Book Clubs & Romance & Controversy, Oh My!

You guys wanna hear something funny? There's this place on the Interwebz called Crasstalk ("Home of the World's Most Self-Aggrandizing Commenters" - hee hee) and they have a book club, right? Last time they discussed an Ibsen play (which I actually read in college, cuz I'm all edumacated like that). This time the runner up in selection votes was a book about an Iraq war veteran, Hurricane Katrina aftermath and death-death-depressing-issues-drama-death. Basically an I-need-a-bigger-tissue-box book. Standard book club fare, right?

You ready for the funny part? The book that edged that one out and was officially selected for their book club? The Sexorcist.

I kid you not, reader-minions. The Sexorcist.

[Note the famous mantitty cover. Visual Aid --> -->]

And lo, there was controversy. And Vivi saw that it was good.

Lets just say that among the members of that particular online community, this was not a popular choice. "This is why we can't have nice things" made me grin. "Super lowbrow" coaxed a giggle. Talks of a re-vote and adamant declarations that they would not be reading that had me chortling (chortling, I tell you!). Apparently I have a defective sense of humor because I found the horrified reactions waaaay too funny.

But you know what was most cool? The way I found out about the whole kerfuffle. A fella from the site emailed me and asked if I would be interviewed for an academic look at the book. He and another Crasstalker were trying to open people's minds and get them to take my fluffy little book seriously, treat it like a legitimate work of fiction. (Don't you just want to give them both a big hug?) The questions they asked were awesome. Really an interesting look into romance and the themes expressed or alluded to in the book.

I don't know how successful they will be in opening people's minds to the possibility that romance might have merit beyond titillating sex scenes, or how successful I will be at helping them achieve their goal (serious has never really been my strong suit), but you have to respect any effort to attach legitimacy to the most vilified genre out there. Go them!

The interview is up now and the book club discussion is later today. Whether readers love it or hate it, a polarizing discussion is always interesting. I'll keep you posted as the story develops. It's bound to be fun, one way or another.