The Journal

Blog

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

the ask@AAR: What are some romances with train rides in them?

the ask@AAR: What are some romances with train rides in them?

November 12, 2021

Tomorrow, I’m taking the train from North Carolina where I live up to Washington, DC to spend the weekend there. It’s been a tough week here–I had to put Sophie,…

Read Article
We’re starting to work on our Best of 2021 lists–and we want yours!

We’re starting to work on our Best of 2021 lists–and we want yours!

November 8, 2021

AAR staffers are beginning to compile our Best of 2021 lists. We’d like a list of our readers’ Best of 2021 too! So–and I know many of you will find…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: Why is the sexiest question in sex so rarely asked in romance?

the ask@AAR: Why is the sexiest question in sex so rarely asked in romance?

November 5, 2021

We’ve discussed here how we feel about consent in romance–in general, good–although there are those, me among them, who feel constant questions in a love scene are hard to do…

Read Article
Best re-read? Worst?

Best re-read? Worst?

November 1, 2021

I love to re-read–I’d hazard that at least a quarter of my romance reading is re-reading books I’ve previously read and loved. I’m lucky–it’s rare I’ve re-read a book and…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: Do we care what heroines (or heroes) look like?

the ask@AAR: Do we care what heroines (or heroes) look like?

October 29, 2021

In the last three recently published romances I’ve read, I’ve very little idea of what the heroine looks like. The heroes are still chiseled with piercing blue/green/grey eyes, abs like…

Read Article
the ask@ARR: It makes me crazy when fertility is used to punish women–is it just me?

the ask@ARR: It makes me crazy when fertility is used to punish women–is it just me?

October 22, 2021

–there are spoilers ahead for the Grant County series– I’ve recently just slogged–and, sadly, it was a slog–my way through Karin Slaughter’s Grant County series. I love the Will Trent…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: What do you think about the modern wedding?

the ask@AAR: What do you think about the modern wedding?

October 15, 2021

Recently, a close friend of mine’s step-daughter eloped which did not make her parents happy. Her mother and father felt it was disrespectful to not have them as a part…

Read Article
I’ve read some EXCELLENT books lately! How about you?

I’ve read some EXCELLENT books lately! How about you?

October 13, 2021

I have read several truly superb books recently–being on crutches has given me more time to read and I’ve picked, in general, a bunch of winners. The best book I’ve…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: What happens when writers fictionalize the lives of others?

the ask@AAR: What happens when writers fictionalize the lives of others?

October 8, 2021

I, like much of the writing attached world, have been unable to stop thinking about Dawn Dorland and Sonya Larson whose feud was covered in depth by the New York…

Read Article
What would you like us to review?

What would you like us to review?

October 6, 2021

Thanks to the generosity of publishers and authors, the AAR staff has a wide variety of books they can choose to review. (We don’t assign books–reviewers can pick from our…

Read Article
Best looking on screen couple of all time?

Best looking on screen couple of all time?

October 4, 2021

A friend came over this weekend and said he and his 22 year old daughter had been discussing this for fun and, no shock, had completely different answers to the…

Read Article
the ask@AAR: Is there a romance canon?

the ask@AAR: Is there a romance canon?

October 1, 2021

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a canon is  a. Literary Criticism. A body of literary works traditionally regarded as the most important, significant, and worthy of study; those works…

Read Article
1 25 26 27 28 29 87