The opposite of up

[mhalachai]

Allow me to clarify my rabidness about the Anita Blake books:

They're books. I tend to focus on the positive and the things I like in them, as I dislike to the extreme the crap that comes off a lot of the AB forums on the Internet, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the books faults. These days, all that I read goes through the "Anita Blake fanfic" filter, so it's likely I'm looking at the books in a different way than you lot.

So here it is: As opposed to the normal sunshine and cheer that goes around here, take the opportunity to nitpick, to say what you don't like about the Anita Blake books/characters/cover art etc. Thing is, if you say you don't like something, you need to say why.

Also, feel free to comment anonymously.

ETA PS: There are now spoilers for Micah and the Danse Macabre teaser in this thread. FYI KTHNX.

Comments

[eavling.livejournal.com]

It disturbs me that I cannot recommend these books to my friends on account of the profusion of gratuitous and overly descriptive sex (which is a novelty in some ways, but is still the subject of nagging by my cultural sensibilities.) I feel embarrased to read the books in public because of the nudity and eroticism of the cover art, (with oldschool, Emily Post style ettiquette looking over my shoulder.) I feel like I'm carrying around a Romance novel ( you know...the ones with a picture of a hulk of a manly man embracing a voluptuous and bodice-clad woman.) Like when I was reading Micah in the bookstore, there was a man on my right and another on my left, and I was desperately trying to hide that damn cover (lovely art, but not my taste in book cover.)

What is interesting to me is that LKH was asked during an Italian interview why her books had so little sex. In her blog, LKH said that that was the first time she had ever been asked that.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

That's an interesting point. I found that if I folded over the first cover, it'd only show that leopard print and that was okay. But yeah. I like the hardbacks because I can *remove* the dust jacket.

I find interesting the differences between the European and American views on sex and violence. In Europe, sex on TV, no problem, but the violence is what's censored. Makes sense to me. But that's probably because I'm Canadian.