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Short Stories Roundup Jan-April 2013

As there are fewer reviews of collections of short stories, and individual short stories, than in other genres, we’ve scheduled the roundups of these for every few months.  However, in the nearly-four months of this year, there have been 38 reviews of short stories, which is half of the number reviewed last year!  It’s great to see so much enthusiasm for the form.

Like-a-house-on-fire-kennedyOf the books reviewed, the most popular was Cate Kennedy’s Like a House on Fire, with five reviews.  This book has already done well in the prize lists, with a shortlisting for the Stella Prize, and longlistings for the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal and the Kibble award for established women writers.  Kathy from Play, Eat, Live, Learn  ‘connected deeply with Kennedy’s stories and her characters,’ finding them ‘unbearably moving, some thought-provoking, some peppered with humour (although on the whole, these are not funny stories) but none heavy handed or contrived.’  Janine of Resident Judge, who isn’t a fan of the genre, became a convert (at least with this collection), writing that ‘Every single one of [the stories] is memorable, and for me that’s a big thing.  All too often I find myself reading the next story in a collection because the last one has been too insubstantial.’  Denise on Goodreads found the stories easy to read, but their subject matter was hard to stomach as so much of it was about loss and lack.  I also enjoyed the collection, and reviewed it here.  If Not, Read, who is familiar with Kennedy’s work, found the collection inconsistent, commenting that ‘Kennedy’s skillful writing comes through in some stories but several pieces fall well short of her usual precise story-telling ability.’  It’s always refreshing to read a variety of responses to a work, as literature is fiercely subjective and reviews should reflect this.

inheritedOther collections of short literary fiction included reviews of individual stories from Barbara Baynton’s collection Bush Studies.  Sue of Whispering Gums analysed Baynton’s masterful use of the Gothic in ‘A Dreamer’, and of her use of humour as a screen for the less savoury aspects of early bush life, such as misogyny, in ‘Scrammy ‘and’.  Kate Rizzetti penned a review of Fire, edited by Western Australian academic Delys Bird, and referred to it as an ‘important piece of work, reminding us that we live in a dangerous time in our history and we are less in control of our surroundings than we believe ourselves to be.’  The work also needs to be consumed slowly, she writes, like very dark chocolate.  Marisa wrote that Amanda Curtin, in Inherited, ‘will drag you into the landscape of her stories,’ while the writing in Jess Huon’s The Dark Wet was the loveliest I’ve read in ages.

asymmetrySpeculative Fiction was the most popular genre, making up nearly half of the reviews (17 in total).  A number of books in the Twelve Planets series, which consists of twelve books of speculative fiction by Australian women writers, were covered.  Kaaron Warren’s Through Splintered Walls, which consists of three short stories and a novella, was reviewed by  Tsana. She describes the short stories as ‘almost the kind of creepy tales you might tell around a camp fire at night’ whereas the novella was unsettling, and seems to feature a cat food factory grinder (I’m glad I got the heads up on that one).  Sean also reviewed the collection, and recommended it to those who enjoy ‘good, understated horror, horror in the everyday’.  Meanwhile, Tansy Rayner Roberts’ Love and Romanpunk was reviwed by Mel at Subversive Reader, who has found the Twelve Planets series to be ‘a great way to be introduced to Australian speculative fiction.’  Asymmetry by Thoraiya Dyer is the most recently published book, contributing to the Twelve Planets series’ extremely positive reception.  Alex from Randomly Yours describes the theme of its stories as ‘a lack of balance, especially in power; sometimes, also, a lack of balance in an individual’s life, making them particularly vulnerable to direct manipulation or simply life’s vicissitudes’ while Tsana found the stories complex and innovative, dealing with different ways of belonging.

Green Monkey DreamsOther speculative fiction titles that were reviewed include two by the prolific Isobelle Carmody: Green Monkey Dreams (which Mel at MelReviewsBooks really enjoyed and Metro Winds (also reviewed by Mel), while fairy stories and myths also made an appearance in Prickle Moon by Juliet Marillier, reviewed by Stephanie, and in Fairy Tales for Freya by Georgina Ann Taylor, reviewed by Lynxie at Goodreads.

Valentine's DatesRomance also featured in reviews of Christmas Wishes and Valentine’s Dates by Lauren at The Australian Bookshelf, who enjoyed both of them.  Lauren also reviewed Room Service, which ‘didn’t quite dish up what was on the menu.’  Sally from Oz found Loretta Hill’s One Little White Lie ‘fast paced, light and entertaining read,’ while ShelleyRae from Book’d Out reviewed Margaret Lynette Sharp’s Long and Short Australian Stories, describing it as a ‘congenial, mellow short story collection and an easy read for a quiet evening.’

There were quite a few other collections reviewed that I don’t have the space to refer to here.  If you’d like to see what else is being reviewed, or if you need some ideas for reading, head over to the 2013 Short Stories page.

About Me

JessI’m Jessica White, a writer and researcher.  I have a PhD from the University of London and have published two novels with Penguin, A Curious Intimacy (2007) and Entitlement (2012).  My short stories have been published in Overland, Island, Southerly and the Review of Australian Fiction.  You can find more information about me at my website.  I’m also on Twitter @ladyredjess.

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by ladyredjess on April 29, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Book review, Literary, Classic, Romance, Short stories, Speculative, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction

Posted by ladyredjess on April 29, 2013

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2013/04/29/short-stories-roundup-jan-april-2013/

March 2013 Roundup: Diversity

Readers of the Australian Women Writers blog will have noticed that we’ve been peppered with long listings, short listings, and awards lately.  These are a boost to any writer’s career, but particularly those who might be overlooked on account of their gender, sexuality or race.  The effects of recognition are apparent in AWW reviews, with Subversive Reader writing of  Indigenous author Dylan Coleman’s Mazin Grace, long listed for the Stella Prize:

mazin-graceAlthough Mazin Grace was sad, and at times gut-wrenchingly confronting (and you must read the author’s note at the end), I was left with a feeling of hope – hope because stories like this are entering our consciousness, that writers like this are making long lists for awards, that books like this are available – easily – to readers like myself who don’t always find it easy to go to small or specialist book stores.

How lovely it is to see books that aren’t necessarily mainstream making an impact!

purple-threadsOther reviews of books by Indigenous authors included my own of Janine Leane’s Purple Threads, a gentle and meandering novel about the narrator’s childhood and aunties.  James Tierny from the Newtown Review of Books reviewed Melissa Lucashenko’s newly released Mullumbimby, her fifth novel.  He found it a ‘sure, funny and quietly modulated novel’ which ‘bursts the myth that Indigenous culture must present a unified face to Australia in order to be strong’, but questioned the ‘occasional tendency to use unnecessary adverbs or adjectives when neither the sense nor the flow of the narrative demands it.’  Poet Phillip Ellis reviewed Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s book of poems The Dawn is at Hand, commenting that the volume isn’t ‘simplistic, propagandistic poetry, but poetry that conveys its own worldviews’.  He also posted on Anita Heiss’ I’m Not Racist, But …, a collection of what Heiss terms ‘social observations,’ but which Phillip refers to as political poetry.

