Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Top Five: Romance Paperbacks

We're winding up the end of our fiscal year around the office, which means Wendy has been ordering an obscene amount of books in order to spend every last penny. I've also been trying to pre-order as much as possible since it looks like next fiscal year is going to suck hardcore. Best to pre-order as much as I can now while I still have a few farthings to spend. Anywho, since I've been on a bit of a paperback spending spree, I thought now would be a good time to highlight the Top 5 Romance Paperback Originals in my library system according to the length of the wait list. Here they are:


Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts - Seriously, this shocks no one with two brain cells to rub together. It's Nora, it's the third book in a series, these books have been breathlessly beautiful to gaze upon, and did I mention it's Nora?








Married By Morning by Lisa Kleypas - The sad truth is that I don't order nearly as many paperbacks as a library system my size should be ordering. However, what kills me, is that prior to my tenure, not even a thimble-full of titles were getting in system, and those that were added came via donations. It especially kills me for authors like Kleypas, who always has a strong showing for us. Seriously, only Nora is standing in her way of the top spot.





Darkness Within by Kinley MacGregor/Sherrilyn Kenyon - I actually ordered this one ages ago, and turns out the publication date got pushed back to October 26, 2010. Which means I just fired off an e-mail to our acquisitions department to make sure this order doesn't get canceled. Little known library factoid: if you preorder too far in advance, your order tends to get canceled. Which is why I try to adhere to the 1-3 month advance. Saves me and those in purchasing quite a bit of aggravation, although I'm sure library patrons would love to put their name on a wait list some 9 months out for certain titles.



Blood Born by Linda Howard & Linda Jones - You know, I've seen a few, but given the sheer volume of Linda Howard fangirls floating around the Interwebs, I'm surprised I haven't seen a bazillion reviews for this one. Are some of you jumping off the bandwagon? Or are you just "over" paranormal? And seriously, how much body oil did they rub that cover model down with?






Rule's Bride by Kat Martin - This is the final book in Martin's Bride trilogy, a series that has gained momentum for us with each release. I do recall the first book generated a modest waiting list, but I suspect more readers got snagged as they stumbled across the first two books sitting on new book shelves. Martin's been around forever, but I'd be lying if I didn't say the strong showing for this trilogy even surprises me just a tinch. But only a tinch....

13 comments:

Kati said...

I *so* wanted to love Savor the Moment. And a solid 2/3 of it, I really did. But man did that book just peter out at the end. I have high hopes for the end of the series. They really are exquisite covers.

Lori said...

Wow - really surprised at the Martin book. I read and liked the trilogy, but am surprised that it's a top 5 request.

What will it take to get you to abandon the OC and come to VC? Really.

Lynn Spencer said...

I haven't read them yet, but those Nora Roberts covers are just gorgeous! I wish we could get more romance covers like THAT.

Also, I know she's been around forever, but I would never have guessed that Kat Martin's trilogy would be top 5. I knew she had a following(hence the being around forever), but I didn't realize she was that big.

Buriedbybooks said...

Our library does not catalog their mass market paperbacks. It's strictly read and return. Which I loathe. Can't tell what is there unless you happen upon a book you like.

Very surprised about the Kat Martin book, too.

FD said...

I read the Linda Howard on a train journey. Couldn't say for sure but I venture to suggest that the reason that there aren't more reviews for it is the same reason that I can't give you a synopsis - because I can't bloody remember what happened in the book.
I believe it involved vampires, doomsday yada yada and interminable bits of world-building, but I really don't recall any details at ALL, whether good or bad. I don't recall the hero/heroine, the big bad or even the novel twist on the vampire myth. I am pretty sure there was one, just not a memorable one. The only thing I do recall thinking it that it was pretty clearly the first installment only. So yeah, I think it just floated past blogland's notice amidst a general sea of meh-ness.

Wendy said...

Kati: Every time I see one of those books in a library or bookstore, I stop to pet it. Simply amazing, gorgeous books. I don't mind paying higher prices if the books are beautiful.

Lori: It kind of suprised me too, although I think Martin made the NYT bestsellers list with this trilogy. Uh, I think. And I'd come on up to VC if I thought they had any more $$ than the OC - but sadly, I think it's going to suck for all libraries across the board next year :( Plus, the commute would KILL me! LOL

Lynn: Martin just squeaked into the Top 5. I got this list by generating how many were on the request list, and Martin came in at #5 by one person :)

Buried: Especially in these times not cataloging is fiscally irresponsible. ILL costs WAY more than cataloging a paperback - unless your library has a policy of not ILL-ing pbs? Which would doubly-suck. I'm actually going to talk about this at the presentation I'm giving at RWA this summer....

FD: amidst a general sea of meh-ness. Oh man, I am so borrowing that the next time I read a book that flies right out of my head when I finish the last sentence. Sometimes I really think that's worse than reading a horribly awful story. At least you remember (for good or ill) the horribly awful ones. The "meh" ones get lost in the ether....

Hilcia said...

You are so right, Wendy... those Nora books are just soooo pettable. So far this is not my favorite series by her, but I love to caress the covers and the pages! The books are gorgeous. I'm not surprised she at the top of your list.

Kat Martin? Really? She's definitely a surprise... I haven't read anything by her in ages!

Holly said...

I'm really surprised about the Martin as well. I haven't seen very much buzz about the trilogy and though she's been around forever it doesn't seem like there are as many readers interested in her as there used to be.

The Howard doesn't interest me at all. Both because she's moving down my list and because I'm over the paranormal. I'm not at all surprised to hear it was nothing but "meh".

ms bookjunkie said...

Having read the Howard… what FD said.

Wendy said...

Hilcia & Holly: I think name recognition has a lot to do with the success (at least at my library!) of the Martin trilogy. Those I like to call "casual" romance readers (not online, rely on browsing the shelves, read in a vacuum, not obsessive freaks like us *G*), stumble across the book, think to themselves, "Kat Martin, oh I've heard of her!" and pick it up to read - get hooked - plow through whole trilogy. Which would be why I have a longer wait list for book #3 than I did for books #1 & #2. People are hooked now.

Ms. Bookjunkie: I think FD should trademark "general sea of meh-ness."

nath said...

It's a very nice list. I am surprised about the Martin... but good for her :)

No interest in the Linda Howard, partly because I'm getting down the paranormal bandwagon, but also because it's a collaboration. I'm sorry, but collaborations rarely work in my opinion.

mslizalou said...

I have both Nora's and Lisa's books in my TBR pile.

Rebecca @ DSB said...

That list made perfect sense to me, and it was interesting, so thanks for sharing.

I reviewed Blood Born a few weeks back, and I gave it the equivalent of 2 out of 5 stars. Yeah, I don't recommend it at ALL. In fact, it has one of the most repulsive first sex scenes I've read in a long time. It was akin to watching two people grit their teeth while cleaning out a blocked sewer pipe.