Who Are These People?
Did my usual walk through the B&N Daily Top Ten for contemporary romance yesterday. The list didn’t really change much over the last 6 days. Either people have stopped buying romance or the same 10 books are purchased everyday by a rotating crop of folks visiting B&N. The second possibility is more frightening than the first.
Not only has the list not changed much over the last few days, the list of authors doesn’t change that much as you read through numbers 1-10. Out of the Daily Top Ten, 5 titles are by Nora Roberts - let’s all stop and ponder just how much money this woman has for a second, shall we - and 2 are by Nicholas Sparks. I refuse to spend any time pondering Sparks.
The list and my thoughts on the same:
- Black Rose by Nora Roberts - I’m just going to go ahead and say what I really think….by all that is good and just on this Earth buy a book by someone else! Damn, people, there are other romance authors out there. Some might even suggest that there are better authors out there (not me, others and you know who you are). There is no rule that says: thou shalt buy all Nora Roberts’ books. Whether the trilogy is about flowers, boats or all things Ireland, it is time to move one. Buy her if you must but buy someone else too.
- Two Of A Kind by Nora Roberts - See #1. And, while you’re out there not buying Nora Roberts’ new stuff, also consider not buying her entire freaking backlist.
- True Believer by Nicholas Sparks - I could drone on about the holy war fought in my household over the movie The Notebook but let’s skip all that and say if you read Sparks, you likely read James Patterson’s romances and, really, I don’t know how to help you.
- Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts - See, by this point I’m tired of typing her name. You should be tired of reading her stuff.
- Rules Of Play by Nora Roberts - What’s left to say? How ’bout, this is a reprint and re-package of 2 books from the 80s. I swear that one of the books in this set, Opposites Attract, has been in 3 or 4 other Roberts’ reprints already released this month. Either that or she’s had numerous books with this title over her career, which is possible. If you’ve written as many as she has you’re bound to circle around and reuse titles by accident. Silhouette likely is too busy making money off her to notice they keep reprinting the same book.
- Guardian by Nicholas Sparks - One Sparks’ book on the list is a annoying. Two is a travesty. No wonder people don’t take the romance genre seriously.
- Before Sunrise by Diana Palmer - Palmer and I go way back. The whole hardcover thing she’s got going on is not making me happy. But, we have a relationship, a commitment of sorts, so I’ll buy this. For reasons unknown I can’t stop buying Palmer. It’s one of those things I need a 12-step plan to overcome.
- The Nosy Neighbor by Fern Michaels - This is the dumbest romance book title ever. There should be a top ten list for that. It’s like a title for a 1950s tv show. And, it’s described as a paranormal suspense thriller. How you would ever know that from the stupid title is unclear but, yuck. I don’t see me plunking down $7.99. Sorry.
- Oceans Of Fire by Christine Feehan - Confession time. People say this woman is brilliant, and I’m sure she is, but I don’t even find the cover blurbs of her books interesting. This one is something about a magical place with magical sisters….zzzzzzzzzz. It sounds awful but what the hell do I know. It’s #9 so someone out there wants all things magical.
- The Perfect Neighbor by Nora Roberts - Reality check: this book has a January 2002 release date. Are we really at the point where current Nora Roberts’ books are not enough and we have to reach back more than 3 years to find stuff of hers to buy each week? I can only assume one person bought 459 copies of this book yesterday to see if he/she could push it into the Daily Top Ten as a joke. Either that or people think it’s the prequel to Fern Michael’s Nosy Neighbor book at #8 and want to see where the story began. Either way, we need a new B&N rule that only books released within the last 12 months can find their way into the Daily Top Ten. That I even have to make up a rule like that pisses me off.
Will I buy any of these books? You likely don’t care but I’ll share anyway. The Palmer, yes, due to our bond but, ummm, that’s it. Apparently the books I read are numbers 11-103.
June 10th, 2005 at 11:21 am
I only have so much money in my budget for books, and I figure new authors need my money more than established authors. So I buy new authors’ books new at B&N or Wal-Mart (or online, if they’re ebook authors), and I buy better-known authors’ books used. This seems to be the opposite of everyone else’s method, which is to buy better-known authors new and new authors used. Admittedly it’s a gamble to spend full price on a new author, but I’ve discovered a lot of really terrific authors in the past couple of years with this method, so I’ll stick with it.
And I must confess… I’ve *gasp* never read a Nora book.
