[2023] Poll 16 Voting

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Robin P wrote: "She stated that the purpose of genre fiction (including all the types you mentioned) is different from the purpose of literary fiction. It isn't to reflect the outside world so much..."

Sorry, I can't help you much with romantic suspense. I usually end up reading them only by mistake. I actually find it annoying that a perfectly good love/relationship story has to be interrupted by attacks/threats/crimes/weird events. It does give the hero a chance to rescue the heroine, although I find it more interesting when she rescues him. Of course, people always go alone to dangerous places to "investigate" or believe some odd letter they got that summons them to a rendezvous !

I like romances where the couple can meet cute, fight a lot, end up in bed and in love in whichever order. There can be some family drama or workplace drama, but not too much psychological angst.

[Nadine in NY]

Lynn wrote: "... Then I'll be sure to send that listing to you periodically so you can be overwhelmed anew! ..."


This REALLY made me laugh. Like out-loud startled guffawing 🤣🤣🤣

[Nadine in NY]

Robin P wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Robin P wrote: "She stated that the purpose of genre fiction (including all the types you mentioned) is different from the purpose of literary fiction. It isn't to reflect the ..."




Yes I have yet to find a good romantic suspense novel. But I like what Krentz said so I'm going to try one of hers. My ex-in-laws used to live off of River Road, so I think the Universe wants me to read River Road. It's also got a theme of "coming home" so if that suggestion gets in on the next poll, I've already got a book planned!

[NancyJ]

Lynn wrote: "For option #3 A book that has won a diversity award in the 21st Century (2001-present)

Here is a more detailed and targeted listing of sources as requested.
(I have removed the few academic/schol..."

Awesome list. Thanks for the additional details. I love Barbara Kingsolver - her books just make me feel good - so the Pen Bellwether award caught my eye first. I plan to read The Leavers for this prompt. Many people put this book on their "favorites" shelf, including people whose reviews I follow.

[NancyJ]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Robin P wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Robin P wrote: "She stated that the purpose of genre fiction (including all the types you mentioned) is different from the purpose of literary fiction. It isn't..."

For romantic suspense, JD Robb is a go-to author for many people. These books are very highly rated.

I have a relative who is an author, so I would read her last book for the the romance prompt. I love her books because I recognize characteristics of her family and the island where she grew up. (I cried the last time because some of the dialogue sounded just like her mother who is longer alive.) Anyway, she adores Krentz (as a person and her books) and Nora Roberts (who also writes as JD Robb).

[NancyJ]

I forgot to mention... I created a listopia for Fish Out of Water, if anyone is interested in adding books. I used an immigration list as a resource, but there are many other directions. There is also a listopia (or two) for fish out of water romance books. I would really love to hear about science fiction, fantasy, and paranormal books that fit. I know I've read some, but I can't remember the titles. I think a lot of workplace books might fit too (my strongest fish-out-of-water feelings came from a job in a company with a really archaic anti-woman culture).

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Nadine in NY]

NancyJ wrote: "For romantic suspense, JD Robb is a go-to author for many people. These books are very highly rated...."


I read one JD Robb book (Naked in Death) and that was enough of that - not for me, never again. That book gets great reviews too, so that means it's not the book, it's me, and I wont' bother trying other books by her.

I LOVE romance as a genre, but I have read some books that I really hated. So when people say they hate all romance, I wonder if maybe they just picked the wrong book, and they should try again. Like JD Robb - everyone will recommend her! And if that had been my first attempt at romance, or sci-fi romance, I would have written off the entire genre.

[Jaime]

Sandra Brown, Karen Rose, and Mary Burton also write romantic suspense that I enjoy a lot. A lot of Nora Roberts's standalone books are romantic suspense.

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

There are older romantic suspense books, like those by Mary Stewart. They are very good, both the romance and the violence are understated but there is very good tension in not knowing who to trust or believe at certain points in the books. She has a lot of local color in some of her settings as well.

[Martha]

I can vouch for Mary Stewart. I loved Mary Stewart's mystery/romance novels growing up. They remind me of summers at the beach when I read all of them. I just started rereading them not too long ago.

[Irene]

Lindsay wrote: "I've read several books this year which are classed as Romance and are based on loving relationships between friends. This includes:
In Five Years and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society..."

This is so interesting because as a romance lover I didn't enjoy either of these books (especially In Five Years) because I find the will-they-won't-they / super slow burn tropes frustrating. I've never stopped to think about what non-romance readers dislike about romance novels, but it makes sense that these could be good recommendations for people who want to minimize reading time where a lovey-dovey couple is together.

Personally, I prefer romances where the romance isn't the primary source of conflict. I like when the couple solves issues/face conflict together (common in, for example, friends-to-lovers books) rather than the idea of the relationship being the main conflict in the book (which was essentially the case in In Five Years, which as a warning, has some tropes that some people might find very problematic: (view spoiler)[the love interest is taken, and is actually dating the MC's best friend and truly loves her. Don't want to spoil the ending but the way that that is resolved is even more problematic (hide spoiler)]).

My first thought for recommendations for books that have romance and are shelved as romance but don't have it as their primary genre would be something like The Hunger Games.

Edit: I second everyone who mentioned Mary Stewart! I love Nine Coaches Waiting, which is like a cross between Jane Eyre and Cinderella. The gothic atmosphere is everything. It also has some sappy tropes I adore ((view spoiler)[Cinderella moments where the ML walks in when the FL is trying on her fairy tale dress, etc (hide spoiler)])

[Robin P, Orbicular Mod]

I do wonder if any language about gender or national cultures in Mary Stewart might be outdated now. But yes, Nine Coaches Waiting was the first of hers I read.

