Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Enjoyed that Are Outside of My Comfort Zone

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature that was created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Born from a love of lists and a love of books each week there’s a new topic for bloggers to list their ‘top ten’.

Top Ten Books I Enjoyed that Are Outside of My Comfort Zone

I’m not very adventurous when it comes to reading. I know what I like – YA fantasy, contemporary and sci-fi – and I’m not good at venturing outside of those genres. Still there have been a few books I’ve discovered, largely thanks to blogging and other bloggers, which I’ve loved so maybe it should be a bookish resolution to try new genres a little more. After all if I’ve enjoyed the ten books I’ve featured  in my list this week there are probably plenty more out there I’ll enjoy.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Everyone was talking about this book on WordPress, and everyone was loving it so of course I had to read it. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was one of the first books I tried as an audiobook, and it really added to the experience. It was an incredible read, and I can’t wait to get through more of Reid’s books.

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If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

I’m not too sure why I picked up this book, or where I discovered it from. I’m not a fan of classics, I read Shakespeare when I was in A Level English and didn’t enjoy it at all, so picking up a book about students studying Shakespeare may have been a weird choice but I was hooked on the mystery and the characters.

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Sadie by Courtney Summers

This was another book that was everywhere on WordPress, and so obviously another book I had to read as well. Sadie was the first book I read as an audiobook, I started it on a long coach journey and was so hooked I never wanted the drive to end. This was a heartbreaking read, but an unforgettable one as well.

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The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough

Historical fiction is a genre I rarely reach for, but every book from the genre I have picked up I’ve really loved. The Game of Love and Death is no exception; it’s got a touch of magical realism in the characters of Love and Death but at heart it was a historical love story between Flora and Henry.

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Circe by Madeline Miller

I love Greek mythology, but before picking up Madeline Miller’s books I’d only read fantasy books inspired by Greek mythology – like Percy Jackson – rather than straight-up retellings. Madeline Miller has an incredible way of writing and her books are so beautiful, plus I learn so much from them.

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Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

Before picking up a copy of Moonrise at YALC I’d never read any poetry books, and despite loving Moonrise I’ve never really been tempted to pick up another one. I’m not sure what I expected from this book but I was surprised by the emotional punch Moonrise had, it was a sad but beautiful story.

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The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

When it comes to historical fiction I can’t not talk about The Book Thief. In some ways it’s similar to The Game of Love and Death; it’s a book with a touch of magical realism in Death’s character but at heart it’s Liesel’s story told over the years of the second world war. The Book Thief is one of my all-time favourite reads.

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13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

I requested this book from NetGalley, the blurb sounded interesting so I figured ‘why not’? For me psychological thrillers aren’t like historical fiction, where if I’m in the right mood I can see myself reaching for a book from that genre, but the mystery in 13 Minutes had me hooked. I didn’t want to put this book down until I knew everything.

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All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

After reading an incredible review for All the Light We Cannot See I knew I had to pick this book up as well. It’s another sad yet beautiful story telling the story of the war through the eyes of Marie-Laure and Werner; two very different characters affected in very different ways as the war unfolds.

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I can’t talk about my favourite books from outside of my comfort genres without talking about The Night Circus. I picked this up on a whim from the library one day and that was it, I was gone on the magic and the story. The Night Circus is an epic read, told over the course of many years but always following the magic of the circus

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Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday?

Have you read any of these books, and if so were they from genres you normally love to read or genres outside of your comfort zone?

What are your usual genres, and what genres are outside of your comfort zone? Are you good at branching out, reading books from all kind of genres and enjoying them, or like me do you stick with what you know you’ll love?