I know this probably applies to a lot of people, but not me, so I figured I'd ask.  If you ONLY read historicals, or ONLY read contemporary, etc.... why?  I'm just an across the board romance lover.  I'll read historical, contemp, romantic suspense, paranormal, erotica, etc.  I've enjoyed some Christian romances which were very light on the romance.  I don't have any one set genre or type that I prefer, and none that I refuse to read.  I'm just wondering - if you only read one set genre, is it because you haven't tried others?  Tried others and something turned you off?  Something about the one you DO read that makes you want to stick with only that?

I have only read historicals for quite a while now.  I just don't relate to the contemorary heroines very well.  I am looking for escape, and I am interested in how people lived more simply.  When I read a contemporary I find myself think things like, "why the hell doesn't she just call 911 on her cell phone?!" or  "what woman doesn't know enough not to wear high heels in the country"  or just plain, "what a twit".     With historicals you can suspend all the rational thoughts for a while.   And although I don't find the social constraints of the women in the historicals to be practical, it is always interesting to see how people had passionate sex anyway.  It is kinda fun that seeing a woman's ankles could be so erotic.  

But for erotica, I seem to prefer the contemporary ones.   Some of the language in the historicals ruins the moment, so to speak, for me.

I'm almost exclusively into historicals.  I don't know why I don't read more contemporaries.  I love a good modern romance flick (romantic comedies, drama, suspense, etc.), and the ones set in the periods I prefer in romance novels aren't usually my top picks in film.  I guess I like both types of stories, but differ in how I like them presented.  Bridget Jones is one of my fav romantic comedies, for instance, but I never read chick lit.  I guess when I'm reading, I get lost more easily in something with a lot of detail in the setting, and settings, in my experience, tend to be less detailed when they're set in the world we're already familiar with.  I used to love fantasy fiction with some romance in it, but I got my fill of all that & vampire fiction with Anne Rice's vampire chronicles, and I don't touch paranormals at all now.  But I love a good vampire movie - especially one with a good romance.

"I have only read historicals for quite a while now.  I just don't relate to the contemorary heroines very well.  I am looking for escape, and I am interested in how people lived more simply."

Yeah, what she said . . . lol.  

. . .  it's the "escape" that contemporary novels don't offer me.   

I'm a historical wench too!  I will dabble now and then in a different genre but not too much.  It's the escape, the going to a different time period and also the freedoms or lack there of that the characters had in a past time.

I read most genres except for paranormal and sci-fi.  For whatever reason they never sound good to me.

Kim and Cosmina, Said it better than I could.  I read historicals.

I'm across the board like you, Michelle. The only sub-genres that don't appeal are sci-fi (except those Breed heroes) and time travel. Other than that, I like to alternate. I'll read an entire romantic suspense series, then be more than ready for a hefty dose of regency England or wild, wild west.

Right now, I'm in simple contemporary mode i.e., Robyn Carr, Debbie Macomber, Diana Palmer, Sherryl Woods.

Colleen

I like all kinds of romance books.  It's probably 70% historical though, with an even mixture of paranormal and contemporary for another 28%.  The other 2% would be sci-fi, which I only like if it's erotica sci-fi.

I read most kinds of romance but I find myself reading only one kind at a time. For example I'd been reading only historicals recently and finished off probably over a dozen before I switched genres to contemporary. And that was because I went on a road trip and had a contemp with me to read.

I read almost all contemporaries (including suspense and para) and hardly ever read a historical.  I think my main reason is that there is too much history in historical - in other words too much text devoted to explaining historical events which just drives me nuts.  I often just skim the non-dialogue parts of a book anyway, and when I do that in historicals I end up skipping a lot because of the history lessons and ... I get lost.  I have very few historicals on my keeper shelf, and usually only buy one when a book sleuth post catches my eye. 

I used to only read historicals but now I read almost anything, though am not much for epics or urban fantasy. I really like to switch genres, clear my palate so to speak. :-) I have at least four books going right now, all different types. (Not my preferred way of reading, it just happens sometimes.)

I mainly stick to contemporary romance, romantic suspense, horror suspense, thriller suspense, historical romance to a few paranormal romances. I don't do urban fantasy, science fiction or straight up horror at all.

I like to vary the genres... if I read too many of the same type of romance novels in a row, they all begin to sound the same to me & I find myself bored...

Sometimes I'm in the mood for a total historical fantasy, but sometimes I find it easier to relate to something contemporary.

Occasionally a good mystery or suspense is nice, always love a sexy vampire, and who can resist the occasional western or Indian romance?

