Monday Book Recs--Crusie, Durst, Buckell

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

This romance revolves around the conceit of the male hero agreeing (sort of) to a "bet" with the heroine's ex-boyfriend that he can get her into bed (since the ex wasn't able to) within one month. But the heroine overhears the whole thing, so she knows what's going on. I guess that's one version of cute-meet. I admit, I was intrigued by the idea, but that's not really kept my interest in the novel. I haven't read any books by Crusie before, but what I liked here were the characterizations of the whole group of friends and family surrounding the hero and heroine. I think, in fact, that this is one of the reasons that I fall in love with the romantic comedies that I do. On the theory that you are your friends, since it is you who attracts them and keeps up the relationship with them, I think it is not a bad way of choosing a mate to choose the circle of people around them. I love Hugh Grant's family in Notting Hill, love Julia Roberts' relationship with Rupert Everett before I fall in love with her relationship with the lead in My Best Friend's Wedding, and I think the relationships about Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in The Runaway Bride are what make it just a step above what would have been a rather humdrum romantic comedy.

In Bet Me, there is also the added pleasure of a romance about a woman who is constantly being told that she is "fat," by her mother, by society. How fat she is--never revealed. I think this is quite clever. It's always disappointing when you read about a character who thinks she is fat and then realize she is really only a size 12 or 14, which is much smaller than "fat" to any normal person. But I liked the relationship with the mother, too. Even though I hated the way she acted about food, and cringed, I thought she was a real person, not just a cardboard cutout. I loved the hero's complicated relationship with his brother and his wife, with their son, and with his own parents. I liked the trio of girlfriends, and the male friendships depicted. The fun of the romance was a sort of cherry on top. Fun, witty repartee, and the deliciousness of the hero's ex, who is writing a book about romance, was even funnier. Her come uppance wasn't exactly my cup of tea, but I suppose no book is perfect.

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

This is the vampire book I wish I had written. It is funny, poking at the cliches of vampire fiction in all the ways that I do in conversation. The stupid sparkly defanged vampires of late, the conventions of not being in sunlight, the vampire families living in old mansions, a vampire's interest (or lack of same) in going to high school. It also adds the fun twist of a unicorn which doesn't belong in vampire fiction at all, except that it does here. But the pleasure of this book is that it isn't just a parody. It has all the fun without ever once sacrificing the real meat of plot and characterization. I really cared about this vampire who was trying to be good. I cared about her love relationship, and I cared about the ending turning out well, since the stakes (pun intended) were raised pretty high. Don't miss out! Enjoy laughing over this with a friend.

The Executioness by Tobias Buckell

I admit, I picked this up because of the concept. I, like Maureen McHugh, wonder sometimes why it is that middle aged women, and specifically mothers, are not the heroes of any stories, either in urban fantasy or high fantasy or science fiction (with the exception, perhaps of Lois McMaster Bujold's brilliant first two books--but even there, Cordelia fades as Miles comes into the forefront). I love the idea of a project making such women the heroes. I loved even more the way in which this hero is an unwilling one. It's a type often used for male heroes, who tell their own stories and downplay their adventures. It is left up to the reader to decide whether or not the "true" story is a heroic one. For me, I think it is. A woman whose children are stolen from her sets out to get them back, and along the way, inspires other women to get their children back, ends up leading an army to conquer the raiders, and ultimately wins. It would have been tempting to make this woman so heroic that her enemies ended up being demonic and one-sided, but that isn't the case here, either. War itself is given a pretty good look, and it's not a look that is an easy one. There aren't simple answers like war is bad or religion is good. I will be thinking about this book for a good, long time. Expect quotes in days to come.