5 shifter romance pairings that make me go "WTF?"

I read romance novels of all kinds: Historical, erotic, contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, chick lit, sci fi, medical, thriller/suspense/mystery, medical, LGBT, cowboy (because WHY NOT, RIGHT?).  Short ones. Long ones. Medium ones. I like romance novels. I wouldn't say I'm a particularly romantic person, but I love happy-ever-after moments. It's a feelgood thing, I suppose. And I have a particular fondness for paranormal romances. Shifter romances, specifically. And by 'shifter' I mean shapeshifters. Mostly werewolves, or werecats (don't ask, just go with me, here). They usually involve werewolf/human, werewolf/werewolf, werecat/human or werecat/werecat (and sometimes different species of werecat ending up together - don't look at me, it's a legitimate thing in paranormal romance). Just lately, though, I've come across shifter pairings that make up their own wtfery category. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying they're horrible. I still read them! But I had that moment, however brief, where I went "QUE?!" with all of the titles listed below. BECAUSE THE PAIRINGS OMG. Don't take my word for it, read the rest of the post and you'll see what I mean.

Have you come across any strange shifter pairings you'd like to tell us about? (Or recommend).

1. Hedging his bets by Celia Kyle and Mina Carter
Honey loves running her bar and grill, catering to humans and shifters alike. But there are two things that dim her love of the place: cocky assholes who think they own the world, and cocky assholes who think they can flex their muscles and wreck her bar when throwing a temper tantrum. Unfortunately, the drop-dead gorgeous, hotter than hot, shifter man she secretly loves is both. Blake wants the curvaceous, gorgeous Honey in his bed. Now. He’s lusted (but not loved, let’s get that straight) after the luscious woman for months. True, he looks like a bad-boy biker mixed with a player and, yeah, he’s broken a few things in her bar… But only because the guys were hitting on his girl. With no hope of winning her over in sight, he does what any red-blooded werehedgehog would do in his position. He lies.

NOT held by Auckland Libraries. Available as an eBook from Amazon.com. The hero is a werehedgehog. A FREAKIN' WEREHEDGEHOG! I came across this book by happy accident when looking for something-or-other online (as you do - or maybe just as I do) and was all la-la-la-la-la-la-la *click* Wait, what? *scrolls back* He's a WEREHEDGEHOG? Because that's how I roll. Once I became aware of this title (I bought a copy from Amazon), it made me curious about what other kind of odd pairings (or maybe not 'odd' so much as 'out of the ordinary' - werewolves being the ordinary bahahaha) there might be. Et voila! This post was born.

2. Accidentally on porpoise ; Porpoiseful intent / Tymber Dalton
Two books in one. Accidentally on porpoise: Sean didn't expect to run into Mr. Right in his boat. Although when Emery claims to be a dolphin, Sean wonders how hard he got hit. Emery finds Sean hunkier than the piece of tail he's been chasing. Unfortunately, there are some willing to hurt Sean if Emery won't let him go. Porpoiseful intent: What do you get when you mix a hurricane, a houseful of dolphin shifters a pair of oblivious human parents, a vengeful ex-lover, and an alligator shifter with a warped sense of humor? Sean and Emery are about to find out when vengeance returns...?

NO WAY. Ohemgee. A dolphin - they're DOLPHINS. That's a new one on me.

3. Doe and the wolf / Eve Langlais
What happens when a predator falls for his prey? Bounty hunting is the perfect job for a maverick wolf; flexible hours, decent pay, the thrill of the chase. But Everett never counted on a doe stopping him in his furry tracks. Dawn was a prisoner of Mastermind and ended up experimented on, against her wishes. On the run from Furry United Coalition agents, she ends up in the arms-and bed-of a lupine bounty hunter. Instinct tells her to run when she gets a chance because everyone knows not to trust the big, bad wolf, but her heart begs her to stay. When the result of genetics gone wrong rears its mutated head and threatens both of their lives, will they manage to survive and discover if a wolf deserves a happily ever after? Looking for help in recovering a fugitive? The Lone Wolf Agency can help you. We specialize in huffing and puffing criminals back where they belong, behind bars. Also: Lion and the falcon, and try the eBook anthology that includes Bunny and the bear, Swan and the bear, and Croc and the fox by Langlais.

