tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.comments2024-03-18T00:59:28.260+00:00Teach Me TonightE. M. Selingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00426524354823232002noreply@blogger.comBlogger6113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-91677953690859014552024-03-14T01:10:41.113+00:002024-03-14T01:10:41.113+00:00The book is in my wishlist; hopefully in the not t...The book is in my wishlist; hopefully in the not too distant future....aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-59361145971365836752024-03-14T00:53:39.936+00:002024-03-14T00:53:39.936+00:00I've read some of her romances and there's...I've read some of her romances and there's a lot of imperialism and racism in them, but I still liked them better than E. M. Hull's <i>The Sheik</i>. If you do get the book, I'll be very interested to read your review of it!Laura Vivanconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-6360377314246599112024-03-13T20:27:13.865+00:002024-03-13T20:27:13.865+00:00Well, that first one perked my interest something ...Well, that first one perked my interest something fierce, and the digital edition is very reasonably priced.<br /><br />Thank you!aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-60765688092649372572024-02-20T22:38:06.327+00:002024-02-20T22:38:06.327+00:00Thanks! I'll just see if I can turn that into ...Thanks! I'll just see if I can turn that into a hyperlink: <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/books/how-social-media-is-influencing-the-romance-novel-genre-and-wider-trends-in-fiction-1.7115076" rel="nofollow">https://www.cbc.ca/books/how-social-media-is-influencing-the-romance-novel-genre-and-wider-trends-in-fiction-1.7115076</a><br /><br />And here's a key quote:<br /><br /><i>Those involved in romance publishing say the genre has long been nimble, adapting to societal shifts and consumer demand at a comparatively breakneck pace. The changing social views reflected in romance novels — from stories that centre queer joy to books written by and about members of diverse communities — can serve as a bellwether for the direction of general fiction.</i><br /><br />And so, I feel as though I should be uplifted by the article, but unfortunately I can't help wonder if it's precisely this diversity and joy and acceptance that's making books (and libraries, and librarians) a target for bookbanners. Thinking in particular about <a href="https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2024/02/west-virginia-house-passes-bill-allowing-prosecution-of-librarians/" rel="nofollow">this legislation in West Virginia</a> which will allow librarians to be criminally prosecuted if "a minor encounters books and content some consider to be obscene."Laura Vivancohttps://vivanco.me.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-14192522404626960002024-02-20T21:35:54.941+00:002024-02-20T21:35:54.941+00:00Perhaps relevant to your interests: romance novel...Perhaps relevant to your interests: romance novels as bellwethers for change<br /><br />https://www.cbc.ca/books/how-social-media-is-influencing-the-romance-novel-genre-and-wider-trends-in-fiction-1.7115076aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-30190026914663060242024-01-23T02:23:03.698+00:002024-01-23T02:23:03.698+00:00I hadn't realised the data was problematic unt...I hadn't realised the data was problematic until Andrea mentioned it, because this is not at all my area of expertise!<br /><br />Some academics have apparently been working on/with library data (<a href="https://www.publicbooks.org/where-is-all-the-book-data/" rel="nofollow">as described here, in a link Jodi McAlister shared on a different site</a>) but that's got limitations. I just skim re-read the article and I think the data only came from one library in the example they gave? Or one library system. I should probably re-read it when it's not so late at night. But also, what people can borrow depends on what's available and libraries don't stock everything. <br /><br />Also on another site Anne O'Reilly pointed out that "Overdrive has their most popular ebook and audiobook checkouts here: <a href="https://company.overdrive.com/2024/01/08/the-most-borrowed-ebooks-and-audiobooks-of-2023-is-your-favorite-on-the-list/" rel="nofollow">https://company.overdrive.com/2024/01/08/the-most-borrowed-ebooks-and-audiobooks-of-2023-is-your-favorite-on-the-list/</a>. But that's not very detailed! And as Andrea says, the rise of ebooks and self-publishing has really changed a lot and I'm not sure if many/any of those authors are available through Overdrive. Personally, the romance selection seems a bit limited when I look at what's available from Overdrive via my library system. But maybe that's the result of choices made by the librarians here?<br /><br />Anyway, as I said, this is definitely not my area of expertise so I'm just rambling at this point!Laura Vivancohttps://vivanco.me.