One of the nice things about blogging is it's hard NOT to be exposed to new books/ genres. I didn't read urban fantasy until recently, it took me a while to find the style I like, and I've always liked futuristic/ post apocalyptic stuff but dystopians as an actual label I didn't really know pre- blogging. I certainly wasn't reading a lot of the YA dystopians. And that kind of leads to subgenres too- cyberpunk, steampunk, urban - there are a ton of subgenres in fantasy/ SF. Contemporaries run the gamut from romance to magical realism. There's so much there.
Mysteries are another one. I've read historical mysteries, cozy mysteries, thrillers, even mysteries in a SF setting. You can have a mystery anywhere I guess, and they're good for adding tension (murders and secrets tend to do that) but there's such a wide array there as well.
Here are a few titles that I probably would not otherwise have tried. Looking over this list there are a few that I wouldn't even have known about let alone read. So I've come to the conclusion that I'm a much more eclectic reader now than I ever was.
So... what do you think? What are your favorite genres, and more importantly has book blogging inspired you to try other ones?
Love this post so much!! My favorite genres are definitely YA & Adult contemporary, Women's fiction, Mystery/Suspense/Thrillers and memoirs. Blogging has definitely made me try other genres too - specifically fantasy. I was never really into it but have found a few series I have really been enjoying. Also historical has become a genre I have grown to really like and that started after blogging too. I love that I have expanded my reading a bit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Grace! I've seen several people say that blogging got them int fantasy. And I read a LOT more YA/ contemp/ thrillers now than I ever did. It surprises me how much of that stuff I read and fantasy sometimes takes a back seat lol.
DeleteI think my favorite genre is mystery but I've always enjoyed romance, middle grade and nonfiction as well. Blogging has definitely broadened my genre reading too. I've definitely read more YA and more sci-fi because of books that my blogger friends have talked about. I've also found that I'm willing to try more and take more of a chance since blogging so I'm definitely spreading my reading wings a bit. Great topic!
ReplyDeleteI used to read a bit of nonfiction, mostly histories. And I like a good mystery- never would I have thought I'd read cozies even, but they're fun and light. I totally agree- authors like Liane Moriarty I never would have tried (or even heard of), but I'm so glad I have.
DeleteI think we talked about this when I did a similar post on my blog, but as a kid, I used to read only contemporaries and historicals. Sure some were kids/ya books, (and there were some comics thrown in there!) but I NEVER read fantasy or sci-fi at that age. I don't know why?! I sure watched fantasy television and movies but I guess when you live in such an isolated place, kids end up reading less variety. I only picked up fantasy at 27 when I read the Harry Potter series for the first time...which led to me reading paranormal, dystopian and made me the fantasy/sci-fi lover that I am today :D I think blogging helped me pick up tons of titles that I never would have otherwise, like dystopians, PNR, sci-fi and even a few quality contemporaries!
ReplyDeleteI agree, contemps are big for me because I've read a fair amount of them lately, mostly YA but not all, and I've enjoyed them! Same with dystopians- yeah I liked post- apoc, but dystopians like Divergent and all that were never on my radar. Now I eat 'em up. lol.
DeleteI think that's great that you found fantasy and love it. I read a ton of stuff now I never would have...
What a great post, Greg! My favorite genre fluctuates between fantasy, mystery, and romance, and that's been true since before I started blogging. I've been reading less fantasy recently, and I miss it. But even though my broad genres haven't changed that much, being part of the blogging community has exposed me to so many authors and subgenres that I wasn't reading or interested in before: paranormal or magical romantic suspense (Jayne Ann Krentz in her various incarnations, Heather Graham, sometimes Nora Roberts) fantasy romance (Robin D. Owens), dystopian (Richelle Meade's Game of X series), urban fantasy (Kevin Hearne, Keri Arthur, and others), and more -- it's been one of the biggest blessings AND one of the biggest challenges of blogging, to be honest. Blessings, because I've discovered some wonderful new-to-me authors or series. Challenges, because as my list of books to read grows seemingly exponentially, I have less time for serendipity (just browsing to discover a new book), less time for re-reading (something I find essential to my emotional equilibrium) and less time and money for keeping up with all the authors I loved before. (OK, a few of them have died, but I'm adding new favorite authors a heck of a lot faster than I'm losing them.)
ReplyDeleteI miss fantasy sometimes too. I still read it, but not as much (and it may be YA fantasy these days, too). I agree with you (and I think I know most of those names, something else I couldn't have said pre- blogging). :) My reading horizons have been greatly expanded thanks to all the books I've seen on blogs.
DeleteUrban fantasy is new to me, some of the dystopians, and I've found some contemporaries I've really enjoyed too- it's amazing how many books I might have missed!
This is such a great post--I really appreciate the time and dedication you put into thinking this up!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I found that I also started venturing more and more outside my comfort zone after starting seriously blogging about books. I think this might be because of what you said--that through blogging, it's MUCH easier (and quicker?) to learn about/find new books or genres to venture into. There are SO MANY books I've tried the last few years now that I wouldn't have otherwise, and I LOVE blogging for just that reason!
Thank you. I agree with you- some of my favorite books of the last few years have been books I saw on blogs, or were recommended to me. It's kind of weird to think I might otherwise never have read them!
DeleteWhat a great post!! I used to only read horror and then a little romance and ya until a few years ago. I honestly used to think I HATED fantasy, but then I found urban fantasy and I loved it. So then I gave other sub genres of fantasy a shot and found out that I LOVE fantasy. Lol! It's so nice to open up to new genres. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you! There are so many subgenres of fantasy seems like, I'm testing the waters with urban fantasy myself. And I agree, it's great trying new books and I'm loving YA right now.
