That pop?

[jmc_bks]

That pop you heard a half hour ago?  Was my head exploding.  

A while back I asked for paranormal recs for a friend, and received many suggestions (thank you all!).  Today, she mentioned how glad she was to find someone who reads the same stuff she does.  Because Another Friend offered her a romance but romance is just porn and she wants plot.

Hello?  Plot not porn?  From a woman who *loves* LKH?

I was so flabbergasted (and she was on her way out the door when she made the comment) that I didn't have time to do anything but splutter. 

Comments

Plot?

[(Anonymous)]

I've never read LKH and I'll tell you why. My best friend did. She read all of the Anita Blake books up until the 4th or 5th one. By that time, the plot had disappeared and the book was primarily sex. Granted, it's heresay, but my friend and I have very similar tastes, so I know if she didn't like it it, I wouldn't either. And I didn't want to start a series I knew I wouldn't finish..

I just don't equate LKH with plot. I guess to each her own.

Dev

Re: Plot?

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

No, I don't equate her with plot either, not any more. I read several of the books (they blur together in my mind, undistinguishable in retrospect. (Disgression: I liked Obsidian Butterfly because Edward the sociopath is repulsively fascinating. He reminds me of Dexter in a lot of ways.) They were okay, if increasingly burdened with pointless sex. I tried reading the next one, but after 100 pages with no plot, I quit.

Yes, to each her own, but I found the "romance is plotless porn" frustrating since it was coming from the mouth of an LKH fan. Especially since I've introduced her to Ward, Liu, and other paranormal romance authors. I think if the romance (or sex) is mixed in with vampires and other beasties, she doesn't notice it. Or doesn't realize that it is *still* romance.

[dogzzz2002.livejournal.com]

Ah. So that was what that exploding sound was yesterday while I was sleeping. Give her a Nalini Singh book and see what she says. I *think* they may even say romance right on the spine. That way you can gloat when she comes back for more ;)

As to LKH it does depend on where she is in the series. Book 7 is where many people jumped off. I went up to Book 10 because of Edward. I then read up to the last book released (I didn't buy it so I'm cured) but between book 10 and where ever she is now, well, me and my friend call it vampire porn. Porn for me is sex with strangers and no love and Anita did that way too often for it to be even remotely comfortable for me to read. Jason, Asher, men from the series, didn't bother me as much although Nathanial was creepy ;)

CindyS

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I haven't given her any Singh to read, will do so next. But I've given her two Marjorie Liu books, which she loved.

I think in her mind, romance is strictly defined as Harlequin categories and old style bodice rippers, so the idea that she's read and liked it does not compute.

See, I liked Jason and Asher...now I'm just icked by the thought of them.