Today's Topic
Top Ten Recent Books I Enjoyed That Were Out Of My Comfort Zone
- My comfort zone is straight YA Contemporary. And not even YA Contemporary Romance, more the darker issues type of books. In the last year or so I've made an effort to take recommendations and read outside of that little bubble. I don't want to miss out on great books just because I'm so rigid and stubborn. It also helps that certain fads have run their course. It makes me feel safer in choosing outside of my usual.
1. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater- I was VERY surprised when I read these books in early 2015. I was still avoiding fantasy books because I thought they just weren't for me. While there are magical elements, I didn't realize how real life this series would feel.
2. Fallout (Lois Lane #1) by Gwenda Bond- I'm not big into superhero books, but this ended up being cute, and I want to continue with the series.
3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver- I don't know why I thought this book was dystopian or super paranormal, but it was really more like Groundhog's Day... and it was such a "ME" book.
4. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn- I don't really read Adult any more, so I wasn't expecting to be so SHOCKED by this book. It also made me want to read Dark Places (which I liked) and Sharp Objects (which I loved).
5. Rooms by Lauren Oliver- This was the first Lauren Oliver book I read and it's Adult AND features a house that is possessed by ghosts. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed reading it and loved that it was something fresh.
6. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- I FINALLY read The Hunger Games last year!!! Crazy, right??? I enjoyed the movie (because J-Law is AMAZING), so I decided to give the books a whirl. I was very pleasantly surprised how closely the movie followed the books. It was like reading a screenplay.
7. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma- Not SO out of my comfort-zone, but it was definitely not my typical Contemporary.
8. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger- This was my very first Steampunk. And I really liked it. Bumbersnoot 4-eva.
9. The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin - As this series went on, it got really X-Men-ish, which is not really my type of book, but the writing!! She definitely knows how to write books that keep me wanting to read and read and read.
10. Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer- The Lunar Chronicles was a BIG surprise for me. I hadn't found too many retellings that worked for me, so I wasn't exactly looking to read more. Compound that with the fact that it's about a cyborg Cinderella in a dystopian world with space ships and people living on the moon? This definitely was WAY out of my comfort-zone. I ended up loving the whole series and especially this "novella". It was my favorite of all the TLC books.
Bonus:
I'm now reading this, which is WAY out of my comfort zone, and so far, so good:
What out of your comfort zone books surprised you recently?
Hunger Games was a surprise for me, too.
ReplyDeleteHere's Books I Love...and Hate.
I want to read Gone Girl, and Before I Fall also. I read Panic by Lauren Oliver last year and really liked it, so I've been thinking of another of her books and that one sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI recommend ALL Lauren Oliver's books!! I haven't read Delirium yet, but everything else I've read is AMAZING!!! Loved Before I Fall, LOVED Vanishing Girls.
DeleteI really enjoyed Gone Girl and love anything Lauren Oliver puts out (even though Rooms wasn't my favorite). My biggest outside my typical genre book that I loved was Throne of Glass. I didn't expect to like it so much.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Hunger Games I wasn't sure when I first picked up the book, but I ended up loving it. I also love the movie as well! I love your list!
ReplyDeleteI loved The Hunger Games and The Raven Boys, although both fantasy and dystopia are my usual genres.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/23/top-ten-tuesday-45/
Gone Girl is a fantastic book. I really should read more of Gillian Flynn!
ReplyDeleteYes!! Sharp Objects was my favorite. SO creepy!
DeleteI really liked Dead House! It was definitely out of my comfort zone but I'm glad I gave it a shot! Glad to hear you like it so far!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Mara Dyer!
ReplyDeleteAh! some of these are my favorites! The Hunger Games, Before I Fall, The Raven Boys (although I liked more after a re-read) so glad you enjoyed these!
ReplyDeleteThe Raven Cycle is one of my favorites! I've also read The Dead House and I really liked it! Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my TTT.
I agree on so many of these! I loved the Lunar Chronicles, Before I fall, THG, Gone Girl, etc. I have read the Dead House, and while I enjoyed it, I was a little underwhelmed overall. I also really enjoyed The Retribution of Mara Dyer! :D I posted a review of it on my blog if you're interested in checking it out. Great post!
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