Can anyone give me some romance recommendations? It's a work thing... I'm looking for titles that people might not necessarily consider or things that wouldn't occur when they first thought of romance as a genre. Anything will do. Gay/lesbian/chick lit is what I've been given as a brief but feel free to wander outside.
Singling Out The Couples!! well, it's a romantic anti-romance, but there's def a love story of sorts in there! (and Immaculate Conceit?)
Lauren's Exes Anonymous def does love story too.
(actually I'd say her Sam series and my Saz series both have series-long love stories but I guess you know that and you're asking for people who aren't us??!!)
on the girl gay romance front, there's always Patience and Sarah
Affinity (all Sarah's books, but poss Affinity more so)
Curious Wine - Katherine V Forrest (actually, there's a been a recent/last 10 years slew of US lesbian romances, but I haven't read them, so can't suggest preferences)
I think After Dolores was great back then, in an anti-romantic kind of way. (Sarah Schulman)
Louise Tondeur has some lovely coming-of-age/girl love stuff.
and Ali Smith's Hotel World wouldn't really be considered romance I guess, but it's certainly romantic. ooh, and her Girl Meets Boy. def romantic.
and again, not a trad romance but Julia Darling's Crocodile Soup is v good.
Paul Burston is good for gay. as is Paul Magrs, Rupert Smith.
Neil Bartlett's Skin Lane is an astounding novel, and a heartbreaking unrequited gay love book. (any Neil Bartlett should be included actually.)
Hollinghurst's Swimming Pool Library, & Line of Beauty of course.
Jojo Moyes kind of straddles romance/chicklit, perhaps a slightly older target market than the earlier chicklit writers? (and a mate of mine and Lauren's so easy to recommend!)
and the blokes like Matt Dunn and Mike Gayle aren't always thought of.
that's all I can find in my head for now. am bound to have forgotten some incredibly obvious good friend who I've now offended beyond words! sorry ...
Also Barbara Trapido's 'Brother of the More Famous Jack' which is really romance though in a literary skin - lovely book. Will see if I can think of any more...
Oh and another couple that fit the gay brief - Virginia Smith 'The Ropemaker's daughter' and The Carradine Diary (which is the more romantic though both are good), and, completely off brief, Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner - she falls in love with the devil and it's a brilliant seduction... great book!
