Bodice Ripper Readers Anonymous discussion

Looking back at my "read" shelf, I noticed that around early April more non-romance books started to show up in my reading. Since then, I've been reading quite an eclectic grab bag of stuff, with a romance or two scattered here and there. I guess I was trying to break out of a rut without realizing it.

I've never been a one-genre reader anyway, and probably confining myself to BRs and HRs for months was going against my natural grain.

Do you sometimes find yourself wandering outside the regular romance sphere?

♥ Cheshire Catt ♠ wrote: "Reading too much of the same thing is a good way to kill your passion for it real quick (at least in my case)."

Same here. I don't know how some readers stick with the same genre for everything they read.

The clichés and tropes can really start to rub me the wrong way if I've been stuck in the same genre for a very long time.

I know that I have to change it up a bit each month. It will always be romance but I will go from historical, romantice suspence, paranormal, erotica and so on. Though lately I have been reading more contemproary romantic suspence.

I see repetition in the heroine a lot when I read one genre. The sassy 20 year old (if she's Scottish or interested in someone from Scotland) or the kick-ass potty mouth (sci-fi and urban fiction). And the vampire men all start to meld into one man, with slight variations. Or the soldier or ex-soldier that doesn't take no for an answer and tells the heroine this is the way it's going to be no arguments. I know there's only so much difference a writer can make and I would hate to try to write it myself, but sometimes I have a hard time keeping them straight after I read a book.

I always get in those ruts and find if I read something really different Im able to get back to a historical romance. I find Romantic suspence helps..or "chick-lit" which I NEVER use to read, something lighter with humor.I just cant seem to get into the "Tudor" stuff right now..read to much I suppose..maybe III try some "smut" LOL

Oh and yes I forgot..a good Sci-Fic can really take me to another place & get me out of the "rut" tho...not many have "smut" in them..um..unless you know of any? Just making out will do :)

♥ Cheshire Catt ♠ wrote: "@Sandi - smut is always a good thing!!

@Noelle & Carolyn - wow! I could never stick with just the romance genre, I have to have something completely different in there every now and then."

It's funny because I didn't start out reading romance, I didn't even realize that I liked to read until a friend bought me a book for a "thank you" gift. Not long after that a daycare parent gave me a gift card for B&N for my birthday, I had never been in one before. I went to the 5$ bestsellers table and just bought anything that sounded good. It didn't take me long to see that the only ones I REALLY liked were romance and I just stuck to that ever since. =)

Thanks!! Just added them :D

Sandi wrote: "Oh and yes I forgot..a good Sci-Fic can really take me to another place & get me out of the "rut" tho...not many have "smut" in them..um..unless you know of any? Just making out will do :)"

Kaitlyn O'Connor, smutty sci-fi, with humor.

I took a five or six year break from romance and stuck my nose in rock biographies and autobiographies. It was much needed since I'm ready to return to romance. Oops, had to edit. Typo.

Carolyn F. wrote: "Sandi wrote: "Oh and yes I forgot..a good Sci-Fic can really take me to another place & get me out of the "rut" tho...not many have "smut" in them..um..unless you know of any? Just making out will ..."

<
III have to check out this author Carolyn thanks!

I read Urban Fantasy, Historical Fiction (mystery, romance and general), Cozies, Thrillers, Fantasy, Sci-fi and all kinds of stuff.

It's rare that I get into to a rut where I just don't read anything. Usually when that happens: I listen to audiobooks on my IPOD while doing various things (cleanign, walking etc..,) I catch up on movies and stuff I TIVO'd. Usually something I watch will put me in the mood for a specific type of book.

My first love is always romance but I try and mix up the sub-genres... I love historical, rom/suspense, paranormal. But I also like to have a 'break' and I will read a UF or YA or children's book. I have read other genres, I went through times of only ready spy-thrillers for eg. I read every Ludlum and Forbes book I could get my hands on. Then I went through the medical and legal thrillers - read Deaver, Grisham, and Cook. But I ALWAYS end up coming back to romance and have not strayed away in quite some time and have no plans to in future :) Although I do often just pick up a thriller cos of the awesome premise...but it has to be very very good for me to take away from my precious reading time. Just love my romances.

Years ago I was into BR, historical romance and then went on to plantation romances. That was all I read and eventually I lost all interest in them. Seemed like they all started to read the same. So I stopped and started reading bio and history. So now I am re-reading alot of my favorite BR and have gotten back into historical romances, which is my first love. I am just sorry that it took so long to get back into them. Sometimes you just need to take a brake.

I think I might have finally gotten away from the exclusive reading habits - read nothing but one type, then get bored and read nothing but something else. Constantly mixing it up by reading romance, then an old Victorian book, then historical fiction, then something from the 1700s, then a Harlequin, then a regular HR or BR is keeping everything pretty fresh. It's become a nice balance. :)

I am all over the place when it comes to what I like to read. I started out with horror as a teenager then went to bestsellers. I have always loved historical romances, I like the idea of learning something as I'm reading. Lately I find myself going between BR and YA. I try to add a good fiction book in too so I don't get tired of the same thing.

Does anyone find that while your in this rut..you start reading..ok..starting good..gets even better..than for some reason, I lose interest..is it the book itself that didnt keep me in..or me..short interst span? Its been so hard to follow to the end lately..what a rut :(

I usually have that type of mental block when I'm getting close to the end of ANY book. My mind is already thinking about the next one I'm going to read and would wish the one I'm reading now was done already! That usually happens around the "50-25 pages left" mark.

Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) wrote: "I usually have that type of mental block when I'm getting close to the end of ANY book. My mind is already thinking about the next one I'm going to read and would wish the one I'm reading now was d..."

Yup...same thing :/

Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) wrote: "I usually have that type of mental block when I'm getting close to the end of ANY book. My mind is already thinking about the next one I'm going to read and would wish the one I'm reading now was d..."

ditto

Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) wrote: "I usually have that type of mental block when I'm getting close to the end of ANY book. My mind is already thinking about the next one I'm going to read and would wish the one I'm reading now was d..."

It's the same for me but I figure it's because all of the good stuff has already happend. It takes a unique book to keep me into it all the way to the end, other wise I usually just skim throught the last few pages.