August is just about over, but you still have time to celebrate romance. Whether you find it at home, on a date, or at the library, August is the month to think about romance.
A few online Romance Awareness Month sources suggest adding a little romance to your relationship this month, or focusing on the romance that is already there. Send your significant other flowers, express your appreciation for her/him verbally, hold hands, give compliments, cook a special dinner.
If you’re still looking for romance, might I suggest a visit to the library? I’m not suggesting you find a date there (although it is a great place to meet other reading enthusiasts) but that you explore our romance collection.
Romance as a genre has gotten a bad rap over the years. Readers have been looked down upon for their interest in the genre. Some romance critics are convinced that romance novels are badly-written, enable gender stereotypes, and are unrealistic portrayals of relationships. Romance has been described as a lesser genre reserved for escapists who don’t care about literary quality. I, and many others, take issue with those sentiments. I ask you, romance readers, to lift up your heads and proudly read.
Romance is the most popular genre in North America, accounting for more than half of paperback sales, and romance novels have been translated into more than 90 different languages. Those statistics are nothing to scoff at. Romance as a genre is also quite diverse and encompasses a number of other genres: suspense, history, mystery, fantasy, comedy, coming-of-age, crime, paranormal, science fiction, multicultural, and inspirational. How many other genres can you say that about?
If you still aren’t sure about romances, I challenge you to take a look at Kristan Higgins’ “Publisher’s Weekly” article from Aug. 14. Higgins is a prolific romance writer and does a stellar job of defending the genre’s legitimacy.
Higgins explains that “romance authors offer readers an emotional experience that mirrors an elemental desire in life: to find a constant and loving companion; to become our best selves; to forgive our mistakes of the past and learn from them.” She also offers that many romance novelists possess credentials a great many literary authors do not.
Some romance writers are doctors, lawyers, and professors. Some have had unbelievable life experiences and possess unrivaled perspectives.
I’m happy to say that the Sweetwater County Library offers its patrons a wide selection of romance titles. Some of them are paperbacks and some are hardcovers. You might be surprised to know that well-known authors such as Nora Roberts, Julie Garwood, Jayne Ann Krentz, Debbie Macomber, and Gena Showalter can be found in the Romance section. For easier browsing, we’ve separated our Romance from the Fiction and put them in their own section. Find Romance after Mystery and before Science Fiction.
Kristan Higgins stresses how she doesn’t see anything wrong with readers wanting a happy ending and getting one in a romance novel. She continues, “Our books affirm faith in humanity and preach the goodness and courage of the ordinary heart. We make our readers laugh, we make them cry, and we affirm our belief in the enduring, uplifting power of love. I fail to see the problem here.”
I encourage you to pick up a romance if you haven’t read one before. Give one a chance, because, as I said before, romance novels’ subject matter is quite diverse. You can most-likely find something that appeals to you. Now, if you still don’t feel comfortable checking out a romance novel in the bright light of the library, try using one of our ebook services. Overdrive, 3M Cloud Library, and Freading all house a great selection of romances.
My best advice for the new romance reader is twofold: first, don’t judge the book by its cover, and second, don’t be afraid to find a happy ending.
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