Okay, so at the risk of sounding dumb...wouldn't he want to eat her as a snack??

4. Beast behaving badly / Shelly Laurenston
Ten years after Blayne Thorpe first encountered Bo Novikov, she still can't get the smoothtalking shifter out of her head. Now he's shadowing her in New York - all seven-plus feet of him - determined to protect her from stalkers who want to use her in shifter dogfights. Even if he has to drag her off to an isolated Maine town where the only neighbours are other bears almost as crazy as he is. Let sleeping dogs lie. Bo knows it's good advice, but he can't leave Blayne be. She may insist Bo's nothing but a pain in her delectable behind, but polar bears have patience in spades. Soon she'll realize how good they can be together. And when she does, animal instinct tells him it'll be worth the wait.

I heart Laurenston's Pride series and, out of all of the male shifters, Bo Novikov is one of my favourite characters, but I'll never get over the fact that he's half polar bear/half lion. Which, not coincidentally, makes me all WTF?? And then I try to avoid the mental imagery in my head because yikes.

5. A tiger's claim : with a special novella: Winter eve / Lia Davis
A tiger's claims: As the Alpha's only daughter Shayna Andrews has always been treated like a rare gem, protected like royalty, and she's suffocating. Her longing to be independent has driven her to sneak out one evening after dinner. After relishing in being able to run free without an escort, she finds herself face-to-face with the enemy, miles from home, and nearly loses her life until a lone wolf comes to her aid. Travis Hunter's main objective is to destroy the Onyx Pack--a group of drug using, murdering rogue shifters. His seek-and-destroy plans are put on hold when he rescues a female from a brutal attack. The beautifully exotic tiger shifter, Shayna, stirs a passion he thought died with his long-lost mate. When Shay's first heat cycle slams into her, Travis has no choice but to submit to her needs--and his own. But there is always a price to sleeping with the Pack princess. Not only will they have to face her Pack, Shay and Travis will have to deal with a mating that is beyond a single night and could have consequences more than either of them had thought. And when Travis finds out Shay wears the enemy's brand, things will go from bad to worse. Warning: One alpha female who doesn't take no for an answer, a wolf with more on the line than just his heart, and a combustible attraction that's sure to cause more than one sweaty night.

A tiger and a wolf. QUE? And yet I know I'll read it, still.

5 new erotic romances (some with covers and plots that make me giggle)

I'm not about to tell you that erotic romances are dirtybadwrong. I think anything that gets people reading - yes, even Fifty Shades - is always a good thing. (Seriously, people, stop talking about that book, though. It makes me want to cry for those who consider it 'good erotica.' It's not. I can recommend you some. I am your dealer for books with the funsexytimes that are written way more better-er. I promise). SO! As I was saying: BOOKS GOOD. I read romance novels of all kinds for one reason: the Happy Ever After. No matter what bad crap goes down between the hero/heroine (hero/hero, heroine/heroine, etc.), they're going to end up together. In the story, she is going to think he's Prince Douchetastic, and he's going to think she suffers from Sleeping Beauty Syndrome and needs True Love's Kiss to wake her hormones up, and they're going to fight, and generally treat each other hilariously (and probably badly), and someone might get murdered (because what's a little romance without a little murder, am I right?) BUT it will end happily. They are going to leave me with that feelgood feeling that I get when the Happy Ever After (yes, with capitals) takes place. That is what I need from a romance novel. Basically, I need this from an erotic romance novel, too. Just, you know, with a little more emphasis on the funsexytimes. (And fewer partners than a lot of the books below seem to have BUT I JUDGE YOU NOT, PEOPLE). I was stalking the new books lists for Top 5 ideas and spotted the Best Lesbian Erotica 2013 (which I've requested), and I realised that I don't do a lot about our erotic romance collection. I promote them in our Romance eNewsletter, but that's about it. And I felt sad because erotic romance books need love, too, right? (Although technically perhaps they have a little too much love already because, HULLO, content). And today's list is in recognition of that. Also, it allows me to share some of the plots/covers that make me facepalm, giggle and, generally, laugh out loud. Because I am forever juvenile. And now I have to wait for them to come in because, obviously, I've requested them all!

