The Importance of Romance Novels In My Life
I read my first romance at the young age of twelve years. It was Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey. I was bored and my mom's box of books was right next to me. I browsed through and was attracted by the artwork on the cover. I was hooked by the first sentence....
And now I am thirty-five years of age (as of 2008). I have probably read thousands of books, most of them romances. I have been teased innumerable times for my tendency to read this "lascivious, unrealistic, sleazy, unredemable sex books" many times. But I am at the point in my life where I sing it out loud and proud: I LOVE ROMANCE NOVELS.
If I were to elucidate why I love them, it would take quite a while. I could have a website dedicated to romance novels and their authors. That is my intention some day. If you have read through my blog, you know by now that it is one of my favorite subjects. But I will endeavor to deliver a brief discussion on one of my favorite subjects. So I begin.
Why I love romances novels
1)Lover conquers all: In a good romance novel, love always wins. It doesn't matter how things begin, by the end of the book, the hero and heroine are together, in love, and spending their lives together: preferably with a few kids as well. Everyone knows that life is not necessarily this way. There are some romance books that don't have all the happiness, but lots of anguish and pain. But at the end there is the knowledge that love won the last round.
2)It's an escape from real life: I don't have a dashing hero sweeping me off for a night of love and desire. I don't have exciting duels or swing from vines. I certainly don't wear dazzling evening gowns and dance the night away. But the characters between the pages of romance novels do. They often face heartbreak and anguish but you can always tell yourself it's just a book, even though they characters are fond enough to be like well-loved friends.
3)Romance inspires us: If we can read a book where two people can find happiness in a crazy world, then it makes it just that easier for us to keep striving in our own lives. Whenever I feel like I have given up on love for myself, I read a romance that shows how special this bond is, and it helps me to keep hoping there is a man out there for me. And he doesn't have to be Prince Charming.
4)When I was growing up in a troubled family, a shy, overweight, awkward nerd with few friends, romance novels and other books were my friends. There were outcasts within those stories that found happiness. And reading an engrossing story took me out of my life and into a safe place. I didn't care if I got made fun of, or got picked last to be on someone's team. It could drown out the sound of my parents fighting, make time go by faster as I waited for my mother to pick me up on the way home from work. And when I was older, Saturday nights in were fun, because I knew I had a good book or two to look forward too. Even now, I don't get depressed about my non-existent social life. I look forward to a long weekend to catch up on my reading.
So I proudly hold up my Romance Fan banner. I defiantly say, "Yes, I love reading romance novels." And I hope that when I am a 90 year old woman, I can see well enough to read some of my most favorite romances again and again.
I read my first romance at the young age of twelve years. It was Fires of Winter by Johanna Lindsey. I was bored and my mom's box of books was right next to me. I browsed through and was attracted by the artwork on the cover. I was hooked by the first sentence....
And now I am thirty-five years of age (as of 2008). I have probably read thousands of books, most of them romances. I have been teased innumerable times for my tendency to read this "lascivious, unrealistic, sleazy, unredemable sex books" many times. But I am at the point in my life where I sing it out loud and proud: I LOVE ROMANCE NOVELS.
If I were to elucidate why I love them, it would take quite a while. I could have a website dedicated to romance novels and their authors. That is my intention some day. If you have read through my blog, you know by now that it is one of my favorite subjects. But I will endeavor to deliver a brief discussion on one of my favorite subjects. So I begin.
Why I love romances novels
1)Lover conquers all: In a good romance novel, love always wins. It doesn't matter how things begin, by the end of the book, the hero and heroine are together, in love, and spending their lives together: preferably with a few kids as well. Everyone knows that life is not necessarily this way. There are some romance books that don't have all the happiness, but lots of anguish and pain. But at the end there is the knowledge that love won the last round.
2)It's an escape from real life: I don't have a dashing hero sweeping me off for a night of love and desire. I don't have exciting duels or swing from vines. I certainly don't wear dazzling evening gowns and dance the night away. But the characters between the pages of romance novels do. They often face heartbreak and anguish but you can always tell yourself it's just a book, even though they characters are fond enough to be like well-loved friends.
3)Romance inspires us: If we can read a book where two people can find happiness in a crazy world, then it makes it just that easier for us to keep striving in our own lives. Whenever I feel like I have given up on love for myself, I read a romance that shows how special this bond is, and it helps me to keep hoping there is a man out there for me. And he doesn't have to be Prince Charming.
4)When I was growing up in a troubled family, a shy, overweight, awkward nerd with few friends, romance novels and other books were my friends. There were outcasts within those stories that found happiness. And reading an engrossing story took me out of my life and into a safe place. I didn't care if I got made fun of, or got picked last to be on someone's team. It could drown out the sound of my parents fighting, make time go by faster as I waited for my mother to pick me up on the way home from work. And when I was older, Saturday nights in were fun, because I knew I had a good book or two to look forward too. Even now, I don't get depressed about my non-existent social life. I look forward to a long weekend to catch up on my reading.
So I proudly hold up my Romance Fan banner. I defiantly say, "Yes, I love reading romance novels." And I hope that when I am a 90 year old woman, I can see well enough to read some of my most favorite romances again and again.
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