Something I fear being is narrow-minded… in any situation. I never want to be a person that limits herself to just one type of thing, be it as superficial as food or as deep as the type of friends I keep. This desire to be adventurous and to see new things has also bled into my reading life.
One of my favorite things to do is pick a random book off the bookstore shelf and buy it before I’ve hardly skimmed the summary. This has forced me to delve into new genres that I never would’ve considered exploring on my own… and I’ve found some beautiful works of writing because of it. And now I want to share them with you.
The best books of every genre:
Biography
1. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Realistic Fiction
1. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
2. Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Mystery/Horror
1. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon
2. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
4. The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker
Memoir
1. The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr
2. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
3. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall
4. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: and Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
Psychology/Memoir
1. Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
2. Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
3. Darkness Visible by William Styron
Dystopia
Science Fiction/Fantasy
1. Black (series) by Ted Dekker
2. Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun
3. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
4. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
5. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
6. Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Historical Fiction
1. Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates
Short Stories
1. Hot Water Music by Charles Bukowski
2. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
Young Adult
1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
3. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
What’s your favorite book?
This article contains affiliate links, but only to book we love and trust with all our hearts.
About the Author
Maggie is a senior English major at Abilene Christian University. She enjoys creative writing, reading everything she can get her hands on, and learning what it means to be a grown-up. After graduation, she plans to pursue a MFA in creative writing and perhaps a PhD after that, all while working on getting published and finding as many writing opportunities as possible. She would love to continue contributing to sites like GenTwenty and perhaps, after getting her doctorate, become a professor of creative writing at a university.
Website: www.maggieelizabethwrites.com