Top 5 most requested items for August 2012

"It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it."
- Oscar Wilde

I find myself having conversations about books in the strangest of places. I always think that I've gotten used to the idea of random book chats in random non-bookish type locations, and then one comes along to prove me wrong. (On purpose, I'm sure). Today's was while standing in queue at a petrol station. I was waiting to be served when the gentleman in front of me turned around, spotted my nametag (yes, I wear this everywhere to work/home from work because I have no shame about who I work for - in fact, I'm kinda proud of it) and asked me if I'd ever read Lee Child, had I heard that Tom Cruise was playing Jack Reacher in the movie version of the first book, how did that happen (insert exclamation mark), and did we still have romance novels because his wife likes them a lot? FTW! And that timely conversation reminded me that it was time to post our top 5 most requested items for August 2012. One of which happens to be the latest Lee Child novel. Spectacular timing.

5 unlikely tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

List by Danielle

"It is I, Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, from the castle of Camelot. King of the Britons, defeater of the Saxons, Sovereign of all England!"

"Pull the other one!"

From Monty Python and the Holy Grail

I've been reading Sarah Zettel's Camelot series of late - four historical fantasy romances starring Gawain and his brothers, one book per knightly brother - and took a look to see what else we've got on the Arthurian myths and legends. Turns out: a whole heap! Though less graphic novels than I'd been expecting. Yes, we've got everything from gangland Arthur to high-school-teen Arthur, through muppet Arthur and Python Arthur to some actual historical retellings of the stories made famous by authors like Geoffrey of Monmouth, Sir Thomas Malory and John Steinbeck. Yes. STEINBECK.

5 Team Chest romance covers

"We are all fools in love"
― Jane Austen

Gratuitous shirtlessness. Abtastic poses. Ripped bodies. (Mostly) headless men leaning with intent. Bared chests. Some romance covers are absolutely ridiculous and make me laugh until I wheeze. (I know, attractive, right?). Others make me poke at the covers with a finger and wonder if this is what Ken would look like if he were 'real.' (That would be Ken from Ken and Barbie). And some make me cheer out loud. I adore romance covers fullstop - the good, the bad, and the cracktastic. Team Chest: romance novels that show, well, male chests. Don't look at me like that. As far as I'm concerned it's right up there with yo-yos in space (which, by the way, I heart times ten). I know colleagues, friends and family (and co-bus passengers I see daily) whose mouths get that pinched moue of distaste that people read romance books that are so blatantly sexual. Call them cliché , call them porny, call them what you want, these covers work for a reason: readers know exactly what they're going to get in the way of a story. So, romance junkies who are all about the abtastic men, I salute you, and gift you this post: 5 Team Chest romance covers!

5 lewd books in our libraries

"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space; everything else is opinion."
- Democritus

lewd adj \ˈlüd\ Definition of LEWD 1 obsolete : evil, wicked 2 a : sexually unchaste or licentious 2 b : obscene, vulgar

