Introducing The Romance Backlist (and A Farewell)

Long time no see! It’s been *checks calendar* way over a year since I last wrote something, and I can’t express how sad that makes me. The evil combo of exhaustion and shitty life events became this epic burnout that ended up with me ghosting my own blog. This place was a labor of love and yearning for connection with a community that’s given me a lot throughout the years, and a deep wish to give something of myself to the genre that changed my life. And now eight years have gone by and not only have I made the connections I craved, but they have surpassed every expectation and wild hope I had. So it was really hard to come to the realization that I no longer could, or even wanted to, keep up with the blog, even if I still saw myself as a blogger/reviewer. But I also love the genre and love talking about all the books, and I’m proud of the way this blog made me a better reader, so when I had this sudden idea that I could start fresh and change the dynamic and talk about books again, I felt the same excitement and joy I had all those years ago when I first started to blog.

There’s been a lot of talk about the state of traditional blogging and reviewing. I don’t have the answers to the issues nor do I want to get into it now, but we all want to talk about books, we all want to discuss the genre, and we all want to maintain that sense of community, which is why I believe that blogs are (still) viable resources and places to gather and connect. And also, I want to do this for myself, because I really love it. So I’m going for it and instead of picking back up where I left, I’m moving on to a new blog that will have a similar essence, but with some pointed differences. I will only feature books that are at least one year old, so no new releases. I will write reviews, kind of, but they won’t be as structured as what I used to do, more like musings about the genre and the way each book fits within it. I want to experiment a bit, see if there’s an audience for a blog that won’t cover anticipated releases (please, let there be an audience for it!). I want to look back a bit, maybe revisit old favorites, or do whatever! I could’ve done that here, and it’s incredibly bittersweet to say goodbye to Romance Around the Corner, but I really like the idea of starting from scratch and see how the experience I’ve gathered these past few years shapes this new site. And mostly, I just want to know what it feels like to have a blog whose name isn’t a mouthful! The Romance Backlist won’t be a prolific blog, simply because I can’t keep up. I haven’t flexed this muscle in a while, and I had forgotten what it takes to write a blog post, but I want it to be consistent, so my initial goal is to write one post each month, which doesn’t sound like much, but at this point it’s the only realistic commitment I can make. We’ll see how it goes. If you go there now, I have a post up giving more details about the blog and the plans I have for it.

As for Romance Around the Corner, well, it will stay up for as long as Blogger allows it, but I’m saying goodbye for now. I’m thankful for every person who read, commented, subscribed, and emailed. I have met so many amazing readers and authors that I still can’t believe my luck. Even better, I get to talk about romance novels every day, and that’s all because of this blog and the community that welcomed me. It’s been an absolute blast, and I can’t wait to see what the new blog brings. I hope you join me! (*threatening voice* you better join me)

Housekeeping Note: if you're reading this on your email because you subscribe to the blog, and you want to keep up with the new blog via email, you will have to subscribe again (go to this link and click on the "subscribe" link at the top of the page). Same goes for those who want to follow the new blog that way.

It's Party Time! 1st Blogoversay.

I can’t believe it’s been a year already but there’s a reason why they say that times flies when you’re having fun and this past year is proof of that. One year ago we were posting our first review and look at us now! (pretty much the same but with a new look and better less appalling grammar).

I want to say thank you to the Academy, to Mr. Spielberg for casting me in a movie where cute horses die and for allowing me to do all those extra full-frontal nudity scenes –I told you it was worth it-, and finally, to my one fan for sending me all those creepy letters with weird locks of hair and doll heads, I love you and keep them coming!

Oops! Wrong speech. What I really wanted to say is thank you to everyone who’s ever visited the blog, maybe you’re a regular commenter, a lurker or a sporadic visitor, we appreciate the support and you make reading books an even greater experience.

The Thin Red Line Between Romance and Erotica

Let’s talk about sex. 

When it comes to a book’s sensuality level I always have a hard time doing the grading. I’m never sure if a book with explicit -albeit vanilla- sex should be McSexy, McSteamy or even McBurning.

When we were deciding on our sensuality rating we were quite clear on what a book should have in order to be one of the five categories. So if a book only had kisses and no other clear references to sex then it should be McPrude; if it had vague references to sex and maybe some petting -but nothing more than second base- then it should be McDreamy; heavy petting and sex scenes filled with euphemisms will make it a McSexy; if the book had explicit sex scenes was McSteamy; and anything beyond that like BDSM, ménages, etc. was McBurning. But then there were the shades of grey. What about a non-explicit ménage story? What if the fact that multiple simultaneous partners was hinted at but never shown? What should we rate a book like that? 

Stop SOPA

If you are in the US and/or are a blogger, you probably know all about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). They are meant to fight online piracy but they are so broad and vague that its implications may go beyond shutting down piracy websites.

