The first books I started reading were Nancy Drew. Not the old hardback ones, but the paperbacks with the modern covers that came out for awhile. I thought they were interesting and all, but the one that really stuck in my head, that I just loved, was the one where a lot of the book involved Nancy’s love interest. After that, I couldn’t go back to the straight up mysteries.
So I started reading The Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High, especially the ones with dating. And then I hit it. I was reading a SWV book, and Jessica was in some hut with a boy and he tried to touch her breast. And Pandora’s Box was opened to my eyes. I was a little peeved that Jessica cut it off. I wanted to see what would’ve happened if he had touched it.
So I grabbed a Harlequin Presents off my mom’s bookshelf. Despite continuous warnings from my mom that it had a lot of steamy scenes in it, I read it. I was scandalized, and I immediately went back to the shelf to grab more books. I read Harlequin Presents for a couple years, but then grew bored with them. I needed something with more teeth. I discovered romantic suspense and got hooked.
Then things changed. I went through a bad relationship, was very anti-romance. But I knew I couldn’t shut myself off completely. So I switched what I was reading, and what I was writing. I turned to historical, something that wouldn’t remind me of what everyday romances could be like. And with historical, I found my love. I absolutely love reading about different time periods and seeing how absolutely alpha the heroes are in them. (I’m a sucker for alpha’s, sorry.)
Now, I’m a bit of an everything girl. I discovered erotic romance through a Jaid Black book I found at a thrift shop. I read to support my friends in the industry. But my favorites to read are still are historical and romantic suspense. So how about you? Are you still reading what you were reading all those years ago?
February 20th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
I tend to binge read a sub-genre and then move on to another. I started out with Gothic romance, then romantic suspense, then historical — but I always wanted them all to be hotter. Now I’ve been in an erotic romance rut for almost two years and there’s no sign of it letting up.
February 20th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
LOL I hear you! That’s one thing I get annoyed about when I read a normal (non erotic) romance nowadays. The love scenes tend to be a let down.
February 20th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Pretty much yeah….I was reading King and Koontz at 12 and 13 and now I still love Romantic Suspense, even if they don’t really fall in that category it’s still my first love. Otherwise, I’m definitely more a women’s fiction gal than romance though frankly I don’t really care as long as I get a good story.
February 20th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
King is too scary for me
But I did read a few Koontz books. And you just reminded me, I was a big V.C. Andrews fan in Jr. High. Until her books just got too weird and gross for me.
February 21st, 2007 at 12:27 am
I started reading those Silhouette teen romances when I was 12. I devoured them, LOVED them. Then like you, I realized I wanted to, ahem, advance things a bit. I went and grabbed The Flame & The Flower off my mom’s bookshelf. Utterly scandalized! And thrilled! Did the same thing with Jude Deveraux - found it in the hall closet when I was 18 and proceeded to find every book she ever wrote and read it (and trust me, there were a lot).
I could go on and on about books. Stop me now…
February 21st, 2007 at 3:10 am
I started out reading Agatha Christie (at about 10) and Ngiao Marsh, Patricia Wentworth and Elizabeth Peters.
So, my roots were suspense. Then, I discovered some Harlequins my mom had and I burned through everyone she had.
I can still remember being about thirteen and exchanging Harlequins at a local second hand bookstore. Good times. Good times.
What I read HAS changed…..and not. I’ve always had “phases”. Historical, Erotic, Suspense, all have their day in my proverbial sun.
I love ‘em all. Only requirement? HEA. I’m a sucker for those.
February 21st, 2007 at 4:53 pm
I “cut my teeth” on Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie — so I am ever a fan of mystery. Then, I discovered romantic suspense (the gothic type) by Barbara Michaels, oh yeah! Then crime fiction, Patterson, Deaver. Paranormal with Dean Koontz. . . And just recently discovered erotic romance with Shelli Stevens, Sara Dennis, Ann Cory. Yummy!
Yep, I’ll read just about anything (including the back of a box of cereal if there’s nothing else to read)
February 21st, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Karen: I didn’t know they did Silhoutte teens! Wow. Do they still do them I wonder?
Jen: I did the HQ exchange at the small second hand book stores too!!! Loved getting books for free.
Pam: You’re so sweet! I’m glad you’v been introduced to the dark side.
Lots of Agatha Christie fans!
February 21st, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Wow that post brought back some memories. I went from Enid Blyton to Nancy Drew. Then the Babysitters Club which I loved! I remember that Sweet Valley High book. I think it was called Up All Night or All Night Long. And I so wished Jessica wouldn’t be such a prude,. There was also Sweet Dreams, a series of Harlequin type novels for preteens
February 21st, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I read a little of everything. When I was younger, I was a Harlequin only kind of girl. Now I’ve discovered so many more wonderful books by expanding my reading to other genre’s. I don’t think I could pick a favorite these days.
February 22nd, 2007 at 1:33 am
Maria: You crack me up! That’s fabulous you remember the name of that SWV book. It makes sense, I think Jessica did pull an all nighter. Yeah that series was huge when I was a teen.
Mia: I really was a HQ kind of girl in my teens. Around 15, I signed up for their club with that form in the middle of the book, and pissed my mom off when a bunch of books showed up. LOL.
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:01 am
I started off with Sweet Valley High as well. I never read much Nancy Drew. I devoured Judy Blume. Then I started reading historical, then Harlequin Romances, Romantic Suspense, Blaze, then erotica. My reading has come in spurts as well. Right now, I’m into cozy’s.
February 23rd, 2007 at 7:01 pm
ugh. I read everything. Nancy Drew bored me, but I lurved my Hardy Boys. And Enid Blyton’s bedtime stories grew to the Famous Five and Secret Seven stories, and from there, I was reading Michael Crichton and Robin Cook. (still do, today, and Patricia Cornwell, Kathy Reichs, Sandra Brown…lol the list goes on.)
My reading has definitely evolved…but I can trace authors I read today to my childhood counterparts:
Raymond Feist (wrote with Tracy Hickman, who I first read as a tween.) I found Hickman by reading Margaret Weis. I found Weis after reading…Eye of the Dragon by Stephen King…
I got to King by reading Zilpha Keatley Snyder (paranormals for kids) and William Sleator (paranormal/sci fi for kids. and a kickin’ scary story, too) From Snyder I went to her fantasy series, and from there, new authors too numerous to mention (tho Mercedes Lackey and Margaret Weise are on the list).
From Sleator I found Asimov and Robert J. Sawyer.
I read books by Edward Eager, and adored them…they’re british, fantasy/time-travel types with punny humour. So where would I go from there but Piers Anthony and Robert Asprin.
I kinda rambled there. sorry. I can talk books for days.
February 26th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
I started out reading historicals because that’s what my mom had when I stole her books. Now I read everything when I do get the chance to read.