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I totally understand where you're coming from. It used to be very difficult for me to read outside Horror and High Fantasy. The secret is to look for books that include elements of the genres you like but in other genres.

Like take horror for example - I always wanted to read Westerns but could never do it. So I found myself reading a couple of Westerns that had horror elements in them. I finished them and eased myself into the genre. After a while, I was reading more traditional Westerns.

Lucky for you, Thriller & Horror have so much crossover potential within other genres that you could easily find stuff out there to ease yourself in. My recommendation would be going in for some sci-fi since that's probably the easiest place to start and find horror and thriller elements what with scary space exploration or cyberpunk noirs and things like that. You'll be getting the genres you like in other genre settings, if that makes sense.

That's what worked for me, at least. Ultimately, the important thing is not to give up on branching out because once you're able to read and enjoy outside those starter genres, your reading is going to expand massively.

Yes yes & yes. I was also a sucker for thriller and crime books (mostly Agatha Christie) and couldn't get into any other genre FOR YEARS.

I started reading some mainstream romance novels which usually lack depth in characters and story but are easy to go through and read fast. These kinds of books motivate me to read more in general because I can read them in one day and feel accomplished. But since they lack depth they motivate me to try other genres and mix it up.

As the comment above suggested, you could try reading other genre that have thriller-like elements in them since it is not hard to find. Personally I wanted to try dark academia so I started the book If We Were Villains because it's dark academia with mystery and murder (but also many other topics) and found the change enjoyable.

Another suggestion is to find maybe shorter books and short stories/collection of short stories from other genres just to get used to it and later see if it is something you want to explore more. For example I want to give Dostoyevski a try but the number of pages in his books do not appeal to me, so I bought a shorter book of his White Nights to explore his writing style and hopefully motivate myself to read the longer ones as well. Good luck!

> I didn't get the excitement of reading the books as mentioned.

I think this is probably part of the issue, expecting excitement in books that aren't meant to be. I had a similar issue as I mostly read mystery, so anything with out something to solve felt lacking. It takes time start to appreciate books for anything you normally don't.

It's an odd thing to break, and I couldn't really tell you how. At the core it's probably just keep at it. Simple suggestions would be try to check books that are a mix of genres.

If you don't already I would also suggest reading multiple books at once, some in your comfort zone and at least one outside. I found that this helps as you don't dedicate to one, you can read whatever depending on your mood at the time.

Thank u for the suggestion. I might try the option on your last paragraph. 😊

Thank you for the suggestions 😀

My advice: stay open but don't force it.

Something I noticed on this sub is that many people treat reading like a work. They will push themselves to read more, faster, broader, they will post review and complete excel sheets. And that's fine, but at the end of the day reading is a pleasure, not a chore. It's totally fine and healthy to want to broaden your horizon but you have a favorite genre for a reason: it's your favorite. Embrace your tastes.

But at the same time, stay open. If you come across a book in another genre that has been warmly reviewed and you're in a lull, give it a shot. You might find something new you like. Just don't force it.

Reading a lot of fantasy has almost ruined one off novels for me. When the entire story is less that 500 pages there are only 6-8 characters and half of them are more plot devices than characters. I find it hard to become engaged in such a book.

I've avoided sci-fi for years because I'd read a sample of books I thought I'd be interested in, and I couldn't keep up with the world-building from the first x pages. I tried keeping notes, but then it started feeling like a chore. I figured I was just too 'dumb', even though I can manage fantasy world-building just fine.

I'm still giving the genre a try every few months though. Currently reading Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao and it's going well enough. I'm drifting away from YA but I figured YA sci-fi could be a solid stepping stone to adult sci-fi.

When I was trying to open up to more genres what helped me was joining book clubs and not even nominating any books, just reading whatever was chosen. Some fell in my wheel house, some took me out of it. Some were good, some were not, but reading them and being able to discuss with other book lovers definitely helped me branch out.

Just do what you want to do! I did enjoy reading The Civil War, the big book with illustrations. Other than that, encyclopedias fascinated me. I've always thought that in non- fiction there is so much embellishment put there to make a boring story more interesting.