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-30388291561371725162024-01-23T01:49:58.893+00:002024-01-23T01:49:58.893+00:00Ooh, thanks for the link to the bad romance data i...Ooh, thanks for the link to the bad romance data info! I have always found those claims suspect, but haven't ever been moved to look more deeply into it. I'd absolutely love some reliable data on romance novels but ... struggling to imagine where it would come from, unfortunately.Jenny Hamiltonhttps://readingtheend.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-7797027344522609242024-01-04T22:12:30.503+00:002024-01-04T22:12:30.503+00:00:-):-)Laura Vivancohttps://www.vivanco.me.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-17463318221584785922024-01-04T22:08:46.478+00:002024-01-04T22:08:46.478+00:00Thank you!Thank you!aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-33229645891728614632024-01-02T13:10:19.959+00:002024-01-02T13:10:19.959+00:00I don't think all rewriting is "censorshi...I don't think all rewriting is "censorship": <i>Readers' Digest</i>, for example, has specialised in publishing abridged versions of novels, and it's made clear that they are abridged and alternative, full-length versions are available elsewhere. In the case of Heyer's novel, the decision to alter the text is being made by Sourcebooks. Do you have any evidence they "object to hiding the true facts of history when it comes to other matters"?Laura Vivancohttp://www.vivanco.me.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-51296796217138070142024-01-02T05:02:51.396+00:002024-01-02T05:02:51.396+00:00Except women are not children. Rewriting old books...Except women are not children. Rewriting old books is more correctly called censorship. It's dangerous to let some people be the arbiters of what makes books "accessible" for others. And when this is supported by people who object to hiding the true facts of history when it comes to other matters, it's also hypocritical.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-76199789735991118652023-12-31T10:49:51.968+00:002023-12-31T10:49:51.968+00:00Thank you for providing the hyperlink, Laura. For ...Thank you for providing the hyperlink, Laura. For others, this is to a short novel by Anne Weale called 'Dangerous Enchantment' which appears to have only been published by Woman's Weekly in the UK and does not appear in any list of her books I have seen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-84528542676186696082023-12-30T18:21:47.267+00:002023-12-30T18:21:47.267+00:00Sorry, for some reason Blogger isn't letting m...Sorry, for some reason Blogger isn't letting me comment under my own identity automatically.Laura Vivancohttps://vivanco.me.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-5155396811666186492023-12-30T18:19:57.200+00:002023-12-30T18:19:57.200+00:00I see what happened! I think there are at least tw...I see what happened! I think there are at least two sets of author tags for Anne Weale, and this one isn't the one I was looking under. I'll see if I can get your link to work as a hyperlink here, for the convenience of anyone else coming to the thread: <a href="https://archive.org/details/anne-weale-dangerous-enchantment/page/110/mode/2up" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/details/anne-weale-dangerous-enchantment/page/110/mode/2up</a>. Thanks for sharing it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-57391945940659686082023-12-30T16:49:34.236+00:002023-12-30T16:49:34.236+00:00I can find it by first of searching 'Anne Weal...I can find it by first of searching 'Anne Weale' and then scrolling down the books shown but here is a link which I hope will help<br />https://archive.org/details/anne-weale-dangerous-enchantment/mode/2upAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-70004854401555039142023-12-28T17:58:50.664+00:002023-12-28T17:58:50.664+00:00I've looked in the Internet Archive under all ...I've looked in the Internet Archive under all the key words I could think of and I couldn't find it. Do you have a direct link? Because clearly I'm missing something and I can't think of anything else to try.Laura Vivanconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-41605907468284132842023-12-28T17:24:32.493+00:002023-12-28T17:24:32.493+00:00There is a short novel by Anne Weale which I have ...There is a short novel by Anne Weale which I have not seen mentioned in any list of her books. It is 'Dangerous Enchantment' which was published by Woman's Weekly in the UK as a serial in 1964 and then in a compilation in 1970. It is available to read at archive.org (the Internet Archive for which you can register for free and borrow from electronically for free).