Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Liked that I Wouldn’t Normally Read

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is Books I Enjoyed That Are Outside of My Comfort Zone. As you may know, I prefer YA or middle grade and fantasy or science-fiction to other genres. I rarely read non-fiction, horror, or mystery. But I have read a few from these genres that I did like. Here are ten.

My Dyslexia by Philip Schultz: I picked this up on a whim when I was weeding books at work. I’ve been working on a story about a kid with dyslexia for a while, and reading this helped me see how someone with dyslexia could still want and be able to read despite their disability.

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson: I read this one a while ago, but I remember thinking how interesting it was to read a book from a blind man’s point of view and how different the narration is. The story is also incredibly empowering.

Bonnie and Clyde by Karne Blumenthal: At work, I index the old newspapers and right now I’m in the 1930s so for a while, I hit on a string of outlaws being captured or killed, including Bonnie and Clyde. After reading everything Wikipedia had to offer about them, I picked up this book to learn more about this story. It was eye opening.

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman: I’ve always loved Van Gogh’s art, especially “Starry Night,” so I decided to read this biography about him. It was long and some parts included way more information than I would have cared to read, but overall, it paints an interesting look at Van Gogh’s life.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott: I was told to read this book forever ago and I finally read it last fall. It has a lot of wonderful insight for writers and just entertaining stories about life.

Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book by Ally Carter: A lot of non-fiction I’ve read recently has been writing related, and Dear Ally is one of the best writing books I’ve read, especially for teens. Not only does she provide answers to frequently asked questions about writing, but she includes answers from other authors too.

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom: I’m a huge fan of history and reading about real life stories of survival and triumph. Corrie’s story is phenomenal and it’s crazy to think she truly lived these moments, but she did.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland: Zombies are not my thing. I hate zombie movies or video games because they’re too creepy for me. But Dread Nation combines zombies with history and a fantastic main character. It was a blast, and I’m still waiting for the sequel.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith: Again, like Dread Nation, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies combines two genres that shouldn’t mesh but do. This book is completely ridiculous and over the top, but I love it anyways.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: I should read more Agatha Christie. I usually don’t care for mysteries because they’re either too obvious or don’t include enough clues to make me feel like I can understand the solution. I liked this one, though.

What genres do you usually skip? Don’t forget to join the link-up!

 

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