There is even room for people who do not like books at all. Can you imagine? Lol

Of course, all of this is just my opinion. Personally, I enjoy a little romance in my life. But I write romance, mystery, thriller and suspense. I write these genres because I enjoy these genres.

I hope we all remember it is a big wide world out there.

GL

Some Americans are giving up friends and sex for the Internet

I think DA is contributing to this problem.

Ugh. I consider myself a feminist intellectual romance reader, and there's absolutely no dissonance between those attributes.

RfP, I hope it's clear that much of my earlier post was ironic; after all, I don't only read and write romance, but also teach at university (and cover of my latest release is always up on my office door).

Yes, sorry: my “Ugh” was not directed at you! It was more a grunt in agreement with you.

Gennita, ;) Don't tempt me. You know how desperate and needy us white, middle-classed romance types are.

Can’t.stop.laughing. Thank you Shiloh, that was great!

Ms. Stiefvater needs to drop the word “genre” and add an “n” to the article of the last statement. Then she’d have a very accurate self-portrait.

But seriously, I got the unfortunate impression from her original post that she was feeling a bit full of herself, perhaps because of her impending publication, so she pranced over to the FFF community to take a few pot shots at a genre that she thought would be an easy mark and impress the folks there with how “witty” and snarky she could be. If all she had been after was recs, she could have found a more diplomatic way to request them.

It boggles the mind that someone who supposedly makes her living by the written word could have no idea of how she comes across to readers–in this case, smug, condescending, and obnoxious. If she’s as clueless in her professional writing as she is in her personal correspondence . . . well, that doesn’t augur well for her career.

Besides being rude, her post was also short-sighted. As others have pointed out, romance readers do branch out and read other genres. I know I do–in fact, I went the other way by starting out reading mostly fantasy, then crossing over into mystery and romance, via Christie, Sayers, and the Grand Georgette. Antagonizing a potential readership as Ms. Stiefvater has done seems rather . . . dumb.

Great site, by the way. I’ve lurked for a long time, but I always enjoy the discussions and reviews.

What I find so annoying about many of these academic studies as well as about posts like Stiefvater's, is that people who don't read and thus don't know the genre still feel qualified to make judgements about it.

Always. Invariably. And what I’ve observed over the years is how striking it is that most people who make these types of statements truly have no idea what a romance novel actually is. I mean what’s “inside” one. Literally. It’s like it’s worse than that they’re not even sure if there are words in there. In a lot of ways it goes much farther than stereotyping. Sometimes the comments are so far out of touch as to be completely nonsensical and don’t even upset me any more.

Sometimes, too, I wonder if it has to do with the depth and breath of the genre. Some romance readers honestly don’t haven any concept of what is published as “romance” nowadays. Why should we expect non-converts to?

Ha, you know I'm a hopeless Dear Author addict when, after having driven 400 miles to Charleston, SC, for a workshop, instead of plopping into bed and resting, I'm HERE.

Oh, I can top that. Last night was my 6 year old son’s first sleepover/birthday party. And yet, I’m here instead of escaping to a tub of bubbles with a huge, bottomless glass whine (now that my house is mine again and who cares that it’s only 9am?)

But hey, it's not everyday when I'm being romanced by a romance author ;-). Shiloh, you can have me any time, baby

Gennita, ;) Don’t tempt me. You know how desperate and needy us white, middle-classed romance types are.

But seriously, my post on FFF was an appeal. Yes, I'm a genre idiot, it said (or I like to think it said). I am not a romance reader. Every romance I've read is because it was a crossover in one of my other genres. Please, oh romance lovers, what do you love, why do you love it, and gimme some titles PLEASE.

You gotta love the attempt at back-tracking, that’s what I live for whenever these mudslings at the romance genre take place. Three words for you Mags, stable, door, and horse.

Incidentally, the use of smileys never fails to rub me the wrong way, especially when used by somebody who’s trying to defend themselves after sticking their foot in a steaming pile of horse shit.

