The Good Stuff.
Right. I've been trying books in the genre "Romances".
To be fair, perhaps I have had the misfortune to pick up all the wrong ones. Edit: Kay, I did find one, and here's the post on that book! Yays! My faith in (some) editors is restored...
Because, uh, they are some of the worst *bleep* I've ever read, all of them those ten were, but I've found others that are very good. (There were times I longed to read poorly written lab reports. That bad.)
Poorly written, passive (both 'Telling' not 'Showing' and passive voice), boring pages filled with - pardon me - flat characters and prick-teasing women. No wonder that was the time when Men were Men and Sheep were Scared. (I don't mind the prick-teasing, so long as there's relief in the end. Somewhere. And more than a page and half of it.) Oh, and rarely a plot beyond getting married to the man. Poor guy. :p~~~~~~~~~~
(When the best part of the book is the three pages where the 'heroine' plays with her dog in the mud, that's a clue the book is crap. The dog was pretty fun, though...)
However, I found the 'Erotica' section in my favorite Used Bookstore! I have searched for it, and erm, with the store music playing "Walking Through a Winter Wonderland" (to which, yes, I was thinking of alternate lyrics, Dexy, as was Hubby over in SciFi ;D ), I looked up, and there they were. On top of the Romance Section.
Where I was quite happy to see them.
Because unlike Borders, this store doesn't put detail-oriented illustrated sex guides and sale price vinyl-clad reference books on Fetishes and S&M at the same eye level as a five-year-old. Huh. For some reason. (But that's another story...)
Oh, and because they are so superior to the 'Romance Novels' that I've found.
And, as I was happy to note, not only did the selection include another book by the same author as the first Erotic book I ever bought, Jenesi Ash - it also included an author of an erotic piece Hubby liked a lot, and was rather happy when I read it and liked it too, by Emma Holly. (Books listed below)
The difference between 'Romances' (that I've read) and 'Erotica' is vast, and so far mainly revolves around how frustrated the guys must be. Or relieved, I should say. And for some reason, the gals in erotica seem, um, much happier. Or at least, better satisfied. For some reason. *EG*
Also - um, anyone that's read 'Romance Novels'... go on, tell me. Have you ever shared bits of that book with your man (or woman) and actually gotten more than a glazed 'If I Look Like I'm Paying Attention I Won't Have To Sleep On The Couch' look (also known as the 'suffering guy in the store while she shops' look)?
Or had the guy (or gal) read it first and wait with bated breath while you read it, to see your reaction?
Or try suggesting you do some of the things mentioned in the book, and had your partner panting to try them out at the description in the pages?
Um. I'm thinking, NOT not for at least some of them. Unless it's from Rachel Gibson
So piffle to 'Romance Novels' (at least, the modern kind, as romantic love stories from days past actually do float my boat), unless they are fun tongue in cheek parodies of said genre (I've already got a couple of ideas on that score). Or are the ones I'm finding finally...
I'm pro-Erotica now, but really only the ones where the author knows functional anatomy, because if I'm reading about a position (and grouping) I've never been in, and can still see, quite clearly, that the body cannot bend that way, I'd better be reading about Elastic Man or Stretchable Woman.
Yes, I have standards. Even with pronz.
My only suggestion to those authors of truly impossible positions - like the 'reversable' wrist - scuse, please, but thumbs are on one side of the hand and cannot be exchanged with fingers without breaking or removing bones, while still attached to the arm of the person using it - buy some of those artist dummies. So you can keep body parts straight. (Also because they are fun to pose.)
But, as I am happy to say, these two authors write good books, full of three-dimensional characters, believable situations (and positions), and, obviously (as they are in the 'erotica' section), steamy sex.
Because I believe there should be fun for everyone involved, both in and out of the books (and Hubby agrees!)...
Anyway, here's some of the Good Stuff. It may not float everyone's boat, but I like it. And it's well written. Totally a 5 out of 5, or 10 out of 10. :) The characters all grow, or change, and you really get a feel for who they are. And yes, really good descriptions of smex (which may be a bit on the 'omg, whoa' side for ppls, I dunno).
