Blog Archive
New Special Title Lists are Open!
We’re at it again! With the help of our readers we have found the right formula for adding new titles to the Special Title Listings. This month we are opening: (1) Nerds & Absent-Minded Professors, (2)…
AAR Goes to the Movies: Oblivion
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmIIgE7eSak The last super bowl was played in 2017. Then Earth was attacked by aliens. According to soldier Jack Harper, “We won the war but they destroyed half the planet. Everyone’s been evacuated, nothing human remains.”…
Can You Hear Me Now? – An Open Letter to Romance Authors
Dear Writers of Romance Novels, Most of you are aware that one over-used source of conflict in a fictional relationship that drives nearly all readers absolutely batty is the Big Misunderstanding. You know the trope. The…
Where Have All the Historical Romances Gone?
In the past, I’ve bemoaned a lack of variety in historical romance settings, and we’ve even voted on where readers wanted to see historical set (Result: we like 19th c. England but wouldn’t mind reading about…
How to celebrate Labor Day
May 1st is Labor Day in Germany. It’s one of the two non-religious public holidays we have here (the other being Reunification Day, October 3rd), and everyone loves having that day off. There are marches in…
AAR Staff Top Ten Favorites: Maggie's Picks
Before I begin, I must issue a disclaimer. I don’t have ten favorite books. I have hundreds of them. I imagine most of us here at AAR do. When the idea for the Top Ten Tuesday…
Special Title Listings – An Update
When we embark on adding to one of our Special Title Listings, we are elated when there are lots of titles nominated, because, although it means spending several hours on the computer, it also means discovering…
April was Autism Awareness Month
Now that the month is closing out I thought I would mention what was special about April: It is Autism Awareness month. For those that don’t know, here is a brief description of autism, taken from…
To baby or not to baby: that is the question
Warning: this piece has spoilers about three contemporary romances: Sabrina Darby’s Entry Level Mistress, Joan Kilby’s Maybe this Time, and Sarah Mayberry’s Suddenly You. Last month, I read a contemporary romance by Sabrina Darby that, despite its slightly…