Patti Miller, The mind of a thiefPatti Miller’s The Mind of a Thief is about the author’s growing understanding that the country in which she grew up was a place of dispossession.  It was long listed for the Stella prize and, recently, the Kibble prize.  Anna Maria Dell’oso at the Newtown Review of Books wrote an inviting review, concluding with the observation that the novel’s final chapters leave the reader wondering ‘how the chain of human dispossession and thievery will continue to unfold into the stoic Australian landscape’.  Migratory Mel was more uneasy with the author’s stance, commenting that ‘Miller walks a fine line between her own memoir and a non-fiction story of rights to land, native title and registration claims’.  She was also irked by Miller’s ‘constant need to remind us of her own hardship growing up in Wellington (often repeated mentions of no running water, no hot tap)’ as though the author were ‘trying to place herself in a position as an equally hard-done by resident of Wellington alongside Indigenous Australians.’  However Mel also acknowledges that Miller’s honesty about her shortcomings helps the reader ‘to understand how the roles played by Indigenous Australians have been deeply hidden from our history’.  After reading both these reviews, I promptly downloaded the book from my library.

Another book on Indigenous issues reviewed over March was Chloe Hooper’s The Tall Man, reviewed by Nalini Haynes.  Nalini compared the book and documentary versions about the death of Cameron Doomadgee while in police custody in Palm Island, and highlights what she sees as some of the author’s biases.

people-smugglerOn the long list for the Miles Franklin and Stella awards was Robin de Crespigny’s non-fiction work The People Smuggler.  Bree wrote an impassioned review of this account of Ali Al Jenabi, a man who risks all to get refugees from the Middle East to safety in Australia.  She gave it 10/10, and wrote that ‘This book should be mandatory reading for every Australian school student.  It should help provide the one thing that the government does not: the other side.’

Other cultures also featured in the romance genre, with Coleen Kwan’s Short Soup reviewed by Kaetrin, who enjoyed the mix of Chinese and Australian culture. Lauren at The Australian Bookshelf reviewed another romance driven by cultural issues, Arranged to Love by Elizabeth Dunk.  The conflict in the book stems from the Indian-Australian female protagonist’s intention to go ahead with an arranged marriage, until her plans are thrown into disarray by her falling for an Australian man.  Lauren enjoyed the cultural aspects of the story but was frustrated with the characters at times.

let-the-dead-lieAustralian author Malla Nunn, who was born in Swaziland and moved to Perth in the 1970s, is a writer of suspense novels.  Marilyn Brady reviews her work Let the Dead Lie, set in South Africa at the time of apartheid.  The work shows how apartheid shaped people, and how it was never ‘the stark division of black and white people, as … envisioned by its designers’ but rather, ‘as Nunn displays, was messier’.  Marilyn also reviewed Alice Pung’s memoir Unpolished Gem about growing up as a Cambodian of Chinese ethnicity in Australia.  She describes the writing as ‘sure and affective, voicing on paper what could not be explained to non-immigrant friends about her life.’

monkey's mask porterOther issues which were canvassed include those of lesbian desire in Dorothy Porter’s The Monkey’s Mask, reviewed with punch and panache by WriteReaderly: ‘The plotting is smart, the affair is sexy, Sydney is gritty and real, the poems are bitey and sharp – a damned fab book.’  If Not, Read reviewed the same book, and loved it.

Finally, it’s always great to see issues popping up in young adult literature, and Mandee at Vegan YA Nerds couldn’t put Alex As Well down.  This is the story of Alex, who is born intersexed with both male and female genitalia.  Her parents agreed early on she was to be a boy, but as she grows up Alex feels more like a girl and decides to become one.  Mandee found Alex to be ‘a really intelligent girl and she made for an entertaining and honest narrator, who speaks directly to the reader, as if she’s telling us her story. She had so much personality that she was jumping out of the pages at me.’  Sounds like the author Alyssa Brugmann has done her work well!

If you’d like more recommendations for books that cover these sorts of issues, head over to the Australian Women Writer’s ever-growing list of Indigenous authors and authors writing on Indigenous issues, or check out the lists under Reading for Diversity.  And let’s hope that the awards season continues to shower fine writers like these.

About Me

JessI’m Jessica White, a novelist and researcher, and I’ve been deaf since age 4 when I lost most of my hearing from meningitis.  I have a PhD from the University of London and have published two novels with Penguin, A Curious Intimacy (2007), about botany and lesbianism, and Entitlement (2012), about Native Title and grief.  You can find more information about me at my website.  I’m also on Twitter @ladyredjess.

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by ladyredjess on April 26, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Book review, Contemporary fiction, Crime, mystery, detective, thriller, suspense, Diversity, Indigenous literature, Nonfiction - general, Poetry, Romance, Uncategorized, Young Adult
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Posted by ladyredjess on April 26, 2013

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2013/04/26/march-2013-roundup-diversity/

February 2013 Roundup: Diversity

Keighery WhisperOn the starting block for February’s reviews of themes of diversity is Subversive Reader’s write-up of Whisper, by Chrissie Keighery.  This is the story of Demi, a regular 14 year old who becomes profoundly deaf after contracting meningitis, and who needs to learn how to come to terms with her altered life.  I’m really glad to see books like being written, read and reviewed, not least because meningitis also wiped out most of my hearing when I was nearly 4, but also because they introduce kids to diversity, and the concept that there are many other ways of existing in the world.  However, it’s important that this is done well.  If it isn’t, there is the risk of stereotyping people with disabilities, rather than rendering them as fully fledged human beings.  In another review by Subversive Reader, this time of Julia Lawrinson’s Chess Nuts, a character Josh has autism, but the reader never sees in him ‘the shades of up and down that most people with ASD have’.

It is such shading that makes a character three-dimensional, and it was heartening to see some twenty reviews (although I haven’t the space to cover each one) of books that attempt to show their diverse characters as rounded people.  Of these, nine were by Indigenous authors, while an additional book was by a white author on Indigenous issues.

manhattan-dreamingDinner at Caphs wrote a spirited review of Manhattan Dreaming by Indigenous writer Anita Heiss.  As with Sue of Whispering Gums in her review of Heiss’ Paris Dreaming (mentioned by Kat Mayo in the February roundup of Romance Fiction and Erotica), the reviewer was aware of Heiss’ commitment to ‘to depicting Aboriginal people as ordinary individuals living their lives.’  In this instance, she writes about urban Aboriginal people for, as noted by Sue in her review, ‘30% or more of indigenous Australians are urban and this book, as its genre suggests, is about young urban indigenous women.’  Dinner at Caphs was frustrated by the protagonist’s continuing desire to be appreciated by men, but at the same time was interested in Heiss’ imagined role for Old Parliament House, into which the Indigenous people from the Tent Embassy moved.  The reviewer also made a fascinating reference to Indigenous people’s reactions to Old Parliament House which is ‘contested ground.’  To my amusement, they flung in that ‘If Andrew Bolt hates you, you are a superstar in my book’, a reference to Heiss’ nonfiction work, Am I Black Enough for You?, reviewed this month by Migratory Mel.  This book stemmed from Andrew Bolt’s absurd and defamatory claim that Heiss identified herself as Aboriginal to advance her career.

too flashOther Indigenous works reviewed include Melissa Lucashenko’s Too Flash, described by My Book Corner as giving a ‘strong, powerful voice to Indigenous teenagers’, and Nicole Watson’s crime novel The Boundary, which draws upon themes such as Native Title and Indigenous deaths in custody.  This was reviewed at GoodReads by Maree Kimberly who found that, although the work wasn’t without flaws, it was still ‘an original work that offers perspectives not often seen in Australian crime novels’.

