Inspired by Maili, Jessica has started an initiative to pay tribute to the pioneering, visionary author, Kathleen Winsor, who wrote Forever Amber, a 1944 trailblazer for some of the best books ever!!
From the obit:
Combing the text [Forever Amber], the Massachusetts attorney-general found 70 references to sexual intercourse, 39 illegitimate pregnancies, seven abortions, 10 scenes in which women undressed in front of men who were not their husbands, and nearly 50 "miscellaneous objectionable passages" - and announced that the book would be banned (an action overturned on appeal). Other states joined in the condemnation, and the critics, joyless and hostile, were led by Orville Prescott, who denounced the novel as "a crude and superficial glorification of a courtesan"Sounds like a keeper! So, in honor of Winsor, people are doing top 16 lists. Here's mine, more of an of-the-moment list. I'm sure as soon as I post, I'll remember nine others that should be on here.
- The Spymaster's Lady by Joanne Bourne - Just enrapturing. If that's a word.
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - Took over my MIND. In a good way.
- Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - It's such a perfect UF/Paranormal/romance blend with a krazy hot scene or two.
- Dark Desires after Dusk by Kresley Cole - Yummy fabulous perfection!
- Deeper by Megan Hart - This is such a strong, lovely, bittersweet romance. The more I think about it in retrospect, the more I love it.
- Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase - So many scenes from this will never leave me.
- Demon Night by Meljean Brook - So into these characters, this relationship, this hotness! Demon Moon, too - oh, oh!
- Kushiel's Dart - Epic amazingness that took my breath away.
- Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran - Gorgeous, complex, fabulous.
- Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James - Fun, romance, and an exuberantly satisfying end.
- Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn - so wonderfully gothic and entrancing!
- Emma by Jane Austen - I know, everybody else is P&P, but I'm an Emma gal
- Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole - Okay, can we just say the whole Immortals series?
- Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair - Loving the part-cyborg hero!!
- Dark Lover by JR Ward - I had to put this on. Some very key scenes that I SO loved.
- Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas - So fabu.
Other lists: Romance Rookie, Phyl, Lusty Reader, Avid Book Reader, Kati of Katidom, Nicola at Alpha Heroes, Leontine's (a list that was commented on by JR Ward!!), What Kate's Reading, Kristie J at Ramblings, Kiera's Cogitations and Meditations, Wendy the Super Librarian,
And here are even more lists - collected at Jessica's!
24 comments:
Great list! Outlander is one of my all-time favorites - sometimes I have to go back and re-read it just because. LOS was one of my first romance reads - loved it!
Yay, Emma is on my list too! *twinsie high five* I just adore her and Knightly. And the secondary romances and social intrigues are too fun.
And I must MUST read Spymaster's Lady stat, it has been on my wish list too long!
Patti: I have to read the next in the Outlander series!
Lusty: Thanks for the heads up. Loving your list! Yes, Spymasters STAT!
It was hard to leave Spymaster's Lady off my list. I have Outlander TBR, but it's intimidating, if you know what I mean!
Hey, I've actually read six of those! :)
Reading these list are so much fun! I have to do my own :D
Oh CJ, An Echo in the Bone is sucking my will to live, it is that blah.
Our lists overlap a lot, although I cheated and did two lists, one for strictly romance and one for out-of-genre love stories. Yay for Kushiel's Dart! My favorite Gabaldon is the third one, Voyager -- I think I was the only one at her recent book signing who wanted that autographed rather than the first or the most recent.
I made myself pick only one book per author, and I still wanted to put more. It's exciting to be reminded just how many wonderful romances are out there!
Great list, Carolyn. Some of these would find their way on my list, too. I'm so glad to see you included a Megan Hart book on your list. I think she's such a unique and powerful story teller of romance, love and sex. I finally have Deeper on my shelf, but I need to read it.
I still need to read Deeper and Spymaster's Lady. Sigh.
I also really enjoyed Games Of Command, because like you - I loved the half-cyborg hero. That guy rocked my world.
I'm so inspired by everyone's lists. Ok, I just commented at Jill's blog and said I thought her list was the one I read the most of so far. So quickly I have to change it - because your list I've read the most of. LOL
Good list!
Phyl: Outlander in the TBR. Look how much you have forward to!
Chris: Where's your list?
KB: oh noes on Echo. You're still reading it? Not a good sign.
Sonoma: Actually, a trusted recommender recently told me that #3 in the Outlander series is absolutely the best one. So it's cool to see it on your list.
Christine: Oh, I know you'll love Deeper. I considered Dirty, too, of course.
Wendy: The half cyborg...didn't you LOVE how he longed and pined for her?
Ames: We are readerly twins.
LOL Yeah we are!
Damn it! I knew I forgot someone. I swear I was going to put Joanna Bourne on my list and somehow she got kicked to the curb. I don't know how I could possibly leave Lord of Scoundrels off my list either. What was I thinking?!
Holy crap I'm not really a romance reader but I halve read 8 of your 16 picks - the Coles, Armstrong, Gabaldon, Brook, Ward, Sinclair and the Carey.
Jill D: How could you forget BOURNE???
SciFiGuy: LOL. Uh oh! Actually, I really widened the definition of romance for my list. So I guess by my definition here, any book with a relationship and some sort of action is a romance. So I guess by this definition, even Bond and Terminator movies are romances.
I know... *hangs head in shame* I am telling you only picking 16 books is really hard. Christine asked me how long I have been reading romance and I have been reading only for five years now. According to shelfari that equates to about 700 romances. To only pick 16 sure is hard...
I wish I had mentioned Dirty by Megan Hart too, which I personally thought was brilliant.
I had Practice Makes Perfect on my list, then took it off at the last minute, which I kind of regret. I was thinking it was too new for me to be sure.
And I am surprised Deeper made it on the list. I love Hart, as you know, and have read all of her Spice books with pleasure.
But -- huge spoiler for Deeper ahead ------
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That is a book about a dead man who goes back to being dead. It's like the UNromance. It was maybe the most depressing book I have ever read. We will have to talk further about this one!
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End spoiler.
Great list and thanks for participating!
Sincerely,
Your friendly neighborhood community builder.
Wohoo for Bitten, how I LOVED that book.
Greta list, but a most of them books I am still to read
Jessica - I didn't know you had read Deeper. When you guys talk further, I want in on that conversation, LOL!
Bloduedd: Ooh, did I know you loved Bitten, too?
Jessica and Jill: Oh, we must discuss. I think there's a way where Deeper is the perfect romance, in the way that the H/H give themselves to each other, supply what truly completes the other.. Oooh, I'm feeling spoilery!
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BEWARE
So, it's not an HEA of them together, but it's the only possible HEA in that world, and they take each other with them in a deep sense. Dudes, it's BEYOND romance.
I can't believe I forgot Deanna Raybourn on mine! I love her Silent books, although I think Silent in the Sanctuary might be my favorite. Maybe I should curl up with the three of them and find out :) Thanks for sharing your great list with us!
Lovely list Ms. CJ... I'm so happy to see Linnea Sinclair made your list. That book is certainly part of mine. :)
Fantastic list CJ! I've still got a few on it that I would like to read, including Bitten (Kelley Armstrong), which is on my TBR list :)
Hey Carolyn! I know I'm late to the party... (been on vacation and just catching up) but I wanted to say thanks for including PMP on your list! Such an honor.
And I haven't done a list, but I'll admit-- Jane Austen's P&P would be on it. Probably my #1. I'm such a sucker for that book.
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