Today the online community is protesting this by blacking out their sites (you can see the list of participant sites here). Blogs are joining in too, but since I have no idea how to actually black out the blog without losing the whole thing I decided to write a post to join in the protest.

For more information you can visit the official Stop SOPA site here. 

The Joy of Books

This is probably one of the best Youtube videos ever!

I can’t imagine the amount of time and patience it must have taken to put together this video. I know I never write posts like this one but I just wanted to share with you guys how awesome it is. And hey! It’s book-related, to technically I'm not cheating...

Let me know what you think!

2011, A Year in Books: Blogging

This was our first year blogging and so far it’s been an amazing journey! The blog hasn’t changed much since we first started back in March, at least not in terms of content, but we did get a makeover.

Google Friend Connect and the Curious Case of the Panicking Book Bloggers

Hello lovely readers!

By now you probably already know the news concerning the Google Friend Connect widget. If you don’t, the story goes something like this: Google is trying to make us all leave Facebook and join Google+ because they are so good at social media and all… Remember Google Wave? Exactly.  One of the things they are doing to cleverly promote Google+ is getting rid of GFC for all non-Blogger blogs and encouraging bloggers to use Google+ instead. Now, Romance Around the Corner is powered by blogger, so technically we won’t be affected by this, at least not right now, but I’m sure that sooner rather than later they will banish GFC from Blogger as well.

So I’m going to give you some alternatives to follow the blog just in case GFC ceases to exist:

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you guys have a fun day with your families, eat a lot of delicious food and if you’re going shopping tomorrow I hope you don’t get trampled to death by a crazy shopping mob! If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, then be grateful for all those extra calories you WON’T be eating and that you won't end up looking like the cat in the second picture…. Although I do have a sinful recipe that you might want to try: PumpkinPie Snickerdoodle Bars and if you’re more into savory stuff then try CreamedCorn Gratin With Fried Onions & Bacon (because bacon makes everything better).

This has been a busy week, which is why there was only one lonely review, but be sure to stop by next week because there will be lots of fun stuff including an interview with author Louisa Edwards (very appropriate since we're talking food) and a giveaway. Also, remember that there’s still time to enter the Small Blogs, BigGiveaways contest, lots of goodies up for grabs and it’s international.

Happy eating and reading!

We are Mystery Bloggers!

You probably know Rebecca over at Kindle Fever, but if you don’t, her blog has a very interesting feature called Mystery Blogger where she does a quick Q&A session with different bloggers every week so that we can get to know a bit more about the people behind the blogs we love to read.

Today was our turn and we are very happy about it especially because Rebecca was one of the firsts bloggers we met and she’s been our friend ever since. So head over there to read our interview and while you’re at it take a look at her fantastic blog.

Thank you Bex, we had a wonderful time answering your questions!

Small Blogs, Big Giveaways 4th Edition

The Biggest International Bookish Giveaway Online


62 prizes split between 5 winners + 6 Gift Card Giveaways!

News Flash!

Hey guys, hope you’re having a great week!

Today I’m doing a guest review over at Wandering Hues, the book is Birthright by Nora Roberts. I have a couple of things in common with the main characters, so if you want to find out what those things are head over there and read the review.

I want to thank to Tania for inviting me to her blog and giving me my 15 minutes of fame as a guest reviewer.

Once you’re there take some time to check out her blog, Tania’s reviews are awesome and she has lots of interesting book-related content. I’m sure you’ll enjoy Wandering Hues just as much as I do.

Also, remember that we are part of the Celebrating Romance Giveaway Hop. We are talking about favorite romance novels and there are lots of goodies up for grabs. The contest ends this Friday so you still have chance to enter.

And last but not least, Marie is back (you can read her latest review here). She survived her Master’s dissertation and now can read novels again. Welcome back!

Follow My Book Blog Friday (09/30 to 10/07)

This week’s featured blog is The Bookaholic. Remember to head over there and follow!

Today's question is:

Q. What book that hasn’t been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

Oh no! I hate when they turn books into movies, they almost always screw it up and I don’t like it. Besides, I don’t want to associate a character with any actor because I have a somewhat clear mental image and then I would lose it, that’s why I also hate it when a character’s description says something like he looks like X actor. So my answer is Hell No! I’m not telling you about my fav book because I don’t want you getting any ideas about turning it into a movie.


Have a great weekend everyone!

Looking Good!

As you can probably tell (and if you can’t, your attention to details is really bad) we had a bit of a makeover. The old look was fine, albeit too pink for our taste, but given that we had no clue what we were doing when we first started the blog (we still don’t but we’re better at faking it…) we were never completely happy with the final look.

Now that the blog is a bit more established we decided that it was time to give it a new look. After doing a lot of research -and I mean a lot, I've been looking at blog designers for over three months now- we found the perfect place at Smitten by Blog Designs. They have great prices and a beautiful portfolio, so we couldn’t be happier with our choice. 