Apparently we are purveyors of lewd novels *quizzical look* Or one lewd novel in particular. And here I thought we were a library. Seriously, just when I think the whole mainstream media storm in a teacup that is Fifty Shades of Grey couldn't possibly get any stranger, it does. Just to spite me, I'm sure. A couple of weeks ago I read an online NZ Herald article that called Fifty Shades of Grey 'lewd.' I was a tad bit surprised because it's quite tame in comparison to a lot of other erotic novels we hold. (I'm assuming mainstream media have never heard of Lora Leigh and other erotic romance writers like her?) Do I consider these books listed below to be lewd? No. I don't. Others would, perhaps. And I suppose that for as long as we have differences of opinion about what constitutes 'literature' or 'art' or 'good reading,' it's always going to be like that. Some part of me hopes that the 'lewd' label doesn't stick. In my mind it's as dismissive a term as 'mummy porn.' And you know my opinion on 'mummy porn.' No judgement there, right? Wrong. Mainstream media are totally judging your reading interests and sexual proclivities. It's no wonder fanfic writers and readers - and romance readers, for that matter, too - are leery of mainstream media. I was a bit Ragey McRagerson for a while, there, and then a colleague pointed out the quote above and I settled down. Everything else in the world is opinion. Now, though, I wonder what else we have in our libraries that might fall under the heading of 'lewd,' so I've rounded up 5 titles that contain people doing things/talking about doing things of an adult nature, and probably, enjoying it, too. How very dare they! Et voilà: 5 lewd books in our libraries.

Top 5 most requested items for June 2012

"Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world."
- Voltaire

Books! The topic of today's post. To be specific, our most popular books. What are they? A teen trilogy (seriously, the entire trilogy is on this list), a New Zealand novel (yay Emily Perkins!) and a 'lewd' first novel (published fanfic). I'd like to quickly point out that the term 'lewd' isn't mine, it belongs to this NZ Herald article. In my mind, the label is right up there with 'Mummy Porn.' Seriously, no wonder my fellow fanfic readers/writers and romance readers are leery of mainstream media. The whole Fifty Shades kerfuffle has not been handled well *winces* Make sure to visit the Top 5 blog again tomorrow because, hey, lewd books - we haz 'em, and I'll be highlighting 5. And, no doubt, rolling out a Cranky McRanty Pants post to go with them. For now: Top 5 most requested items for June 2012.

Top 5 Georgette Heyer historical romances

List by Annie

"My style is really a mixture of Johnson and Austen - what I rely on is a certain gift for the farcical. Talk about my humour if you must talk about me at all!. . . I don’t know about my historical feeling: I’d prefer a timely word about my exact detail. Talk about my books as being just the job for people who are fed-up with kitchen sinks and perverts, and want a gay romance, with authentic period detail. I know it’s useless to talk about technique in these degenerate days - but no less a technician than Noel Coward reads me because he says my technique is so good. I’m proud of that."

~ Georgette Heyer, quoted in The Private World of Georgette Heyer. 1984. 152-153

Oh Georgette! Mention her name in any given group, and there will be a number of people (not just women) who will come over all fangirl / fanboy. If you asked for their favourites – debate would be vigorous. Positions and opinions would be heartfelt. But, at the end of it, we would all agree that reading Georgette was life changing. I’m serious here.

When it comes to moulding your future reading tastes and inclinations, one author will often stand out. For romance readers, particularly historical romance readers, it will be Georgette. Oh, we’ll have flirted with others. Maybe we have current favs and raves, but… our hearts will always belong to Georgette. And, if we think about it, our current favs will have Georgette-like qualities. (Seriously – I <3 Julia Quinn. Witty. Great supporting cast. Quips. Jaded heroes. Opinionated heroines. All found in Georgette.)

Can’t you tell I WAAAYYY-more-than-<3 Georgette? Normally my Top 5 intros are so short. I can rave and rave and rave about Georgette for days and days and days…

Instead, I’ll move on and rave and rave and rave about my favourite books instead.

