Mesa Public Library presents ‘Romance: The Genre of Hope Feb. 10 via Zoom. Courtesy image

COUNTY NEWS RELEASE

Mesa Public Library presents Romance: The Genre of Hope on  Thursday, Feb. 10 from 7p.m. to 8 p.m. Romance is the genre with a guaranteed happy  ending, or at least a happy for now; no matter how dark the plot, love always prevails (and who  wouldn’t benefit from a little escapism right now?). Our expert panelists, author Jen B. Green  (Little Wolf and Silver and Gold) and librarians Melissa Mackey, Eva Jacobson, and Norma  Covington will dig into the nitty-gritty of the genre to explore why it’s so popular, who reads and  writes it, how it continues to change, and why we talk about it as a guilty pleasure (and why we  should stop doing that).  

With subgenres ranging from contemporary and historical, inspirational and paranormal, to  mystery and suspense, romance is a 1.44-billion-dollar business with some of the most prolific  readers. Combined print and e-book unit sales topped 47 million in the 12 months leading up to  March of 2021, and those sales represent nearly a quarter of the US fiction market overall.  Program attendees will gain interesting new insights into this booming industry as well as loads  of recommendations for their reading lists. 

This event is free to the public and will take place online via the Zoom platform. Registration is  required. Please visit the Library event calendar at LosAlamosLibrary.org or call (505) 662-8257  for assistance.

Also coming up on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 7 p.m. to 8pm: Snarky Heart  Needlecraft (A Workshop for Disaffected Romantics) presented by local artist Samuel Buelow.