Ugh. I consider myself a feminist intellectual romance reader, and there's absolutely no dissonance between those attributes.

RfP, I hope it’s clear that much of my earlier post was ironic; after all, I don’t only read and write romance, but also teach at university (and cover of my latest release is always up on my office door). As I said, I consider Radway’s book on romance one of the worst academic studies ever written. Not only doesn’t she have any clue about the genre, she also doesn’t have any clue about how to conduct a questionnaire study. And Reading the Romance is basically that.

What I find so annoying about many of these academic studies as well as about posts like Stiefvater’s, is that people who don’t read and thus don’t know the genre still feel qualified to make judgements about it. At the recent Feminism and Popular Culture Conference in Newcastle I nearly had a fit when one of the presenters of the chick lit panel compared chick lit novels to romance aka THE Mills&Boon novel and Barbara Cartland (!!!). Later on, she admitted that she hadn’t read a romance novel, but had the “instinctive feeling” that a) romance heroines are all terribly weak creatures because of b) the omniscient narrator in romance.

“There is no omniscient narrator in romance,” I said (growled)

“Oh yes, there is,” she said.

“No, there isn’t.”

“Yes, there is. I’ve read this study and I’ve got this instinctive feeling –”

“THERE IS NO OMNISCIENT NARRATOR IN ROMANCE! I happen to be on the romance panel, I read and write romance, and there is no omniscient narrator in romance!”

I think she finally got my point…. *roll eyes*

This made me cackle for ten minutes. Reading fantasy/scifi with the alien with pointy-ears, vampires without souls, boy wizards, were-something or Messianic figures with super powers doesn't make me scratch my head and go, “Gee, the guys I know in real life sure aren't like THESE CHARACTERS. These guys are unbelievable!”

And can I chime in about the covers with the women wielding a sword wearing practically nothing, with size EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE frontal melons? No? Too mean? Okay.

Wonder if anyone has ever done any research into the appeal of books about neurotic detectives withs tragics pasts who spend their time catching people who murder others ? ? ? That might be an interesting population to stereotype . . . frightening but intriguing all the same. ;p

We won’t even go near horror or suspense. Or those action adventure junkies. Oye.

I proudly flaunt the covers on the subway. Yes that's me on the 2 train propped against the door with my eyes glued to the pages . I refuse to cover the title in shame! No I don't adjust the book when it's getting to the steamy part. If you're shoulder reading (I SAW you) then enjoy!

I read for ENTERTAINMENT. Like those of you who can't wait for the next episode of Grey's Anatomy or Desperate Housewives… this is my escapism. I also happen to read other genre's just as avidly (I'm a complete Dresden whore!) I'm also a minority, have a degree in English Lit. , vote, pay my taxes, raise my four children, and go to work every day. Romantic fiction isn't a dummied down version of fiction. The writers that give us these wonderful worlds don't just dump words on a page. In many cases a great deal of research goes into them. And to them I say THANK YOU!!!

So whenever I get asked that question, or any variation of it I calmly reply, “Yep, sure do. How's that Tolstoy working out?”

Nora: Next big signing, I’m going stand by you, OJ heckler style, except my hat will I say “I love romance people.” And when you turn to frown at me, I’ll turn the cap over and it will say, “Esp. Nora Roberts.” Ha. Shameless, I know. But lady, every time you charge out like a roaring tigress for me and my genre, my heart goes pitter-pat.

“If you hate a book, fine, but there's no reason to post about it.”

I think it would have been fine if Maggie Stiefvater had said, I read x book and it really didn’t work for me. Individual criticism is fine, and even important, it’s the swipe at the genre that is discomfiting.

Anyway some of my thoughts:
Very poor backpeddling. Either stick to your guns and go out blazing or express abject groveling apologies.
Also most romance readers have loooong memories and are very vocal. Piss us off at your peril.

Lastly must go look up John Levitt’s book. I am a sucker for magical dogs or cats.

Thank you for seeing the point, John.