Stuck in a reading rut? Want to expand your reading horizons in 2026? You’re in luck! Every month this year, we will be delving deep into popular genres at the library. If you’re already a fan, find readalike suggestions for popular authors and ideas for similar genres to explore. If you’re brand new to the genre in question, you will find a helpful explanation of the hallmarks of the genre, a breakdown of its most common subgenres, and explanations of what readers find so appealing about the most popular authors writing those types of books. A little late for Valentine’s Day but let’s explore romance for February!
Romances are among the most popular genres in our system. Over 20% of the 242 authors whose books had more than 25 circulations last year in our system are romance writers! And romance readalikes have been a common request in the 10 years that I have done reader’s advisory here. That’s the service we offer that provides tailor-made suggestions for people based on their own personal reading history and preferences.
In our romance booklet, we cover romance in general as well as 6 popular subgenres–contemporary romance, historical romance, Christian romance, Amish romance, alternate reality romance (which includes paranormal romance and time travel romance), and romantasy.
Whether you’re a complete newbie to romance or a veteran romance reader, there should be something new for you in the booklet.
But if not (or you are not interested in romance), use our Google Form or contact the library in person or by phone or email to request a reader’s advisory consultation. I will write you a personalized list of suggested authors and titles based on your reading preferences.
We also have a lot of cool romance handouts and recommendation lists already uploaded on our Readers’ And Viewers’ Advisory Resources page on the right-hand sidebar.
You can find recommendation lists there specifically for clean rom-coms, explicit paranormal romance, romantasy, and more.
You can also check out our first genre booklet, which includes a section on romantic suspense.
Want to take a deep dive into the world of writing romances? Check out Christine Larson’s Love in the Time of Self-Publishing: How Romance Writers Changed the Rules of Writing and Success, a history of the genre that explores how romance grew from one of the most denigrated genres to the one that thrived the most as publishing practices shifted toward e-books.
Happy reading!
What’s your favorite genre? What new-to-you genre are you exploring in 2026? Who’s your favorite romance writer? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of our items or to place them on hold.
The following resources have been especially helpful in preparing this booklet and post:
NoveListPlus. Ebsco.
Joyce G. Saricks. Reader’s Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. ALA: Chicago and London, 2001.
Joyce G. Saricks. Reader’s Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction. 2nd edition. ALA: Chicago, 2009.
Syndetics Unbound library catalog enrichment service.
Berryville Book Buzz 