Discussed! by Pushy….Rut or Groove?

Posted 30 March, 2013 by Pushy in Blog, Bookworms, Featured, Meme, Pushy / 21 Comments

Good Morning,
Happy Saturday and
Happy Spring!
Today, we have another topic to be ..

In the Groove…

You know that perfect moment when all the pieces come together and you have that oh-my-goodness-I-love-this-genre-so-much-I-want to marry it moment?  Or when you realize, “Holy Cow!..this is, by far, my go-to book genre?  Well, we’re here to talk about just that today!
Right now I’m in a YA groove.  It’s not that I don’t love me some Middel Grade goodness or Historical Awesomesauce, it’s just that, for the past 5 years or so, I’m LOVING the YA!!!!!!

RUT!

The flip side is, though, that while a favorite genre can be an awesome thing, it can also hold you back.  Yup!  We know how ironic it sounds but seriously you can only read so many historical biographies before you call uncle and stalk off for some historical romance!!!
And I’ve wondered, occasionally, do I love YA so much that it’s stopping me from picking other books up?  Why was it that I was so reticent to read “The Postmistress”  when my family has told me how great it is?  (And it was fantastic, btw!) Or rather, why is it that I would happily wall myself off with anything written by Marissa Meyer than I would any other author these days?

So…what constitutes a rut?

As far as I can tell, you have to 1) begin to grow tired of your genre of choice and 2) be ready to move on, whether you’re ready to admit that or not.  If those two conditions are true, let’s face it…we’re talking about a matter of will rather than preference.

I’ve gone through this a few times now over the course of several decades, and as far as I can tell, it’s this:  when you truly fall desperately in love with a genre, you have to decide just how much of yourself you want to poor into it.  I went through a high fantasy period in my early teens that was incredible.  And when that period was done….well, it was done.  Ditto for the sparkly vampire phase… *sigh*

It took me some time to leave my quests and elves and Edwards aside, but when I did, I was rewarded by the chance to fall in love with a brand new set of amazing authors!!!!!!  And of course, I’m so firmly set in my YA-lovin’ ways, I may never surface from this deep dive!  🙂

So tell me….

Are you currently in a rut or a groove?  And what is the genre you’re desperately in love with today?  Let me know which genre it is and why!

 

Now go and get lost…in a book!
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Lover of words and authors; absolute fan girl of books! Give me a good story, with characters I can love (and hate) and I'll follow you anywhere. Sing me a song of worlds I can dream of, and I'll listen forever.

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21 Responses to “Discussed! by Pushy….Rut or Groove?”

  1. So true! I was on a post-apocalyptic/dystopia kick for a while there but I think I hit the wall yesterday… Sometimes it is more of a rut versus a groove, especially when we read so much!
    Mary @ BookSwarm recently posted..Too Hot: THE WILD ONES and DOWN TO YOU by M. LeightonMy Profile

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    Pushy 3/30/2013

    Oh, I hear you Mary! I think part of why I’ve been able to keep in the YA groove rather than rut for so long is how varied the genre is. But when you’re reading so many books a month, you’re absolutely right that the risk of feeling like you’re in a rut grows.
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  2. I know what you mean. For a while I was only reading YA books. I have been trying to switch up between some Middle Grade, YA and New Adult. It makes it a lot easier to not get myself in a rut. Middle Grades are always great for me, because I have two children that read those, so my daughter and I read together. 😀 Great post.

    Jenea @ Books Live Forever
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    Pushy 3/30/2013

    Thanks, Jenea! MG is wonderful and I have kids I get to share that with as well, so I definitely hear you there. And you’re 100% right that subtle shifts in closely related genres definitely help spice my reading up too! Thanks for stopping by!!!!
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  3. I think I’m still into YA, but I did hit a paranormal romance rut. I’m just avoiding all paranormal titles at this point, unless it’s a book I already have in my possession. For instance, I have Croak and have no desire to read it anymore. A few month ago the book was such a cute idea. There are some other paranormal novels on my to-read list that I am dying to pick up though, like the sequel to Nevermore by Kelly Creagh.

    I quickly lost interest in New Adult. It just seems to me that all New Adult titles are the same. The only title I am interested in is Losing It. Everything else sounds the same. Girl wanting to start over. Someone with a dark secret. Sexy dude. Sexy time. High Emotions and Drama. The End.

