Quotations Weblog

My current reading obsession right now is Pemberley Manor by Kathryn L. Nelson. I’m about halfway through it after spending every free moment yesterday reading. I have the Amazon Kindle Reader on my iPhone and I pulled it up at every minute to read: during lunch, while waiting in line, and sitting in my comfy chair. The luxury of carrying around a book with me wherever I go has made me read more. Well, that and the fact that no one can tell I’m reading a romance novel when it’s on my iPhone has completely freed me to read EVERYWHERE.

I can’t say I found this out on my own. Felicia Day gave me the idea:

• Felicia Day » Blog Archive » Kindle Oh, Kindle

Now for the “come clean” part: I’ve read like, 6 books this week and ordered about 10 more. And no ordinary books: Pure unadulterated TRASHY-ROMANCE books! Check out my GoodReads shelf vaginal-urban-fantasy, it’s bloating to an alarming degree. It’s stuff I never would have checked out at the Barnes and Noble, because the gleaming and oily man chests would have made me blush too much (unless I was drunk, but that’s a previous blog entry ). I’m delighted to be reading ridiculous werewolf/demon/vampire-Alpha-male fiction with no guilt.

That’s what got the Kindle on my iPhone. Like her, I’ve read a surprising number of books in the last few weeks. Amazon has made more money off me than I’d like to admit. I didn’t think a second thought about it until I read this entry from “Jane” last week:

• “Yeah, but you can tell how much it’s gonna cost” | What About Mom

I still do that — read books as quickly as possible, but the books I read now are usually what is politely called “genre fiction” and colloquially “trashy romance novels.”

Jane continued her blog entry about how she has joined a book club to “put some class back in her diet.” I gritted my teeth, hoping for a good recommendation for a romance novel that doesn’t border on soft core porn while she talked about her book club reads. Finally at the end of the entry she did recommend some romance books and defended them handsomely:

In short, literary books are about the death or deterioration of relationships, and romance novels are about their birth or growth. Literary books point out everything that is inherently flawed in the human need for companionship, and romance novels celebrate our desire to be connected and grounded in one another, especially in a soulmate.

Is one of the forms more “true” than the others? Where literary books succeed in communicating ambivalence and uncertainty and endless searching, I suspect they are. But is death any more “real” than birth? Death is certainly usually more self-aware and examined. But I like birth. I like closing a novel, coming back from some escapist fantasy, and feeling renewed and recommitted to loving on the people I am stuck with, even if they do like to get their hands dirty.

Why do I feel guilty about loving Pemberley Manor so much? Why do I feel more guilt than when I was reading Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. The cover of that book wouldn’t have embarrassed me in a crowded restaurant. Why are death, destruction and spaceships more acceptable in my mind than handsome men and expansive estates?

I was going to call this entry, “In Defense of Romance Novels,” but someone has already written that entry for me.

• In Defense of Romance Novels–Part One : College Candy

All of this couldn’t be more wrong. These ideas are all products of a society that likes to privilege what they see as “high” culture–literary novels, foreign films, classical music over lowly romance novels, horror movies and country music. There is the implication that if you like the one, you are smart and if you are a fan of the other, then you are stupid.

It goes beyond the difference between high culture (literary) and trashy, however. Science fiction has long been considered trash. Murder mysteries are also a genre that has been categorized in the low class category. I have no shame carrying around a murder mystery or a sci-fi book. The shame only affects me when I read anything that is considered romance.

And then it hit me. I am ashamed of romance novels because I’m ashamed to admit that I’m a woman.

Just when I think I’ve siphoned out all the self-loathing for my sex that I could, I find another reservoir of it hiding in the dark corners of my psyche. I can read COMIC BOOKS without shame, but romance novels are hidden within my iPhone or in the back corners of the bookshelf where visitors can’t see them. It’s a CLEAR case of self-loathing that has done this to me.

To be even MORE honest, the only romance novels I allow myself to read are continuations of Jane Austen stories. That’s because Jane Austen crossed over from being trashy to being Literature (with a capital L), so the continuations written by other authors are elevated in my mind just a bit.

Romance novels aren’t trashy (stupid, worthless, or poorly written) any more than any other type of fiction. Fiction is supposed to be ENTERTAINING! Fiction also gives our culture a universal story to bind us together and use as allegory. Elizabeth Bennett is just as capable of teaching me lessons as Inspector Morse, Miles Vorkosigan or Atticus Finch.

Reading romance novels shamelessly is a feminist act. It’s celebrating literature written strictly FOR women. It’s the one genre that has been tailored specifically to women, even in a male-dominated society. I should rejoice in reading romance novels and release the shame I’ve felt all these years.