June 10th, 2005 at 12:08 pm
I’m going to say this just so hopefully some day I can come back and deny that I ever made this claim. If I were Nora Roberts, I think I’d almost be embarrassed. To comprise 50% of the top 10 list? I’d feel like I was actually hogging the market and might be tempted to, you know, take an early retirement just some other writers might have a shot. What else is there left to prove? She has to have more money than God. Clearly she is The Queen. The rest of this is kind of gloating, don’t you think?
I know. It’s not her doing. It’s the readers. But that’s a phenomenon I just don’t have the words to explain.
June 10th, 2005 at 3:01 pm
I’m currently reading my first Nora Roberts’ book…okay, it’s JD Robb. I’m really enjoying it, but if I want to suddenly go after her back list it’ll be at the used bookstore. She won’t ever be on my favorite writer’s shelf (like Christine Feehan;-), but she’s definitely worth a read. (I still haven’t read an official Nora Roberts’ book, but I do have a couple in my TBR pile.)
June 10th, 2005 at 3:07 pm
Confession time. I actually liked Black Rose by Nora Roberts. And I have a signed copy. I was at her last booksigning (where I also met L. Kleypas, E. James, and J. Cruisie). It was better than Blue Dahlia, imo. She is comfort read for me. And…don’t you dare try to take away those JD Robb books. I am seriously addicted.
June 10th, 2005 at 3:09 pm
Ooh! I will also add that Black Rose was rather refreshing. The heroine is 47 years and is not pregnant at the end of the book.
June 10th, 2005 at 3:19 pm
I declare a big old “MEH!” at all the authors (especially Nora) in that top 10 list. Except for Diana Palmer. Diana Palmer gets a “What the fuck?” Oh, and Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Sparks gets gagging noises and a blood glucose monitor.
*puts devil’s horns on*
June 10th, 2005 at 3:40 pm
So, Sandy, tell me the truth, is there a big spotlight over Nora’s house - you know, a “NORA LIVES HERE” kind of thing? And, if you live near her and don’t read her books, I’m thinking she tries to hit you with her convertible, yes? You can tell me. Really, if I were her that’s what I’d do, so it’s okay to admit it.
Candy, honey, we need to talk. First, we had the anti-Linda Howard issue, now this? I went to great pains a few weeks ago to talk all about Palmer on YOUR website. Explained how she writes romances involving biscuits. How she’s fond of having the abusive 40 year old alpha cowboy hook up with the 19 year old virgin. Even talked about the one Wendy read where the heroine went to bed a virgin and woke up pregnant and did not know - that now is my favorite plot, btw. Really, how can you not love Palmer?
Jordan - Reading JD Robb counts. You cannot hide and pretend that’s not a Nora Book.
Lynn & Ellen - I don’t get it either. The big ‘ole thrill is lost on me. I admit to reading Nora and to owning one or two. But, hell, I’m not rabid about it. 5 slots out of 10 is freaky.
June 10th, 2005 at 5:14 pm
Sorry to disappoint you HelenKay, but there is no spotlight. There is however “Nora’s” bookstore, Turn the Page Books, which is owned and run by Nora’s husband Bruce. Nora may be a co-owner; I’m not sure. Not being a “local” (I’ve only lived here for 3 years), I think she’s considered more of a hometown girl rather than royalty.
I usually hit one or two booksignings a year, depending on who is signing. Everybody is extremely nice. If there is a tiara or convertible, I have yet to see it.
If I remember my statistics right (and since I have three children and am unofficially over 40 that makes my memory iffy), the only other contemporary woman writer who makes more money than Nora is JK Rowling. Personally, I get a little thrill that a woman romance writer probably makes more money than John Grisham. Isn’t life wonderful?
June 10th, 2005 at 6:07 pm
I haven’t read the Palmer book, but this review struck me as odd–”In 1997 in Chenocetah, North Carolina, Native American cultural anthropologist Phoebe Keller, curator of the Chenocetah Museum, receives a call from a claimant saying he found a Neanderthal skeleton on the reservation. She is skeptical because a development dispute is brewing but before Phoebe can arrange testing of the alleged prehistoric remains, the person who called her is murdered with his body left inside a cave.”
Ummm she’s skeptical because of a development dispute? How about because the Neanderthal were never in North America? She’s an anthropolgist? Uh huh. Hope this is the reviewers bad and not the authors.
Erika
June 11th, 2005 at 9:55 am
Sandy - I have to admit I met Nora and she was lovely. As was her Armani suit, but that’s a different story. And, yeah, more power to her on the money-making thing. Okay, I admit it. I’m jealous. There. I said it….
Erika - The blurb scared me too. I’ll still read the book because that is what I do with Plamer, but I go in thinking she should have stuck with the cowboys.