Archives for May 2022

by Glenice Lilje

Found Love in a Hopeless Place

When I was younger, my scope of romance novels was limited to Danielle Steel and Fabio. (I’ll just take a quick pause here to give younger readers some time to Google them). Today, there are endless subgenres and varieties of romance literature. According to Fortune[1], romantic fiction topped over 47 million in sales in 2020 alone, up 24% from the previous year. It is the second most popular fiction genre, amounting to 18% of overall adult fiction unit sales. What is it about romantic fiction that makes it so popular?

The basic elements of romance fiction include a central love story (obviously) as well as an emotionally satisfying ending, otherwise known as a ‘happy’ ending. The rise in popularity for this genre has brought about new subgenres and writing styles. From different age groups, heat levels, tropes, various tones and styles. They also do not have any boundaries of when and where in human history romantic stories may take place, giving readers more opportunities to find their ‘Happily-Ever-After’. Even niche subgenres will have a voracious fan base! There really is something for everyone.

In the cinematic universe, Rom-Coms (aka romantic comedy) more or less utilizes the same formula. Many feature two protagonists, who for whatever reason can’t seem to get along despite having an obvious attraction to each other. After a series of obnoxious run-ins paired with comical squabbles, they find themselves in a disastrous predicament that inevitably brings them together. At the end of the two hours, the star-crossed lovers have come to realize what the audience has known all along: that they have been infatuated with each other all along. Predictable? Yes. Satisfying? Also, yes.

Below are some stories of finding love where you least expect it and also my preferred romantic fiction trope of the moment: getting a second chance at love.

The Heart Principle (The Kiss Quotient #3) by Helen Hoang

When violinist Anna Sun goes viral on YouTube, she finds herself chasing the high and replicating the moment.  She burns herself out in the process, affecting her relationships. Her longtime boyfriend suggests they try an open relationship and Anna has full intent to take advantage of this. After a string of one-night stands she meets a tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan who has her doubting her expectations.

 

 

 

Just Like You by Nick Hornby

Lucy thought she had won the love lottery.  She met a guy that was the same age, same background and the same aspirations.  Two decades later, she is miserable and nearly divorced. With two-school aged sons, what Lucy desperately needs is a babysitter and barely has anytime to herself let alone go on dates.  Enter Joseph. Twenty-two, living at home with his mother and juggling several part-time jobs. He is of a different class, different culture and an entirely different generation. But sometimes life can lead you down different paths to find happiness where you least expect it.

 

 

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Eva Mercy is a single-mom and bestselling erotica fantasy writer who is stuck in a writing rut.  Shane Hall is a reclusive, award-winning literary author that people tent do avoid. When these two authors meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly and raising the eyebrows of New York’s Black literati. Little do they know, these two were entangled in fiery love affair twenty years prior, but haven’t seen each other since. Anyone with eyes can see that they have chemistry, never mind the fact that they have been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since.  Can they pick up where they left off, or has too much time passed?

 

The Stranger in the Lifeboat by Mitch Albom

Our story starts after a deadly explosion where nine people on a raft struggle to survive at sea. After three days stranded at sea and their resources depleted, they spot a man floating in the waves and reel him in. “Thank the Lord we found you,” they say. “I am the Lord,” the man whispers. In The Stranger in the Lifeboat, Mitch Albom contemplates what would happened if we called on God for help and what He might look and sound like?

[1] King, R. (2021, August 21). The romance novel sales boom continues. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2021/08/21/rom-com-pandemic-book-sales-romance-bookstore-day/. Accessed March 14, 2022.

 

by Glenice Lilje

Science Fiction

Personally, I find that science fiction (Sci-Fi), is one of the most creative genres in literature. Readers are taken on fascinating adventures to faraway galaxies, parallel worlds and every which way in between. From a young age, I have always enjoyed the use of elements not typically found in the real world which allows the imagination to run wild with endless possibilities of futuristic concepts such as time travel, aliens, or even time-travelling aliens! My earliest introduction to science fiction were A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card and I have enjoyed reading this genre ever since.