DeleteBook blogging has definitely changed the type of genre I read. Now that I'm exposed to so much hype, I tend to read hyped books. It also happens that those books tend to be fantasy. Although fantasy is a very popular genre, I wouldn't say that blogging made me read more fantasy books, rather that the books blogging HAS made me read happen to be fantasy. Pre-blogging, I used to read tons of contemporaries. I still do, but post-blogging, I'm trying tons of genres I wouldn't have tried before like mysteries and historical fiction, even the smaller genres like steampunk interest me now!
ReplyDeleteJess @ Princessica of Books
I know what you mean, and same here. Steampunk was pretty new to me when I started blogging, and so were contemps really. there was so much stuff going on in YA I didn't really know about- fantasy and sci fi. I'm loving all the variety. And I've read a ton more mysteries and historical since I started blogging.
DeleteI'm still a brand new newbie with blogging, but I stand amazed at how small my world used to be. I only recognize one of the books listed here and some of the genres mentioned I have to google... I hope to broaden my reading horizon with blogging. Thanks for all the stunning, informative posts!
ReplyDeleteThank you. And I know what you mean- I used to read mostly fantasy, and occasionally other things. Now I read pretty widely, and have discovered some great books. :)
DeleteI read mostly fantasy and SF too, but I have definitely branched out a lot since I started blogging, and now read a lot of YA and historical fiction too.
ReplyDeleteSame here. I've branched out into those same areas- i read a lot of YA now, and historical fiction too (usually mysteries).
DeleteFunny, since I've started blogging, I've become a lot more narrow in terms of genre. Like, I used to just read kind of all over the place because I wasn't really sure what I liked, but, with all the reviewing and everything, I really know what I like now and read almost exclusively SFF, and I favor certain subgenres more. An eclectic reader I am not. I know everyone talks about branching out and trying new things, but I don't really see the point in trying something I'm just not interested in when I already have so many books on my TBR I am interested in and will never get to lol.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a lot younger I used to read everything. A while it was history and contemporary, but over the last 15 years that has really changed towards fantasy. I probably wouldn't have read The Book Thief if it hadn't been for the bookish tumblrs.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and I always think it's great to read outside of your preferred genre -- there are so many good books out there and you never know! Mine is definitely romantic suspense but I love it so much that I have actually become quite picky in the genre. I sometimes find it more fun to read outside of that genre because it's easier to find books I like!
ReplyDeleteI remain very much a SciFi/Fantasy girl. I only read out of my preference zone when it is a review book. I guess Paranormal is new to me in a way, but I find so few that are done well. I used to read quite a bit of Historical Fiction, but not anymore. I think maybe because the new ones are generally romance or set in wartime, and I don't care for either of those. Great topic. :)
ReplyDelete(Sorry about the late comment back....been a little busy.)
ReplyDeleteGREAT post, Greg!! And you have such a nice list of books, too!!
Every reader (even if they don't blog about books) has a favorite genre or genres. However, you're right in saying that blogging can and does affect one's reading tastes. In my case, though, it was a series of four books that got me hooked on YA, and also sparked the need to blog about books. That series was The Twilight Saga.
I used to read mostly fantasy, SF, and classics when I was in my twenties. I got addicted to romance novels when I met my first husband. That marriage went south, so then I lost my taste for romance for a LONG time. Then, in 2005, I came across The Twilight Saga. I became INSTANTLY OBSESSED. Later on, I read the Harry Potter series, and I was thus hooked on the YA genre forever! Still later on, I decided to start blogging about all these fabulous YA books!! And, of course, I also got hooked on the PNR and UF genres!
Now I'm trying to balance my reading with more classics, adult fantasy, adult SF, and literary fiction, a well as nonfiction, so I started a second blog, MINDSPIRIT BOOK JOURNEYS, in 2012. I left it for a while, but then returned to it.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post! Also, thanks for dropping by and commenting on my "Waiting On Wednesday" post this past week!!
Hope you're having a FAB weekend!! :)
I've heard people say that Twilight got them into YA and that's awesome. I was new to YA when I started blogging- I read fantasy/ SF too but not the YA stuff, and I was surprised how many good YA books there were. I absolutely see why adults are reading them.
DeleteI'm slowly trying UF as well and looking for books in that genre that appeal to me. So many great ideas there!
Thank you for stopping by!
Blogging has definitely inspired me to read lots of books I wouldn't otherwise have tried! I agree that it just exposes you to so many different types of books - and lots of them don't fit into the genres I used to typically read!
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Same here. All the YA contemps I've read, some mysteries, it has really expanded my horizons. I mostly read fantasy/ SF before blogging and I now read all kinds of stuff- so glad and I wouldn't go back! :)
DeleteThis is so true for me, I used to never read Fantasy but when I discovered blogs and saw so many fav reviews for books like Cinder. I had to try them and adored them. And I think when you open yourself up to genre hopping, you just do it more and more which is great as you never get bored.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great? Some of the stuff I read now I might never have tried, and I even have fave books I know I never would have read without blogging. Love it!
DeleteI am actually trying hard to be eclectic too -- and sometimes, I can't decide if I am being too harsh on a book bc it's just not my genre, or it's just not a book I like? I do know that I wouldn't even be considering such diverse titles if I hadn't started blogging and seen the stuff other bloggers were reading.
ReplyDeleteSo true. Some of the recommendations or just books seen on other blogs have turned out to be really good, sometimes faves. :)
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