This Valentine’s Day, find love in a stack of books
Have you tucked into a romance novel lately? If not, you might be in the minority of readers.
Romance sales are soaring. Last year, they grew twice as fast as the rest of the fiction market.
In the past, the genre’s commercial value was widely accepted - romance books have always been big sellers. But now, its literary merit is being recognized, too.
So this Valentine’s Day, there’s more reason than ever to find love in a stack of books. And we won’t leave you hunting.
GUESTS:
- Charlie Hunts, owner of Charlie’s Queer Books in Seattle
- Ren Rice, owner of The Romance Era Bookstore in Vancouver, WA
- Jenna Zarzycki, a librarian with the King County Library System
RELATED LINKS:
- NPR producer shares her pick of romance novels from our annual Books We Love list — KUOW
- A surprising genre of romance novels is gaining popularity — KUOW
- The Romance Era Bookshop
- Charlie’s Queer Books
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW. You help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes.
Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.
Share your thoughts on this story
-
Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
More stories from Libby Denkmann » -
Lauren Williams
Fill-In Producer
Lauren Williams is a producer on Soundside, KUOW’s noontime show. She has produced segments on politics, history, and culture for the program. She’s passionate about connecting listeners to the world by exploring global issues in local contexts.
More stories from Lauren Williams »
