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?
With you on the limitations, I think book bloggers who've read lots of blurbs are pretty good at picking reads by tropes rather than actual genre. I tend to avoid reads you mentioned too, politics/war, lots of non-fiction, definitely not a MG or even YA fan by large, but there might the odd YA I really wanna read cause of the tropes it seems to be built on. Of course, sometimes it turns out I was wrong, lol, but I ~try~ to give all books equal chance...
ReplyDeleteThis was a tough survey to fill out, especially that first question. I tend to think of genres as being in different categories or tiers rather than, "I read from these, I don't read from these." Of course I have my favorite genres. And then I have genres that I often read from but that aren't favorites. And then there's genres that I only occasionally read from. And then there's the (very few) genres that I never read. I made the cutoff between "often" and "occasionally" as to whether I'd check it or not. But on some I had a hard time deciding.
ReplyDeleteI'm a very eclectic reader-I read everything from the classics, to Westerns featuring zombies, and just about everything in between :D
ReplyDeleteThe YA shouldn't have been included because of the inclusions of what would then be considered sub-genres. YA is actually an age group (like Chidren's, Middle Grade, Adult) not a genre (Scifi, Fantasy, Romance), although the lines have been blurred since social media hype of books became popular. However, if you use YA and Middle Grade as a genre, then those other catagories you listed become sub-genres.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you in that if you tell me the book is a contemporary, I probably won't be jumping for joy, but there are a few contemporaries that I have loved. In terms of genres I stick to, I usually read YA with action/strong characters. Reviews do matter a lot to me, and I will read books my friends tell me to read occasionally. One way of breaking through the limits for me is asking someone to give me whatever book they enjoy and think I would like too, although they know I won't get to reading it on my own, and seeing what happens. I have read a few books I didn't like, but some I liked too. I am putting in an effort to diversify my shelves though!
ReplyDelete-P.E. @ The Sirenic Codex
Tropes! That is probably the best word to describe what I should actually be looking for in the books I like to read! I sometimes think I should stop reading certain genres when I'm disappointed by a certain book, but I like to give books an equal chance as well! And when I find something outside of my genres that I love, it's a wonderful feeling! :)
ReplyDeleteI see your point - YA has many sub-genres as do most of the genres listed in the survey, but I do think of YA as a genre because it has certain characteristics that define it. And these characteristics are ones that I am deliberately interested in which I think is why people use it to describe the kinds of books they like to read. But you are right in that it is very broad and can include many things. I didn't include all kinds of books in my survey - just what I thought was most popular, so there is an Other section if people would like to include "sub-genres"!
ReplyDeleteI am often unwilling to ask for book recommendations from my IRL friends - I think because I am more particular than they are, and I would hate to not like a book they recommended. But perhaps I should get over that and ask more - it would at least be interesting to see what they are reading (and then I can better formulate my own recommendations to give them! :D)
ReplyDeleteYou still can't do that when listing YA as a genre because this is why readers get so confused. If you are using YA for it's characteristics then it turns , for example, Fantasy into YA Fantasy, which in turn is still a sub-genre. What characteristics are you talking about? Those are usual tropes, which would be yet another sub-group. If you mean as in MC's being 12-18 years old and doing things that age group does, then you are throwing it back to age group usage and then it isn't, by term, being used as a "genre" any more.
ReplyDeleteI think this post can more eloquently explain what I feel makes YA more than just an age range. The trouble with categorizing something is that those categories can evolve, and I think it has evolved into something more distinctive recently. Perhaps the name should be changed to something else? To me, things like fantasy or sci-fi in YA can sometimes feel more like the setting or backdrop in which the story is taking place because the voice of the MC and the personal experience is so much the focus.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, Charlene! I struggled a little with the survey just because I was trying to decide (especially after reading this post), how much I should include when it came to genres I enjoy. There is one genre that I really stick to the most, BUT I always try to remain open to others and when I do "branch out" I am often times glad I did. There are several genres I have enjoyed, often because of the plot and characters, but as you said, there are sometimes when you can tell from a blurb a book probably isn't going to be for you.
ReplyDeleteFun survey! I think about this a lot, especially since I do tend to limit my genres to what I know I will enjoy: fantasy and dystopia. It's funny though, because like you, I've been reading a few contemporary books and really liking them! And I consider YA to be a genre as well... it's definitely not just an age group... Plus if you sign up for a mailing list or anything they always have the exact same layout you had in your survey. Anyways. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHallo, Hallo Charlene! :)
ReplyDeleteWicked you've gone with Disque now that I sorted out how to participate with this app on blogs! :) Having Twitter helps heaps! I wanted to participate because the most interesting thing about how I read is that I read nearly *everything!* except Erotica & Horror for the most part! Ooh, I forgot to mention I read Young Adult - was that an option? I don't remember! My entry is the one where everything is ticked off plus my 'additionals' start with Magical Realism & end with Inspirational Fiction!
I have missed visiting your wicked blog on a regular basis, and am thankful I am able to start resuming my visits! You always put your heart into your book discussions & your posts outside of reviews (such as this one) and I find that I like joining the conversations you provide!
I will admit, there are a few times I have ventured outside my comfort zone into a genre & learnt the cold hard truth that I am not meant to read that genre! Case in point: Adult Paranormal! I cannot stomach reading another due to the high content for vulgarity & words that make my eyes turn to ash! I am now most keen on seeking out YA Paranormal authors to not only dip into a genre that interests me but have less probability of posting a 'fly in the ointment'!