The reason for this post is to let you know that yes, it’s still us, we are only changing the look but the blog will remain the same, and to say thank you to Jacquelinne Altom, the best blog designer ever, for being so patient, listening to our feedback (and there was a lot of that), and for coming up with this beautiful and unique design.

We hope you like it as much as we do, and that you continue to show us the support that gave us the confidence we needed to take this new step into improving the quality of the blog. We just hit the 250 followers mark so the changes couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you guys! 

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (08/26 to 09/02)

Today’s feature blog is Caught in the Pages, remember to head over there and follow!

This week’s question is:

Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question “comes out of the closet” and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

Maybe some type of wish-fulfilling being, like genies or fairies, that way we could enslave them and make all our dreams come true… I’m just kidding, that would be cruel and inhuman (well, let’s face it, not thaaat inhuman, it would probably happen). I also like hot vampires and hot werewolves, as long as they are hot I don’t care what type of creature they are.

Tiny hiatus...

Hey guys! I’m going out of town this week on a mini-vacation. I’ll be back on Sunday so this week there won’t be any new posts. I have a couple of reviews ready but I’ll post them next week so I can actually be there to answer comments and all that.

Marie is finishing her Master’s dissertation so that’s why you haven’t heard from her in a while.

I know you will miss us terribly and the separation will be unbearable but it’s just one week so hang on!

Meanwhile here’s a picture of a romance-loving cat for your entertainment.

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (08/05 to 08/12)

Today’s featured blogger is Bonnie from Hands and Home. Remember to stop by and follow!

This week’s question is:

Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

I've been reading my whole life, but the first “adult” book I read was Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder (that book isn’t adult at all, I think kids and teenagers should read it an they would probably enjoyed it more than an adult). That book sealed the deal, first of all it was the longest book I had read in my life and I spend years considering majoring in philosophy (I ended up studying anthropology though).

Jude Deveraux’s Velvet Angel was the first romance novel I read, and since I’m obviously a huge fan of romance novels, then I think I have to mention that book as well.

That’s it. I have read tons of fantastic books, both fiction and non-fiction, I have read classics and best-sellers like The Da Vinci Code, I have enjoyed most of them, other I have regretted buying, but I wouldn’t have read any of those books had I not read Sophie’s World first.

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (07/29 to 08/05)

Today's featured blog is The Book Adicted Girl. Let's say hello to Megan who runs the blog and remember to stop by an follow!

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (07/22 to 07/29)

Today’s featured blog is We Fancy Books, don’t forget to stop by and follow them!

This week’s question is:

Q. Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

My two favorite authors in the world are Nora Roberts and Michael Crichton. Unfortunately Michael died two years ago so meeting him would be quite difficult and scary. I’m not sure if I want to meet Nora though, because I will pee my pants and scream like a little girl who just got a pony for her birthday and that would be embarrassing. My third choice has to be Meljean Brook, I’m obsessed with her books and at this point if I could only read one book a year (which would be a tragedy so know on wood) it would be one of hers.

Follow My Book Blog Friday! (07/15 to 07/22)

Today’s feature blog is Angela’s Anxious Life (that name is making me anxious). Let’s give her a warm welcome to the Follow Friday community and remember to follow her!

Q. What do I do when I am not reading?

I’m going to skip the boring parts (studying, working on my thesis, doing shores and fake-exercising which means that I just pretend to use the treadmill while giving the evil eye to the perfectly fit people at the gym) and just say that when I’m not reading and I have free time then I’m probably just hanging out with my friends or going to the movies by myself. Yes, I’m one of those weird creepy people who go to the movies alone at crazy hours like really early or really late (because that way I avoid kids and teenagers). 

Waiting on Wednesday: Animal Attraction

I’m going to start just with this phrase: the hero is a veterinarian. If that’s not enough for you to go and pre-order this book I don’t know what else to say, well I could try saying that he is shirtless and holding a kitten! Come on, if you are not melted by now then you are made of stone!

Jill Shalvis is one of the reasons why Contemporary Romance is my favorite genre. She can do comedy and drama and her books are entertaining and touching. Her heroes are dreamy and her heroines are down to earth and likeable. This year I’m anxiously waiting two of her books, this one, book two in her Animal Magnetism series and Head Over Heels, the last book in the Lucky Harbor series (I’ll tell you more about it on some other WOW). Animal Magnetism was one of my favorite books of this year and I can’t wait to read the next one. If you haven’t heard about this author I think you should go and randomly pick one of her books because she is that great!

Animal Attraction comes out in October so there’s still a bit of a wait but I think it will be worth it! If you are an animal lover then this series is perfect for you.

Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.

Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis

Berkley. October 4, 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.