tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post1383827760496815411..comments2023-10-22T05:36:43.797-05:00Comments on Her Book Self: Me and "boy fiction"lisa :)http://www.blogger.com/profile/11429572773434109490noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-54008802403455352732011-04-21T23:22:45.894-05:002011-04-21T23:22:45.894-05:00I always thought the "chick" in "ch...I always thought the "chick" in "chick lit" referred to the main character, not the reader?<br /><br />Check out Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_litCaptain Nick Sparrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12668840981814071637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-73407667091394923532011-04-19T10:41:51.499-05:002011-04-19T10:41:51.499-05:00Thanks for all the great comments. I've been ...Thanks for all the great comments. I've been reflecting on this topic since for a while now and I've actually decided to remove the tag "chick lit" that I've given to a bunch of my reviews. I've realized that if I get this upset at people calling fantasy "boy fiction" there could very well be guys out there that love Helen Fielding or the Shopaholic books and get just as peeved when I call it "chick lit" (I mostly adopted the tag because it's fun to say and reminds me of the gum/candy Chicklets). I'm pretty convicted about not having a double standard here. Of course, now I'm trying to think of a gender neutral name for these lighthearted stories usually centered on a woman with some degree of a light love story. I'm leaning toward "cozy fic" - I've heard the term "cozy mysteries" for what are best described as PG-13 detective novels - and I think the "cozy" term applies well without any male/female connotation. Any thoughts?lisa :)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11429572773434109490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-82497236566812394752011-04-18T20:36:43.090-05:002011-04-18T20:36:43.090-05:00Another girl who's never heard of Lorrie Moore...Another girl who's never heard of Lorrie Moore here.<br /><br />I watched Game of Thrones on HBO last night and really liked it (because of all the sex apparently). My friend (another girl!) read the book to get ready for the show. Good to know you liked the book also.<br /><br />RE: the boy/girl issue - as a teacher I spend A LOT of time trying to break down those gender boxes we learn to put everything in. It's frustrating to me when others (you know who you are) don't help out! <br /><br />Now I'm going to contradict myself and say, I think it's funny the reviewer thinks the gratuitous sex is for the ladies!Captain Nick Sparrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12668840981814071637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-76449482068003559042011-04-18T15:26:43.838-05:002011-04-18T15:26:43.838-05:00I have no idea who Lorrie Moore is either.
Count ...I have no idea who Lorrie Moore is either.<br /><br />Count me as a woman who reads whatever she wants, who doesn't believe fiction should be classified as being for one gender or the other.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-68292714894471930522011-04-17T23:41:19.828-05:002011-04-17T23:41:19.828-05:00My book club and I were just talking about this ve...My book club and I were just talking about this very topic today! We were so riled with this rather ignorant reviewer that we decided to read A Game of Thrones for our next meeting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-81415372122278383742011-04-17T22:32:42.945-05:002011-04-17T22:32:42.945-05:00Awesome response to the review from GRRM himself H...Awesome response to the review from GRRM himself <a href="http://grrm.livejournal.com/210874.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>!<br />To quote:<br />"I am not going to get into it myself, except to say<br />(1) if I am writing "boy fiction," who are all those boys with breasts who keep turning up by the hundreds at my signings and readings?<br />and<br />(2) thank you, geek girls! I love you all."<br /><br />I <3 you, too Mr. Martin!!lisa :)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11429572773434109490noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-74994883983245178852011-04-17T09:00:42.808-05:002011-04-17T09:00:42.808-05:00Wow, that is horrible! And from the New York Time...Wow, that is horrible! And from the New York Times? I've always read "boy fiction" I guess -- I love all kinds of fantasy, and yes, I appreciate it greatly when it has good girl characters, but I would read The Hobbit long before I would read most "book club books". In fact I don't like most books deliberately aimed at women. This reminded me of when I was a child in an advanced reading class and a teacher made the girls read Jane Eyre and the boys read Red Badge of Courage. I wish I'd complained but instead I've had a lifelong hatred of Jane Eyre.curlygeek04https://www.blogger.com/profile/17024197260947677556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-64625354200017728072011-04-16T23:55:56.401-05:002011-04-16T23:55:56.401-05:00Amen, sisters!! What y'all both said!!
As a k...Amen, sisters!! What y'all both said!!<br /><br />As a kid I loved reading Pippi Longstocking, Little House, Little Princess ect-- but I loved Tom Sawyer, Huck, The Three Investigators and other 'boy' books just as much. <br /><br />I don't discriminate against genre or gender-- I will read anthing-- but I love fantasy, sci/fi, and 'macho' action thillers with special forces and cool weapons. <br /><br /> Never heard of Lorrie Moore.Lesahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05102907186589066829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285552714359981402.post-48972855670792426072011-04-16T15:42:26.904-05:002011-04-16T15:42:26.904-05:00I completely agree with you on this. It always baf...I completely agree with you on this. It always baffles me when someone puts "boy" and "girl" or "male" and "female" labels on books. Yes, more men read high fantasy and more women so-called chick lit, but I think this might have something to do with commonly percieved stereotypes as well as personal preferences. Women may think fantasy is all about battles and blood and politics, because that is what we have come to expect through media. Labeling it as "boy fiction" certainly doesn't help change that stereotype. Plus, it sounds very patronising to me.<br /><br />I haven't read Martin myself (yet - I have a copy of A Game of Thrones and I'm really looking forward to reading it before watching the tv show), but I do read quite a bit of fantasy and love it. I also read several thriller series by the likes of Lee Child and Clive Cussler, which I suspect would also be put into the "boy fiction" category. One of my favourite fantasy series is The Gentleman Bastard series by Scott Lynch, which includes quite a lot of swearing and violence. But they are also very clever and well-written books. Why shouldn't women enjoy that as much as men? Now, I have never been a girly-girl (except in 4th grade when I was trying to fit in by only reading books about horses) and I find a lot of books aimed solely at women to be boring. In fact, if something is labeled "boy fiction" I will probably be more inclined to read it, because I know there will be some action going on. But sadly I think that label would deter more women from reading the works in question than encourage them.<br /><br />All this was a very round-about way of saying yes, I read and enjoy "boy fiction", and no, I don't think gender labeling is a good thing. And for the record I have never heard of Lorrie Moore, but I do love Tolkien and would happily recommend him to everyone I meet. Take that, NYT reviewer.Hildehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09963495607830458710noreply@blogger.com