Archive for the ‘Characters’ Category
Friday, November 13th, 2009
Rike’s post yesterday on plotlines that could use a break got me thinking. I’ve got plenty of kvetches, believe me – many of them mentioned already by Rike – but, to put a Pollyanna spin on things (and, okay, so I am not often Pollyanna-ish, but let’s just run with it) there is at least one plot device that works for me always every time. Put an uptight brainiac seriously in need of having some pins pricked in his or her pretentions together with a casual, laid back type who knows how to deliver a zinger and I’m done for. Totally done for.
A friend of mine says I like “goofball” heroes and, to some degree, I think she’s right. But humor takes fierce intelligence (Jon Stewart, anyone?) and I find it incredibly attractive when someone is confident enough in himself that he doesn’t need to hit others in the face with his brains. It’s fun (not to mention sexually exciting) to discover that someone you initially underestimated is w-a-a-a-a-y smarter than you thought, right?
So, forthwith and with no more verbal diarrhea, here are my fave brainiac/goofball romances:
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Tags: connie brockway, loretta chase, Mary Balogh, susan elizabeth phillips
Posted in Books, Characters, Heroes, Heroines, Reading, Romance reading, Sandy AAR | 16 Comments »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
On the whole, I don’t mind seeing variations of the same old plot in what I read. Well, I do read plenty of genre literature after all! The finesse and/or psychological depth in which a well-known plot is handled can actually enrich my pleasure in reading a great deal. That said, there are a few plotlines out there that I would really like to retire for a couple of years or so, and which may very well keep me from buying a new publication unless it’s by an autobuy author.
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Tags: overused plots, plotlines, Romance reading
Posted in Characters, Rike AAR, Romance reading | 28 Comments »
Monday, November 9th, 2009
The audiobook standard of excellence in my opinion is undoubtedly the unabridged version of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series as told by narrator Davina Porter. Specifically, I am talking about the first four in the series: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn. Rarely have I been entertained to this degree for such a sustained period of time and that’s quite a statement given that these four books represent 159 hours of listening enjoyment with barely a boring moment.
Although I own all of these books in print, I have never actually read any one of the four. My immense satisfaction with this series comes solely from listening to the unabridged audiobooks. Now, I can’t imagine just settling for the printed word when I choose to revisit Frasers and company. It’s as though there is another whole dimension beyond the mere reading that totally captures my mind’s eye.
It goes without saying that Diana Gabaldon’s writing is the basis of the love herein. Without her exceptional storytelling, where would we be? However, when it comes to audiobooks, there is a second star in the wings who vividly brings these books to life and that is narrator Davina Porter. Much of today’s column is high praise of one sort or another for Ms. Porter’s ability to so completely engage my emotions while providing easily distinguished characterizations. Seldom did I need a “he said” or a “she said” once a character was introduced. Told in first person, the warmth or occasional smile in Porter’s voice further defined Claire’s character and her objective view of the world.
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Tags: Audiobooks, davina porter, Diana Gabaldon, Outlander
Posted in Characters, Historicals, Lea Hensley, Romance, audio books | 21 Comments »
Friday, November 6th, 2009
We romance lovers like our heroines brainy, don’t we?
There are many reasons to watch Fox’s new show Glee and high school heroine Rachel is just one of them. Rachel is the classic socially awkward over-achiever and – hello, romance stereotype it may be – a heroine who I’m rooting for. Big time. Rachel has a thing for popular guy Finn who also has a thing for Rachel, despite the fact that his pregnant cheerleader girlfriend has him believing that he’s the father of her baby. Which is a pretty strong indication that Finn’s bulb is a bit on the dim side since she also convinced him that her pregnancy resulted from a hot tub ejaculation incident. I really hate it when that happens.
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Tags: Glee, heroines, Romance
Posted in Heroines, Sandy AAR | 20 Comments »
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
Recently, I reread Thornton Wilder’s The Ides of March. It’s a book I’ve read with great pleasure before; this time I was particularly struck by the way the relationship between the poet Catullus and society lady Clodia is portrayed. He loves her with all his heart and writes great poems to her and about her; she sometimes admits him as her lover and spends time with him before jilting him again in favor of a rival. The novel leaves no doubt that Clodia is cruel and capricious; however, at this reading, I suddenly felt that I understood her right to jilt him, and her urge to do so. In spite of the undoubted depth of Catullus’ feelings, it is quite clear that Clodia does not feel as deeply for him. Yes, she might have treated him with far less cruelty, as Caesar points out to her, in ending the affair. But for the first time, my reaction as a reader was sympathy with her desire to regain her autonomy in the face of Catullus’s overwhelming love and of his general wonderfulness.
