Reading Outside The Comfort Zone #AMonthofFaves2016

Escapec the Zone

Have you stepped outside of your favorite reading genre(s) this year?

Tanya – Like last year, this year, I rarely strayed beyond my comfort zone of genre and Speculative fiction. I gorged myself on mystery, fantasy, dark fiction and horror.  My first foray into reading something I normally wouldn’t have, came because of the February Monthly Motif Challenge – Read a New Release. I chose The Vegetarian, Han Kang – a contemporary novel that I found wanting, but that critics seem to love.

6 bookish degrees zone

I stayed in my comfort zone after that until August, when I read 2 contemporary novels that were getting a lot of buzz – The Nest, Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney – which I loved; and Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty, which I also liked. The Nest was a debut novel, but I was familiar with Moriarty, having previously enjoyed some of her works – Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secret.

Kim – I really expected to challenge myself more this year but when I look back I don’t see much of that. I mostly stuck to my favorite genres of mystery, paranormal, and a bit of fantasy.

I read A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman based on reviews I’d seen even though I rarely read contemporary. I loved it! It was funny and sweet. I also read Boy 21, Matthew Quick and The Girl With All The Gifts, M.R. Carey after Tanya suggested them to me and really enjoyed both of them so much! Both turned out to be really thought provoking.

Did you try reading outside your comfort zone this year?

(Photo Credit: Marie-Sophie)