STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT GENRE

Whether we realize it or not all, we all have our certain type of go-to book. There is nothing wrong with this. Reading is supposed to be your escape and enjoyable. You should read what you love and love what you read. BUT, you might be selling yourself short if you are only reading what you think you love. Let me explain:

Some people love mystery/thriller novels, others love comics, we have fandoms dedicated to fantasy series. I, for one, was on a young adult fiction/coming of age binge for about 3 years. Sarah Dessen was my go-to author for anytime I needed a pick me up (The Truth About Forever is my personal favorite). You couldn't get me to read anything else.

Over the last two years, I began to really experiment and branch out because of my sister and my English teacher. My English teacher made us read books from a diverse selection of authors written in different genres and time periods. At first, I wasn't really happy about it but, some of these stories he made us read were life changing. It helped me become more aware about the world around me and helped shape my mind and analytical thinking.

Every summer my sister and I create a book bucket list, read more about reading bucket lists here, and two years ago she kept trying to convince me to read all these fantasy books she swore were some of the greatest books she had ever read. I refused even though when I was younger I used to love fantasy books. But, I think I was more into reading stories that I could see myself in that were closer to reality. Long story short, last year, after years of begging, my sister finally broke me down and put three fantasy series on our list, The Red Queen, The Cruel Prince, and Throne of Glass. I successfully avoided them for the first month before I picked up The Cruel Prince in late June. I read that it was a trilogy and shorter than both Throne of Glass and The Red Queen. Now I've also read A Court of Thorns and Roses, There Will Come a Darkness, From Blood and Ash, and more.**(authors below) I even found that some of the characters from these books were more enjoyable than the ones in the books I had become accustomed to.

I'm glad that I had people in my life giving me or forcing me to read different books and exposing me to different materials. It honestly changed my life in some cases.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my experience:

• It is super important to read from different genres. With each type of book you have to think a different way and that can enhance your overall reading experience in the long run.

• It's important to have read a bit of literature from many different authors in all different genres. It's important to read a classic or a middle eastern work. You want to branch out.

• If you've tried a book in a new genre and you don't like it, don't dismiss the genre completely. Read at least 3 books from 3 different authors in a particular genre in order to give it a fair shot.

• I am a planner so at the beginning of the month I plan what books I am going to read and I make sure to include a wide range of titles.

Here are some books that I recommend:

A Hundred Years of Solitude by. Gabriel García Márquez

A Man's Search For Meaning by. Viktor E. Frankl

Paradise Lost by. John Milton

Throne of Glass by. Sarah J. Maas (this story changed my life, let me know if you want to hear more about my experience with this book)

The Wrong Side of Right by. Jenn Marie Thorne

**Titles mentioned in the article:

A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass by. Sarah J. Maas

The Red Queen by. Victoria Aveyard

From Blood and Ash by. Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Cruel Prince by. Holly Black

There Will Come A Darkness by. Katy Rose Pool