Top 5 most requested items for May 2012

"If we didn't have libraries, many people thirsty for knowledge would dehydrate."
Megan Jo Tetrick, age 12, Daleville, Indiana

BOOKS! WE HAZ THEM! Seriously, if the CAPS LOCK didn't singe your eyeballs then it's official, nothing will. I know, right? You're welcome :) Seriously, though, we do have books. I'm going to keep today's post short and sweet. (Shelve your disbelief, people! Some days I can do quick - I just let my fingers run away from my brain and then, wow, before I know it we've got a loooooong intro). *shamefaced look* As I was saying, I'm going to keep today's post short and sweet and remind you of a few things before I introduce the title: If you're a person after my own heart and are constantly looking for new books to read THEN try these:

our new titles lists - SO MUCH CHOICE. Books, audiobooks, DVDs, CDs, sheet music. Our lists are updated at the beginning of each month, and will keep you busy for a whole week while you work your way through all of them (this I know from experience)

our NextReads eNewsletters - emailed eNewsletters that arrive in your inbox, all you have to do is subscribe. They're FREE, and contain some fantastic reading suggestions (once again I know this because I've met the editors and they LIVE FOR BOOKS)

our Auckland Libraries tweetstream - where we share library/geeky/book related links and information with followers (and the world and the universe and, well, you)

See? Short! And so, today's list: Top 5 most requested items for May 2012 :)

5 thoughts I've had about the kerfuffle that is 'Fifty Shades of Grey'

I have read Fifty shades of grey by EL James. Actually, I've read it twice. Well, no, two and a half times, to be precise. You can take that a couple of ways. Either it was so awesome I couldn't get enough of the spatula (as Ellen would say, don't eat pancakes at Anastasia's house, and if you haven't seen Ellen's clip where she tries to read passages from the book you should, it's hilarious) OR it wasn't quite what I thought it was so I had to read it again just to make sure I wasn't mistaken. I've been conflicted about this book and the mainstream media reaction to it. So much so that I've sat on this post for about three to four weeks now. Every night I pull it up, read over what I've written so far, delete huge chunks of it, add in some more, wince and pull a face, and close it off again. The next night I'm back to try again. Sometimes I get no further than where I was the night before. I could feel myself getting too ranty about it. To the point where it was more Ms. Cranky McRanty Pants than anything else and, although this might be a good space to be so (what kind of library blog doesn't have an opinion about books?), I didn't want to strike the wrong tone. In the end I realised what the problem was. I was trying to combine two separate issues into one: the quality of the writing AND my thoughts about the media hype. Sorry 'bout it, people, I've had to break this in to two posts, instead. This being the first. Aren't you lucky? *she asks hesitantly* Seriously, be thankful you're getting a shortened version of the thoughts I've had about this. Just to reiterate, today I'm not going to list my opinion of the book. Well, not yet, anyway. I'll save that for later this week. I want to make it clear upfront that I doubt any of my thoughts below will add anything of value to what is already floating around the interwebs about this particular book. I feel, though, that I needed to puzzle through this/work this out aloud. And so I did: 5 thoughts I've had about the kerfuffle that is Fifty shades of grey. For better or worse.

Would you read Fifty shades of grey?
Have you read it?
Would you recommend it to others?

5 romance book taglines that'd work just as well for movies (if maybe a couple of cheesy ones at that)

"She was carrying two coffees and a donut bag, and right then and there, he fell in love."
- Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

YES! I have a Team Chest romance novel cover as the intro image for this post, however this is NOT a Team Chest post. (I know! I'm gutted, too!). So why do I have a Katie MacAlister novel listed here, then? So glad you asked and, as usual, I'm going to take the scenic route as a form of an explanation, and drag you along for the ride. Every morning I shuffle through my various piles of library books to decide which ones I have to take back immediately. For some reason what is meant to be a simple task turns into me sitting there for about a half an hour while I flip through and re-read various passages (I have no idea why I do this, I just know that I do, and it invariably has me running late for work and skipping along like a dork to catch my bus. Aahh, good times). When I got to MacAlister's novel and read the book's tagline - "He'll need to bare more than his soul to get a mate" - I snorted. Out loud. And then guffawed. Most heartily. I couldn't help it. Don't get me wrong. I genuinely enjoy MacAlister's books. They're funny on purpose. But that tagline? It has about as much cheese as a seventies fondue party. Maybe even more. Which made me wonder...out of all the romance novels I currently have out, which ones have taglines that would work just as well for movies? Et voilà - this list :) (Good grief, I do believe this is a short post. What is the world coming to?). Happy Monday, people, and enjoy today's Top 5!