Last year my goal was to read genres that didn't normally make it to my TBR pile. I did 2 things, first I selected 6 fiction and 6 nonfiction genres with the goal of reading 2 books from each and I joined an online book community that had a genre of the month challenge.

I planned to finish each of the books I started, but by Spring I decided not to torture myself. I had slogged through a few classics and it was making reading not fun.

My goal was to explore and get a taste of other types of books, I found a few authors I really enjoy, and I found a few genres that I will seek out. I learned that there is a lot of variety within most genres and how to pick up clues from the book descriptions to increase the chances of choosing a book that won't annoy me.

I still read many books from my favorite genres, but mix in a variety of other genres.

I wouldn't call it a struggle, more that I just don't tend to put the effort into looking outside my preferred SF&F genre. Not to say that I haven't read novels from other genres, nor that I refuse to, just that there is so much within that genre, that I don't feel much need to branch out.

Nothing wrong with having a preferred genre. Mine is mystery/thriller. But only 20% of my favorite books are mystery/thriller, so I think it's worth it to keep branching out - you never know what great books you'll stumble over. Get books from the library so experimenting doesn't cost you anything.

There is obviously nothing wrong with just sticking to a single genre, but it does depend on what you want out of reading.

Personally, I read quite a lot. We're talking 200+ books a year, so forcing myself to sit through a genre I'm not that excited for isn't "that big of a deal". But if you're only reading 20 books a year, suffering through a single book doesn't seem worth it to me.

I mainly read fantasy and sci-fi, and the r/fantasy subreddit does a yearly book bingo. I joined them two bingos ago, and since the goal of the bingo is to widen your taste, and try out new genres or niches, or themes, or specific authors, it was a very nice stepping stone to trying out new things.

But yes, we're on the third year of experimenting with different genres and I've learned a lot and it has been an enjoyable journey. But it is definitely challenging, and a little bit of a money waster because I keep buying books (tho often on sales) and then dropping them because I have NO interest in reading them.

That is important, drop books that don't fit you. But if you're on the "ehh" or the "meh" or the "whatever" stage, try to push through. Because a single book in a specific genre doesn't mean the entire genre isn't for you.

tbh i can relate

There's nothing wrong with reading mainly one-two genres and many do so successfully, although it may lead to reading burnout. Talking from my own personal experience - I used to read a lot of crime and thriller books, but now just the thought of reading another book of these two genres gives me shivers.

As someone who discovered new genres in the last years, I found helpful:

• Reading lighter or shorter novels first. For example, in case of sci-fi, those books were The Hitchicker's Guide to the Galaxy and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Both of those demonstrated that sci-fi isn't what I thought it would be.

• Trying out subgenres or books with multiple genres combined. For example, I like some aspects of magic but high fantasy with complex magical systems is too much. So instead I read urban fantasy, magical realism and fairytales.

• Choosing based on some elements from books you have enjoyed. Environment, atmosphere, era, characters, etc. For example, I love Sherlock Holmes. So when I learned about Agent Pendergast series, I had to give it a try even though horror isn't exactly my cup of tea. Needless to say, I enjoyed it a lot. Another example is my favorite urban fantasy series, The Rivers of London, that not only takes place in one of my favorite cities but also combines police work with magic. I mean..it's perfect combo in my eyes lol!

So to sum up, only thing that helps is to choose books more thoughtfully and read, read, read. It takes time and experience to learn to put aside your biases and expectations and to appreciate different genres and what they can offer imho.

Edit: wording

Any other recommendations for books? I likewise mostly end up reading Christie-esque mysteries and romance, but If We Were Villains looks great. Anything else that you’ve read that you’d recommend?

For me, it was easier to branch out a little bit because my go-to genres are Fantasy/High Fantasy and Historical Fiction, with a smattering of Classics (almost any genre.)

When I want to get out of a rut, I started with baby steps - so, instead of Historical Fiction, I read a Historical Romance (by an author my friend, who has a similar background, likes/dislikes, and sense of humor to mine, recommended; I figured if she'd enjoyed the books, I was more likely to enjoy them as well); instead of a Fantasy/High Fantasy, I tried a Mystery with Fantasy elements; etc.

I think that’s me. 💀 except I indulge myself exclusively to LGBT literature. I can enjoy sci fi and espionage, but anything else is just not amusing for me.

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