tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18085183066140716702024-03-21T22:56:52.900-05:00Elinor's EscritoireConfessions of a Bluestocking DilettanteElinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-32478821607049401042018-10-28T07:47:00.002-05:002018-10-28T07:47:45.771-05:00That time Voldemort catfished Ginny WeasleyArthur C. Clarke famously said: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
In the world of fantasy literature, it could also be said that any sufficiently developed magical system will someday resemble technology.
In the late 1990s, years before the rise of social media, J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In the book, young Ginny Weasley Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-60540690932930073772017-10-22T07:49:00.001-05:002017-10-22T07:49:34.609-05:00One of the best stories about consent and female autonomy was written in the middle agesReaders and writers have become more aware in recent years about issues of dubious consent in novels. Plot tropes that were once common are becoming less so, as people think through the implications of situations that take away a character's choices. It is natural to assume that awareness of consent issues and female empowerment is a product of our modern age, and that stories addressing the Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-59084048893178420202016-10-23T07:23:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:49:18.966-06:00Marrying a Stranger
I've been thinking a lot about the enduring appeal of marriage-of-convenience romances. It isn't my favorite trope, but I've read many of them over the years, generally those by favorite authors or novellas included in an anthology that appealed to me.
Mary Balogh has written several marriage of convenience stories over the years, and she writes them very well. Her characters always have depthElinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-68054130662739338862015-11-06T16:56:00.000-06:002015-11-06T16:56:05.087-06:00When Nudity Was HeroicIn our modern (often puritanical) society, public nudity is considered lewd. To be photographed naked is risky; to have those photos published elicits criticism (if published with the subject's permission) or pity (if private photographs were leaked by a hacker or revenge-seeking ex). A common type of anxiety dream involves being unclothed in public. For modern westerners, nudity outside of Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-78816290121995646592015-10-09T05:17:00.002-05:002015-10-09T05:17:47.075-05:00Longer Than Expected Blogging HiatusIn recent weeks, I've been focusing on my novel-in-progress and preparing for an upcoming trip. I kept putting off the blog post I meant to write because I didn't have time to focus on it.
Now it will have to wait a few more weeks.Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-30938978964384827622015-08-11T13:32:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:49:41.861-06:00The Fairytale Appeal of Castles
The Tower of London
Since childhood, I have had a fascination with castles. I blame the Walt Disney Corporation and its diabolical talent for separating middle class families from their disposable income. When my family visited Disneyworld, I immediately wanted to visit Cinderella's Castle. We walked through the castle a couple of times during our touring day, passing between Fantasyland Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-41373556054227933452015-07-29T16:06:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:47:22.619-06:00Intentions Are Important
I'm currently reading Miranda Neville's second-chance-romance novella Duchess of Scandal in the anthology Dancing in the Duke's Arms. There's a bit of dialogue that really stayed with me. A married couple's discussion of current events morphs into a less hypothetical discussion of practical issues on the estate and an exploration of each other's priorities.
She wrinkled her forehead. "Do Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-2357929766300105802015-07-15T14:36:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:47:45.211-06:00Romance with a Proxy StepbrotherA few months ago, Smexy Books had a post about the recent popularity of step-sibling romances. The author found it somewhat perplexing, since she expected to find books breaking taboos and instead found a book where the adult protagonists were strangers when their respective parents married.
I've been thinking about the reasons for the appeal of such books. I don't think it is necessarily Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-77165552449325775322015-07-01T12:50:00.000-05:002015-07-01T12:50:44.343-05:00R E S P E C TI recently read a romance novel that was recommended by a friend. It was a well-written Regency-set historical, which kept me reading despite the presence of a trope I really hate, the Evil Mother.
All too often, the Evil Mother is used to explain (and excuse) an alpha hero's misogyny. This book took it up a notch. The mother was intentionally cruel to one of her children (the hero). Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-44258279125803848402015-06-19T15:56:00.000-05:002015-11-06T16:56:51.474-06:00Napoleon, Snuff SalesmanIn the wake of this week's bicentennial of the Battle of Waterloo, I've been thinking a lot about Napoleon's long-term impact on the world -- Napoleonic code (still the basis for the legal system in France), the Sphinx's missing nose (shot off by Napoleon's invading soldiers), the westward expansion of the United States (thanks to the 1803 Louisiana Purchase), and the end of the Republic of Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-83482924582405612082015-06-12T13:09:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:48:14.968-06:00My Top FiveNPR is celebrating romance with the NPR Books Summer of Love. Click on the link to nominate up to five of your favorite romance novels (or series; a short series can be nominated as a unit).
It was very hard to pick five. There are so many excellent romances out there. All of my nominees are historicals (since that is my preferred subgenre). All are by authors with several other excellent books Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-67780030492441319002015-06-04T13:39:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:48:35.688-06:00The Joys of Finding One's TribeThere have been a great many recent blog posts in the wake of last month's RT Booklovers Convention celebrating the warmth and acceptance within the romance community. Since a great many romance readers and writers are shy introverts by nature, it can be a surprise to not feel like an odd duck in social situations. It can also be a tremendous relief to be surrounded by others who share your Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-22666230178025792792015-05-27T18:25:00.001-05:002019-11-09T06:48:50.178-06:00Lingering in Old School Venice
Reading The Courtesan Duchess put me in the mood for more historical romances set in Venice. I pulled out a book that has been in my TBR pile for several months -- the recent reprint of Anne Stuart's Demon Count Novels (available in print as well as the ebook collection mentioned on the website).
