Cue the trumpets....
The May 15th issue of Booklist contains a Spotlight on Women's Fiction.
As a genre, women's fiction, or as I call it when I teach, Women's Lives and Relationships, does not get the attention it deserves. Too often it is referred to only as a subset of Romance, but this is completely false. The biggest reason is that Romance always ends with a marriage between the leads, while Women's Lives and Relationships books deal with the story after the happily ever after.
Confused?
Don't worry, I have the leading expert on Women's Fiction to break it all down for you, Rebecca Vnuk. In the issue she has this essay explaining just exactly how you define the genre and this annotated list of the best Women's Fiction from the last 12 months.
I used the links to refresh myself on the genre conventions, key authors, and to check to make sure the BPL has all the books on Rebecca's list of the best of 2012. I really can't have enough Women's Fiction at the BPL. It is one of our most popular genres.
Click through to both for yourself. It's still Women's History Month. There is no better time to brush up on the genre than right now.
Thanks Becky!
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