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Tags: Books, Carla Kelly, Charlotte Smith, Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, lovers scorned, Thornton Wilder
Posted in Characters, Reading, Rike AAR, Uncategorized | 25 Comments »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Let me start by saying I love being an AAR pollster. From a personal standpoint, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know, and become friends with, Lee and Cindy, my wonderful fellow pollsters. From a romance-reading perspective, I get to see the characters and books that AAR’s readers like. After all, I don’t see just the results posted on AAR, I know which books land in 20th, 50th, and 100th place in top ten polls. Sadly, I also know which characters will receive no votes other than my own; ah, there’s my dilemma.
When I first volunteered to be a pollster, I made certain that we would be allowed to vote since the polls were one of my favorite parts of AAR from the beginning. Once assured that I could still vote, I hopped onboard.
As a pollster, I know weeks in advance what our polling schedule looks like. Initially, I would fill out my ballots well before each poll began, and would submit it at AAR as soon as polling opened. Lately, like many AAR readers, I’ve been taking my time preparing my ballot; hence, my dilemma.
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Tags: Polls
Posted in Heroines, LinnieGayl AAR, Polls | 13 Comments »
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
I’m nattering on about Drop Dead Diva and romance again. That show is my drug.
In this past Sunday’s episode, Jane goes on her first date with a fellow lawyer, Tony. He is really cute, as you can see from the picture of him here. This is your Fat Hero.
He shows up at home to pick up Jane for their date but Jane’s mother has dropped by and he decides to stay for a home-cooked meal. I heart Tony. When he leaves, Jane’s mother tells her that he’s a keeper, and describes him as a guy who likes (I paraphrase) “women like us”. ‘Women like us’ being plus-size characters, or, Your Heavy Heroine.
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Tags: Drop Dead Diva, Heroes, heroines, plus-sized characters
Posted in AAR Abi, Heroes, Heroines, Romance reading, Television | 38 Comments »
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
![who are you jane - picture[1] (2)](http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/who-are-you-jane-picture1-2-300x228.jpg "who are you jane - picture[1] (2)")
Drop Dead Diva is a new series on Lifetime which follows the life of an aspiring model called Deb who is killed in an accident but comes back in the body of a successful lawyer called Jane. In episode 1, Jane is shot and is close to death. The audience knows that Jane did actually pass away in the end and Deb has taken her place but the people in the show’s reality do not. That said, this past Sunday marked the show’s 10th episode, and we have yet to see Jane receive a visit from any close friend or family. It appears Jane was a workaholic with no friends and not much of a life.
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Tags: Drop Dead Diva, heroines, Lifetime television
Posted in AAR Abi, Books, Characters, Heroines, Television | 9 Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
![tin_cup[1] (2)](http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/tin_cup1-2-208x300.jpg "tin_cup[1] (2)")
I love sports romances. Love, love, love them. The thrill of the game, the athletic prowess, the conflict, the romance, and the sex all make for a heady combination. Some of my all-time favorites include See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson, It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, The Man for Me by Gemma Bruce, and Body Check by Deirdre Martin.
If you’ve been reading Sports Romances for long enough, you’ve probably noticed that most fall into the same pattern: a hunky, wealthy pro-athlete is forced to contend with a determined woman. Conflict and true love ensues. I love this pattern, I really do, but sometimes I crave something a little different – something that isn’t usually found on the shelves of Romance.
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Tags: Movies, sports romances, Tin Cup
Posted in Characters, Heroes, Katie AAR, Movies | 11 Comments »
Monday, August 17th, 2009
Sandy’s recent blog entry about Bad Boys made me think of the Bad Boy’s counterpart, the Bad Girl. To qualify as a Bad Girl, it’s not enough for a heroine to simply be strong, independent and kick-ass. No, like her male equivalent, she needs to be selfish, pleasure-seeking, careless of others, wasteful and possibly promiscuous. She may be tortured because of a terrible childhood or a disastrous marriage, but she may not act the way she does because she secretly supports her seven minor half-siblings or the whole village – no martyrs here, please!
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Tags: bad girls, Elizabeth Boyle, Georgette Heyer, Grey's Anatomy, Julie Ann Long, Melinda McRae
Posted in Books, Characters, Heroines, Reading, Rike AAR, Romance reading | 38 Comments »