5 reasons to read Don't Mess With Texas by Christie Craig

List by Tosca

"Get anything?" he called.
"There's two Nikki Hunts," Tyler called back. "One's a dancer at a men's club - very hot - the other's an artist and almost as hot. Which is she?"
"You know which one we're voting for, don't you?" Austin called.
Dallas slipped a shirt over his head and envisioned the woman back at the parking lot. She'd been hot, but was she the stripper kind of hot? Were strippers that soft?
- Dallas, Austin and Tyler from Don't mess with Texas by Christie Craig

What kind of hero wonders if the heroine is 'stripper kind of hot?' THIS KIND, apparently. I've just finished reading contemporary romance novel Don't mess with Texas by Christie Craig and thought it was worth a Top 5 list. Specifically, top 5 reasons to actually read it.

So, what's the book about? "Nikki Hunt thought her night couldn't get worse when her no-good, cheating ex ditched her at dinner, sticking her with the bill. Then she found his body stuffed in the trunk of her car and lost her two-hundred-dollar meal all over his three-thousand-dollar suit. Now not only is Nikki nearly broke, she's a murder suspect. Former cop turned PI, Dallas O'Connor knows what it's like to be unjustly accused. But one look at the sexy-though skittish-suspect tells him she couldn't hurt anyone. The lead detective, Dallas's own brother, has the wrong woman and Dallas hopes a little late-night "undercover" work will help him prove it...? -- Publisher description.

Of course, if you're not a romance reader than you can feel free to totally disregard this post! By the way, I'd recommend that any men reading this post take this advice into account: You can think that your own real-life heroine is 'stripper kind of hot' but do not ever, under any circumstances, tell her so. I'm just saying.

I'd also like to point out that just because I read romance novels doesn't mean that:

I'm looking for a Greek tycoon or a billionaire playboy

I'm going to end up with unrealistic expectations of relationships - I'm quite capable of separating fact from fiction

I think life is all about happy endings - I enjoy romance novels because THEY all end with an HEA (happy ever after)

all romance novels are disparaging toward women - there are some strong, independent and grounded characters in love stories

all books are formulaic - so *not* true, sure the guy may get the girl, but not everyone ends up there the same way, the journey is just as important as the ending

it's literary porn - that's demeaning to the time and effort authors put into their work, and it's demeaning to readers. Out of context, of course some of the steamier passages can seem LOLworthy, but it's unrealistic to expect that sex play no part in any solid relationship, so why should it here? Does not art reflect life, and vice versa?

anyone can write romance - if that *were* the case then, surely, everyone *would* be writing romance? You might have noticed that everyone is not

And so, on to the list: 5 reasons to read Don't mess with Texas by Christie Craig...

Top 5 new Team Stetson romance novel covers

List by Tosca

"I always wanted to be a cowboy, and Jedi Knights are basically cowboys in space, right?"
- Liam Neeson

I'm a fool for cowboys. Slow talking (but not dumb), southern drawl, big belt buckle, boots, a horse, and a hat. I *adore* them. So much so that when I was in Fort Worth, Dallas airport (the airport lounge at 9 o'clock at night was about as 'Texas' as I was going to get in that trip), I hoped, hoped, hoped that I'd bump into a cowboy (complete with buckle, hat and boots) who would tip his hat and wish me 'Howdy, ma'am.' If he'd had a horse that would be the cherry on top. (Yes, I know, a horse in an airport just isn't going to work, but that didn't stop me from wanting it). I didn't get that in Fort Worth. So disappointed. Life, being what it is, didn't give it to me while I was in the Lone Star State. It gave it to me while I was in New Orleans, instead. I was walking through the Aquarium of the America doors while a group of Texans were walking out, and one gentleman (in required buckle, hat and boots) tipped his hat and said, 'Howdy, ma'am.' I was so taken aback with delight I stood there grinning like a fool for a little longer than was necessary. I still appreciated it as much as if it had happened while in Texas :)

