Essays & Musings

What We’ve Been Thinking About

Thoughts on books, reading, culture, and the literary life.

What’s your favorite opposites attract romance?

What’s your favorite opposites attract romance?

May 2, 2022

A while back, a friend who doesn’t didn’t read romance asked me to recommend a historical romance. I suggested Laura Kinsale’s Flowers from the Storm. I ran into her this…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: Who’s your favorite family in romance?

the ask@AAR: Who’s your favorite family in romance?

April 29, 2022

One of the great things about all those Bridgertons–besides more fodder for Netflix seasons–is that Violet and her children are a fun brood to read about/watch. One of my favorite…

Read Article
High concept TV is…?

High concept TV is…?

April 25, 2022

I am three episodes into HBOMax’s mini-series, Station Eleven, based on the award winning and best selling novel by Emily St. John Mandel. I haven’t read the book, which, I…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: I am a cranky old lady, not a cranky middle aged lady, right?

the ask@AAR: I am a cranky old lady, not a cranky middle aged lady, right?

April 22, 2022

I will be 61 next month–woo hoo! I was discussing my life with my daughter and when I referred to myself as an old lady, she said that was absurd….

Read Article
the ask@ AAR: Do all artists deserve our support?

the ask@ AAR: Do all artists deserve our support?

April 15, 2022

Do I have to support/promote the art of someone I dislike or whose thoughts/actions I dislike or disapprove of? Here’s why I ask. There’s an author who’s been really nasty…

Read Article
Something’s coming….

Something’s coming….

April 12, 2022

As AAR has aged, the way our readers interact with us has changed. Over the past five years, those who read AAR on their mobile devices have now surpassed those…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: What matters most in true love?

the ask@AAR: What matters most in true love?

April 8, 2022

I was at a wedding this past weekend and found myself in an interesting discussion. My tablemate, a woman a bit older than me, married to her high school sweetheart,…

Read Article
A gripe about series….. or maybe it’s just me.

A gripe about series….. or maybe it’s just me.

April 6, 2022

I love a good series. It’s a joy to follow a well-built world or hero through several books, watching their secrets and adventures unfurl. And yet….. I don’t love series…

Read Article
What have you been reading?

What have you been reading?

April 4, 2022

I’ve spent a lot of time on planes and airports lately. An upside of this has been more time to read. Yay! I finally finished listening to Leigh Bardugo’s duo,…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: What series/book would you like to see adapted for TV?

the ask@AAR: What series/book would you like to see adapted for TV?

April 1, 2022

While we had varying degrees of satisfaction around the latest season of Bridgerton, I think we all agree it’s excellent to see romance novels adapted for TV. Given how wildly…

Read Article
We have to ask: What did you think about the Oscars?

We have to ask: What did you think about the Oscars?

March 30, 2022

I didn’t watch the Oscars–I’m an NCAA basketball fan (The extraordinary event that will happen when, for the first time, Duke meets UNC in the tournament in Saturday’s Final Four…

Read Article
Bridgerton Season Two has arrived!

Bridgerton Season Two has arrived!

March 26, 2022

It’s here! I’ve just watched episode one–I thought it was smashing. I love the Queen’s boredom, Kate’s chat with Lady Danbury, Penelope’s desire for Lady Whistledown to do more, Benedict’s…

Read Article
1 24 25 26 27 28 90
What We’ve Been Thinking About

Latest from Substack