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-10171138316290656362023-11-04T01:48:19.459+00:002023-11-04T01:48:19.459+00:00:-):-)Laura Vivanconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-40696702562202769242023-11-04T01:20:32.458+00:002023-11-04T01:20:32.458+00:00No, it's all good.No, it's all good.aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-15272045281124345122023-11-04T01:12:39.453+00:002023-11-04T01:12:39.453+00:00Sorry, I must have forgotten to close a set of ita...Sorry, I must have forgotten to close a set of italics and I don't think I can get back in to the comment to edit it. Hope they're not too distracting.Laura Vivanconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-81325354381895265842023-11-04T01:11:09.838+00:002023-11-04T01:11:09.838+00:00So, I've gathered a few more examples by askin...So, I've gathered a few more examples by asking around.<br /><br />Jonathan Allan mentioned that Francine Rivers's <i>Redeeming Love<i> was reworked by her. I couldn't check if there's anything in the later version(s) about this, but it's definitely mentioned <a href="https://francinerivers.com/how-redeeming-love-was-redeemed/" rel="nofollow">on her website</a>.<br /><br />Jodi McAlister mentioned that Jackie Collins reworked <i>The Bitch</i> and linked to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/feb/29/jackie-collins-self-publishing-the-bitch" rel="nofollow">this article</a> in which Collins discusses it. I also found that Collins says <a href="https://www.jackiecollins.com/books/the-bitch" rel="nofollow">on her website</a>, in a description of the book, that "This book has been completely re-written, updated and revised for 2012." Again, I've not checked inside any editions.<br /><br />GrowlyCub remembered an author who'd updated a text to include mobile phones, but unfortunately that made the plot implausible. Growly also said that Carla Kelly had issued revised ebook versions of some (all?) of her regencies. I couldn't find much about that, but perhaps I wasn't looking properly? Maybe others will remember more details and know if Kelly discussed this. I do have a feeling that she mentioned something about her work changing direction due to religious beliefs, but maybe that was a completely different author and I got confused.<br /><br />And not romance, but Adele Buck recalled that she'd "had a hardback copy of Little Women as a kid. It was abridged so it ended before Beth died." And there wasn't even any mention anywhere in/on the book that it was abridged!Laura Vivanconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-1533565113442443942023-11-03T03:58:49.696+00:002023-11-03T03:58:49.696+00:00Yes, I agree there are valid reasons in favour of ...Yes, I agree there are valid reasons in favour of changes and I was thinking that it's not necessarily intended to be disrespectful to either text or reader. After all, there are children's versions of the Bible, and translation always introduces changes of some sort, so shortening or changing may be done to make a text more accessible. As you say, though, the key is whether the changes are explicitly acknowledged or not.<br /><br />And your point about how all of this affects recommending is a really good one, and I wouldn't have thought of it because I don't tend to offer recommendations.Laura Vivanconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-55901759160389584702023-11-03T02:14:28.279+00:002023-11-03T02:14:28.279+00:00I understand the impetus--more income, a new audie...I understand the impetus--more income, a new audience, 'fixing' iffy stuff (like instances of dubious consent in Kleypas' case), freshening dated cultural references (Mary Burchell), and so on--but it's dishonest not to put a foreword to that effect in the new version.<br /><br />We all already read 'different' books in the sense that we bring our own baggage to the reading experience, but this practice will make it very iffy to recommend books, since we can't know that the book we bought and the book the next reader buys have the same content (and not just digital editions either, though I'm sure those are easiest/cheapest for publishers and authors to alter)aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-34833077975780656672023-11-03T01:57:23.551+00:002023-11-03T01:57:23.551+00:00Thanks! Well, if just the two of us are managing t...Thanks! Well, if just the two of us are managing to come up with this many examples, there must be more, which makes me think this is something that scholars really do need to be aware of. I'll go and mention this elsewhere and see if more examples pop up!Laura Vivanconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30203557.post-86097707338973094672023-11-03T00:46:15.218+00:002023-11-03T00:46:15.218+00:00I just thought of another instance:
Kasey Michael...I just thought of another instance:<br /><br />Kasey Michaels announced to her newsletter subscribers, that she was re-releasing "clean" versions of her backlist, so that her readers "could share those books you've loved" with their mothers/daughters.<br /><br />(I just checked the copyright pages of some of the digital editions, and it has both the original year of publication and the year of the digital version, but there's no notice about changes or deletions.)aztecladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14857872357667370906noreply@blogger.com