So today I thought I would talk about the types of genres I tend to lean towards more and the kinds of genre that I am not the biggest fan of! This post doesn’t include all genres but does include some standout ones for me.

Obviously, there will be exceptions for all genres so I may dislike some books in my favourite genres and love some books from genres I am not the biggest fans of.

Genres I Really Like!

The main two genres I like the most are Fantasy and Murder Mysteries.

Fantasy is the genre I have read the most of. I read a lot of YA fantasy and middle-grade fantasy growing up and I just always loved getting lost in those magical worlds and that has never left me. Recently, I have been disappointed with what YA fantasy has to offer as I was reading a lot of average books and in trying to find a fantasy book that I gave more than 3 stars I decided to venture more into adult fantasy and that is where my main tastes now lie. I have read a good couple of YA fantasy books this year but I feel that my tastes have changed over the last 2 or 3 years and I am starting to prefer more adult fantasy.

I would say the fantasy sub-genre I don’t like the most or don’t read that much of is paranormal romance. And I need to read more fantasy books where the influence isn’t Europe, as I am missing out on some amazing books/series.

Some recommendations include:

• The Books of Babel series by Josiah Bancroft
• Alice by Christina Henry
• Circe by Madeline Miller
• Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
• Fullmetal Alchemist Series by Hiromu Arakawa

Murder mysteries have been a genre that is close to my heart as I remember watching Agatha Christie adaptations with my mum all the time when I was younger so I have an affinity with the genre.

I seem to be drawn the most to any kind of historical fiction murder mystery. I rarely read mysteries set in our modern day unless there is something really niche about it like having major Shakespearian influences like If We Were Villains by M.L.Rio. Something that isn’t your basic murder mystery.

I also love a quirky detective. Miss Marple, Poirot, Kousuke Kindaichi if you have a quirky detective I am sold!

I tend to avoid police/crime mysteries I find them to be quite boring and I think this comes down to the fact that I don’t enjoy the main protagonist which always seems to be a down on his luck, alcoholic police detective and that just doesn’t appeal to me. I also tend to find the settings not as interesting as say a 1930’s Japanese countryside.

Some of my favourites include:

• If We Were Villains by M.L.Rio
• Closed Casket by Sophie Hannah
• The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo
• The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
• Daughters of Night by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
• Anything Agatha Christie

Genres I Am Hit or Miss With

For me this is Science Fiction.

I tend to find myself dipping in and out of this genre. Growing up I read YA dystopian novels and I wasn’t the biggest fan of them and I think it created a block when it comes to reading sci-fi. I enjoy movies and tv shows but I struggle with reading sci-fi. I have yet to fully emerge myself in hard sci-fi, I am not ready yet as I prefer more stories set on Earth in the future or focusing on a specific sci-fi theme rather than space travel or various universes. When it came to Doctor Who I would always prefer the episodes set in modern day or in the past over the ones set in space or the distant future.

So I need to venture more into this genre but thankfully I have been enjoying some sci-fi books recently.

Some of favourites include:

• Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
• It Devours by Joseph Fink and Jeffery Cranor
• Arc of a Scythe Trilogy by Neal Shusterman
• The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
• The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Genres I Am Not the Biggest Fan of!

First up is probably not going to come as a surprise but romance!

Now the thing with this genre is I don’t hate romance at all! I just haven’t liked mainly solely romance books, I personally prefer when the romance is the secondary plotline rather than the main focus of the story. Growing up I just have never been into romance films or anything like that but I would be obsessed with a romance when it was going alongside a wider story. I hope this makes sense.

That being said, maybe I have just read shitty romance books in the past and I am majorly missing out!

Some of my favourite books with romance include:

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
• Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu
• The Miss Underhay Mystery Series by Helena Dixon (Slow Burn)

The other genre which I am not sure is a genre so correct me if I’m wrong but it’s contemporary.

I tend to not like many stories set in contemporary settings. Unless its a murder mystery or an urban fantasy I just prefer to experience a different time period or world. I am not a massive coming of age fan personally but I would prefer to read a coming of age story set in a different world rather than our own.

I think this comes down to I have always used books as a form of escapism. I didn’t want to read books set in the world I was living in as it was so bad. I wanted to be transported someplace else and now that has manifested into me not really liking the genre. Again, there are always exceptions but unless its a mystery or an urban fantasy you will not see me reading it.

Some books I did enjoy include:

• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

As per usual and I have said before. There are always exceptions I may come across some amazing romance books and will have to eat my words and I am more than happy to do so!