[Laurel]

Robin P wrote: "I do wonder if any language about gender or national cultures in Mary Stewart might be outdated now. But yes, Nine Coaches Waiting was the first of hers I read."

They can have some problematic language - I seem to remember that Airs Above the Ground, which is an otherwise good romantic suspense involving Lippizaner horses, has outdated language and stereotypes around some Romani characters in a circus.

[Irene]

@Robin, Nine Coaches Waiting is the only book of hers I've read, but I don't recall any problematic language, perhaps because there aren't really any non-French characters in the book aside from the American. But now I'm wondering if the way she describes the ML's father (since he's in a wheelchair) is outdated. It's definitely something I'll look out for the next time I read it.

The romance and very alpha-male ML are definitely a bit outdated, though. I think he kisses the FL forcibly at least once, when he's jealous, which isn't on bodice-ripper level but would definitely not be considered a great start to a relationship now.

[Rachel]

Lynn wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I also strongly considered downvoting the diversity awards prompt because as it is now, the list is completely overwhelming and it seems like a lot of work to try to find something t..."

It's definitely helpful and it will help a lot if the prompt makes the list, but I still find the range of options completely overwhelming.

[NancyJ]

I just realized that prompt 14 - a book by an author you read in 2022, is a narrow version of - a book related to a book you read in 2022. I’m going to hold out for the broader prompt.

I really enjoy finding connections between books. Sometimes it’s because of a common theme, person or location. Or because another author is mentioned in a book. I read books by Ann Patchett and Margaret Atwood this year and they both mentioned other authors and books they admired.

We could still pick a book by the same author, but we have extra options.
Does anyone else feel this way?

[Alicia]

NancyJ, I actually dislike the connected to 2022 prompt whether it’s just author or in general. I think because I’m fortunate to read over 52 books a year, I can always find something connected to it or bound to read a similar author. I know that may be the point for some.

I also would rather have a new, more interesting prompt than trying to think about what I read last year. That was last year and I just want to focus on the new fun of this year!

[dalex]

NancyJ wrote: "I just realized that prompt 14 - a book by an author you read in 2022, is a narrow version of - a book related to a book you read in 2022. I’m going to hold out for the broader prompt. Does anyone else feel this way?”

I agree. I prefer the broader version. I have several “reading themes” I’m doing so it’s easy for me to connect books from one year to another.

Several years ago I found some lists of “books to read if you liked the TV show Black Mirror” and I read a few of those each year. That’s how I made my 2021 to 2022 connection. This year I’ve started reading books that have storylines that reflect on issues connected to the recent Roe v Wade decision. And I’ve also started reading more Afrofuturism (sci-fi and fantasy by black authors).

[Dubhease]

NancyJ wrote: "I just realized that prompt 14 - a book by an author you read in 2022, is a narrow version of - a book related to a book you read in 2022. I’m going to hold out for the broader prompt.

I really e..."

Actually, I started with "The next book in a series" and tried to broaden it for people who don't read series.

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Martha wrote: "I can vouch for Mary Stewart. I loved Mary Stewart's mystery/romance novels growing up. They remind me of summers at the beach when I read all of them. I just started rereading them not too long ago."

LOL- they remind me of summers in Memphis, walking to the used book store around the corner from my great-grandparents, buying a new one and then sitting in the back yard, tearing through it. I really want to give some a reread

[Hannah]

Personally, I always like the "connected to" prompts because I keep track of what inspired me to add books to my TBR. I limit myself to reading a book that I actually added because of a book I read a previous year, often because it was directly referenced by an author like NancyJ mentioned, but also sometimes because it was referenced in a review of a book (like I read The Complete Fiction of Nella Larsen: Passing, Quicksand, and the Stories because it was referenced in so many reviews of The Vanishing Half). And sometimes it's more straightforward, like I added the next book in a series or another book by an author I enjoyed. I know not everyone keeps track of these things or is inspired to read things in the same way, but it keeps the prompt from feeling too open for me!

[Bec]

I honestly cannot remember the genre that inspired my love of reading. I just remember I always loved reading. The books I remember most from when I was a kid are The Babysitters club series and The Magic Faraway Tree.
I looked up The Babysitters club and get Childrens, fiction, young adult, middle grade, contemporary, realistic fiction, juvenille and even classics.

[Irene]

Hannah wrote: "Personally, I always like the "connected to" prompts because I keep track of what inspired me to add books to my TBR. I limit myself to reading a book that I actually added because of a book I read..."

This is such a great idea! I keep track of why I add every book to my TBR too (in the private notes section, mostly because I'm a goldfish and can never remember how a book ended up on my TBR) but have never thought to do this before. Thanks for sharing the awesome idea :D

[Hannah]

Irene wrote: "Hannah wrote: "Personally, I always like the "connected to" prompts because I keep track of what inspired me to add books to my TBR. I limit myself to reading a book that I actually added because o..."

Ha, I also use the private notes section to do this! I'm the same way, I often keep books on my TBR for years and sometimes I stumble across things on there and feel like I've never even seen that book before, lol.

[Jackie]

I have just started to use the private notes section and this is such a great idea. I'm starting with October 1st books that I have added and will go back as I have the occasional spare minute to update those that I remember why I added them. Thanks for the idea!

[Alicia]

I didn't even know personal notes was possible! Now I'm going to waste a week just doing that lol

[Hannah]

Yay! I highly recommend it. Last year it was so cool to look at where I had heard of all the books I read and it really helped me see what sources in my life give me the books I tend to like most.