Essays & Musings

What We’ve Been Thinking About

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

the ask@AAR: What are your favorite romances featuring scientists?

the ask@AAR: What are your favorite romances featuring scientists?

March 13, 2020

Today, when a friend on Facebook pointed out that you can’t have a pandemic without panic, I was practicing deep breathing. (I’d just read the New York Times.) I had,…

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The Wayback on Wednesday: At the Back Fence Issue #321

The Wayback on Wednesday: At the Back Fence Issue #321

March 11, 2020

published on October 21, 2008 North and South When it comes to romances on television or in the movies, I prefer mine set in the past. I believe that Darcy…

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Best rom com movie?

Best rom com movie?

March 9, 2020

We had a tough weekend here in our house–a family member with a crisis–and last night my husband said, “Let’s watch a light rom com.” So I looked up best…

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the ask@AAR: What’s your go to comfort read?

the ask@AAR: What’s your go to comfort read?

March 6, 2020

Between the coronavirus, the election, the stock market, and putting our house on the market (last kids moved out and we are downsizing big time), I am frazzled. I take…

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The Wayback on Wednesday: A Winning Review Parody

The Wayback on Wednesday: A Winning Review Parody

March 4, 2020

Reviews Parody Contest 1999 (from December, 1999) Merry Christmas, everyone, and a joyous holiday season to all! Today we announce the winner in our first ever Reviews Parody Contest! First…

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Donate to Romance for Literacy!

Donate to Romance for Literacy!

March 3, 2020

The romance community is running a great fundraiser to support literacy. AAR has a team and we’d love it if you’d donate to make the world a better place!

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the ask@AAR: What kinds of stories would you like to see more of in romance?

the ask@AAR: What kinds of stories would you like to see more of in romance?

February 28, 2020

We’ve talked here before about no-go stories in romance–narratives that readers just aren’t having. Many readers can’t abhor infidelity, others can’t stand violent heroes/heroines, etc… Today I’m curious what stories…

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Dear reader… I’m worried.

Dear reader… I’m worried.

February 23, 2020

What is AAR? It’s not a business–we don’t make any money and no one gets paid. It truly is a labor of love for all of us. (I do give…

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the ask@AAR: What’s your favorite romance novella?

the ask@AAR: What’s your favorite romance novella?

February 21, 2020

Today, it’s all about the novella. According to Wikipedia, A novella is a work of narrative prose fiction, longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. Publishers and literary award societies typically…

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Marsha Canham on writing what needed to be written

Marsha Canham on writing what needed to be written

February 17, 2020

I have written three trilogies, and each time I wrote the third book in the set, I thought: okay, tie up all the loose ends, make sure everything you need…

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the ask@AAR: What’s the most wildly romantic scene you’ve ever read?

the ask@AAR: What’s the most wildly romantic scene you’ve ever read?

February 14, 2020

On some rare occasions, if you’re favored, you read a passage or a scene in a novel so grandly romantic, you’re gobsmacked. You swoon, your heart feels tender and ardent….

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The ask@AAR: One Romance to Rule Them All?

The ask@AAR: One Romance to Rule Them All?

February 7, 2020

Later this month, a friend of mine’s book club which typically only reads very serious books for adults is going to read a romance. They read about the RWA fiasco…

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What We’ve Been Thinking About

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