For as long as I’ve been reading, romance has been my favorite genre.
Okay, so it probably wasn’t my go-to genre when I was in elementary school because, uh, that would have been weird, but once I was old enough to begin reading Sweet Valley High and then, my all-time favorite series, Love Stories (side note: I actually Googled about this book series last week to see if those books are still in circulation, but looks like I am SOL on that one), I was hooked.
As a reader, I have to work really hard not to feel judged by my taste in books. While I force myself to read books that are not in my comfort zone, mostly to feel like a more well-rounded reader but also because I truly enjoy non-genre fiction, romance is what I always come back to.
A romance novel is predictable; it will have two people falling in love and a happily ever after. This couple will make it against all odds, no matter how many curveballs are thrown their way. No matter how many times the main character screws up or says the wrong thing or lets his/her fear get in the way… it all turns up well in the end.
Real life is not a romance novel. Real life is a lot more heartbreaking than a romance. Real life involves swiping left on a phone app. It involves crummy dates with men who are still boys. It involves confusion and will-he-or-won’t-he and text messages that you can’t help but analyze the hell out of. Real life doesn’t always have a tidy ending. The guy won’t always come back. The guy won’t always apologize for being a dick. The guy will sometimes disappear for reasons you cannot make sense of.
I don’t read romances because I believe in love and/or want my own tidy love story. I read them because they take my mind off the heartbreak that is simply living life as a human. They are something lighthearted to read when life feels a bit uncertain.
They feel like a safe space to come to when my anxiety is out of control, when I’m sad and upset at life, when I need an escape from the realities of this world. They fill a void for me. When life feels unpredictable, I know I can always come to my romances and know that everything will work out, no matter what.
It’s very easy to attach shame to different aspects of our lives, and this is so true when it comes to our reading lives. I know way too many people who scoff at those who read – and love – the romance genre. They think the female characters are flighty and silly and dumb. They think the plots are too predictable. These are the people who a) have never actually read a great romance novel and b) don’t understand the genre. While I’ve read my fair share of romances with female MCs that I want to shake, the majority of them are the opposite of that. They are strong, independent women who don’t take shit from anyone. They are inspirational and funny and sexy and they teach me a lot about life and love and what it means to let your guard down. And don’t even get me started on those who turn their nose up at the predictability of romance. That’s genre fiction, folks. That’s how it works.
I’m not saying that everyone needs to enjoy romance. Just as I don’t need to enjoy classic literature or science fiction or fantasy. But I also don’t believe in snubbing those who do enjoy those types of books. We have to stop labeling book genres as good and bad. We have to stop thinking someone is not a well-read person just because they can’t name an Austen or a Dickens book that they enjoyed.
Romance is my favorite genre because it gives me exactly what reading should give a person: a place to escape, a soft spot to fall. It allows me to sink into another world, learn more about life and love. For me, there’s nothing more exciting than starting a new romance novel from a beloved author.
I’ve also always, always been a genre reader. My go-to’s when I was younger were The Baby-Sitter’s Club and Sweet Valley and Boxcar Children and Magic Attic Club. And then I continued to read genre fiction as I grew older. Of course, as mentioned earlier, I’ve made it a point, especially in recent years to step out of my comfort zone and read non-genre books, but romance is where my heart is. Romance is what I’ll always pick up when I need to read something that I can trust to make me feel better.
Reading is a hobby, and as such, it’s not something I’ll ever put parameters on. I don’t care if I’m not as well-read as other readers. I don’t read to impress people. I read for enjoyment. I read for escape. I read to feel better.
As someone who has been reading the Stephanie Plum series non-stop for the last year, I am with you on this. I felt guilty or judged for awhile, and ok, maybe still do, but guess what? It makes me happy, I enjoy the stories, the tug-of-war between Stephanie and her two main love interests (I love them each for different ways), I love the new mystery plots in each story and of course, I love knowing that for the most part, each mystery will be solved at the end of the books. 19 books in and I don’t always see the plot twists and curves, but that makes it fun, to me. I enjoy a good romance novel, I enjoy “chick lit,” and historical fiction, too, just not as much as I love a cheesy mystery novel these days.
Love this post. I especially loved your paragraph “real life is… ” man oh man so spot on.
I can’t say I read romance – or not what I think of as romance but I love the “chick lit” where romance will be the main secondary plot to the novel. I feel every book needs a good love story.
And hey even “literature” and “deep books” have some pretty flighty and shallow characters so I think it’s so wrong to stereotype one type of character existing for one type of genre.
Wonderful post! No one should ever feel ashamed for the genre of books they read. Reading, to paraphrase your thoughts, is meant to provide a safe space, security, adventure, an escape…so it makes sense that we enjoy what we are reading!
I don’t like the trends I see in adult literature towards books that match the messiness and uncertainties of real life so closely; I find these books tend to be forlorn and drawn-out. There is nothing wrong with a dose of this type of literature now and then, but our world and lives are already full of uncertainties and circumstances out of our control – it’s not all that fun to read fiction that revolves around these points too.
A good romance novel, or historical fiction, or fantasy, or sci-fi…they bring magic back into life :).
I read a ton of different genres and romance is one of them! You’re totally right that romance books are comforting when you need them to be. 🙂
I don’t think anyone should feel a sense of shame about what they read. The important thing is that you are reading – what you are reading is irrelevant in my opinion! Romances are not my thing but I definitely don’t judge others that enjoy them – to each their own! Romance seems to be an extremely successful and popular genre so I think you are soooo not alone in your love for this genre!
I used to feel bad that I did not enjoy the classics, like Austen’s works, but I have let go of that. For me, reading is for pleasure, and i do not derive pleasure from reading older classic works. And that is ok!
I used to feel guilty for reading so many chick lits or YA fiction because they don’t “broaden your mind” or whatever… but they’re my favorite. Like you said, I read to escape. While I enjoy the occasional non-fiction book, those are still my favorites to read unapologetically.