awesome setting, and a wonderful story. It starts off with a great meet-cute between Bo Tao and Ji Yue, one of the Imperial Virgins, and is pretty much unputdownable from then on. There's never a lull in the narrative, and every character gets as much time on the page as they warrant. Ji Yue and Bo Tao go from hating one another's guts to pulling each other's clothes off perhaps a little too abruptly, but I think that can largely be attributed to the length of the book. And they definitely have chemistry, so it's not unbelievable even if it does seem a bit rushed.
Jade Lee really has a gift for writing historical romances set in China: they feel exotic, but at the same time there's always something familiar from a Western perspective to make the characters relatable, despite the cultural and historical gulf. It wouldn't be unreasonable to say this novel is like The Bachelor, but set in Imperial China; except that for Ji Yue and the other virgins the stakes are much higher than being sent home 'broken-hearted.' They can't go home if they fail the tests--that would shame their families. Their only options are to remain in the Emperor's harems forever, become prostitutes in Peking, or kill themselves. Those are pretty high stakes for a woman to face and still pursue another relationship! Ji Yue might have come off as an idiot for choosing Bo Tao over all that, but she doesn't because the choices she make are for herself.
The romance between Bo Tao and Ji Yue also draws upon the European literary device of courtly love (that Meghan mentioned in her guest post on medieval romance), in that there's nothing but shame and death that can come from their relationship. This is a modern-day romance novel, though, so thankfully things work out.
As for the exoticism, I don't think it comes so much from the setting as what Lee does with it. Imagining characters and stories set in China seems to give her the freedom to be much more creative and unconventional with how she builds her characters and plot than she is with romances set in prototypical nineteenth-century London, like The Devil's Bargain. She really has never failed to surprise and entertain me with either the Tigress series, The Dragon Earl, or this book; which is a shame, because as far as I can tell, Lee has no more novels set in China in the works.
To say I'm super-disappointed over this--and how other writers who set romances in unusual time periods and places are often either dropped or redirected to more popular settings by publishers--would be an understatement. I know they probably claim that readers don't seem interested in different settings as some bullshit excuse, but let me tell you something, publishers of historical romances: I AM YOUR AUDIENCE. I am the proverbial choir to your preacher; I am going to smell what the Rock is cooking. But to be honest, the whole Regency romance thing was getting a little tired in the late '90s. So trust me, I'm interested. I will take any unusual setting you have to offer: China, India, Canada, even nineteenth-century Paris, but PLEASE allow a book set somewhere other than nineteenth-century London to be published on a regular basis. Please! /public service announcement
If, like me, you enjoy historical romances but are looking for something a little different, I highly recommend any of Jade Lee's books. The Concubine I think is one of her more accessible novels, and probably your best bet if the prospect of reading--in detail--about Taoist sex cult practices makes you a little nervous. There's no sex-as-a-spiritual-practice in The Concubine as there is in the Tigress books; it's just a delightful romance novel set in the Forbidden City with top-notch research and great storytelling. Definitely a keeper!
Musical Notes: "All I Ever Wanted" by Airborne Toxic Event
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Today I asked Meghan from Medieval Bookworm to tell us about the roots of the modern-day romance novel, medieval romances. Meghan challenged me to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight last year as part of Classics Month, and I really enjoyed it! Now she's going to tell us about her favorite medieval romances. Welcome, Meghan!
Romance is not really a modern notion, although the happily-ever-after ending for couples certainly is. But in the Middle Ages, particularly the High Middle Ages which took place roughly from the year 1000-1300, romance was flourishing. The only caveat? It was the courtly kind - the breed of romance that was never really meant to be consummated, and which was disastrous when it was. You can't really expect much else in a culture which focused on marriages for political reasons. In fact, many of the tales can be seen as cautionary; while they’re meant to capture the heart, they’re also lessons on how not to rock the boat too much, and how to retain your honor while engaging in courtly love.
