Genre and Sub Genre {Romance} 1/5

As some of you know I have decided to partake in the 52 Books in 52 weeks challenge this year. I might just get to read all those wonderful books I have purchased and are sitting on the shelf begging to be read.

I was poking around at the host blog and discovered an interesting page about genre and sub genre.  I have always wondered what the different genre classifications were  in books so wanted to share them here with you.

There are 5 categories so will share one a day this week.

• Romance
• Horror
• Thriller / Suspense
• Science Fiction / Fantasy
• Mystery / Crime

gen·re/ˈZHänrə/

Noun:	A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.
Synonyms:	style - type - kind - sort - manner - genus

Genre and Sub Genre categories

ROMANCE

1. Chick-Lit: often humorous romantic adventures geared toward single working women in their twenties and thirties.
2. Christian: romances in which both hero and heroine are devout Christians, typically focused on a chaste courtship, and mentioning sex only after marriage.
3. Contemporary: a romance using modern characters and true-to-life settings.
4. Erotica: also called “romantica,” a romance in which the bedroom doors have been flung open and sexual scenes are described in candid language.
5. Glitz/Glamor: focused on the jet-set elite and celebrity-like characters.
6. Historical: a romance taking place in a recognizable historical period.
7. Multicultural: a romance centered on non-Caucasian characters, largely African-American or Hispanic.
8. Paranormal: involving some sort of supernatural element, ranging widely to include science fiction/fantasy aspects such as time travel, monsters or psychic abilities.
9. Romantic Comedy: a romance focused on humor, ranging from screwball antics to witty interplay.
10. Romantic Suspense: a novel in which an admirable heroine is pitted against some evil force (but in which the romantic aspect still maintains priority).
11. Sensual: based on the sensual tension between hero and heroine, including sizzling sex scenes.
12. Spicy: a romance in which married characters work to resolve their problems.
13. Sweet: a romance centered on a virgin heroine, with a storyline containing little or no sex.
14. Young Adult: written with the teenage audience in mind, with a suitably lower level of sexual content.

Thank you to Writers Digest and 52 books in 52 weeks for the genre and sub genre breakdowns.

Blessings