More on Romance and Libraries

I found it very interesting to come across a recent interview with Jennifer Lohmann. She is a librarian in North Carolina and was interviewed by SB Sarah of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books website. This site reviews books from the romance genre and also writes articles relating to the genre.

Anyway, I was interested to see that Jennifer used the same expression that I did in revealing her love of the romance genre. In this interview she talks about coming out of the closet as I did about 7 years ago. I hope people will go to the site and read what she has to say about libraries and romance. I would love to see her come to Maine and make a presentation to a group of librarians. Here is the site address for the interview.
http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/index.php/weblog/comments/librarians-and-romance-an-interview-with-jennifer-lohmann/

Also the Smart Bitches have written a book "Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels." A description of the book from the site of the Smart Bitches follows.
"A guide to the most popular and maligned fiction genre, this hilariously sarcastic but always affectionate study of romance novels is perfect for hardcore fans and dabblers alike.
Smart and irreverent, the women who founded the popular blog “Smart Bitches, Trashy Books” both mock and pay homage to this highly successful genre. Sure, the authors visit the wild love scenes where the hero/heroine Must Have Sex NOW, but they also speak with famous romance authors and explore how the billion-dollar genre has influenced gender and sexual roles in our society.
From insider advice on writing romance novels to discovering your inner Viking warrior, Beyond Heaving Bosoms shows that while some romance novels can be silly, maybe even tawdry, they’re also intelligent, savvy, feminist, and fabulous — just like the Smart Bitches."
While this book has received mixed reviews from readers and reviewers alike it should probably be on a professional shelf in every library. We need to do everything we can to change the perception of this genre and its readers!