Take a Chance: Explore books outside your usual genre!

The Bookery
Jan 9
3 min read

Stuck in a reading rut? Take a chance on a book outside your usual genre.

A woman with a backpack browses a cozy bookstore filled with shelves of colorful books, soft lighting, and a bright outdoor view through the door.

We all have our favorite go-to book genres, from classics and historical fiction to biographies and bestsellers. It’s easy to get in a bit of reading rut — and, once you know what you like — difficult to branch out into unknown genres and authors you’ve never heard of.

But at the same time, trying something new, especially when it comes to your reading list, can be incredibly rewarding. So, if you’re looking for titles to add to your TBR or simply ready to try something a little different, here are a few suggestions to help you explore some books outside of your usual favorite genres.

If you like historical fiction …

Love a good World War II novel or fiction set in pioneer days? We love good historical fiction as much as (and probably more) anyone, but if you’re looking to explore other genres, try reading about the actual time period that intrigues you. Give non-fiction books about the time period a try or read a memoir or biography of historical figures. Historical fiction can be a fun escape, but actually learning about the time period and the people who shaped that time period can be rewarding, too!

Try:

Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose about the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser, a Pulitzer-Prize winning look at the life of the author of The Little House on the Prairie books
The Watchmaker’s Daughter by Larry Loftis, a biography of Corrie ten Boom
Five Presidents by Clint and Lisa McClubben Hill about Clint’s experience as a Secret Service agent under five presidents including Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford

If you like memoirs …

Big fan of memoirs and biographies but rarely delve into fiction? There are plenty of well-paced fiction options out there that give you a chance to study what it means to be alive, from the inner workings of a character's intentions to their reflections and regrets. If you’re a reader who enjoys studying lives well-lived (and those that aren’t so much), diving into fictional works with strong, reflective narrators and characters can be a nice change of pace.

Try:

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Paris Wife by Paula McClain about Ernest Hemingway’s first wife.

If you only read nonfiction …

If you’re a big fan of nonfiction, take a chance on well-researched historical fiction or novels that immerse you in a specific time period. While novels may sometimes take small liberties with the time period, fiction can often help give you a sense of what it might have been like to live back then. If you’re interested in a particular time period, another option might be reading novels written during that timeframe. For those who enjoy reading nonfiction books about current societal issues, mental health or culture, explore fiction books that attempt to touch on the same topics from a different point of view.

Try:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (which is nonfiction but written like a novel)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

If you only read modern fiction or classics …

We all love what we love — but sometimes taking a break from the type of book you always select can lead you to new favorites you never imagined you’d enjoy. If you only read contemporary fiction, give some modern sci-fi a try. If you only read fantasy fiction, add classic sci-fi or contemporary novels with elements of magic to your TBR pile.

Try: