Most readers have a preference for what kinds of books they like to read. And especially for book bloggers, we like to set that up in advance - by stating what books we like somewhere on our blog. However, I say I don't usually read such and such genre but I don't always stick to it. Contemporary and non-fiction are among my unfavored genres but I have read and reviewed a few for my blog in the past. And I've actually read three contemporary books in a row just recently! And enjoyed them! So I was wondering how much do people really limit what genre of book they read? If the book sounds interesting will they give it a shot no matter what? How often do we step outside of our boxes and try something new?
What am I really limiting?
Even though it's apparent that there are some genres I say I don't like to read that I actually do when it suits my interest, there are some plots that I really have no interest in. I may enjoy the right book with that plot, but as a semi-picky reader with a lot of books to read, I don't have the time or inclination to try out those books. Books with a specific focus like real-world politics, war, or military operations are really very uninteresting to me. So I know what scenarios I find unappealing, but with the other genres I generally don't read - especially contemporary or middle grade - they can all have plots that I really enjoy, just written in a way or set in a world that I'm not always inclined to get into. It would probably be more accurate to list what plot points I like rather than what genres I like to read. It would be a more accurate way to pinpoint what it is I don't like as a reader, but of course that's much more complicated.Equal Opportunity Reading
I think ideally readers shouldn't limit their book genres. There are so many kinds of books out there that you can't assume that ALL of one genre isn't for you based on prior experiences. But the very valid counter-argument to that is 'who wants to go through dross when one already knows what they like?' Especially when you already know what genres tend to provide that? But as a blogger who reads through a lot of book summaries, I think I am getting better at refining what it is in a book that I won't enjoy and I'm finding that genres are not always the best way to measure that.But this is all based on my experiences - I am curious to know how often people really stick to just their favorite genres so I created a survey to fill out. It's below, so please fill it out if you are inclined! I think it will be very interesting to see the answers! I'll update this post with the results in about a week. (And I might try to keep this updated with the current results daily if I have time.)
Survey
*EDIT* I am very new to using Survey Monkey so I didn't notice that you can add a link for people to view the results of the survey - so check it out here! Thanks to all who participate!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-6BWN7NH/
In the comments I would love to read more of your thoughts on this topic -
Do you often feel disappointed reading outside your genre? Have you found that you started to appreciate a genre you didn't like before because of book blogging?
