A birthday, a little Nook-ie, and some m/m food for thought
December 21, 2009 at 4:17 pm 12 comments
In the midst of all the holiday hustle and bustle, I celebrate my birthday. Today I turn 44. (gasp!) It’s always a little bit awkward having a Christmas birthday. Scheduling a party always feels like a bit of an imposition on people already pressed by too many holiday engagements and holiday shopping. However, I’ve come to love the feeling of going from Thanksgiving thru New Years on a sort of celebration “high”.
Yesterday, we celebrated with my family, having my usual dinner request, tamales. They are typically holiday food, and it makes it easier on everyone to keep cooking to a minimum and buy the main dish. We hung out at my sister’s house, ate like animals: tamales, carnitas, pasta, and asparagus with hollandaise—hey, the asparagus might not go with the theme, but I love it—and chocolate cake.
I got lots of Barnes and Noble gift cards, and a family member inserted a picture of a nook in with their gift card, thus blowing the surprise my guy had for me for today, my actual birthday. So, I’ll be getting a Nook! (YAY!) In February. (BOO!) They are on backorder, but honestly, just knowing one will come to my mailbox is enough for me, now.
Today, we will be having dinner at Saladang Song in Pasadena, followed by going to see New Moon at the Paseo Colorado . It’s funny, because right now I’m re-reading the Adrien English series to get ready for Dark Tide‘s release tomorrow, and both Saladang and the Paseo are mentioned in various books in the series. We do a lot of our going out that way, but it was a weird coincidence to see both places mentioned in light of our plans.
On a completely different note . . .
I just read an article from the LA Weekly on the m/m genre “phenomena”. I’m a little troubled by its link that m/m=”women’s pron” that the article makes. I mean, there is a definite “turn-on” factor, but it seems very reductive to say that if there is a sexual component to one’s reading, then it must be pron. Sort of like what gets said of the romance genre in general. There are so many great writers that bring more than just the sex to their writing.
Another thing is the sole focus on m/m being a “women’s genre” written by/for women. Undoubtedly, it is a genre where women are, in large part the authors and readers. But, the article ignores the place of male authors (Josh Lanyon and Victor Banis immediately spring to mind) in an effort to make the article’s “by/for women” thrust more accurate. And, the secondary article, a “gay romance sampler” is equally frustrating, given that they are extremely brief snippets that focus only on sexual encounters in the sampled books.
However, there’s some interesting background on the origins of slash fiction and m/m, and interesting interviews with authors Jet Mykles, James Buchanan and Stephanie Vaughan.
Unfortunately, the article’s final comment has my head meeting my desk:
In the same way that a porn video always ends with a money shot, a gay-romance novel always ends with a couple in love, which is possibly the real reason these novels appeal. They speak, however cheesily, to the deepest desires of both body and mind.
Insert eye roll here. This last comment is too reminiscent of the recent HuffPo article to which Smart Bitch Sarah responded so eloquently.
Of course, an HEA is important to a m/m romance reader! Yet, how does that automatically makes it the same as pron? Why that and not the other obviously related genre fiction, mainstream romance? If I can care about the characters, and want to go with them on their journey, isn’t that what any good reading experience is about?
Honestly, to me the best part about this article is the comments section, especially those by Ally Blue and Alex Beecroft. (Just ignore the comments hi-jacking by 1 persistent commenter.)
Entry filed under: bellyaching, Family, M/M Fiction, Random book stuff. Tags: .
1.
Chris | December 21, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Happy birthday to YOU!!!!! Congrats on the nook – it’ll be interesting to read your review of it when it arrives. The plus side about getting it a bit later? They will have had the chance to release some additional firmware and iron out some of the issues that any new product has.
I highly recommend checking out TeddyPig’s reaction post to that m/m article – numerous well-known authors comment there, too, and vent their frustrations about the whole thing.
2.
nath | December 21, 2009 at 6:19 pm
Happy birthday Renee!!! Yeah, a nook!
Forget about the popular take on romance and m/m. They just don’t get it and you’re just setting up for frustration.
3.
Renee | December 21, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Chris: Thanks! I’ll surely check it out. I found the article completely by accident this morn when looking something else up.
I’ve heard that the issues critics have had wrt the Nook are ones that are software related, and fixable thru updates, and that the hardware is pretty solid, so I’m hopeful.
Nath: Yeah, you are so right. It’s still disappointing when journalists go for the simplistic, titillating angle, and avoid the more accurate and complex issues.
4.
Carolyn Crane | December 22, 2009 at 6:47 am
Hey, happy late birthday! So cool that you’re getting a Nook. Those look really beautiful! And I hope you and your family have a great holiday.
5.
Hilcia | December 22, 2009 at 7:40 am
Happy Birthday and congrats on the Nook! Good for you and enjoy.
It’s a simplistic & uninformed article at its best — and misleading at its worst. It ignores so many angles it’s not even worth acknowledging as valid IMO. It’s what happens when someone who doesn’t understand a subject attempts to address a subject and doesn’t really do their homework, but reads the Cliffsnotes. Not worth it!
6.
bookdaze | December 22, 2009 at 8:42 am
Happy birthday and OMG a Nook! You lucky thing.
I’ve seen that article linked in various places, but haven’t had the time to read. Off to check it out now…
Li
7.
Leslie | December 22, 2009 at 9:31 am
Happy Belated Birthday Renee! Looks like I’m actually older than you by a whole day. LOL
How wonderful that your family knows exactly what to get for you and your guy too! Enjoy the Nook!
The article about m/m is just another poor attempt to make good storytelling less than what it is. Just because something is different from mainstream doesn’t necessarily make it less valid.
8.
Lori | December 22, 2009 at 11:08 am
Happy birthday! So sorry I missed it.
How awesome that the hub gave you a Nook. I hope you enjoy it! BTW, I heard that if it was promised by Christmas, and not delivered til Feb, you get a $100 gift card for ebooks as well.
9.
Renee | December 22, 2009 at 12:20 pm
CC/CJ: Thanks! You, too.
They saw how much I was enjoying the eBookwise, and decided to take the plunge with the Nook.
Hicia: Thanks!
You hit the nail on the head. I was hopeful for like half a moment, when I saw the article, but from the start it was clearly written with the purpose of proving the point they must have started out with. Seriously disappointing.
Li: I surely am a lucky girl.
Leslie: They sure do know me!
I know, and it’s not exactly like the LA Weekly is this bastion of the literary establishment, either!
Lori: Thanks!
Yeah, when he went in to B & N, they said they weren’t sure but they thought Feb. Online, it says Feb.
10.
Tracy | December 22, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Renee I hope you had a wonderful day. Congrats on the Nook! That’s awesome! Happy Belated B-day!
11.
orannia | December 22, 2009 at 3:41 pm
A belated Happy Birthday Renee! It sounds like you had a wonderful day! And the Nook! Ohh. Plus, if you’re present is arriving in February then you need to celebrate your birthday all over again
Hmmm. I hope to get online tonigh, and if I do I’ll be coming back here to read all the links regarding the LA Weekly article.
12.
Renee | December 22, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Tracy: Thanks! Can’t wait to see you in January!
orannia: Thanks! I won’t argue with a 2nd celebration.
It’s definitely something worth looking at (even if it’s frustrating.)