Though rooted in scientific facts and/or theories, sci-fi can also get a little too hairy. Think back to the first airing of H.G. Well’s The War of the Worlds. When the radio drama starring Orson Welles first aired, it caused major public panic among those who were not aware that the alien invasion was fictional. (Mind you, the novel had been out for 40 years at that point so whatever hysteria was observed, that’s on them). Welles assumed that the story would be too silly and improbable to ever be taken seriously.  Guess he underestimated the power of imagination.

Regardless of the setting and characters, sci-fi stories can be complex, explore larger themes or even an interpretation-sometimes satirically- about our society beneath the surface. Although examples of sci-fi can be found as far back as the Middle Ages, it didn’t garner much popularity until the late 1800s. As science and technology progressed over the years, so has the genre itself.

One does not have to be a Trekkie to be interested in the genre; many sub-genres have emerged making it more accessible. Readers of all ages enjoy stories that provide a portal into another universe or dimension. It can also be used as a tool to warn us humans of what our possible future could look like where utopian novels can teach us what we should be doing, while dystopian novels show us what to avoid. Whatever the case may be, the main reason you should read anything is because you enjoy it!

Here are some of the latest Science Fiction titles that have recently been added to our collection.

Ring Shout or Hunting Ku Kluxes in the End Times by P. Djeli Clark

Set in 1920’s Georgia, the film, The Birth of a Nation, has just been released and has caused a rift between worlds as well as spreading hate and fear among the vulnerable. Ring Shout follows 3 badass trio Maryse Boudreaux, Sadie Watkins and Cordelia Lawrence on their quest to hunt and destroy demons summoned by the Ku Klux Klan or “Ku Kluxes”.  A well-paced fantasy mixed with historical facts, Ring Shout provides the reader with thrills, chills, macabre humor and engaging heroines to root for.

 

Dune by Frank Herbert 

Paul Atreides was born a brilliant and gifted young man and heir to a noble family. He is tasked with travelling to the most dangerous planet to ensure the continuation of his family and people.  As conflict grows over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious and coveted resource, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive.

 

 

The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield

From beloved Canadian astronaut and author, Chris Hadfield, is his first thriller titled, The Apollo Murders. Our story starts in 1973 with a top-secret mission to the Moon.  Three astronauts find themselves a quarter of a million miles away from home in a Space Race against the Russians.  Old rivalries are ignited and political stakes are stretched and not everyone aboard is who they appear to be.  Readers will be taken for a ride with the fascinating technical details and claustrophobic twists making them feel like they too are in the cockpit.  Who better to detail these experiences than from a former Commander of the International Space Station who has lived through them?

 

Across the Airless Wilds: The Lunar Rover and the Triumph of the Final Moon Landings by Earl Swift

Earl Swift places the reader in the captain’s chair in this fast-paced historical recollection of the Lunar Rover’s explorations and the final Apollo moon landings that occurred in 1971-1972. Across the Airless Wilds details the evolution of the Lunar Rover highlighting the final three missions where its range has vastly increased thus providing astronauts with better communication and expanding their range of lunar exploration. Swift provides a highly detailed and technical explanation of the engineering side of it but is still very accessible and very well-told.

 

Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know by Ruth Aylett

Many blockbuster movies depict robots/A.I. in futuristic, utopian (or even dystopian) settings leaving people apprehensive about incorporating them into our daily lives. Ruth Aylett and Patricia Vargas, two robotic experts, hope to ease some of the apprehensiveness by revealing the truth about what robots can and cannot do, how they work as well as robots that raise ethical and social issues.  Other questions/issues addressed include: “Why robots can swim and fly but find it difficult to walk?”, “Why we develop feelings for robots” and “Which human abilities are hard for robots to emulate?”.