An important thing to remember

I used to be incredibly embarrassed about the fact that paranormal romance is my preferred genre. Guys in particular used to find it hilarious, sneering “What, like Twilight?” if the topic ever strayed onto books. An ex (I say ‘ex’, it was more a brief fling while I was living in Japan) once referred to my beloved book collection as “that shit you read”. My temper flared in the face of this callous remark and afterwards, I asked myself why I got so defensive.

The answer is simple. Paranormal romance is everything I need it to be. It’s a genre that encapsulates many other genres, such as drama, fantasy and comedy. It’s a genre bursting with fantastical characters, worlds and events. It’s a genre that, quite simply, allows me to escape.

Paranormal romance has given me so much and the only thing I can give it in return is my loyalty and defense when it’s spoken ill of. It’s a genre that isn’t taken as seriously as it should be and I think it’s such a shame.  Some books are ridiculous I admit, but so are some horror books. No genre is perfect. Each genre has its own laughable tropes or stereotyped characters. I majored in English Lit and I can hands down say I find many of the so-called classics boring. Why should I read something that doesn’t capture my imagination or interest simply so I can name drop a few famous authors and titles in a desperate bid to sound cultured and intelligent? I have better things to do with my time. Like reading more paranormal romance books!