It is an indisputable fact that humans have favourites. We have our preferred choice in clothing, we lean towards a certain type of meal, and we find ourselves intrigued by a certain type of people.
Books, of course, are no exception to this rule.
We have our favourite genres, settings, tropes, authors, and book formats. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s called a comfort zone for a reason.
Having discovered the magic of stepping out of your comfort zone, however, allow me to attempt to convince you to try something new.
I love sci-fi and I love fantasy. And whenever I go to pick a new book to read, the probability that the book will fall into one of these genres is quite high. Once again, nothing to be ashamed of. Recently, however, I have made a conscious effort to diversify my reading list by including books from different genres and authors from different backgrounds.
The result was…magical.
One of my favourite things to read is the “Legend of the Galactic Heroes” series by Yoshiki Tanaka and one of my most recent reads is “Call Me By Your Name” by Andre Aciman. If you have read both books, then I don’t have to explain to you the canyon of dissimilarities between them.
Well, if you haven’t read either, imagine for a second that your favourite artist is Eminem, and a friend asks you to give One Direction a listen. That’s how far apart those books are in terms of genre. But the book was recommended to me, and I forced myself to read Aciman’s novel.
It was a challenge, at first (no fault of Aciman’s, I was just too used to starships and complex magical runes), and I stopped after a few pages. I was determined, however, and I resumed reading in a few days. Then finished the book in a few hours. Then watched the movie. Then read the book again.
After “Call Me By Your Name”, other contemporary novels were recommended to me, and I soon found myself lingering in the literary fiction section of bookshops. I since have read “Before the Coffee Gets Cold” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and “Arrow of God” by Chinua Achebe. I plan to reread George Orwell’s “1984” before the year is over.
This does not mean that I prefer literary fiction to sci-fi and fantasy. Not at all. It’s more like stretching your hand and drawing a book into your comfort zone.
It’s like sitting in a different chair to read.
At first, it might seem uncomfortable—your favourite chair is already broken in and your blanket is strewn over it, waiting for you to burrow under—but if you persevere, you might begin to appreciate your new reading spot. And while you might ultimately return to your old chair, your progress will be evident in your reluctance to get up.
P.S
This does not only apply to book genres. If you mainly read digital copies of books, try print. Try an audiobook. If you mainly read novels, try a novella. If you find yourself always reaching for books, try a graphic novel or a collection of poems.
Try another chair.