Unshelved has recommended The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

• Unshelved comic strip – The Art of Racing in the Rain

It’s the story of Denny Swift, race car driver, told from the point of view of his dog, Enzo. The Amazon review is here:

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn’t simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life’s ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny’s wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.

Unshelved has reviewed the book, Spud by John van de Ruit. It won South Africa’s Booksellers’ Choice Award in 2006. See their review here:

• Unshelved comic strip – Spud by John van de Ruit

From the sound of this school, it could be set in almost any time. Here is the review from Amazon.com:

It’s 1990. Apartheid is crumbling. Nelson Mandela has just been released from prison. And Spud Milton—thirteen-year-old, prepubescent choirboy extraordinaire—is about to start his first year at an elite boys-only boarding school in South Africa. Cursed with embarrassingly dysfunctional parents, a senile granny named Wombat, and a wild obsession for Julia Roberts, Spud has his hands full trying to adapt to his new home.

Armed with only his wits and his diary, Spud takes readers of all ages on a rowdy boarding school romp full of illegal midnight swims, raging hormones, and catastrophic holidays that will leave the entire family in total hysterics and thirsty for more.

Sadly, my diaries when I was that age were filled with clothes and boys. There was very little interesting in them at all. Sounds like Spud will be a wonderful read!

Here are the quotations that were used in the last two episodes of the CBS series Criminal Minds. The show will return for a second season this fall, and I look forward to seeing whether they continue their obsession with quotations.

Until then, a couple of links fans of the show may also enjoy:

• Criminal Minds Online is an informative fan site for the show.
• WikiQuote has a comprehensive list of quotations used in the show, as well as quotes from the show’s dialog.

Previous Criminal Minds quotations:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5

When I think of Edgar Allan Poe, I smile deviously to myself. My reasons for this are more intense than I realized before starting this week’s column. I think I can blame my mom for this (rather convenient, don’t you suppose?)

After months of unexplained nightmares, my mother found out about my horror addiction. I had secretly been reading every scary book I could get my hands on. I consumed ghost stories, Big Foot legends, Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King and Ann Rice. The night terrors followed, and when my huddled form was discovered in the bed with a flashlight in one hand and a ghost story in the other, my reading material was banned. My mother literally grounded me from scary books (understand that I was 11 years old at the time).

Edgar Allan Poe, however, was another story. He was the one gore-master that my mother was glad to see me to read. It was only school that made me shy away from him. There is nothing more able to quench the flames of literary desire than being required to read something.

So, I sit here, on the eve of Edgar’s birthday, smiling to myself at the thought of him. Now, I avoid the horror genre, but the dark and curious side of me is drawn to it at times. It’s a fight with myself that I lose when the dark months of winter make me believe that there is no end to this evil season. This is the perfect time to immerse yourself into a good Poe story.

The following are my favorite quotes from Edgar Allan Poe. These were hard fought quotes, dredged from the bowels of his literature itself, since most quote books don’t cover him well, if at all.

Introduction and quote compilation by Laura S. Moncur, Staff Writer.

“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”

Eleonora, 1841

• The Dark Eye : The Official Strategy Guide (Secrets of the Games Series.) Paperback by Colleen Green, Barbara Karg – There was a game available in 1996 called The Dark Eye. I was a wonderful game, in which you get to be the character in Edgar Allan Poe’s stories (for example, you hate Fortuno and you want him dead, so you have to lead him to your family’s crypt and brick him into it. If you haven’t read The Cask of Amontillado, you would be hard pressed to finish that section of the game). This is the guidebook to this game. I couldn’t find the game for you to buy, but it looks just like the cover of this book, so if you see it, snap it up because I enjoyed many hours of fun with it. (Last time I saw this game available, it was in a discount collection with a couple of other games, so you can try there.)
• The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe Paperback by Edgar Allan Poe – Treat yourself to the work of this great man. My favorites are The Cask of Amontillado (perfect revenge story), The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar (Can hypnotism prevent you from dying? Find out here), and Berenice (not only premature burial, but also a tooth obsession). Read on and enjoy!
• The Best of Edgar Allan Poe Audio Cassette narrated by Edward Blake – If you prefer to listen to the horrors of madness and obsession, try this collection. The stories that are included are unabridged.
• Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Poe Paperback by Daniel Hoffman – I had to recommend this biography, if only because of the title. Read about the life of Edgar Allan Poe.

• The Edgar Allan Poe Page – This site includes the complete works of Poe, other Poe links, lists of movies, and lots more. My favorite stories are there, so if you’re desperate to read Berenice because of all my ravings, feel free. The text is easy to access and read (it’s just that you can’t curl up with a computer like you can with a book from Amazon.com, that’s all).