Elizabeth Hodgson’s Skin Painting, a winner of the David Unaipon award, was reviewed by poet Phillip Ellis.  He refers to the genre as ‘non-fiction poetry’, an interesting term derived from the online magazine rabbit.  He pays homage to Hodgon’s style and confessional mode, but a sustained description of her culture and identity is missing.  Ellis describes the work as a memoir, applauding Hodgon’s ‘clarity and candour’, and I was wished that I could have seen some of this in the review; I shall have to get hold of the book!

Faith Bandler by Marilyn LakeIt was also great to see another review of Fiona Paisley’s The Lone Protestor, about the peripatetic, Indigenous protestor Anthony Martin Fernando.  This was reviewed by Jenny, who picked it up after reading Yvonne’s thorough review of the work from January.  Also in this genre is Marilyn Lake’s biography of activist Faith Bandler, comprehensively reviewed by Marilyn Brady.  Faith Bandler was, as Marilyn writes, ‘the daughter of a man from the South Sea Islands who was kidnapped, enslaved, and brought to labor on the sugar plantations of northern Queensland’, while her mother was from a family that had migrated to Australia from India.  Bandler’s skills for gentle persuasion and bringing diverse groups together were notable, but she often faced resistance for her South Sea Islander heritage and her gender, as Marilyn explains:

Lake writes sensitively about the fear that men had over the strong, articulate women, like Bandler, who did much to fund and drive the organizations. Indigenous men, long denied their “manhood” were particularly incensed about the women who competed with them for leadership roles. Bandler used her gentle, poised demeanor to try to calm tempers, but she was among those attacked.

This is a wonderfully interesting account of the intersection of race and gender, and the tension to which this can lead.

people-smugglerOther cultures are represented in books such as The People Smuggler by Robin de Crespigny, which is reviewed by Migratory Mel.    An account of Ali al Jenabi, one of the first people in Australia to be tried for people smuggling, the book demonstrates that the decision to save oneself and one’s family from persecution is never straightforward, and ‘makes the reader question what we are told is the “truth” about asylum seekers and displacement’.  The book also won the 2012 Human Rights Award for non-fiction.

In the fantasy genre, which always showcases a plethora of cultures, is Brisbane-based Kylie Chan’s Small Shen, a graphic novel which she wrote, she said, because she ‘bored [her] family and friends completely to tears telling them about the differences between Chinese and Western culture’ so she ‘decided to write it all down … [and] make it fun’.  The book, a prequel to a series, is reviewed by Australasian Educator, who describes how the characters respond ‘to a mixed pot of historical and mythological sequences alongside circumstances such as the Opium Wars, Hong Kong in the 1990s, and histori-fantasy versions of 19th and 20th Century China’.

Short Soup by Coleen Kwan (published by Escape)

Asian Australians feature in the romance genre with Coleen Kwan’s Short Soup.  For reviewer Giraffe Days, the book was ‘a breath of fresh air, truly it was, and I really enjoyed it. I don’t think I’ve ever read a contemporary romance featuring Chinese characters before – well, Chinese-Australian, but you know what I mean. They have retained enough of their culture to be both different and familiar, like I knew them personally but still recognised them as, well, not white.’   This is wonderful for, as Kat notes in her February roundup, ‘romance should be for everyone’.  This includes gay romance, which moves the plot along in Ann Somerville’s Unnatural Selection.  The book is reviewed by Lynxie in a write-up which interested me enough to add the book to my worryingly long list of things to read.

 
Dog-boyFinally, Giraffe Days’ review of Eva Hornung’s Dog Boy, a complex and unsettling novel which has prompted a number of thoughtful reviews (see those by Elizabeth, Sue and myself), illuminates a story that is ‘dense, descriptive, questioning, wondering and brutally honest. Beneath it all lies layers of philosophical thought, the riddle of human nature, and a hard poke at what separates us from other animals – or at what we think separates us.’  It is the story of Romochka, an abandoned boy who is brought up by a pack of dogs, and Giraffe Days found it a ‘profoundly thought-provoking novel, but … also one of deep compassion and empathy’.  This, I think, is the hallmark of a brilliant book: one that enables us to emapathise with another consciousness (whether human, animal, or something else altogether), instead of dismissing it as something too foreign to be understood.

About Me

JessI’m Jessica White, a novelist and researcher, and I’ve been deaf since age 4 when I lost most of my hearing from meningitis.  I have a PhD from the University of London and have published two novels with Penguin, A Curious Intimacy (2007), about botany and lesbianism, and Entitlement (2012), about Native Title and grief.  You can find more information about me at my website.  I’m also on Twitter @ladyredjess.

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by ladyredjess on March 23, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Children's, Contemporary fiction, Crime, mystery, detective, thriller, suspense, Diversity, History, memoir, biography, Indigenous literature, Nonfiction - general, Poetry, Romance
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Posted by ladyredjess on March 23, 2013

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2013/03/23/february-2013-roundup-diversity/

February 2013 Roundup: Romance fiction and erotica

For Australian romance readers, March has started off with a bang with the Australian Romance Readers Convention (ARRC 2013) in Brisbane last weekend. Okay, that was officially in March, but it’ll be old news by the time I write the next round-up, so I’m including it in this one.

Australia’s favourite romance authors

Congratulations to all the winners of the Australian Romance Readers Awards, presented at the gala dinner at ARRC 2013. Only two of the winning authors were not Australian (although Nalini Singh is from New Zealand, and I think most Australian readers claim her for our own). Not only is this is a reflection of the talent of local authors, but I think it also highlights the importance of connecting with local readers.

You can read my recap of the event at Book Thingo, but here’s a list of winners, including links to AWW reviews where possible.

  • Favourite Romance Author — Anna Campbell (reviewed at The Australian Bookshelf)
  • Favourite Continuing Romance Series — Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh
  • Favourite Paranormal Romance – Dead, Actually by Kaz Delaney
  • Favourite Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Futuristic Romance – Alliance Forged by Kylie Griffin
  • Favourite Short Category Romance – Cracking The Dating Code by Kelly Hunter
  • Favourite Historical Romance – Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed by Anna Campbell
  • Favourite Contemporary Romance – Jilted by Rachel Johns (reviewed at Book’d Out, RIASS, The Australian Bookshelf, Kylie Scott’s blog, Book Thingo, Jenny Schwartz’s blog, 1 girl…2 many books)
  • Favourite Erotic Romance – Bared To You by Sylvia Day
  • Favourite Romantic Suspense – Dead Heat by Bronwyn Parry

The coverage of AWW blogs is surprisingly, well, dismal. Almost all the reviews are for the same book, and the one straggler only made it through because it was against the author and not a particular title. My guess is that most romance book reviews posted on AWW have been for new releases. It’ll be interesting to see if in next year’s awards the winners will be better represented on in the Challenge.

