Poll

I'm an open book, no pun intended. 😁 Interesting! I would personally never judge anyone, and have no qualms about showing my covers. 😅😁

I’ll read whatever genre interests me at the time. My concern is it has to be well written. So far no one has hassled me. Not that hassling me would do them much good.

The answer lies in the question being asked in the first place.

I get looked at cause I’m male!!

Says the guy who ditched a romance reading challenge that HE initiated — a romantasy with a strong sexy MFC, vampires, chards, and all that 😄 No qualms about showing covers, sure... finishing the book is another story 😁 It's okay C, we will always have our cheese talk 🧀💜

Chris Lee wrote: "I'm an open book, no pun intended. 😁 Interesting! I would personally never judge anyone, and have no qualms about showing my covers. 😅😁"

The well written rule... yes! And I love that energy, zero tolerance for hassling 😄 Makes sense coming from someone who knows exactly what good writing looks like 📚

Murray wrote: "I’ll read whatever genre interests me at the time. My concern is it has to be well written. So far no one has hassled me. Not that hassling me would do them much good."

Well said... the fact that we're even asking says everything, doesn't it ☺️

Javier wrote: "The answer lies in the question being asked in the first place."

Male romance reader solidarity! 📚 And that's exactly the double standard this poll is about... glad you're here, Iain 😄

iain wrote: "I get looked at cause I’m male!!"

Thankyou Anastasija 👍😊

Anytime, Iain! Happy reading 📚😊

iain wrote: "Thankyou Anastasija 👍😊"

You too 😘🥰

I doubt I’ll be digging into say a hockey romance anytime soon. But I know I’m not smarter than people who read them. Some of the best and funniest reviews i read on this site are of romance novels. I’m more worried about people who don’t read at all. Not judgmental just disappointed because I know it would enrich their lives, any reading. I have five brothers, All but one have never read a book since high school if then. Im the weirdo.

I've never been a romance reader, but for over a decade, one of the books in my small set of annual re-reads is a romance novel: Boob Tube, whose cover is just a close-up of cleavage. I wouldn't be caught dead with the physical copy in public, because even I would find that a stranger danger trigger. It's by a husband-wife writing team, and the wife had a career at a soap opera digest. It's full of the funniest real-world backstage scandals she encountered, fictionalized. The reviews claim it's similar to Jackie Collins, whom I've never read. I look at it this way: film watchers rotate through genres: comedy, horror, drama, action, documentary, etc. Some of it is lowbrow, some is highbrow, and most is in between. I wouldn't expect readers to be any different.

Andrew, let me know if you change your mind on that hockey romance 😄
But I agree with you 100%. Last year, I hooked my mum on reading after a very long break, and when she asked me for a book, my heart did a small dance... watering eyes not included 😅 She's now 26 books deep into my shelves and I couldn't be prouder.
As for being the weirdo... you're in good company here, we call it something else, just saying 😉😄

Andrew wrote: "I doubt I’ll be digging into say a hockey romance anytime soon. But I know I’m not smarter than people who read them. Some of the best and funniest reviews i read on this site are of romance novels..."

Luke, the film analogy is spot on... nobody gets side-eyed for watching a rom-com AND a horror movie in the same weekend 🫣😅
And now I'm very curious about Boob Tube — that cover alone is a statement 📚😄 You say re-read, I say 'add to TBR list' 😄😶‍🌫️

Luke wrote: "I've never been a romance reader, but for over a decade, one of the books in my small set of annual re-reads is a romance novel: Boob Tube, whose cover is just a close-up of cleavage. I wouldn't be..."

The most romantic book I’ve ever read has to be James Joyce’s Ulysses.
(Is a romance the same as a love story?)
Second thoughts: MRB! Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter's Night a Traveler.😁

Mark coming in with the big guns 😄

I'll give you Calvino. He using reading itself as a metaphor for love, intimacy and human connection, romance with a postmodern twist, yes! Joyce though... I love him dearly, but sexuality and cynicism don't quite equal romance... or do they? 👀

Thank you for this unexpected literary morning, genuinely didn't expect Ulysses before my coffee ☕

Mark wrote: "The most romantic book I’ve ever read has to be James Joyce’s Ulysses.
(Is a romance the same as a love story?)
Second thoughts: MRB! Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter's Night a Traveler.😁"