Swap, by Jenesi Ash (linked to Amazon's Look Inside)
On Top Of Her Game (Linked to Author's site and excerpt (explicit))
To be fair, perhaps I have had the misfortune to pick up all the wrong ones. Edit: Kay, I did find one, and here's the post on that book! Yays! My faith in (some) editors is restored...
Because, uh, they are some of the worst *bleep* I've ever read, all of them those ten were, but I've found others that are very good. (There were times I longed to read poorly written lab reports. That bad.)
Poorly written, passive (both 'Telling' not 'Showing' and passive voice), boring pages filled with - pardon me - flat characters and prick-teasing women. No wonder that was the time when Men were Men and Sheep were Scared. (I don't mind the prick-teasing, so long as there's relief in the end. Somewhere. And more than a page and half of it.) Oh, and rarely a plot beyond getting married to the man. Poor guy. :p~~~~~~~~~~
(When the best part of the book is the three pages where the 'heroine' plays with her dog in the mud, that's a clue the book is crap. The dog was pretty fun, though...)
However, I found the 'Erotica' section in my favorite Used Bookstore! I have searched for it, and erm, with the store music playing "Walking Through a Winter Wonderland" (to which, yes, I was thinking of alternate lyrics, Dexy, as was Hubby over in SciFi ;D ), I looked up, and there they were. On top of the Romance Section.
Where I was quite happy to see them.
Because unlike Borders, this store doesn't put detail-oriented illustrated sex guides and sale price vinyl-clad reference books on Fetishes and S&M at the same eye level as a five-year-old. Huh. For some reason. (But that's another story...)
Oh, and because they are so superior to the 'Romance Novels' that I've found.
And, as I was happy to note, not only did the selection include another book by the same author as the first Erotic book I ever bought, Jenesi Ash - it also included an author of an erotic piece Hubby liked a lot, and was rather happy when I read it and liked it too, by Emma Holly. (Books listed below)
The difference between 'Romances' (that I've read) and 'Erotica' is vast, and so far mainly revolves around how frustrated the guys must be. Or relieved, I should say. And for some reason, the gals in erotica seem, um, much happier. Or at least, better satisfied. For some reason. *EG*
Also - um, anyone that's read 'Romance Novels'... go on, tell me. Have you ever shared bits of that book with your man (or woman) and actually gotten more than a glazed 'If I Look Like I'm Paying Attention I Won't Have To Sleep On The Couch' look (also known as the 'suffering guy in the store while she shops' look)?
Or had the guy (or gal) read it first and wait with bated breath while you read it, to see your reaction?
Or try suggesting you do some of the things mentioned in the book, and had your partner panting to try them out at the description in the pages?
Um. I'm thinking, NOT not for at least some of them. Unless it's from Rachel Gibson
So piffle to 'Romance Novels' (at least, the modern kind, as romantic love stories from days past actually do float my boat), unless they are fun tongue in cheek parodies of said genre (I've already got a couple of ideas on that score). Or are the ones I'm finding finally...
I'm pro-Erotica now, but really only the ones where the author knows functional anatomy, because if I'm reading about a position (and grouping) I've never been in, and can still see, quite clearly, that the body cannot bend that way, I'd better be reading about Elastic Man or Stretchable Woman.
Yes, I have standards. Even with pronz.
My only suggestion to those authors of truly impossible positions - like the 'reversable' wrist - scuse, please, but thumbs are on one side of the hand and cannot be exchanged with fingers without breaking or removing bones, while still attached to the arm of the person using it - buy some of those artist dummies. So you can keep body parts straight. (Also because they are fun to pose.)
But, as I am happy to say, these two authors write good books, full of three-dimensional characters, believable situations (and positions), and, obviously (as they are in the 'erotica' section), steamy sex.
Because I believe there should be fun for everyone involved, both in and out of the books (and Hubby agrees!)...
Anyway, here's some of the Good Stuff. It may not float everyone's boat, but I like it. And it's well written. Totally a 5 out of 5, or 10 out of 10. :) The characters all grow, or change, and you really get a feel for who they are. And yes, really good descriptions of smex (which may be a bit on the 'omg, whoa' side for ppls, I dunno).
Swap, by Jenesi Ash (linked to Amazon's Look Inside)
On Top Of Her Game (Linked to Author's site and excerpt (explicit))