February AWW Challenge highlights

Beneath Outback Skies by Alissa Callen (published by Random Romance)There were 33 titles reviewed in February under romance fiction and erotica. The most popular authors were historical romance author Anne Gracie and rural romance author Alissa Callen, each of whom were reviewed four times. Callen is a debut author, whose book, Beneath Outback Skies, published through Random Romance, also received the most reviews (four) this month. Shelleyrae at Book’d Out called it a ‘winsome contemporary romance’. Lauren at The Australian Bookshelf led the reviewing pack with five reviews.

Here are some stats:

  • Total romance titles reviewed in February: 33
  • Titles published by digital imprints: 25 (~76%)
  • Titles published by Harlequin (all imprints): 13 (~39%)
  • Titles published by Random House (all imprints): 13 (39%)
  • Titles published by Penguin (all imprints): 7 (21%)
  • Titles with a contemporary setting*: 25 (~76%)
  • Titles with a rural setting*: 6 (~18%)

* Note: Includes duplicate titles

The skew towards contemporary titles — many of which are outback stories that, strictly speaking, probably wouldn’t pass muster as genre romance, but as I’ve discussed before, I’m using a broad definition — reflects the fact that many of the AWW reviewers are generalists rather than romance-only readers.

Our reviewers seem to lapping up the new offerings from various digital imprints, including Escape (Harlequin), Destiny Romance (Penguin), Random Romance (Random House) and Momentum (Pan Macmillan), as well as the outback stories on offer. I suspect this has to do with their accessibility on NetGalley and Edelweiss, as the digital imprints compete for readers and reviews. I think this is great for the genre and for Australian writers — the more reviews they get, the more likely it is that readers will be enticed to try their books.

And now, let’s talk about books! Here are some of my favourite reviews from last month:

The Bride Stripped Bare by Nikki GemmellErotica

The one erotica title on this month’s list is The Bride Stripped Bare by Nikki Gemmell, reviewed by Tarla Kramer. I love the style of her short review:

You borrow the book five years after everyone else was raving about it, because while you are ashamed to be sucked into books everyone reads a la Fifty Shades, you are still dying to find out what all the fuss was about.

Books that defied expectation — not your grandmother’s romance

Drive me to Distraction by Caitlyn Nicholas (published by Momentum)One of my goals for AWW is to force guilt bribe entice readers into trying a romance despite their inclinations. Marisa Wikramanayake did just that (without any effort required on my part, I should add) and found herself a page-turner in Caitlyn Nicholas’s Drive Me To Distraction, which features a female race car driver. Marisa starts at about the same point as many non-romance readers:

I didn’t intend to read romance novels for the challenge. Romance novels are not really my thing. Mostly because I have had past bad experience with many a cliche and many a bodice being ripped by some soldier in the 1800s.

and although it probably didn’t convert her to the genre, I think it’s safe to say that there was no bodice ripping and no soldiers involved!

One Little White Lie by Loretta HillEven readers who routinely read romance are finding new ways to enjoy old tropes. In her review of One Little White Lie by Loretta Hill, Jess at The Never Ending Bookshelf wrote:

I loved being given a famous and handsome author as a male protagonist (Henry) and a strong independent female university student completing her PhD (Kate). In a way it was kind of a relief not to have ditzy characters that ‘giggle’ and ‘blush’ and bounce around all the time.

Outback romance — keeping it real

Romance author Jenny Schwartz summed up the appeal of rural romance in her review of Shattered Sky by Helene Young, writing that:

The details of lived experience make for edge of the seat drama.

Lauredhel mentions something similar in her review of The Girl in the Hard Hat by Loretta Hill, whose ‘rural settings aren’t all horses and rivers and pretty bushland; her heroines work in heavy construction in the Pilbara, hard up against a sexist, male-dominated workplace culture, a dangerous workplace, and a harsh environment.’

But Lauredhel also questions the lack of diversity in some of these stories:

This is rural Australia; why is everyone, in the background as well as the foreground, apparently white? Or did I miss something?

Diversity — because romance should be for everyone

Short Soup by Coleen Kwan (published by Escape)I was chuffed to discover that Shannon at Giraffe Days reviewed Short Soup by debut author Coleen Kwan, which features an Asian Australian couple, and that it’s done well without being preachy:

I didn’t get the sense that Kwan had utilised cultural stereotypes; hers is an honest, frank and open depiction of Chinese immigrants and their children, people who have been in the country for decades and are perfectly comfortable there, bridging the line between cultures. “Cultural identity” wasn’t at issue here… [W]hat we get is a very sweet romance between two genuine characters, people who really came alive for me.

Paris Dreaming by Anita HeissBut the most thought-provoking review for the month was from Sue at Whispering Gums, who read Paris Dreaming by Anita Heiss. Sue’s review is worth a visit as she discusses how genre fiction can be a vehicle for activism. She deliberately leaves her reading comfort zone to try Heiss’s chicklit work:

Did I enjoy it? Yes, but not so much as a piece of literature because my reading interests lie elsewhere, but as a work written by a savvy writer with a political purpose. This purpose is not simply to show that young, urban, professional indigenous Australians exist but, as she also said in her address, to create the sort of world she’d like to live in, a world where indigenous Australians are an accepted and respected part of Australian society, not problems and not invisible.

Kat Mayo runs Book Thingo, a reader blog with a focus on romance fiction. She is the editor of Booktopia’s Romance Buzz and is a regular contributor to the Australian Romance Readers Association newsletter. On Twitter (@BookThingo), she is known as the fairy killer (someone who reads the ending of a book first). Her love of romance books and predisposition for killing fairies are definitely hereditary.

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by Kat on March 7, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Romance

Posted by Kat on March 7, 2013

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2013/03/07/february-2013-roundup-romance-fiction-and-erotica/

January 2013 Roundup: Romance fiction and erotica

With close to 40 reviews in January, romance is getting some serious love from Australian women writers challenge participants. But before I get to the round-up, I’d like to make some brief observations on some emerging trends that I’ve found interesting even after only a month and that affect—and will continue to affect—the summary posts for romance throughout the year.

One of the difficulties I’ve had in managing the romance list is the grey area between romance genre books and mainstream contemporary novels that feature female protagonists with a romantic subplot. It’s impossible for me to read every title submitted to check that it has been submitted to the most appropriate genre. If the imprint under which the title is published doesn’t provide clarity, I look to fellow readers—mostly from Twitter—for a consensus on whether or not a title is romancey enough.

Generally, I’ll be erring on the side of caution. Although this is problematic for strict genre readers, in the spirit of AWW and what it hopes to promote—work by Australian women writers across all genres—the only titles I actively exclude from the romance list are titles in which the romantic subplot does not end happily. This is a dealbreaker, I’m afraid. (Note that this does not apply to erotica titles, which don’t require a happy ending, although they do require happy endings, if you get the drift.)

What’s interesting is seeing what reviewers consider as romance when they submit AWW links. Occasionally I see titles that feature infidelity, love triangles or tragedy—with few exceptions, I move these to the contemporary fiction category. (Feel free to debate this decision in the comments!)

And now, let’s talk about books!

Here are some quick stats:

  • Total romance titles reviewed in January: 29
  • Titles published by digital imprints: 12 (~41%)
  • Titles published by Harlequin (all imprints): 15 (~52%)
  • Titles with a contemporary setting: 23 (~79%)
  • Titles with a rural setting: 15 (~52%)

The Girl in the Hard Hat by Loretta Hill (published by Random House)Loretta Hill and Rachael Johns led the author pack with 5 reviews each. Interestingly, they both write contemporary love stories in rural Australia. What’s fantastic about these rural-set stories is the variety of places, occupations and characters that readers are able to explore.