    I think the one genre I consistently enjoy even if I take breaks from it because other genres gobble my attention are historical fiction novels. I don’t review them often, but it seems I can never get tired of them.
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    Pushy 3/30/2013

    Thanks, Liza! I agree, mixing it up can keep your love for all the genres you read fresh! And I can’t imagine ever not loving YA. It’s just so varied and broad to begin with that within it I can read a mystery, sci-fi, romance or fantasy. YA is a pretty awesome genre!
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  4. For years I’ve been in love with YA, but now my new love is NA contemporary romance. It’s my favorite genre to read and write (though to still love reading upper YA).
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    Pushy 3/30/2013

    NA is grabbing tons of readers these days, isn’t it? I love the way it takes the YA themes and pushes them to a slightly more grown up world. But I would still love to see in NA is more variety. Right now I’ve seen a lot of Contemporary Romance NA but I’m wondering how NA will translate into mystery or sci-fi without just being Mystery or Sci-fi? I’m not sure but it’s definitely a genre to watch…and read! Thanks for stopping by Stina!!!
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  5. This is a great topic! At the moment, I’m firmly and happily rooted in my YA phase. I really doubt I’ll be moving onto something else any time soon, though I do recognise that it could very well happen one day. After all, before I even got into YA, I would read nothing but classics or the odd acclaimed children’s book (which STILL makes me wonder what the hell I was doing back then!). Genre-wise, I don’t have an obvious preference, though I suppose if you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said paranormal romance. Now, I’m more open to a whole range of things. 🙂
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    Pushy 4/2/2013

    Thanks, Sam!!! I think that’s one of the great things about YA, it’s so broad it opens us up to other sub-genres. Thanks for commenting!!!
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  6. I know what you mean, but I feel like YA is such a huge genres that even if I do fall in a runt with something (like fantasy YA) then I can just turn to something else (like contemporary YA). I’m a runt with paranormal romance YA right now. I’d pick one up if it came highly recommend from someone I trusted, but otherwise I’ve been avoiding it for a while now. I’ve suddenly found myself reading a lot of contemporary YA.
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    Pushy 4/2/2013

    You’re absolutely right, Kim!!! And I hear you about Contemporary YA, it’s so big right now, with so many great books in it! I’m enjoying it too!
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  7. I think the great thing about a YA groove is the amazing variety of genre INSIDE of it! It’s really hard to get tired of it because you can constantly switch it up.

    Saying that, I do have to throw in some adult lovin’ books every now and then. I get tired of the constant sexual book frustration if not…hahah

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    Pushy 4/2/2013

    Agreed, Angela!!! And I’m with you on wanting some adult books here and there as well. Some times the fade to black just doesn’t cut it. 😀
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  8. Hmm, sometimes when I won’t pick up an “adult” book I’m worried that it’s because I’ll jump ship from my MG and YA books. I am so overwhelmed at the number of books, fabulous books that I still don’t have time to read in these two genres that I don’t want to go back to the adult section. I know there are some adult series that I love, I have a couple that I do read from time to time, but before I met YA, all the adult books I read were so formulaic, that was when I was in a rut. There is so much to choose from here in MG and YA world. Dystopian not doin’ it for me, I’ve got a couple of great contemps just dying to be read. I could never say that about adult books. (Dare I say, my adult books lacked imagination?) I might get tired of a certain type but I don’t think I’ll ever tire of YA. I’m even pretty reluctant to edge up into New Adult.

    Heather
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    Pushy 4/5/2013

    Agreed! The variety in YA & MG are what’s been keeping me around too. Plus, I do love me some swoony YA romantic tension!! 😀
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  9. Yes you described it so perfectly! And you know know I read several different genres, adult and YA titles – and if I’m not in the specific mood to read THAT kind of book right then – well what would normally take me two days to read could take me two weeks. But sometimes I have to know what I’m in the mood for – which I just don’t always know. I LOVE YA – but personally if I read too many of them in a row I get sick and tired of all the teenage angst. But I also love epic fantasy – but one can easily get burnt out on reading 800+ pages book after book with all the crazy amounts of characters and details of those huge new worlds to keep track of. And zombies – I LOVE them – went through a binge zombie period and now while I still love them I can’t read more than one in a row. Currently I’d have to say I don’t have a Groove for one specific genre. I have my favorites of both YA/Adult Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, horror, Comedy, Epic Fantasy. If anything I’d have to say fantasy in general will always be my favorite – something light with just a splash of love.
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    Pushy 4/5/2013

    Thanks, pabkins! Sounds like your genre is good fiction…which I can TOTALLY relate to! 😀
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