My wife reads a lot of books about 1/2 of which are romances. I have talked to her about this some. She says they are fantasy. She doesn’t really want me to act like the guys in the book.
I didn’t really see Oryx and Crake as all that icky. I mean, it was kind of freaky in that Brave New World way, but what disturbed you about it? The post apocalyptic thing? The creating a new race of people part? Everyone dying? It didn’t seem all that ickier than any other dysotpian book.
Hm, well, that I can get on board with. I have no interest in the Gossip Girl kids beyond fantasizing who would make the best man eating tiger meat (so far, it seems to be Jenny Humphries, she of the size eight breasts) but they are fun, light reading. My cover story is, as always, that I’m only reading to snark it on my blog, but that, too, is enjoyable! 
The one thing that kind of worked for me was the unresolved sexual tension. To a certain point, having two people who are incredibly hot for each other, yet for some reason can’t get together, is a lot of fun. Maybe that is part of the appeal?
I’m musing - could part of the attraction be that Edward, unlike traditional bodice-ripping heroes of romance, is the one who objects to having sex? Like the girls and women who read these get to indulge in some vicarious sexual freedom, with the safety net that Edward won’t follow through? I don’t know, I like the follow through (in fiction and life), but that feature jumps out at me as a major difference between these and most other romantic scenarios, both real-world and imaginary. I suppose it can feel exhausting to have the burden of refusing sinful sex and granting proper sex, which is a role women are often put in. So these books offer a fantasy role reversal.
There was an article on Slate today that’s relevant to this thread. It’s called Vampires Suck: Actually, they don’t. And that’s the problem.
FWIW, I watched it on Netflix Watch Instantly and that version has the theatrical subtitles.
Oryx. I found the whole Oryx storyline to be really disturbing.
Twilight has pissed me off in another way. Apparently there is some kind of furor over the Twilight fans at Comic-Con. I don’t have time to find much but from what I’ve seen so far trying to google it, the Twilight fans took up all the seats and wouldn’t let anyone else sit there, and if other people were sitting there they’d bitch to security who would get them to move. Or something. I’ll try and look it up tomorrow after I get some sleep but if that’s what it was like then it pisses me off on principle even though I wasn’t at Comic-Con.
Hehehe! Our old dog (a Westie, like the one we have now), used to eat crayons and would poop colors.
(I do have to confess though – Jennie Garth’s husband is hot, when not in Twilight persona)
Hmm, yeah, that was sad. She seemed remarkably well adjusted for someone who had been through all that, though. Way more so than Jimmy.
Skeptical, I googled Jennie Garth’s husband Peter Facinelli. I have been CONVERTED.
http://images.starpulse.com/pictures/2007/02/01/previews/Peter%20Facinelli-SGG-034433.jpg
VAMPOODLE!
Yet another thing I must put in a tongue-in-cheek RPG somewhere.
Same way they get past the vile misogyny in bodice rippers, which are basically odes to rape.
Well, that or POOPIRE!
If you decide to rent the film, make sure you get the new version. The version that came out first on DVD has very crappy subtitles. The newer DVD has the original subtitles from the theatrical run.
Even more important; don’t watch it with the English dubbed voices. That’s beyond terrible.
Based on this thread, I got borrowed copy of M T Anderson’s Thirsty from my local library. I really enjoyed it, so thanks for recommending it susan and Angel Of The Lord.
Great ending.