The Journal
Blog
Thoughts on books, reading, culture, and the literary life.
the ask@AAR: What do you think is sexy in a hero?
August 2, 2024I just watched the Netflix romcom The Family Affair. If you haven’t seen it, it’s fun. But I found myself distracted in the movie by Nicole Kidman’s weird face and,…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: What genre do you read the most?
July 26, 2024Romantasy is everywhere these days. It is the genre in romance that, currently, dominates much of the best-seller list and the conversation around romance. (Honestly, the fact that Sarah Maas’…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: What’s the best romance of the year thus far?
July 19, 2024We’re more than halfway through 2024–where DOES the time go? Thus far, AAR reviewers have designated 59 books (out of 178 reviewed) as DIKs. Two have received the rare grade…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: What’s the greatest sports romance/series in romance?
July 12, 2024It may surprise you to learn there are eight sports romances on the current (2018) AAR Top 100 List. Five are from Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Chicago Stars series: Match Me…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: Have conversations at AAR changed over time?
July 5, 2024Last week’s ask column irked many. One reader emailed me to tell me I was off base in my comments, another cancelled her financial support of AAR, and several others…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: Do authors owe readers a safe space?
June 28, 2024Right now, Dennis Lehane’s incredible Small Mercies is on sale. Set in Boston in the summer of 1974 and focused on the city’s violent response to the forced integration of…
Read Article
What have you been reading? Watching?
June 24, 2024I have, for the past two months, been reading Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August. This, dear readers, is astonishing. And I’m not talking about the book although it is…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: Has ebook pricing changed lately?
June 21, 2024I’m pretty upfront about how terrible I believe Amazon and Kindle Unlimited are for authors and the book industry writ large. It’s not just me–the web is full of stories…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: What’s your favorite STEM based romance?
June 14, 2024Yesterday we reviewed–and loved–the latest by Ali Hazelwood who is one of the doyens of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) romance. I think she might be the first author…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: What do you think of AI now?
June 7, 2024I wrote about AI and its writing prowess over a year ago in this column. Many of those of you who commented then felt that ChatGPT’s writing was soulless and…
Read Article
I need a new TV show… what do you recommend?
June 3, 2024Dr. Feelgood and I have been watching Fargo–the TV show, not the iconic film–and, midway into season three, I think we’re done. The first two seasons were wildly violent but…
Read Article
the ask@AAR: Did you hear the latest about RWA?
May 31, 2024At one point in time, RWA (Romance Writers of America) was the envy of other genre writers. With over 10,000 members, a robust conference, and courses and tools for published…
Read Article