Reading outside the box

I think, traditionally, that people tend to read in the same genre that they write. You may contradict me, but I, at least, write the same thing that I enjoy reading. Why read or write in a genre I don't really enjoy?

So it's a bit of an astonishment that I just finished reading a historical romance.

Normally, I'm not patient enough for historical romances. I am a modern woman, who doesn't wear stockings and can't be bothered to call people by their titles. I just plain don't connect with a member of the ton, who gets scandalized by a glimpse of ankle. I mostly just want them to stop acting foolish about what's proper and just go claim the person they love.

But on the recommendation of someone, and in desperate need of something different to think about, I picked up a historical romance. And I enjoyed it! Admittedly, even the author admits that it isn't as purely historical as it could be, given it was more fairy tale than historical, but it was still down right enjoyable.

And I think it's an important lesson. Even if there's something you think you don't like, there's always an approach that changes it. There's always a different perspective you can take. So now that I've seen the light on the possibilities of historical novels... Nah. I'm never going to write one. But in the future, I won't be as close-minded about reading them.