Usually, as you probably know by now, The Book Chat is on Thursdays. But I had a crazy busy week, and now that it’s Saturday I have a chance to catch up and participate in my favorite weekly link-up.
BUT BEFORE I GET TO THIS WEEK’S QUESTION. Next week, I will be co-hosting The Book Chat with Jessica from Sweet Green Tangerine! We’ll be discussing which books you’d like to see as movies, and why. I’m always very torn about books becoming movies, but I think it’s going to be a really fun and controversial topic. You’ll be able to link up on my blog next Thursday, February 21st, so if you read my blog & have wanted to give The Book Chat a try, I recommend you write something up with me next week!
This week, the chat is being co-hosted by Sweet Green Tangerine and Dear Brighton. Check these two wonderful ladies out!
Today is all about romance novels.
Okay so, if you know my reading style, you know that I don’t *read* cheesy romance. Well, I don’t read TWILIGHT cheesy romance. But is there really a single girl out there who doesn’t like picking up a book that isn’t sweet, romantic and all sorts of happy? NO, I tell you. And if you tell me otherwise, then you just haven’t read the right cute romantic book yet.
To be honest, I much prefer the more unconventional romance stories like Graceling by Kristin Cashore or Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor- the ones that aren’t neatly wrapped in a bow. I think romance makes any book more interesting because it’s something we can relate to so easily, and I love reading the ones that just happen naturally, but it’s the ones that don’t end the way they’re *supposed to* that I love most.
That being said, I like my own brand of cheesy romance. The well written, cute, mostly-contemporary-fiction kind.
Some of my favorites:
Anything by Sophie Kinsella. She used to be my favorite author, but now she’s just an extremely guilty pleasure for sure. I love her British humor and I think her novels are just fantastic. She went through a weird phase where she wrote a few I wasn’t crazy about, but her last one, I’ve Got Your Number, was one of my favorites by her! I highly recommend it if you like cute, contemporary fiction, funny romance novels.
My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. I’ve talked about this book many times since I read it two years ago, and I still love it. I think some people might consider the idea of a soul falling in love with the same person over and over again in each life relatively cheesy, but the story just captivated me from the start. It was beautifully written and realistic enough in it’s fantastical nature. Read it.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. That YA novel just stole my heart from the start. I’ve never been crazy about the title, but Perkins totally makes up for it. So well written, and such a sweet romantic story between two teenagers. The great thing about it? It doesn’t matter how old you are, if you’ve had those butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling for someone, you’ll appreciate this one.
I love reading these kinds of books, especially when summer hits & I have tons of leisure time and sunshine to enjoy them. I tend to start accumulating some good, cute, romantic-type books for May/June when I can read them all as fast as I please! Right now my bookshelf is filled with teen fantasy/dystopian, some biographies, and some serious fiction books. I need your help! What are your favorite easy-reads that you think I’d enjoy?
One Day by David Nicholls. One of my favorite books that I’ve read period to be honest. It follows a couple on the same day of every year. Very romantic in a non-gushy sort of way.
Is it worth reading if I’ve seen the movie? My friend was reading it when we were in Greece two summers ago and when the big plot twist happened she kind of ruined it for me LOL. I’ve never felt inclined to read it since. I’m not sure. I wish he’d written other books so I could appreciate them, because I’ve heard such great things about One Day!
Please, please read it even if you’ve seen the movie! To me, the movie kind of missed the mark/tone of the book. Honestly, it wasn’t about the big twist for me either. I love the uncertainty of their relationship even in the small stuff.
I used to be into Catherine Anderson books. They were the trashy kind of romance novels, lol, but the last one I read of hers was so incredibly cheesy I almost didn’t think I could stand it. Honestly, I enjoyed Karen Kingsbury’s book A Moment of Weakness about two Christians who end up having sex before marriage, and it results in a baby, only the father doesn’t know it until the kid is about six or seven. It was sweet and intense, but the ending I felt was incredibly cheesy, because it ended with everyone singing Kumbaya. I just thought that was a cliche move, but other than that, it was a good book. Probably the best romance I’ve read so far has been The Fault in Our Stars, even though it wasn’t marketed as a romance. That Augustus, he was a keeper…
Ugh I couldn’t agree more. Loooooved TFIOS so much. What a wonderful story <3
Oh my gosh I can’t wait until next week’s book chat! That will be so much fun to write and see what everyone else said.
Yay, can’t wait to see what you write up for tomorrow!
While I love a good love story, I don’t read many romances either because they often feel cheesy/forced. I can’t even think of one to suggest to you! I used to read Danielle Steel books when I was in high school and college and I really liked them as they were fast, engaging reads, though.
I have not read or heard of that Ann Brashares book you mentioned so I will have to check it out as i love her other books!
It was actually a really great book by Ann Brashares, you’ll have to let me know if you enjoy it!
What! How come I never saw this?? Because I’m a bad blog friend. I was behind on my reader and I never noticed that you added this to the book chat.
Anyway,
There are quite a few romances that I love that aren’t in “romance novels” In fact, the love stories in romance novels are so unrealistic in comparison to other novels. I’m a big fan of the romance in dystopian and fantasy novels. The romances that have to survive something drastic and bring people closer together. When they have to literally save the other persons life. I love that kind of stuff. Romance novels are just fun sometimes.
I don’t read a lot of contemporary stuff (like you didn’t already know that) but I have been wanting to read that Ann Brashere’s book forever.