Johns is closer to what I’d consider genre romance—her books are very much focused on the romance as the central plot—but Hill’s The Girl in the Hard Hat, which garnered the most reviews for one title, is probably as close as a commercial Australian fiction can get outside of the genre imprints. What I love most about this story is that, as Lauren mentions in her review, ‘Hill creates such a unique premise in outback romance—a woman working in a male dominated field in a male dominated community.’

The One That Got Away by Kelly Hunter (published by Harlequin Kiss)It’s not surprising that Harlequin leads the publisher pack, given that most of its imprints are romance-focused. Their new KISS line was launched at the end of January, and the launch authors include two Australians: Kelly Hunter and Nikki Logan. Hunter’s The One That Got Away is my first keeper for 2013. As I said in my review of the book, it’s ‘a beautifully written, subtle, angsty story that…cements Kelly Hunter as one of the best writers of modern category romance.’

How to Get Over Your Ex by Nikki Logan (published by Harlequin Kiss)Bree reviewed Logan’s How To Get Over Your Ex, and of the three KISS titles she read, ‘it’s quite easily the one I’ve enjoyed the most’ and that it’s ‘a little bit like a mixed bag of lollies where you keep pulling out a lolly that’s even better than the one you just had—it’s more than just a contemporary romance with a few laughs, it’s also a journey of self-discovery’ for the characters.

The Man Plan by Elise K. Ackers (published by Destiny Romance)In other romance imprints, Shannon at Giraffe Days loved The Man Plan by Elise K. Ackers. I’ve read this book (review pending) and I know what Shannon found so engaging. The banter between the main characters is fun, filled with pop culture references, and it exemplifies what I love about the new digital imprints from Australia: characters who sound like people I know, in situations I can (more or less) believe.

Shannon’s review also touched on something that I think is becoming more obvious, particularly in contemporary category (and category-like) romances:

It had everything I liked and plenty I didn’t even know I liked…[I]t was fresh and, while staying true to the genre, deviated from many typical clichés.

Subverted stereotypes and clichés seem to be a recurring phenomenon in my reviews, too, and I think that’s definitely the right direction for the genre.

Tempt The Devil by Anna Campbell (published by HarperCollins)We only logged one historical romance review this month, but it’s by Anna Campbell, Australia’s favourite romance author, and the book happens to be my favourite of hers. Lauren writes that she was blown away by Tempt the Devil: ‘I was expecting a sweet historical romance; instead I got a sexy, multifaceted love story between an unconventional couple—a lord and a courtesan. Not only was the story set largely in the bedroom, but it was also more focussed on the male protagonist’s perspective than the female. I was captivated at every scene.’

Addition by Toni Jordan (published by Text)Readers with a more literary bent might find it interesting to read Marg and Kaetrin’s reviews of Addition by Toni Jordan, which also happens to be on my keeper shelf. I reviewed this in 2009 with the note that ‘while the romance doesn’t dominate, it drives the story’. Every review I’ve read of this book has touched on different aspects of the story or the characters, and I never tire of hearing other readers’ reactions to it.  I happily bend the romance genre definition to encompass this book!

For something a little different, Lauren from the The Australian Bookshelf posted Q&As with a couple of romance authors: Rachael Johns and Elise K. Ackers.

One last thing. It seems to me that most of the titles we have reviewed this month have been romances that tend to feature non-explicit sex. It would be great to see more erotica titles reviewed, as well as romances at the hotter end of the spectrum. February is, as the shops continually remind us, the month of luuurve. I invite you, my fellow reviewers, to steam it up a notch!

Kat Mayo runs Book Thingo, a reader blog with a focus on romance fiction. She is the editor of Booktopia’s Romance Buzz and is a regular contributor to the Australian Romance Readers Association newsletter. On Twitter (@BookThingo), she is known as the fairy killer (someone who reads the ending of a book first). Her love of romance books and predisposition for killing fairies are definitely hereditary.

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by Kat on February 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Romance

Posted by Kat on February 14, 2013

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2013/02/14/january-2013-roundup-romance-fiction-and-erotica/

2012 AWW Challenge Wrap-up: Romance, erotica and romantic suspense

It is a truth universally acknowledged among romance readers that our favourite genre is one that is written by women for women. So when the Australian Women Writers Challenge was announced last year, I hoped it would be a way to bring the romance genre to readers who wouldn’t normally pick up a romance book.

With 127 reviews from 43 different reviewers to browse through—which includes 92 different titles and 65 authors—I’m confident that everyone will find at least one book with a romantic or erotic element to enjoy.

But first, a caveat. Because the category for romance includes romance, erotica and romantic suspense, there’s a wider variety of titles and authors to choose from than I would normally include under the banner of the romance genre. For genre readers, this is a mixed blessing, because one of the defining elements of the modern romance genre is the happy romantic ending. So for the romance readers out there: you may have to kill a fairy (aka read the back of the book first) when trying books from non-romance publishers and authors.

(I hope I haven’t shocked the non-romance reading crowd. If it makes you feel better, E L James’s books create more fairies than we can possibly kill. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.)

In defence of romance

One of the difficulties of being a romance reader—and, I assume, a romance author—is that the genre is beleaguered by stereotypes and assumptions that not only dissuade other readers from trying our books, but which are used to denigrate us for our reading and writing choices.

Romance scholar Laura Vivanco provided an brief history and overview of Australian romance fiction in her guest post, Australian romance writing — what’s there to take seriously?

The AWW blog also hosted a series of posts in defence of romance fiction, and these posts are a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the appeal of the genre. Here are some excerpts:

I take issue with the fact that a woman should feel embarrassed to be seen reading a romance novel when no one blinks at a man reading a western or a crime thriller. What is it about women’s fiction that makes it less in the eyes of the literati, when as a genre it sells so much more? – In defence of books written by women for women by Louise Cusack (author)

When we consider what romance fiction brings to feminism, it’s not enough to talk about what we as individuals get out of romance fiction or how we interpret this book or that. Knowing the genre’s popularity among female readers, we should also be asking: How do women read romance and why do they love these books so much? Only then, I think, will we have a better understanding of the genre’s importance and influence in women’s lives. – For women by women: Is romance writing inherently feminist? by Kat Mayo (me)

… the bottom line is this: if a genre by women, produced by women, edited by women, published by women with an express purpose of being read by women doesn’t deliver frank, honest, and open debate about women’s health, their bodies, their sexuality, and their choices…in short, if romance doesn’t step up into the vacuum that currently exists, who will? – Should romance be feminist? by Kate Cuthbert

2012 highlights

Before we get into the AWW reviews in detail—and in further defence of romance fiction, I suppose—I’d like to highlight some outstanding achievements by Australian women writers of romance fiction.

Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe (published by Harlequin Mira) The standout author of 2012 would have to be Fiona Lowe, whose Carina Press book, Boomerang Bride, won both the RITA and the R*BY (which is like winning the Oscars and the Logies but for books). This book was reviewed by author Kylie Scott, Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader, and Shelleyrae at Book’d Out.

