Reading Slump, Any Ideas?

[Siuan]

Lately I find myself in a reading slump. Usually my genre of choice is fantasy/sci-fi, romance/historical fiction and some thrillers thrown in for good measure. But lately I just can't seem to find a book that will grab my attention and keep so that I can't put the book down, everything's gotten a bit predictable and that frustrates me a little (a lot really especially for the thriller genre), as I like a good plot twist and big reveal to have an impact. What do you guys do when this happens to you? Do you find a new genre to try for awhile or do you look for a new activity to do and try to read after some more time passes?

[maya]

I, too, have found romance novels to be (too often) predictable - like a cookie-cutter novel in the genre of romantic fiction;
- the man is very unfriendly to the woman or if the woman has an unfriendly attitude to the man, he responds by not being very nice to her
- he acts like judge, jury, and executioner when he thinks the woman is guilty of something (instead of keeping an open mind)
- she doesn't stand up to him and says something like: "Hey, buster! How about keeping an open mind instead of treating me like I'm guilty when you don't know whether I'm guilty or not?"
- instead, she often has sex with him. (She may have fallen in love with him but he often doesn't love her - but he still has sex with her - porn in book form.)
- after they've had sex, or the next day, he treats her like dirt
- she again doesn't stand up to him and say something like: "Hey, buster! I just gave you free sex and this is how you thank me?"
- she eventually leaves him and then he finds out she was innocent all along!
- he goes to her and (if she's lucky he) apologizes to her
- she shuts him up by saying "Shhhh" or puts her fingers over his lips. I say let the man apologize, even grovel, for the way he treated you! (Some so-called heroes in romantic fiction can be real nasty and belligerent to the woman.)
- they make out
- the end.

Maybe we just need a "change of pace". I would recommend reading the book: "Are Women the Stronger Sex" by Josette Sona. It's non-fiction, fast reading, and most interesting!! \/