1. Alice and Gerald: A Homicidal Love Story by Ron Franscell - While I watch a lot of true crime I've never actually read any until I picked this one up and ended up being completely fascinated.
2. Shadow in the Wood by J.P. Choquette - This was the closest to horror I've ever read and while it was quite some time before I'd willingly go into the woods I did really enjoy this.
3. Murder She Wrote: A Date with Murder by Jessica Fletcher, Donald Bain, and Jon Land - So mysteries aren't exactly out of my comfort zone but reading books based on a TV show has never really appealed to me. I ended up getting this one and decided to give it a try and ended up really enjoying it. It has all the comfort of an episode of Murder, She Wrote but is also a solid mystery.
4. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - This was outside of my comfort zone because it was written by Dickens. Dickens and I have a rather contentious relationship and I haven't been in much of a hurry to read anything else by him until I decided to pick this one up and I absolutely loved it.
5. The Child by Fiona Barton - I have one hard and fast rule when it comes to mysteries and that is that no child be involved. This violates that rule with the title alone but I ended up really enjoying it and have enjoyed other books by this author as well.
6. Written in Red by Anne Bishop - Urban Fantasy has never really appealed to me but so many bloggers I follow seem to really like this series so I thought I'd give it a try and thoroughly enjoyed the audio.
7. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - I don't read disaster books usually but a friend offered this one to me and I thought I'd try it and I ended up really liking it. I could definitely tell the author has a TV writing background.
8. Coraline by Neil Gaiman - Gaiman is a bit bizarre and this one was probably the most bizarre of any of his books that I've read. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as a child though and I'm quite sure it would freak my 9 year old out but as an adult reading this I rather liked it.
9. Splintered by A.G. Howard - I got drawn in by the gorgeous cover and loved the author's take on Alice in Wonderland. I haven't continued with this series because I really liked where the world ended at the end of this book but I probably will one of these days.
10. Cinder by Marissa Meyers - There is very little about this book that really should have appealed to me. I don't read dystopian, I don't read urban fantasy, I don't read YA but I ended up not only really enjoying it but continuing with the series.
What have you read and enjoyed that was outside of your comfort zone?
When I was much younger, I was really hooked on crime nonfiction, and some of it was quite fascinating and riveting. Every now and then I watch some of the true crime on 20/20. Hope all is well! Hugs, RO
ReplyDeleteA Christmas Carol was the only Dickens book I ever read and that was only because it was short! I don't read classics at all now. I'm also not into Neil Gaiman at all. I only read outside my comfort zone these days if the plot really appeals to me!
ReplyDeleteI've read a few of these and enjoyed them. Maybe not so much out of comfort zone. I'm not a big true crime reader, but as you know, I have no issues with fictional crime. I loved SHADOW IN THE WOODS and also liked BEFORE THE FALL quite a bit. I've actually not read THE CHILD, but I've read others by her.
ReplyDeleteI like a good outside-the-comfort-zone read, but you're right- sometimes they work and sometimes they don't! Nice when they do though. I still have to try Neil Gaiman.
ReplyDeleteCinder is on my 'must find more time in my day to read' pile :-D
ReplyDeleteMurder She Wrote never appealed to you! That is like my favorite show I don't know if we can be friends now...lol. ;) :) I will admit I have only tried one of the books..shocking...lol.
ReplyDeleteIt is good to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while. I used to read a ton of true crime but haven't picked any up for a long time. I read from a pretty wide range of genres but everyone once in a while, I do realize I need to mix things up a bit more.
ReplyDeleteIt's been fun to see what is and is not within other readers' comfort zones. I was perfectly comfortable with Cinder, for example (OK, I don't much like dystopian generally, but the other aspects -- YA fantasy, fairytale retelling -- were completely in my comfort zone.) On the other hand, I too have a conflicted relationship with Dickens, and also loved A Christmas Carol. And I would say that Splintered was out of my comfort zone in terms of some of the mental illness stuff and how very weird it was in places, plus I don't care for love triangles... but I really enjoyed that book anyway.
ReplyDeleteI think of myself as not much into urban fantasy or dystopian but the Anne Bishop books were really good and I liked the Cinder books too, I need to finish the series though.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I never say never when it comes to reading certain types of books. You really don't know when one will catch your eye and you end up enjoying it. I am so glad you took a chance with Anne Bishop's Others series. It's so awesome. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe nice thing about A CHRISTMAS CAROL is that it's short! I love it and re-read it every December to get me into the Christmas spirit :)
ReplyDeleteYay for Splintered! 💜
ReplyDeleteI read A Christmas Carol every Yule, now. 🎄