Features | Coming out of your reading comfort zone
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| Source: http://us.reachout.com/forums/showthread.php?49594-Comment-of-the-Week |
I think we all have a particular genre that we tend to stick to when reading. For me, it's young adult dystopian or romance (what can I say, I'm a walking stereotype for teenage girls). Whilst there's nothing wrong with that, it can lead you to neglecting a lot of good books just because they aren't what you would usually read. Recently I got really bored with reading, and when I looked back at what I had been reading recently I realised that it was probably due to the fact that I hadn't read anything outside of my favourite genres in around a year and I was getting a little bit sick of them. So, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and read something different. I started with a court of thorns and roses. Whilst this is still YA and romance, it is also a fantasy book, a genre I usually don't tend to enjoy, with the exception of Harry Potter. To my surprise I really enjoyed it, and so decided to start looking into more fantasy novels such as Game of Thrones. Not only is this fantasy, but it's also insanely long (or at least compared to the books I usually read anyway). However, I really like it so far, even if it is taking me a very long time to read.
Another genre I decided I wanted to try that I hadn't read in a very long time was non fiction. So, I picked up Do Not Harm, which is the memoirs of a brain surgeon, and I absolutely loved it. I would recommend it to anyone (except squeamish people as it gets fairly graphic at times!) Had I not stepped out of my reading comfort zone, I never would have discovered it, and I feel like my love of reading has been renewed because I'm not reading similar books all the time.
I have a few tips for anyone who feels like they want to start reading different genres. Firstly, start by picking something that is not completely different to genres you already read. Also, I find I tend to stick to genres that I know because otherwise there are so many books I don't know where to start! To avoid this problem, make use of book blogs, booktubers, goodreads and other places. Top 10 lists are a great place to start! Finally, utilise libraries and charity shops, to avoid spending a lot of money of books you might not like very much.
Try reading new things. Who knows, you could even find a new favourite genre!
Katie
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