You may have noticed that I post a lot of different kinds of books, from science fiction to contemporary romance, foreign literature to homegrown New Zealand fiction, and even a few poetry or short story collections get thrown in from time to time. This may be strange for you if you read one or two genres because the story conventions and structures may differ from what you’re used to and experience with your reads. So, I am here to explain why I read so many genres and why you should too.

I find reading a variety of genres to be refreshing, enlightening, and educational. When I read the same genre back to back, for example, contemporary romance, I can get stuck in a rut of the same tropes, character types, narrative structures and so on. Similarly, science fiction or fantasy books that are heavy in exposition and detail can really bog me down if I try to read them at the same time or consecutively. I can binge read a series, but I wouldn’t be able to switch between two intense story worlds without buffers in between. When I get to step away from a genre for a little bit, it makes me enjoy my return when a new release or the next series comes across my tbr.

As a reader, I find reading a range of genres to be enlightening in terms of finding my own preferences and vibes within the books. There are times I come across a trope in one genre and ponder over whether or not I actually like it or not, only to see it in another context in a completely different genre and end up loving it (or disliking it, it can go either way). As a writer, I love reading a variety of genres because I love learning about storytelling techniques and patterns within each genre, finding what is expected and works versus what it a surprise and polarising. I can also see what happens when one genre’s narrative structure is placed in a different genres, for example, a mystery thriller narrative structure in a gothic YA fantasy (that’s the vibe I got a little from One Dark Window, though it still has its pillars of fantasy). Seeing how authors choose to follow a genre’s norms or subvert them is so cool to watch unfold on the page, and I find immense joy in reading so many different books that give me access to more authors and their styles of writing.

The educational aspect of reading multiple genres isn’t so obscure, given reading itself is an educational tool. By reading more genres, I get exposed to more words, and more uses of those words in different contexts. I get to see how effective certain descriptions are, how strong of an image can be conjured by a select few words, and how crushing a final sentence can be with one simple sentence. I learn so much from books, and more so by reading so many different books. The lessons from a non fiction book could so easily be applied to a fiction book, just as messages from history can transcend time to be just as important today as they were fifty years ago.

I understand that this approach I have takes a different route to many in regard to what is deemed relaxing and “an escape from the ordinary”. I like my fun reading escapes, but given my studies in creative writing, literature, and history, I can’t just few them as entertainment without meaning. There are some books I can put my author or academic brain aside for and just enjoy as a reader, but there are others where the subject matter, overarching themes, or character dialogue requires that critical lens to see the root of the author’s intentions and reflect on that.

I hope throughout the month, through both my reviews and discussion posts, that I can convince you to dip your toes into a genre you don’t regularly pick up. Maybe I can even convince you to make it into your weekly rotation of genres. There’s nothing wrong with reading one solid genre, or two to cover your interests, but there is nothing wrong with expanding your reading either.