Are you one of those people who has trouble deciding what to read next? Perhaps you accumulate books like bankers accumulate bonuses, and you’ve got so many you don’t quite know where to start? This is, after all, one of the occupational hazards of being an enthusiastic reader.
In 2014, might I suggest that you occasionally base your decision on the gender of the author? I’ll tell you for why.
Continue reading “What To Read In 2014”
In a sort of addendum to the Book Blogger files, I spoke to freelance writer and editor of women’s writing zine For Books’ Sake Jane Bradley about gender imbalance in literature, genre snobbery and reading recommendations.
Continue reading “Interview: For Books’ Sake Jane Bradley”
A second guest blog from Rose McConnachie – on subjugation, syphilis and Twilight.
In my previous guest post, I ranted about the inherent confusion in the romantic fiction world between abuse and wooing. In this post, I hope to rant about some other stuff.
Continue reading “Young, Single and Free of Venereal Disease? You too could be a romantic hero…”
A guest post by Rose McConnachie. *Warning – contains spoilers.*
The first historical romance I ever read was The Flame and the Flower, by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. To brutally summarise, the plot followed thusly: 16 year old, beautiful, slightly Irish heroine Heather (orphan, raised and abused by a cruel ugly country aunt and spineless uncle) is sold into what turns out to be sexual slavery in the sweaty fleshpots of LONDON.
Continue reading “Feminism in Romantic Fiction”
In today’s guest post, author and poet Tracey S.Rosenberg looks at Acknowledgements. If you’re genuinely overwhelmed, how do you express your thanks in a public setting without making yourself – or onlookers – cringe? Read on to find out…
The stereotypical Academy Award acceptance speech involves a tearful starlet clutching her statuette and blubbering thanks to her agent, producer, plastic surgeon, dental hygienist, and every driver who let her merge into the exit lane on the 405 that morning. Writers also have plenty of thanks to give, though we don’t often have the chance.
Continue reading “How To Say Thank You”
As you may already know, for this November’s National Novel Writing Month I will mostly be writing a work of literary fiction.
I was originally going to do a graphic novel, but if I stick with that there’s no point signing up because I won’t reach NaNoWriMo’s 50,000 word target even if I take the whole month off work and do nothing but write and draw. And given that NaNo is one of the main reasons 12 books in 12 months happened, it seems churlish to ignore it this time round.
So I’ve switched, and now the graphic novel is going to happen in December and will probably be a three panel strip about Santa or something. Well, actually it’s more likely to involve a series of cartoons about me trying to write 12 books in 12 months… But I digress.
A couple of folk have asked me, “hey Ali, what do you mean by literary fiction? Surely the word ‘literary’ derives from the Latin ‘litterārius’ simply meaning ‘of or used in writing’? Are not all your books then literary fiction, as they are written down?”
Continue reading “What Is Literary Fiction, Anyway?”
12 Books in 12 Months 