i sometimes find myself so overwhelmed with everything i've been reading for school that my mind can barely process thoughts anymore. if i find myself unable to go on, to get work done, i know i need to take a break and when that time comes, i hop onto amazon and buy a cheap romance novel for my kindle. by cheap, i'm talking $1 or $2, rarely anything more.
contrary to what you might imagine romance novels to look like, given the danielle steele era of my (and maybe some of your) youth, this genre has really grown. anne browning walker wrote a short piece about this in huffpo this past summer: why smart women read romance novels, and while i didn't mind or disagree with the sentiment, it isn't exactly the reason i read romance novels. i read them because they're light (although they can definitely be emotional... admittedly, i've cried in the midst of reading one or two); they're short and easy to speed through; they often involve other elements of good novels like action, adventure, good writing, a well-told story; and they are a good palate-cleanser.
sometimes, i end up reading a few of these short novels in a weekend. not all of them would qualify as "romance" though. some are just memoirs with a few hints of romance; others, like tracey garvis graves' "on the island" are straight-up ultra-realistic adventure novels with thoughtful romantic elements thrown in. anyway, my whole point is if i'm feeling a little trapped and unmotivated to read or do work, i find that reading a few books that are easy to breeze through and compelling story-wise helps set me on track.
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