Reading with Mandy

One thing that I find interesting is how books capture popular culture, obscure cultures and everything in between. Books are for everyone but specific books are written with certain types of readers in mind. In more recent years the Young Adult market has exploded (especially in comparison to what was available in the 90s for teens). It seemed odd to jump straight from children’s books to adult books and at some point will discuss my favorite YA author (and it’s not who you’d expect). For this week I want to explore the Romance genre specifically which makes up the majority of the book market today. A quick google search will tell you that the Romance genre industry alone is a billion dollar industry. I started reading romance novels at the age of 15 and they were my main jump into adult literature. There is of course a whole cultural discussion going on about smut right now and probably won’t get into that with this particular post. The definition of romance to me (because there are arguments on what qualifies and not getting into that) is a story that focuses on relationships and an ending that provides a feeling of resolution. Romance (and consequently Hallmark movies) gain in popularity during times of discord and also women’s rights being infringed or there being an attempt to infringe. The second part is important because what sets the Romance market apart from other markets is that it is fiction written by women for women. Some might argue that it’s inherently sexist but with the increase in queer voices there is less of an emphasis on heterosexual relationships which in my opinion is a good thing. Romance is inclusive in nature. It’s also predictable because it’s a guaranteed ending that resolves everything, and it all works out for everyone. In a world that feels like it’s falling apart or things are changing so rapidly, romance lets me have a place to escape to and cozy romances especially work with quirky characters in a small town. It’s always easy to find as well because it’s a huge part of the book market. Happy Reading!