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Brief Thoughts on Paper Books...

by Billie Bloebaum, January 22, 2010 2:31 PM
When I started writing these posts, I had a self-imposed rule of not talking about titles that weren't available in both digital and paper editions. However, this meant that some titles I really liked were being shunned. Here, then, are some brief thoughts on titles which are only available as good, old-fashioned paper books.

Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie: Classic Crusie with the hunky hero (Phin) who is soooo not the heroine's (Sophie's) type, the quirky and eccentric friends and family, and the far-from-perfect pet. There are also Dove bars, hideous wallpaper, an adorable child, small-town secrets and jealousies, and attempted murder. All in all, it's the kind of breezy, sexy read I've come to expect from Crusie.

Soulless by Gail Carriger: This debut novel takes tropes from a number of genres (steampunk, historical romance, urban fantasy), tosses them all in a top hat, shakes them about, and blends them into one of the wittiest and most charming debut novels I've read in a very, very long time. I've recommended this book to a number of people, many of whom don't read romance at all, and they all found it as delightful as I did. It's the kind of book that manages to skewer the clichés of genre fiction in such a way that you know the author loves both the genres and the clichés. Anyway, it's awesome. You should read it.

The Selkie Bride by Melanie Jackson: This is a rich, brooding, atmospheric novel set on the coast of Scotland in the early part of the 20th century. This is one of those novels that I picked up because I thought the plot sounded interesting (Young widow moves to “cursed” town on the Scottish coast to write and hooks up with a Selkie), but kept reading because Jackson used language so well to build the mood of the book. It isn't often that I come across a book with an atmosphere of tension and menace so palpable that I feel the need to turn on every light in my house and look over my shoulder to see who's watching me, but this was one of those times. And, on top of that, it was also a gripping and emotional love story.

And one title that is available in a digital edition, but the eBook costs nearly twice as much as the paper book, is Can't Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards. The heroine of this one wasn't very likeable, but Edwards more than made up for that shortcoming with an oh-my-gods hot, hot, hot hero, amazing supporting characters (all fully-fleshed and interesting enough to deserve their own books, or at least more page time in this one), and food, food, food. This is the romance novel for everyone who gets all glassy-eyed and drooly when watching cooking shows. Tasty.

I'll be back to the regular way of things next time. Until then, you and I both have some reading to do.




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