This trend is very, very obvious when you start reading medieval literature. We have a lot of fantastic romances that take place through this veneer of respectability. The best known are, of course, the Arthurian legends. How much more romantic can you get than these stories? They have changed so much over time, first originating as Welsh myths, but many of the characters we know well appeared in Chretien de Troyes and later Sir Thomas Malory's medieval work on these legends. If you're looking for a romance, Guinevere and Lancelot are legendary, and the medieval period is when Lancelot du Lac actually appeared in the stories, which had previously focused on Arthur. But here? We have an entire civilization ruined more or less because two people fell in love.
One of my personal favorite lovers, though, is Elaine of Astolat, who may not be the most appealing of heroines, but who is certainly a romantic one in the most medieval of molds. After watching Lancelot joust in a tournament and nursing him back to health after an accident, Elaine falls in love with him. Lancelot, famously, is deeply in love with Guinevere, and as a result, Elaine dies of heartbreak. Her last request is to be placed in a boat, a lily in one hand and a letter in the other, and sent to Camelot to show Lancelot what he’s done. Yet another life destroyed because of the love between Lancelot and Guinevere.
Outside of the Arthurian period, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales features a few romances – even raunchy ones – that demonstrate how we are the same and yet different even now. Chaucer doesn’t shy away from the facts of life, and at one point we even manage to get a young couple in each other’s arms. Over other tales, he also examines May-December romances, marriage, and courtly love, each in their own time. While no story is a romance in the way we’d call one, it’s hard to avoid the realization that, actually, love was as pervasive in their culture as it is in ours.
Staying in King Arthur’s court, we can skip further ahead in time to Tennyson’s poems. Writing in the Victorian age, Tennyson interprets the stories traditionally around King Arthur in new and different ways, giving life to the romances and inspiring some of the most beautiful medieval-inspired paintings I’ve ever seen.
The Middle Ages have become very romanticized over the years, and the romantic relationships in the stories have enjoyed the same treatment. It’s still very much worth reading the originals. I’d always recommend starting with Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Thank you, Meghan! I like how you said that the story of Lancelot and Guinevere is basically about how two people falling in love destroyed a civilization. Those are some pretty serious consequences!
If you want to find out more about Meghan, check out her excellent book blog, Medieval Bookworm or follow her on twitter @mbookworm.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
I've been noticing these 'gift guides' popping up everywhere, and since I don't like recommending books to get people I don't know (it's hard enough figuring out books to get people I do know), I thought I would instead share with you these delightful Janeite items you can buy on Etsy.
Jane Austen bookmarks by CastleontheHill--$9.50 for 6
Aren't these adorable? The seller also has art prints with these original drawings of Jane Austen characters. I think this would be cute gift for a pre-teen just starting to read classics.
Jane Austen inspired corner bookmarks by FairestLJ--$10 for 2
These corner bookmarks are much fancier (and more expensive) than the previous bookmarks. Not sure how practical they are, either, but they certainly look good.
My Other Ride is a Barouche decal sticker by eaton--$3 for 1
Cars and Regency-era romance so rarely go together, but they can now with this perfect accessory for every driving Janeite!
Mr. Darcy Note Cards by ecdesign--$14 for 10
Probably not the best card to use for an apology, but they would be awesome to send in lieu of a break-up text.
Mr. Darcy Holiday Card by bbInvitations--$5 for 1
Haha. Kidding! But kinda not.
Mr. Darcy Proposal Scarf by Brookish--$24 for 1
You'll not only think but feel like Mr. Darcy in this snowy white women's cravat, which repeats the classic words of his proposal, right before he put his foot in his mouth.
Mr. Darcy ring by CandleBrightCreation--$16 for 1
Mr. Darcy is literally wrapped around your finger.
Pride & Prejudice locations typography t-shirt by Brookish--$22 for 1
Okay, this I really do need. Listing all the locations mentioned in P&P, this shirt is a subtle and clever way of identifying other Janeites, and may also double as a map in case you get lost. In Regency England.