I blame Louis L'Amour. Don't get me wrong, I love L'Amour (do you know how weird it feels to type, in essence, that I love the love?). I read his Sackett series while growing up, and the optimistic part of me that wanted to one day marry and have children wanted to use the Sackett family names (Orrin, Jubal, etc.) as theirs. (It's strange, looking back, to remember I was ever that optimistic). The closest we ever came to that was an Alsatian dog called Hondo. My earliest memories of my parents are of them reading: to us, to each other, and to themselves. They read anything and everything, and would quite often hand a finished novel over to the other one, both of them discussing it afterward. Dad is particularly fond of historical fiction/nonfiction. I remember him reading L'Amour and Edson when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I didn't think much of it, until we moved to Auckland and I had managed to read my way through the school library, my own books, and then, because there wasn't anything else in the house, mum and dad's shelves, as well. In particular, the Sackett books. And I fell in love with them. I laughed, got mad at the bad guys, cried, rejoiced with the good guys, learnt parts of American Indian history I'd never heard about in school, fell in love with the wild west and developed a yearning to visit the States and see the land the way L'Amour did. I believe that this series gave me an idea of how important my own indigenous history was, up until then I'd kind of taken it for granted. I distinctly remember bawling my eyes out when William Tell Sackett's wife, Angie, was murdered and he spent a good portion of the book tracking down the men who did it and 'reading to them from the good book.' That used to be a running joke in our house, my mum would say to dad, 'Did you read to them from the good book?' and dad would reply, 'Nope, I just showed 'em the pictures.' (Seriously, my parents are odd). L'Amour's Sackett books also put me on to Dee Brown's Bury my heart at Wounded Knee and I remember that it was one of the few nonfiction books that broke my heart. It is, to this day, my most favourite (if saddest) nonfiction read ever. I re-read the Sackett novels on and off right up until my late teens and then, for some reason, forgot all about them. Now, every time I read a romance novel, I'm reminded of L'Amour's love of the land and good hearted people who lived by their word. So, there you go. A longwinded introduction (seems to be my trademark) that serves, really, to tell you that you can blame Monsieur L'Amour for this romance novel-related post that is all about the cowboy and nothing but the cowboy (albeit modern ones): Top 5 new Team Stetson romance novel covers.

Top 5 romance novels to cross my desk this week that live up to their titles/covers

List by Tosca

"If you prefer your romance a little spicier, if you prefer to walk on the wild side, this stellar line-up of writers will leave you hungry for more."
- From The mammoth book of hot romance edited by Sonia Florens

I edit our Romance eNewsletter and I try to read as much as I can across all romance genres. One of the things I often joke about with colleagues, family and friends is how the book covers and titles either over promise or under deliver. After how-ever-many-years of reading romances I'm still not sure which disappoints/surprises me the most. Today's selection, however, lets me know *exactly* what I'm going to be getting. See if you agree...

Top 5 Mills & Boon covers I've seen this week

List by Tosca

"The decision to kiss for the first time is the most crucial in any love story. It changes the relationship of two people much more strongly than even the final surrender; because this kiss already has within it that surrender."
- Emil Ludwig

Mills & Boon have changed their covers! They're now purple. Boldly purple. And I'm noticing that more and more of them have actual people on the covers. A few years back I saw that they'd started to feature real people (real models, I guess?) on the covers. I remember at the time asking another young library assistant, "Is that supposed to make me think it can happen to real people? Just like in the stories?" Both of us looked rather doubtful. I'm still not sure. Does anyone else know why they swapped out painted posed people for happy smiley people? I'm not complaining, I'm just wondering.

