Guys! Guess what! I’m actually getting a blog post up! This would not usually be a big deal, but the last few weeks have been crazy, crazy, crazy at work, school, and home. So reading and writing have kind of taken a back seat.
This topic was initially difficult for me, because I love reading a wide variety of books, so not many things are outside my comfort zone. But I managed to pick a few 🙂
The Housewife and the Actor — Shannon Hale
This was a recent read for me and pretty far out of my comfort zone in a few ways. I have read a lot of Hale’s YA books and really like her, but this is an adult book (SEE THIS: definitely an adult book. Not for kids who like Hale). I don’t read a lot of adult fiction. This one is sort of a romance (long story, hopefully coming to a post near you), which is also not typical for me. It was a good read, but requires a lot of processing.
Jurassic Park — Michael Crichton
I don’t typically read thriller/horror, which is why this was out of my comfort zone. Lo and behold, I loved it! So that was new. But I’m still a pretty tame thriller/adventure reader. I tried Crichton’s Micro and couldn’t handle all the blood.
Dodger — Terry Pratchett
Dodger was my first Pratchett read and it was delightful. Counts as out of my comfort zone because it was a new author. Also, I don’t often read MG historical fiction. It was hilarious though and Pratchett’s grasp of language is brilliant.
Winter Town — Stephen Emond
I think, although do not remember for sure, that this was a random pick from browsing my library. It is a short novel with some lovely graphic elements (as in, graphic novel, not graphic like shocking). So out of my comfort zone with new author and somewhat new format. I do like browsing for books, but am very selective about grabbing something completely new to me.
Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Days
Crazy — Salman Rushdie
I’m seeing a pattern here–this was also my first Rushdie read. In the sense that it’s a mythology/fantasy read, it wasn’t new. But it’s much more literary than my usual reads, so it was pleasantly challenging.
Return of the Native — Thomas Hardy
This choice is less because Hardy was outside my comfort zone and more because I actually liked this book. If you don’t know, Hardy tends to be really depressing. I don’t normally like depressing books. But this one has some engaging characters and really captivating descriptions. I recommend reading by audio, which makes it more interesting.
Hard Times — Charles Dickens
I don’t like Dickens much. But Hard Times was surprisingly funny. So here it is. I probably won’t read Dickens for another 3-5 years.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — Stieg Larsson
I’m not much of a thriller/mystery reader and also not good about reading international authors, so this was new for me. I liked it a lot and I’ve read more adventure/thrillers recently, so that’s more in my comfort zone now.
Most of these were successful excursions. I liked all of these reasonably well, even if I don’t love the genre or author. I’d love your suggestions for other books outside my comfort zone!
Winter Town sounds interesting. Is it part graphic novel and part (traditional) novel?
It is! Really, it was quite a neat combination.
Three of these are unofficially on my to-read list: the Hardy (I’ve read a couple others by him), Dickens (unapologetically read most of him and love it!), and the Pratchett (admittedly because it’s about the Dodger/Dickens, but I’ve heard his Discworld series is awesome, too). Your take makes me want to get on them!