Do you have any great gift ideas for lovers of Jane Austen novels?
Hello, everyone! Maria from A Passion for Books & Real Life is doing a review of Omega Mine by Aline Hunter today as part of Romance Month. Please stop by her blog and check it out!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
KT Grant is a novelist whose most recent release can be found in the Christmas anthology Yule Be Mine. She also writes the very popular romance blog Babbling About Books, And More. I know KT loves her some virgin hero goodness, so I asked her to kick off December with a post about them, one of the most rarefied of all Romancelandia characters. Willkommen, KB!
Nothing says romance like an awesome hero that makes a reader swoon. My favorite type of hero is a virgin one. There are far too many virgin heroines written and nearly not enough sexually inexperienced men. I really dislike a hero who is proud to admit he’s slept with too many women to count. To me, that’s the opposite of what romantic and sexy is. There’s something endearing to read about a man who stays pure, much like a woman would, where they wait for that right person to come along and be with in the elemental sense. And it’s pretty sexy when a woman can take the man by the hand and show him what he’s been missing.
Here are some recommendations for my favorite virgin or sexually inexperienced heroes in romance that I’ll never forget:
Hands down, the best romance virgin hero in all of romance is Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. I’ve never been big on time-traveling romance, but Outlander destroyed my bias. When twenty-four year old Claire Randall travels from 1945 back to 1743 and meets the handsome, young redheaded Scotsman, Jamie, sparks don’t fly right off the bat. As Claire gets to know Jamie and visa-versa, they find a respect for one another. And then when Jamie has to marry Claire to save her life, that’s where things get hot. Claire is a married woman from the future who not only makes Jamie first time with a woman a memorable experience, but he shows her a thing or two. He takes to Claire and their love making like a duck to water and it’s smoldering, intense and fun.
The Outlaw and the Lady by Lorraine Heath is perfect for those who love Western romance. The heroine, Angela is blind and ends up kidnapped by the notorious outlaw, Lee Raven. Lee wants revenge for the people that have hurt his family and Angela is caught in the crossfire. When he realizes she’s blind, he makes sure she’s comfortable and treated with respect. Angela then learns who Lee is and one thing leads to another and when they time comes for them to act on their passion, Lee tells Angela he’s as innocent as she is. These two learn how to steam up the sheets together and it’s beautiful. Also the way Lee feeds Angela fruit in bed is beyond sexy. The Outlaw and the Lady is one of my favorite Western romances.
Born in Sin by Kinley MacGregor aka Sherrilyn Kenyon hits the spot for medieval romance. The heroine, Callie is forced into marriage with Lord Sin, the black sheep of the MacAllister family. Sin has been abused and treated horribly. He has emotional and psychological scars from the abuse he’s suffered as a child. Because of this he can’t stand to be touched and has never been with a woman. It takes Callie to break down those walls he has constructed and bestow her love on him. Sin falls for Callie and allows her to not only touch his body, but his heart. Watching a tormented hero like Sin find happiness is very moving.
Colonel Jack Seward from Connie Brockway’s All Through the Night may not be a virgin, but this is a man emotional tortured and afraid of love and everything it entails. When Jack meets Anne Wilders, a widow who also happens to be the mysterious thief he hunts, their attraction for one another grows to an all-consuming obsession. Jack courts Anne gently, unaware she is his thief who makes him think naughty thoughts. And then when he catches Anne and puts two and two together, it leads to a smoldering, erotic interlude in a library where Jack gets down on his knees and uses his mouth on Anne in ways that should be illegal. A gut-wrenching, angst filled, swoontastic romance that begs for a sequel.
Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh features a deadly hero who can kill someone with a simple thought. Judd Lauren comes from a deadly race of people who have cut off all their emotions. Judd has defected, and when he meets Brenna, a woman tortured at the hands of a serial killer, the ice around his heart melts. Judd becomes interested in sex and desire all because of Brenna and only she can become his partner. And when Judd is excited or ahem, horny, he ends up breaking furniture by throwing it around the room due to his telekinesis.