Last year, it was also fantastic to see some romance panels at the Melbourne Writers’ Festival. ‘A Fine Romance’, a panel with Stephanie Laurens, Rachael Treasure and Su Dharmapala, was covered by several blogs participating in the AWW challenge, including 1 girl…2 many books, The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader, and Book Thingo.

Popular authors

One Perfect Night by Rachael Johns (published by Carina Press) Wings of Fear by Helene Young (published by Hachette Australia) Triptych by Krissy Kneen (published by Text Publishing) Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry (self-published)

The most reviewed romance author in 2012 was contemporary romance author Rachael Johns, who was reviewed a whopping 12 times for 3 different titles. Although most of these are for her outback romance, Jilted, her Carina Press books were also popular, with several reviews of One Perfect Night and a review of Stand-In Star (reviewed by Marg at The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader).

Romantic suspense author Helene Young also did very well with 7 reviews for 3 different titles. Erotica author Krissy Kneen and category romance author Sarah Mayberry were reviewed 5 times each, while Elise K. Ackers, Barbara Hannay, Cathryn Hein and Kelly Hunter were all reviewed 4 times each.

Outback romance stories were well represented. In addition to Helene Young, authors such as Bronwyn Parry, Karly Lane, Mandy Magro and Fiona McCallum appear on the list.

Popular titles by subgenre

Erotica

Triptych by Krissy Kneen (published by Text Publishing)In erotica, the most popular book was Triptych by Krissy Kneen. This anthology isn’t for readers who like a conventional romance. I love the way Kneen knits words together, but before I recommend this book to people, I make sure to mention that the stories feature bestiality and incest.

But don’t take my word for it; here are the reviews:

Review by James Butler (A BOOK: A PLAYLIST)
Review by James Butler (Stilts)
Review by Jessica White (LadyRedJess)
Review by Sian Campbell
Review by Sophie Shanahan (Female Factory)

My favourite review quote:

If [Anaïs] Nin is a tempestuous love affair, Kneen is a fling: It’s brief, and after a while you can’t remember why you liked it, only that you had to have it. — Sophie Shanahan

Romantic suspense

Burning Lies by Helene Young (published by Penguin Australia)Romantic suspense is an interesting genre in Australia, because what’s sold here as romantic suspense is unlikely to be romancey enough for overseas readers. In any case, it’s no surprise that the most popular romantic suspense author also garnered the most reviews for one title in the subgenre.

You can read the reviews of Burning Lies by Helene Young:

Review by Bree (1 girl…2 many books)
Review by Brenda (Goodreads)
My review (Book Thingo)
Review by Shelleyrae (Book’d Out)

My favourite review quote:

The attraction was immediate, but she didn’t give trust easily. She was suspicious of everyone, and needed to check him out first, in more ways than one. — Brenda

SFF romance

The Lone Warrior by Denise Rossetti (published by Berkley)I’m bundling all romance crossovers with sf, fantasy and paranormal elements in this category, simply because there weren’t enough reviews to warrant separate groupings. This was surprising to me, given the (seemingly) never-ending supply of romance books featuring vampires, shapeshifters, fairies, goblins and aliens.

Erotic fantasy author Denise Rossetti received 3 reviews:

The Lone Warrior — my review (Book Thingo)
The Lone Warrior — reviewed by Kate (Katydid in Oz)
Thief of Light — reviewed by Shona (Musings by Wink)

My favourite review quote:

what is most striking about this novel is the subtly pervasive character development that takes two hollow people from impenetrable internal barriers to a completely believable, honest relationship. — Kate

Historical romance

Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens (published by Avon)I was surprised at how few historical romances were entered in the AWW link list last year. The most reviewed was Stephanie Laurens with 3 reviews:

Devil’s Bride — my review (Book Thingo)
The Edge of Desire — reviewed by Heidi (Heidi Reads)
Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue — reviewed by Heidi (Heidi Reads)

My favourite review quote:

these are liberated ladies who don’t belive that a priestly blessing is required prior to pleasure — Heidi

Beloved historical authors (if local and international reader awards are to be believed) Anna Campbell and Anne Gracie were reviewed once each.

Contemporary romance

Jilted by Rachael Johns (published by Harlequin Mira)The standout title in 2012 for romance fiction across all the subgenres was Jilted by Rachael Johns, which was reviewed 7 times. As with romantic suspense, locally published single-title contemporary romances tend not to fit neatly into the genre—they’re often not romancey enough. When I read Jilted, it was as if my two worlds collided. Finally, here was an outback romance that I could recommend to die-hard romance readers.

To see if it’s your cup of tea:

Review by Bree (1 girl…2 many books)
Review by Jayne (The Australian Bookshelf)
Review by Jenny Schwartz (author)
My review (Book Thingo)
Review by Kylie Scott (author)
Review by Shellyrae (Book’d Out)
Review by Steph (Read in a Single Sitting)

My favourite review quote:

Jilted is a celebration of life in the country that doesn’t glamorise it, but does reveal a love and respect for the people who live and work on the land. — Jenny Schwartz

Category romance

Her Secret Fling by Sarah Mayberry (published by Harlequin Australia)I left the best for last because my love affair with romance fiction began with category romance. It’s perhaps the most maligned of the subgenres, but what non-romance readers don’t understand is that it can also deliver some of the most emotionally wrenching scenes I’ve ever read. There are no standout titles in this subgenre—at a gazillion new releases per month, I can understand why—but there are two standout authors: Sarah Mayberry and Kelly Hunter. They also happen to be two of my favourite Australian romance authors.

Mayberry pipped Hunter by 1 review, so I’ll list her titles, but I urge you to try Hunter as well, if you can:

Her Best Worst Mistake — Review by Bree (1 girl…2 many books)
Her Best Worst Mistake — Review by Kylie Scott (author)
Her Secret Fling — Review by David Golding
Hot Island Nights — Review by Bree (1 girl…2 many books)
Within Reach — Review by Bree (1 girl…2 many books)

I’m intrigued that category romance dispenses with even the illusion of suspense, something that most literary novels are afraid to do. Here, it really isn’t the destination that matters, but the trip — David Golding

Prolific reviewers

Shelleyrae (Book’d Out) led the reviewing pack with 16 reviews of fiction with romantic or erotic elements.

Kylie Scott wasn’t far behind with 13 reviews, and I find this particularly noteworthy as she’s also a romance author. It’s actually quite unusual to find romance authors who review within the genre, so props to Kylie.

I clocked in 12 reviews, but I’m determined to double my count this year, so everyone had better watch out!

Jayne (The Australian Bookshelf) reviewed 11 books, and by the looks of things, she’s already going gangbusters with romance fiction reviews for 2013.

One of the issues in trying to cover all the recent releases by Australian women writers in romance fiction is that romance titles come out so frequently during the year that it’s difficult to keep up. I’m hoping that in 2013 we’ll see even more titles, authors and bloggers in the AWW Challenge reviews.