The novels were originally published in 1980, and it shows (in a good way). So farElinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-83350879638199544602015-05-14T12:06:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:45:03.205-06:00Decameron Nights
Many years ago, I came across a Hollywood B-movie from 1953 called Decameron Nights. It was an adaptation of Giovanni Boccaccio's story collection starring Louis Jourdan and Joan Fontaine (a young Joan Collins also appears in the film). Although Boccaccio wrote in the 14th century, the movie's costumes were a Hollywood version of 15th century clothing. I rather enjoy cheesy historical Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-85706977151711938652015-05-07T13:48:00.000-05:002015-05-07T13:48:36.279-05:00Mothers and DaughtersIt is a truth almost universally acknowledged that the heroine of a romance novel must be in want of a mother. She may be an orphan, or she may be the abused/neglected child of a toxic mother, but the vast majority of romance heroines are somehow separated from a mother's love.
There are compelling reasons for this. Isolating the heroine from unconditional love makes her eventual connection withElinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-53528935282577527782015-04-29T14:27:00.000-05:002015-04-29T14:27:01.745-05:00My Favorite RakesI've been thinking about some of my favorite rakes from 30+ years of reading romances. Some of them were heroes, and some were secondary characters, but they were all men who enjoyed the company of women for friendship as well as for sex. They were all sex-positive, not slut-shaming (philogynist, not misogynist). They were not bitter and mistrustful due to a toxic mother or ex. It seems to me Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-52983084979828854732015-04-17T12:57:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:45:28.123-06:00The Spies Whom I LovedI don't read very many romance novels featuring spies. I usually get my spy fix from movies. This should be a particularly good year for that, with Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Spectre all being released in 2015.
I prefer my romances less heavy on the suspense elements, so I tend to avoid spy-themed books. However, I do occasionally read a historical Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-85438995965837120002015-04-10T14:20:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:45:53.734-06:00Bluestockings and Rakes
I've just started reading The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan. The plot involves a female scientist who can only publish her theories by allowing a male friend to take the credit. The hero is a charming rake who wants to finally end the charade. It occurred to me that a good portion of my all-time favorite historical romances have a bluestocking + rake plot.
I can understand Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-75636053542102006372015-03-25T13:45:00.000-05:002015-03-25T13:45:20.911-05:00Book Stores I Have Known, Loved and MournedA post today on the Word Wenches blog got me thinking about the various bricks-and-mortar bookstores I have patronized over the years.
Living in a book-loving university town, I was spoiled for choice back in the day. Before the big-box bookstores moved in, though, the only places I could buy romance novels seemed to be the grocery store and the chain stores at the mall (Waldenbooks or B. DaltonElinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-2654490780563862672015-03-19T14:39:00.000-05:002019-11-09T06:46:56.081-06:00Top Five Reasons I'm Glad Spring Is Finally HereAlthough tomorrow is officially the first day of Spring, for all practical purposes (weather, basketball, television programming), it is already here. In no particular order, here are some of the reasons why this makes me very happy:
1. Warmer weather (duh). Here in the Upper Midwest, we've endured another year of polar vortex temperatures. On Monday, the outside temperature actually made it Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-69057040222020811552015-03-11T13:37:00.000-05:002015-03-11T13:37:48.535-05:00Afternoon Tea Around the WorldAs an anglophile and a history nerd, I love a traditional afternoon tea. Cream teas (which include scones and/or sweet pastries) are all well and good, but I will go out of my way for a proper afternoon tea, with savory sandwiches as well as the scones and sweet pastries and a pot of tea (not just a cup of hot water with a teabag in it). I have had some delightful and decadent DIY tea Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-84892678848776600302015-03-04T12:56:00.000-06:002019-11-09T06:33:14.199-06:00Are You Kidding, Moviefone?
So, yesterday I saw this Moviefone slideshow of the James Bond films rated, from worst to best. I found myself talking back to my computer screen with nearly every click.
First of all, the 1967 Casino Royale farce should not even be counted as a James Bond movie. It has no business being included in the list.
How in the world can they rank License to Kill higher than The Living DaylightsElinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-16053286838072621252015-02-25T13:12:00.000-06:002015-02-25T13:12:14.556-06:00I'm Ready for My Close-Up, Mr. TrebekSeveral months ago, I joked on this blog: "If only Jeopardy! had a Classic Romance Novels category (I'm still waiting for my opportunity to tell Alex Trebek about the time I crashed an actual debutante ball)."
Monday's game this week included a new category, "Harlequin Romance Novel Titles 2014". Last week, there was a clue about Nora Roberts in the "Female Authors" category.
In the past year, Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-5425334974688291922015-02-18T09:48:00.001-06:002019-11-09T06:34:08.817-06:00Progress Sometimes Isn't
This unlandscaped bit of green space is what now sits on the site of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. Who would ever guess that this under-resourced park in a nondescript South London neighborhood (near the Vauxhall train station) once attracted the highest in the land and was painted by great artists like Canaletto? Two hundred years ago, it looked very different. The Gardens were at Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1808518306614071670.post-41351075421751872142015-02-04T11:11:00.000-06:002015-02-04T11:13:12.459-06:00Love and Grief
The Octagon Room, where Augusta and
Joss first have a private conversation.
Last week, I read Theresa Romain's Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress. The author has become an auto-buy for me. She has a very clever way of inverting the usual gender roles in historical romance. This was most obvious in To Charm a Naughty Countess, which featured a rakish heroine and a virgin hero. To a lesser Elinor Aspenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152705956194114055noreply@blogger.com0