In regards to 'genres' vs 'thematic', you are not alone in how we opt to classify what we read! I personally view YA as a genre rather than as a classification of age, and of course, I am sure I am breaking all the rules for indexing my bookish blog if someone with a critical took a gander at my cloud for 'topics, genres, & subjects' but in truth, that is why I named it that! I figured the sorting of those headers would fit 'under' one of the above if not the one I personally view them as! :)
Organise your blog & your thoughts as it makes sense to you!
Afterall, its your individual reading life & the way in which you interpret what you read!
ps: On a completely different subject, the books I am featuring for science fiction & fantasy made me think of you & Rinn. Felt you both would enjoy them or at least the concept of how they were conceived! The book I am reading right now 'Awesome Jones' is a genre-bender of comic book superheroes with fantasy adventure! The Author Guest Post today explains it in more detail, but what I thought you'd love truly is how innovative some Indie Pubs are growing their catalogue of books being offered! It is an exciting time for sure!
ReplyDeleteDo you like genre-benders? I should have added that as an opt for myself in your survey! Oy!
I filled out your survey and I was surprised when I clicked on all the genres in the first question. I noticed I read a lot of different genres, but at the same time I do like to stick with some of my favorites :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic, Charlene. I don't think I'm very limited when choosing books to read. As long as the summary's interesting and there are good reviews on a book, I'm interested. Although there are still some that I really don't want to read from (non-fiction and poetry, basically), I'm open to trying from other genres I've had bad experiences with before (like NA and classics). I think blogging has opened up my mind to reading from more genres. Before blogging, I'd just be reading YA fantasies!
ReplyDeleteI adore fantasy and mystery, but I do read outside those genres. I'm not too sure about Contemporary because I've been burned by a few books that everyone seems to LOOOOOVE. I picked up the book, read it, and felt rather "meh" towards it.
ReplyDeleteBut I do have my exceptions. I really adored Amy & Roger's Epic Detour because I found it well-written. There's a lot of emotion in there, and I liked how Morgan Matson wrote the characters. It doesn't have a lot of those cliches/tropes that I dislike in some YA Contemporary books. I tend to steer clear of some high school contemporary titles because of some of those cliches. :(
However, if a friend's review convinces me that those cliches aren't in the book, I'm more inclined to pick it up. :D
Great post, Charlene!
I'm glad that you try to branch out to other genres and that you find it rewarding! From the survey I was really surprised to see that some people only picked like 2 genres that they normally read from which seems so restrictive! I don't think I'm much of a mood reader, but I do like variety and I can get tired of too much of one genre at a time.
ReplyDeleteThank you for weighing in on the YA as a genre thing - I can see both sides of the argument, but I do think of YA as a genre, and I like to use it to categorize my books. It makes it easier I think.
ReplyDeleteYes, at this rate I should probably start looking out for more Contemporary reads!
I resisted Disqus for so long because I was wary of using a 3rd party for comments, but I do really like it now! It is great that you are a widely read reader - I think of it almost as the goal of any reader - to read as much and as much variety as possible!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you, I'm glad you like the discussions! I don't do too many of them, but when I get a hold of an interesting idea, I look forward to exploring it through the blog which I'm sure is the same for everyone.
And thank you as well for commenting on the YA as a genre thing - I know I like to think of YA as a genre and I often see others doing the same, but since it was called into question here, I'm glad to read others feel the same. And as you say just as everyone should run their blog as they see fit, everyone should categorize their books as they see fit too! It is your own personal space!
I really need to go by your blog more often! I'm glad you are featuring such unique sounding books! I will check it out soon! :)
ReplyDeleteSame for me really - going back to my favorites is almost a guaranteed great read for me! And it's nice to really be excited about book when you pick it up!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely that counts! If you read a little outside your genres then hopefully there will be times when you are rewarded and that will motivate you to read more. Like me with contemporary. :)
ReplyDeleteThat is so great that you widely read! Ooh poetry - that is a difficult one for me - I feel like I almost never read that. And I am trying to read more outside my genres so maybe I should try to include that sometime...
ReplyDeleteAnd I am the same - blogging really has helped me expand my horizons - mostly because many books I would not have even heard of if it wasn't for being a part of the blogging community!
I've been reading so much buzz about Morgan Matson but haven't picked up any of her books yet - while I am in this open state about contemporary I should try it out! :) Especially since you feel it doesn't have those cliches!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ana!
This is a fun topic! There are a few topics or genres that I avoid, for example literary fiction, because they mostly contain topics that I don't enjoy reading. Every once in awhile I will pick one up, but I wouldn't say it is the norm. I want to give all books an equal chance, but I know I only have so many reading hours in this life and I don't want to waste them on topics I don't enjoy (ex: adultry, graphic sex, detailed murders..)
ReplyDeleteThat is a very understandable viewpoint - often it is easiest to stick with the genres you know and love - especially when you know you will get enjoyment out of them. It's interesting that you say you don't read literary fiction because of those topics - I feel the same way as you - I don't really enjoy books that delve too much into "adult" topics and paint things too graphically. Reading is an escape for me, and I don't want to go into a disturbing world.
ReplyDeleteI think I only read outside my genre comfort zone for a book club selection. Otherwise, I pick my reads and any review books based on what is tried and true.
ReplyDeleteI haven't joined a book club because it's hard for me to take a chance on different genres sometimes, but hopefully one day I will try it. I think it will be good for broadening my reading horizons!
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