The very short version for the skimmers

Grease Monkey Jive by Ainslie Paton (published by Escape Publishing)The one book that made me sit up and think, I haven’t read a book like this before, was Grease Monkey Jive by Ainslie Paton. I enjoyed many of my AWW Challenge reads, but this one had the perfect mix of romance, Australian-ness and uniqueness that I found amazing and difficult to tear myself from.You can read my review here, and here’s an excerpt:

I think Paton’s narrative style is unique in the genre—I haven’t read a romance book like this before. It’s a double-edged sword. The slow build up will frustrate readers expecting a romance novel as you’d typically find in the genre. But the story as a whole moves rather beautifully

David Golding’s review of Sarah Mayberry’s book ends with what I think is the perfect note on which to end the 2012 AWW round-up for romance fiction:

I’m left with the question, why wouldn’t I read one again? The only answer I have is that book discourse is structured in such a way that I am unlikely to encounter romance novels. That’s not a very good answer; that’s someone else’s choices making me.

I look forward to reading about your choices in 2013. Bring on the lurrrve!

Kat Mayo runs Book Thingo, a reader blog with a focus on romance fiction and related events, and is a regular contributor to the Australian Romance Readers Association newsletter. On Twitter (@BookThingo), she is known as the fairy killer (someone who reads the ending of a book first). Last year, she curated Raunchy Romance Storytime at Customs House Library, and there’s an old issue of the (sydney) magazine with a photo of Kat at the library surrounded by stacks of Mills & Boon books. Because what could be sexier than books?

13 Comments
by Kat on January 9, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Romance

Posted by Kat on January 9, 2013

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2013/01/09/2012-aww-challenge-wrap-up-romance-erotica-and-romantic-suspense/

Christine Stinson on Her Italian Aristocrat by Louise Reynolds

her-italian-aristocratThe blurb

On a mission to buy a prestigious shoe company, Australian career girl, Gemma Parkinson, arrives in Italy determined to succeed. But when she falls ill, effortlessly handsome local aristocrat, Luca Andretti, is on hand. Suspicious about Gemma’s presence in his town, he offers to let her recuperate in his amazing palazzo. Surrounded by the lavish trappings of the rich—servants, designer clothes, fine food and wine—Gemma is completely out of her depth…

The Review

This moving love story involving two people from very different backgrounds is a delightful, contemporary romance in a gorgeous Italian setting.

If you like shoes, romance and all things Italian, you’ll like Her Italian Aristocrat. In the interest of declaring personal bias up front, the author, Louise Reynolds, is a friend, but this reviewer can still offer an objective opinion.

Her Italian Aristocrat will appeal to anyone who’s looking to spend an enjoyable few hours curled up with a glass of wine and a good read. We meet the heroine, Gemma, in a hospital in Italy. She’s laid up with badly swollen ankles, no Italian speaking skills and a doctor brandishing a needle. Since there’s every chance she might be allergic to whatever’s in it and no way to say so, enter the hero, Luca Andretti, to the rescue.

Readers in the category romance genre will no doubt know how things go from here. But it’s not about the ending—and who doesn’t love a happy ending, anyway?—it’s about the journey, and this one is delightful. A heroine who’s hiding her street kid background behind designer clothes and attitude; a hero with background problems of his own and the expectations of an entire town resting on his shoulders; some gorgeous minor characters (including the venerable Marco, who hasn’t forgotten how to flirt in true, Italian tradition and does it with style) and a fabulous setting. A palazzo in a beautiful hill town of the Marche, characters with heart, good food, even better wine, great sex: Her Italian Aristocrat has them all.

Her Italian Aristocrat is Louise Reynold’s debut novel, for a debut Penguin line, Destiny Romance. Both are well worth a look.

Publisher: Penguin, Destiny Romance
Format: eBook
ISBN: 9781742538747
Published: 14/11/2012

~

Chris photographs 0401A former high school teacher, Christine submitted her first novel to Pan Macmillan in 2009. Getting even with Fran, a humorous story about the power of friendship, was released in April, 2010, re-released in paperback in February, 2011. Her second novel, It takes a Village, was released in May, 2011. She is currently working on her third.

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by christinestinson on December 14, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by christinestinson on December 14, 2012

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2012 releases reviewed for AWW: What’s in a genre?

(Originally posted on Blogger)

In the past week, this blog has posted several lists of reviews written by participants in the Australian Women Writers challenge of books released this year (2012). These lists have been organised as follows:

  • Literary works (including some nonfiction)
  • Crime
  • Speculative Fiction/Fantasy/Horror/Paranormal/Sci-Fi
  • Historical Fiction
  • Memoir/Biography/History
  • Romance/novels with “romantic elements”
  • Contemporary/Popular/Mainstream/Women’s Fiction

The intention wasn’t to exclude books from the “literary” category. Rather it was to organise titles so readers could find reviews of books that were likely to interest them, and to invite challenge participants to identify books of literary merit which deserve to be regarded as possible future prize winners, despite having “generic” qualities. (This is in keeping with The Stella Prize’s aim of including a wider net than what some might deem purely “literary”.)

Bookbloggers and publishers were approached for their views on which books they consider literary; invitations for readers and authors to comment were posted on Twitter, Facebook and in the list posts themselves. The aim was to try to identify and include many more books than those published by recognisable literary imprints.

Despite these efforts, some books slipped through the net and at least one author expressed dismay at having her book connected to the label “women’s fiction”.

My apologies. It’s an imperfect system, but it’s by far from being prescriptive. It’s open to correction and relies on community input. If there are any other titles that should go on the “literary” page, please let me know.

On another point of contention: an author of Young Adult (YA) fiction commented a while ago on the blog, expressing bemusement as to why YA books appear on a separate tab on this website. Many YA books have more in common with the various genres listed above than with each other, and appeal to adult as well as young adult audiences. With this in mind, rather than compiling a separate list of YA books, I ask YA authors and readers to nominate which tally recent (2012) YA releases should appear on. If you can help, please add your comment.

Just for the record. Paddy O’Reilly has accepted an invitation to write a blog post for AWW explaining why she objects to the label “women’s fiction”. I’ll keep you posted.

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by Elizabeth Lhuede on July 23, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Article, Crime, mystery, detective, thriller, suspense, Romance, Speculative, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Science Fiction
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Posted by Elizabeth Lhuede on July 23, 2012

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2012/07/23/2012-releases-reviewed-for-aww-whats-in-a-genre/

Romance 2012: What’s being reviewed?

Romances are reputedly the most widely read novels, but are they the most reviewed?

How do you define a “romance”?

One way is to say the story is predominantly about courtship: the tale of a relationship between two beings which either ends “happily ever after” or “happily for now”. The sex of the beings isn’t important: they may be male/female, female/female, male/male, non-binary gender (or any other variation you can think of — fans of Ursula Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness will know what I mean). Their nature isn’t important either – human, alien, angel, demon, vampire or werewolf. The world and time they inhabit may be equally fluid: contemporary, past or imaginary. Books which have courtship as a subplot, however, are perhaps better described as having “romantic elements”.

If books with “romantic elements” are included among the tally of romances, the number of 2012 releases reviewed for the AWW challenge during January to June is marginally more than for other genres tallied so far. If the popular genre of “rural fiction” — or “chook lit” as Twitter wags have dubbed it — is included, the number swells even further.

When canvassed on Twitter, some authors of “rural fiction” objected to having their books labelled as romance, preferring instead to be included among a broader category of “popular”, “contemporary” or “women’s fiction”. With that in mind, only rural fiction books which appear to solely focus on courtship, or were identified by the reviewer(s) as being a romance, have been tallied here.

