That's right. I said romance. Romance, romance romance. I have read and have enjoyed romance novels. You might be thinking oh romance novels are senseless drivel, poorly written smut read only by welfare mothers and desperate women. And I say that whatever, schmever. I have my own complex theory about why romance novels are considered such crap and their 'status' in literary circles that traces back to the literary sexism of the preciosité movement in France in the 17th century and includes an analysis of the syntax of various novels, the taboo subject of women and sex and including the feminist theory of traditional plots being a metaphor for the male orgasm, but that's a whole other post. (Lest you think that I have just pulled this theory out of my ass, I offer you this as the proof of the validity of my theory: in college I lived in the mother-in-law house of the head of the Women's Studies department and one evening when she was having a party and I brought up my theory and all of the Women's Studies majors and attendees were like wow, she's kinda got a point. Also, I started a romance book club at Fresno State when I was there. Keep in mind I did not drink ever in college, so all of this was sober talk.) So if you are thinking that romance novels are not worthy then I say to you "You can suck it."
That being said, romance novels is too generic a term. Any romance reader knows that there are so many different genres of romance novels that it's impossible to get two romance readers in the room and have them like any two same books. And yes, there is some really shitty romance novels out there. Additionally, romance novels have gone through quite the evolution. In general 1980's romance novels involve women who are 'raped' or forced to have sex with these men and then they fall in love. (There's a whole theory just on that, but I digress.) 1990s book go beyond that and the 2000s have seen a surge in paranormal stories.
And so, I get to my review of Glitter Baby which I bought for these two reasons: it was written by Susan Elizabeth Phillips who is one of my favorite authors because her characters are funny and witty and make me laugh and also it was only $1.99. Immediately I was dismayed because I realized that the book was published and took place in the 1980s making it a romance novel in the era during which I hate reading romance novels due to the aforementioned tendency to make sex violent and unwanted, but wanted. But I forced myself to have an open mind since it only cost me two bucks. And then Tuesday night I read until midnight. Sure, yes, the leaning was toward the 80s violent oh I don't, but yes I do, sex. Sure, there was this bizarre culture in which people typed on a type writter (wtf?.) But it was like a warm meal of comfort food. Coming home. There was the usual banter. The usual misunderstanding that leads to years of the hero and heroine not talking, but secretly pining after each other. Was this one of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' best? No. But she gets extra props because all of the French was correct and that was the first time in months that I looked up and realized it was midnight and I was still reading.
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