WannaBeGythaOgg

Libido, Lust and other L-words

Lately (not one of the L-words I was thinking of), I've been reading romance novels. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, having to date been a scoffer of the whole theme. I've read fantasy, horror, fiction - unfortunately all elements of my own romantic experience. Mostly, though, I stick with anything that's been written by authors I've read before, who have a good command of the language and who can grab my attention in the first 5 pages of a book, and I especially love anything that can make me laugh. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I need a laugh just about as much as I need air.

However, on a recent trip through the supermarket, I decided to check out the book aisle, having re-read just about every book I own several times. Something caught my attention, and I picked up...wait for it...a romance novel; read a few pages, and decided to buy not only that book, but the others available by the same author. After bringing them home, I read all three within a three day span, and I was hooked.

These are not the "bodice-ripper"-type stories with which I associated all romance novels up to that day. No Fabio on the cover; as a matter of fact, no cover art to speak of at all. The style of the author, Jennifer Crusie, reminds me of Jamie Harrison, who wrote an excellent four-book series focusing on a sheriff in Montana - great phraseology (not sure if that's a word, but remember it from "The Music Man", and it certainly applies), and a dry sense of humor that had me laughing out loud often through each book. At this point, I've read all of her books at least twice (thanks to trips to bookstores and Amazon.com), and am anxiously anticipating the release of the latest, due next month.

Which brings me to my point, relating to the title of this blog edition - due to recent and historical blips in my marriage which have resulted in a lack of certain activity, I've noticed that my libido and lust factors have elevated to previously unfelt levels. I am craving - well, we'll call it "companionship", but more than that, I feel I deserve a romantic relationship that includes several aspects I am currently not experiencing, most of them having to do with another adult being involved. These romance novels, in short, despite being funny and great reads, are serving to highlight what's missing in my life...having lost my ability to be scornful of the genre thanks to Ms. Crusie, I'm now thinking I should avoid them on principle, since the net effect is that they're just making me depressed, despite the truly amusing plot points in each of them.

Maybe I should find my laughs somewhere else...or maybe I should find a way to use these books as inspiration for a potential positive upturn in my own life. In the meantime, though, at least SOMEBODY's having fun, and when I'm laughing, I know it's still me.

posted by PratchettFan @ 9:53 PM