Otherwise, both straight — or “category” — romances and cross-genre books with “romantic elements”, including historical romances, have been listed. (If mistakes have been made — and books have been included which shouldn’t have been, or haven’t been included and should — please let me know.)

What of Young Adult (YA) and Speculative Fiction titles? Are any of those also courtship stories or books with romantic elements? Should erotica — like Lexxie Couper’s Love’s Rhythm — be included?*

Have there been romances — or novels with romantic elements — of literary merit published in 2012 that are not listed here?

Tally: 23 books, 16 reviewers, 44 reviews

2012 Romance: Contemporary, Historical, Erotica, Crime, Fantasy, Romantic Comedy

Love's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper* As Kylie Scott points out in the comments below, Love’s Rhythm is more Erotic Romance than Erotica. Are there other 2012 releases in this genre that have yet to be reviewed for the challenge?

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by Elizabeth Lhuede on July 22, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Elizabeth Lhuede on July 22, 2012

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Should romance be feminist? (Is romance inherently feminist III)

(Need to import images to WP)

This is the third in a series of AWW discussions about feminism and the romance genre. Louise Cusack kicked off with her post, In defence of books written by women for women. Kat Mayo followed it up with her discussion. Today, blogger Kate Cuthbert adds her thoughts. 

Note: References to Australian women romance authors and their books are given in footnotes.

Sydney Harbor Hospital: Lily's Scandal by Marion Lennox

Kate Cuthbert writes:
This is in response to both Kat Mayo’s excellent thought-piece and a twitter discussion that came up after I posted a review of Robyn Carr’s Redwood Bend over at the New York Journal of Books.

In the review, I mentioned a level of frustration that the heroine – a widowed, unemployed, new-to-town mother of five-year-old twins – falls unexpectedly pregnant to a man she never expects to see again. I’d like to say that the heroine decides to keep and raise the baby, but in reality, there is no evidence of a decision-making process at all. No exploration of the heroine’s choices, her faith, her experience, her situation, her own belief system. There is nothing but an automatic assumption that she will increase her family by one.

Of course this review was written of a piece of fiction. And, being a piece of romance fiction, there is never any doubt in the reader’s mind that the hero will come riding back (on a motorcycle – contemporary heroes very rarely have gallant steeds), he and the heroine will declare their mutual love, and the baby will be born into a loving, solid family with few economic hardships, societal judgments, awkward questions re: parentage, or any of the other trappings of being in a single-parent family in today’s society.

One Perfect Night by Rachael JohnsBut life is not romance fiction. And perhaps more importantly, romance readers do not live in romance fiction. There is no guaranteed happy-ever-after ending, no twist waiting around the bend to make everything turn out okay. This becomes more important when it’s reiterated that the vast majority of romance readers are women – as are the authors, publishers, editors, and agents. Romance may be the last great feminine space where men may sometimes enter, but rarely have the influence to alter.

So, how are we using it?

While reading Robyn Carr, I was incensed that she – as a contemporary author writing about contemporary people – should ignore the many options available to women in the circumstances that Katie finds herself. The issue is not in the final decision that Katie makes – feminism is, after all, about the right to choose – but the fact that Katie doesn’t make a decision. However, Carr is hardly the only one. It is only in the past two decades that contraception has become common place in romance novels – and even now it isn’t pervasive. Unexpected pregnancies are as common as, well, sex in romance novels [1], but informed discussions on a woman’s options in this situation are decidedly not. I’m aware I’m speaking in generalities here, and there are examples [2], of course, but those examples are not the norm [3].

Romance has long positioned itself as a feminist literature: in the 50s women had jobs, in the 60s careers. The 70s saw them have sex, and then the 80s saw them in charge. But the 90s heralded the arrival of the alpha male and the millennium a surge of inspirational (ie. Christian-faith) romances. Instead of continuing to forge a path, is it possible that romances have taken a step backwards, hidden behind immortal men on the one hand and traditionalist  elationships on the other? I’d argue no – certainly for every alpha male, there’s a counterpoint kick-ass female [4]. And feminism and Christianity are not dichotomous states of being [5]. And, again, feminism is the inherent power to  choose the way you live – and knowing that your choice will be respected.

But when it comes to women’s options and control over her sexuality and her body, I’m just not seeing the light. Women in romance novels can have sex now, but what is that freedom if they are not doing so in a responsible, controlled manner that protects themselves, emotionally and physically? Does the hero really respect her if he’s not protecting them both? Is the heroine intelligent and self-respecting if she doesn’t protect them both? If contraception isn’t mentioned, can a reader assume that it’s being used? Should a reader assume? Or is this another lesson in what assuming means?

Romance occupies a unique position within the literary world. It has already proven itself a subversive genre in many ways, and as the world watches in horror as members of power in the US wage a war on women’s rights over their own bodies, maybe it’s time to step up again. It’s not fair to hold one genre of literature to a standard that is not inflicted on others. But life isn’t fair. Certainly the war of the sexes has never been fair. Maybe this is an argument that goes beyond fairness.

Should romance be a feminist genre? I think the answer is too murky to define, and I’m certainly in no position to dictate. But the bottom line is this: if a genre by women, produced by women, edited by women, published by women with an express purpose of being read by women doesn’t deliver frank, honest, and open debate about women’s health, their bodies, their sexuality, and their choices…in short, if romance doesn’t step up into the vacuum that currently exists, who will?

Darkness Devours (Dark Angels Series #3) by Keri ArthurRogue Gadda: Dream of Asarlai Book Three By Nicole MurphyLove's Rhythm by Lexxie Couper

Note 1
A good recent example of this situation is in Rachel Johns’ One Perfect Night where the heroine finds herself unexpectedly pregnant from a casual relationship, but a solid, developing back story creates a believable framework for her decision.

Note 2
Marion Lennox, in particular, is careful about contraception. In a workshop in 2007, she shared a story wherein she was writing a love scene in a novel and happened to look up and see her two young children. It was with their future in mind that she had her hero quietly leave the room to put on contraception.

Note 3
Paranormal and historical romances often get a by here: in historical romance, contraception is a novelty at best (much as we’d like to have all those rakes scanned for disease!), whereas paranormals often have an inbuilt barrier: vampires can hardly produce children, werewolves are immune to disease, etc. Keri Arthur handled this in an interesting manner in her Riley Jenson novels, where vampires can reproduce, but only within the first 24 hours after being ‘turned’. In Nicole Murphy’s Gadda trilogy, the magic-using characters were able to say a post-coital spell to prevent pregnancy.

Note 4
See Keri Arthur, Tracey O’Hara, and Lexxie Couper for examples

Note 5
Furthermore, sexuality within inspirational romances is muted, something to be explored after marriage, thus negating some (but not all) of the concerns. For an Australian inspirational author, try Mary Hawkins.

Kate Cuthbert describes herself on Twitter as “reader, writer, reviewer, Canadian-Australian and opinionated”. She tweets as @katydidinoz.

27 Comments
by Elizabeth Lhuede on April 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Article, Romance
Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by Elizabeth Lhuede on April 27, 2012

http://australianwomenwriters.com/2012/04/27/should-romance-be-feminist-is-romance-inherently-feminist-iii/

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