These are only a few of my favorite virgin/sexually inexperience heroes. Are you a fan of these types of heroes? If so, what are some of your favorites?
Thanks, KT! All Through the Night is one of my favorite historical romances, too.
You can find out more about KT and her books online here:
Author website (http://ktgrant.com)
Book blog: Babbling about Books, and More (http://kbgbabbles.blogspot.com)
Twitter: @katiebabs (https://twitter.com/#!/katiebabs)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kate.garrabrant
Saturday, December 3, 2011
This book will teach me to read novels just because they're nominated on a 'best of' list.
Anastasia Steele (that's a mouthful) is a naïve college senior when she meets handsome richy-rich guy Christian Grey. Although he tells her to stay away from him, he keeps following her around. It's all cool, though, because she likes him! Then she discovers he has some Serious Issues that he likes to express via a BDSM lifestyle (it goes way beyond sex), and Anastasia spends the rest of the book hem-hawing over whether or not she wants to sign his insane contract that gives him the right to tell her what to eat, wear, and shave. Will these two crazy kids get together? More pertinently, DO I CARE?!?
I've heard this book described as being either love-it or hate-it, and I have to say I fall firmly into the latter category. At fist it seemed okay... ish. The writing was not great, and was a very awkward combination of first person viewpoint and simple present tense; but it was light and fun and mixed together secretary-billionaire category romance tropes with Twilight, both of which I love. That being said, even though I was entertained, I was a little bothered by the sense of geography--which can be described as shaky at best--and the fact that the American characters talked like extras from a Harry Potter movie. The author is British, and trust me, that and the fact that she has no ear for North American dialect is ABUNDANTLY obvious. Why didn't she just make her characters British? Damn if I know.
So I was already thinking this novel was a little cray-cray, and then the BDSM thing started.
I've read and liked novels with strong BDSM themes, but in those cases the sex felt integrated into the story and made sense for characters. The sex in this book is hot, no doubt, but in a porntastic way, and quite frankly I got bored with it pretty quickly. It has very little to do with the characters, especially Anastasia, who's not even a submissive and has no interest in BDSM at all--I think that's probably the most ridiculous part of this whole thing. I really wanted her to tell billionaire guy to fuck off, but knew she wouldn't because, one, it wouldn't be much of a book if she did; and two, she's a spineless idiot whose actions make no sense.
Plus, if you're thinking of trying this book because it's Twilight fan fiction, I strongly urge you not to do so. The details of the novel may be ripped out of Twilight--it's set in the Pacific Northwest, Anastasia has a flighty mother who's remarried and living in another state, her father is a monosyllabic sports fan, and she has two guys chasing after her (other than Christian): a boy-next-door-type who works with her in a hardware store owned by his family, and the 'ethnic' best friend, José, whose dad is her dad's friend--but those details have absolutely NOTHING to do with the plot, and the tone of this book is not in any way similar. In fact, judging by the amount of lip-biting that goes on, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that James has watched the movies more than she's read the books. Like many other elements of this novel, the Twilight aspect feels like a poorly hacked-on gimmick. It's not an homage to the Twilight series, that's for certain.
I don't know what I find more annoying/insulting about this book--the throw-away Hispanic character, the fact that it could be set in Rio de Janeiro and be the same story, the total lack of attempt on the part of the author to make her AMERICAN characters sound like actual Americans, that it made me want to projectile vomit on several occasions, that finishing it stole away FOUR DAYS of my life that I will never be able to get back, or that the author implies BDSM is good substitute for psychotherapy--but overall it was pretty annoying.
I do not recommend this novel. But if you want to read a book that contains little to no research, poor writing, no attempt at character development, a heroine who falls into every stupid Victorian trope that ever existed, and sex scenes that are little more than porn, then by all means have at it. I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of the book to review, however! That was really nice of them.
Musical Notes: "Marry the Night," by Lady Gaga
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