Romance books

Violence or Romance, which one?

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Danadelfos
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Romance books

Post by Danadelfos »

I for one am not at all attracted to romance novels. Ugh, writers today make them too, well, I won't say. I just can't stand them. Too much of it, especially.
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Post by Jennifer Doyle »

I believe it's basically pornography in different clothing. [I am referring to the run of the mill secular romance books...]

I believe a lot of books that have romance in them, especially by author's like Francine Rivers [I think that's her name] are ok.
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Post by Danadelfos »

i have to admit, my sister loves reading Janette Oke's series of books. The first book is "Love Comes Softly".
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Post by Laurie »

Janette Oke is wonderful. Lori Wick is another excellent author. I would rather have romance over violence.
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Post by COWBOY OF TEXAS »

KILL. KILL. KILL. ;)


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Post by Catspaw »

I read almost no modern secular novels, but I do read a lot of Christian fiction! \:D/ I would take (clean) romance over violence any time, but I like novels that have a decent plotline and possibly some suspense as well. I enjoy Dee Henderson's books because there's an actual plotline that isn't totally predictable. Whos' going to end up together may be predictable ;) but the mystery/plotline isn't as much. I really liked some of Terri Blackstock's older stuff for a similar reason, but I haven't read her newer stuff yet.
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Post by Me »

I must admit that I find Terri Blackstock rather amazing. Her stuff seems to start off slow, but once it gets going.... wow.
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Post by Laurie »

Terri Blackstock is very good. I read her newest one.
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Post by Frank »

Everyone must read "Rebecca" and then we can all have a cry fest over it! :D (What a wondrous yet mysterious and sad romance! *sighs*)

I'm all for romance, but I also like adventure books...I don't know if anyone could sit through 500 pages of pure violence. 0_o
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Post by COWBOY OF TEXAS »

Frank wrote: I'm all for romance, but I also like adventure books...I don't know if anyone could sit through 500 pages of pure violence. 0_o
I don't know if there is such a book that is 500 pages of violence.

If you like adventure books, read Henty books. \:D/


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Post by readywriter »

i'm a great fan of Janette oke's writings. i'm actually reading her love come's softly series right now and so far she's a pretty good writer. my favorite kind of books are adventure books like sherlock holmes. Arthur Conan Doyle is a pretty good writer and i also enjoyed the three musketeers "700 page book" written by alexandre dumas.
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Post by Catspaw »

readywriter wrote:...i also enjoyed the three musketeers "700 page book" written by alexandre dumas.
May I inquire as to what this is? :-k I read "The Three Musketeers" two years ago, and it was nowhere near 700 pages! I was actually surprised at how short it was, and I don't think that it was abridged. :noway: Does this include some of the books that are connected to it, like "The Man in the Iron Mask" and whichever other ones?
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Post by Mandy Straussberg »

I was just thinking about the books I've been reading lately... and I'd have to go with neither. The bulk of my reading choices are non-fiction. Lots and lots of non-fiction. I love non-fiction!

But between the two, I'd have to go with clean, Christian-authored romance.

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Post by readywriter »

Actually, the 700 page book of the three musketeers was a little hard to find. i searched on the web for it and finally found it at the library in parker. it's from penguin publishers... :noway:
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Post by LonelyNation »

I like romance novels--not sappy romance of course, but true amazing, complicated romance (George MacDonald is the ONLY author I have found to be able to write such novels)
All the 'christian' romance novel's I've read (w/ the exception of Michael Philips) I have ended them thinking that they were poop, fake, and not worth recommending.
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Post by Rachael Blackgaard »

Terri Blackstock is probably my all-time favourite Christian author, but a lot of Francine Rivers's work strikes me as being needlessly graphic, both sexually and gore-wise.

A *LOT* of my Regis/Rachael inspiration came from reading Rebecca (along with a few other places, but a good portion of it was inspired by that book).

What part of Rebecca made you cry, Frank? I thought it was delightfully unfair, if a bit on the unsettling side... talk about your ironic justice...
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Post by JesusFreak777 »

LonelyNation wrote:I like romance novels--not sappy romance of course, but true amazing, complicated romance (George MacDonald is the ONLY author I have found to be able to write such novels)
All the 'christian' romance novel's I've read (w/ the exception of Michael Philips) I have ended them thinking that they were poop, fake, and not worth recommending.
Check out Dee Henderson, you just might change that tune ;)
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Post by Baragon »

Me wrote:I must admit that I find Terri Blackstock rather amazing. Her stuff seems to start off slow, but once it gets going.... wow.
Some of her stuff I've read starts off way too fast. As well, it seems all too fake. I like a little reality placed in it to make it a bit believable. For example, the Newport 911 series (I'm pretty sure that's what it was called), was just way too fake for me. All these dramtic things happening in one small town right after another dramatic event. Same thing with the Cape Refuge. They were just all too ... fake.

I used to read quite a few romance\action books when I was younger -- which is where I got the above opinion. But now I stick with -- like Mandy -- non-fiction. Mostly biographies. ;)
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Post by Frank »

Rachael wrote:What part of Rebecca made you cry, Frank? I thought it was delightfully unfair, if a bit on the unsettling side... talk about your ironic justice...
There was that part when Maxim was standing there telling Mrs. DeWinter that he really did kill Rebecca and they found that other body, and their estate went up in flames...*bursts into tears* Oh! I cannot stand such cruelty! I thought that Mrs. DeWinter would have a lovely new life with Maxim after he "rescued" her and married her, but no! 'Twas not to be! :mecry:
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Post by Rachael Blackgaard »

That's actually quite a lot like The Mistress of Blackgaard Manor. Love By Force leaves you thinking Rachael and Regis are going to have this wonderful life together in England on his Estate, and things will be roses and candlelit dinners forever afterwards.

When Rachael gets there, though, she discovers that Regis has to leave for a business trip the very next morning-- and she can't come. The servants treat her condescendingly at best, abusively at worst, and they're full of stories about family curses and how Regis killed his first wife, who now wants revenge on Rachael from beyond the grave for 'stealing' her husband from her. Sound faintly familiar?

And someone actually is trying to kill her. Other than that, the whole thing is bizarrely similar to Rebecca. The story is different, but the same principle plots and emotions and settings are represented. I didn't steal it, exactly; it just really inspired me.

Victoria Holt and the Bronte sisters inspire me to a certain extent, but I have a harder time getting through Wuthering Heights than I did Rebecca.

Rebecca is probably one of my top five favorite classics.

About Terri Blackstock: Some of her stories (especially some of the more awful Newpointe 911 books) seem really fake, but she has some really, really good ones out as well.

Dee Henderson is a good writer (her writing style is a lot like mine), but those first six books in the O'Malley series were basically the same book with different characters and a different set of circumstances. Novels that involve Evangelism Dating are okay every once in a while, if that, but six in a row is WAY overdoing it.
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