Just give me a varied bookshelf & I'm a happy camper... I actually have all my shelves organized that way, so I can find the specific genre I'm in the mood for a lot easier.

I will occasionally read science fiction, non-fiction, & general contemporary fiction.  I like a few thrillers, but if they become too much like a graphic horror movie, I'll pass!

Great explaination Pamela. I tend to prefer historicals for that reason as well.  I am not a huge fan of contemporary.  I prefer to get lost in a time that has gone by and so on.  With that being said though, I have read some very good contemporaries lately - PS I love you is a great example, but then again, I have the sense of far far away with that book since it takes place in Ireland.  I love books set in Ireland for some strange reason.  lol  I think I have a secret love affair going with it.

I swapped my copy of PS I love you before I read it.  I will have to find another copy.  I am just recently really enjoying Westerns.  I am also collecting books in Australia.  Ireland and Scottland are my favorites, though.  Someday, I may just go there.

I picked up PS I love you because someone on goodreads.com said she liked the movie better so I had to read it.  I personally liked the book better and really enjoyed it.  I think it was an encouraging story of hope and the ability to believe in ourselves and the strength within.  Not a sappy romance but definitely a good book.

i will read almost anything LOL

I started with paranormal romance then was introduced to contemporaries (SEP) and romantic suspense (Linda Howard and Shannon McKenna). However, when I got started on historical - Lisa Kleypas Devil in Winter was my first - I became totally hooked. I sometimes read a romantic suspense or contemporary in fact SEP is really one of my very favorite romance authors but over the past 6 months I find that I really gravitate towards the historicals. As Kim described - I love the details, the setting, the clothing, being transported to another time where social expectations are completely different.

I used to read historical romance and time travel only (thus the reason I have hundreds of books in that genre).  And then I preferred only those that took place in the United States and mostly western/civil war/pre-civil war settings.  I have always loved history and reading about what things were like. I really didn't care for (and still don't) regency, those set in a time frame prior to the mid-1700's or in other countries especially England, Scotland, Ireland.

Now I read contemporary romance, chick lit, paranormal, romantic suspense/thriller, mysteries of all kinds and still the occasional historical romance. Not really into urban fantasy and science fiction.  I do like to kind of mix things up - romance, followed by mystery, etc. depending on what I'm in the mood to read next.

Tina

The clothing in historicals can be sort of a mixed package.  I honestly think regency period got so popular because of the relative ease of undressing as compared to other periods, where women wore hoops & layers of petticoats and other undergarments.  Likewise with the medieval period.  Not a lot of underwear, etc. to fuss with, which makes the sex scenes a lot less cumbersome:P

I am completely 100% historical.  Historican nonfiction and fiction have been my first choice in reading all my life.  I have no interest whatsover in contemporary fiction, romance or otherwise.  I've dabbled a time or two into historical/fantasy romance (with an author I already liked) and the one time that I accidently ended up with a CONTEMPORARY fanstasy romance ... well, if I'd had anything else to read at the time, it would have been a DNP.  It's ALL about the history, for me.  I never read romance at all until I became interested in the English/Scottish medieval period in the early 90s, and it was SO much easier to find romances then regular historical fiction.  The one other historical period I like (for romances) is the American West, particularly the mail order bride storyline.  I don't know why that appeals to me above others, but it does. 

I mainly read contemporaries.  Rarely historicals.  I fine the language and customs of different times and places too distracting.  I will read sci-fi or urban fantasy erotica on occasion but they're not my favorites either.  I guess I like my books simple, don't want the clutter in the story of explaining a different time period or completely new world.

The one other historical period I like (for romances) is the American West, particularly the mail order bride storyline.  I don't know why that appeals to me above others, but it does.

That's my favorite too! Haha, I'm not sure why either, but I love mail order brides. Anything that takes place in the west. Pioneers, gold rush, farming, ranching, etc.

I read mostly Christian romances. It was the genre that introduced me to romance novels and I've just always preferred it. I don't like a lot of sex in novels (it seems like that's the only reason for relationships when it's just one sex scene after another, but that's just me) so that's another reason why they suit me. I rarely read contemporary. When I do it's of the chick-lit variety (Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, etc) which is also lighter on sex and involves more identity and relationship building. I have one historical romance novel a friend gave me. I haven't read it yet, but it will only be the second historical romance I've read outside of Christian romance. It sounds really good though! :)

The one other historical period I like (for romances) is the American West, particularly the mail order bride storyline.  I don't know why that appeals to me above others, but it does.
 

That is my favorite, too.  I used to buy/order pretty much anything with the word "Bride" in the title.

Tina