Top 5 books for the Vampire completist

List by Danielle

Around humans? Use the Blood Bottle Cozies to disguise your beverage.
~ from 'Vampire knits' by Genevieve Miller

Maybe they're on the way out, I don't know, there seems to be a growing swell of enthusiasm for zombie this'n'that, but there is still a lot of love out there for the not-so-humble vamp. And our collection reflects this, with a dazzling array of vampire novels, anthologies, film tie-ins, soundtracks... and knitwear. YES. Knitwear.

Also, because Tosca mentions it, I can only add that I, too, haz germs, but that instead of going on and on about it, I merely pull my 'Descent into Darkness wrap' a little closer around me and reach for a pair of patented 'Paw Warmers'. True story.

Without further ado, I present some truly fantastic knitting projects (a jersey with bloody fangs! for your pre-schooler!), and three very unlikely vampire slayers.

My top 5 confessions about library items I've read/watched this week

List by Tosca

"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
- P.J. O'Rourke

This list will not have much in the way of an introduction. It's a list of confessions - things these books/dvds made me think, do and/or feel. What have I learnt about myself? That I'm not a particularly complex person :)

Top 5 punny titles

List by Annie

"The kind of humor I like is the thing that makes me laugh for five seconds and think for ten minutes."
- William Davis

Sometimes you just have to laugh. Authors – and editors – obviously love playing with words, and this selection of titles proves it.

Honourable mention:

Reign check Michelle Rowen

Top 5 display books I stole from Manukau Library's shelves

List by Tosca

"A book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul."
- Franz Kafka

One of the best things about working upstairs from a library is that I can pop down and randomly grab books left, right and centre. One of the worst things about working upstairs from a library is that I can pop down and randomly grab books left, right and centre. Many years ago I discovered that I am forever fatally attracted to books: titles, covers, writers, smell of new pages, smell of old pages...if it's a part of a book (the spine, the blurb, the font...) I will love it to death. And then some. I think that Manukau Library (the branch downstairs from me) does a fantastic job of keeping their display shelves topped up. They must do, because I am forever risking their ire to raid them and leave them empty. Today's selection is little more than the top 5 of their display books that I felt just begged to be read!

Top 5 girlie books that men will probably never read (unless it's to prove me wrong on purpose)

List by Tosca

Please note: This top 5 list has been transferred across from our Manukau Libraries website.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."
- Jane Austen, Pride and prejudice

An article I read a while ago (and have never been able to find since) discussed the gender differences in fiction selection. Women, it seemed, would read across a variety of genre by both male and female writers. A lot of women also commented that during troubled times in their lives they were able to find solace or guidance from a book. In fact, when interviewed, most women said the book that helped them the most during their lives was Jane Eyre, followed just as closely by Pride and Prejudice.

Men, on the other hand, did not see a link between fiction and life choices. A clear theme was that men preferred stories with a strong narrative, so much the better if it included an intellectual struggle. Another point of interest - and I'm not so sure this is a male trait so much as it is a human trait - is that when men would find an author who they identified with, they would use them as a literary guide. They would also read other authors that this particular one cited or quoted.

Something I try to do is re-read books that made a huge impression on me at least three times in my lifetime: as a child, as an adolescent, and as an adult. Each time I get something new out of it. It must be a girlie thing, then, because the article tells me that men do not do this. A book that was painfully important at puberty would, apparently, seem overly sentimental later, thereby spoiling the experience.

In short, women like touchy feely books, and men aren't looking for instrospective characters. A huge generalisation! The list below is all my own - ones that I've used as experiments and tried to foist off on male friends and brothers and had thrust right back.

We'd appreciate our male readers telling us what they would or wouldn't read, either from the list below or at all. So leave us a comment today!