Other Books You Like Besides Fantasy

[Phil the Drill]

I wonder if everyone here reads only fantasy? Surely not. I have to say, I almost exclusively read fantasy but I have the tendency to read history, horror, Japanese language books, or slipstream (is that still a word?) on occasion. What are some other genres you like? I figure most people would say sci-fi, although I've never got into sci-fi for some reason. Although I bet there's lots of good stuff, I've just never given it a real shot.

Anyway, what are other books you read besides fantasy?

[Ravana]

Sci-fi.

History, mythology, many sciences, reference material of nearly any nature, language, poetry, comics... uhm, I'm sure there are others, though it's getting near the time of day my brain shuts down (that is, the sun will rise soon...).

In part, it depends on how narrowly you choose to define any given genre: I might say I like books on "art," but I'm considerably more interested in books with color photos of Renaissance paintings than I am on books explaining welding techniques for postmodern scrap-metal sculpture. At any rate, if I can think of anything that would meaningfully contribute to the foregoing, I'll tack it on later.

[Kelise]

I read utterly anything and everything. I really enjoy historical fiction, general literature, biographies... anything that's well written, really.

Specific recent books include The Help by Kathryn Stockett, That Woman by Anne Sebba (all about Wallis who broke up King Edward so his younger brother took the throne - for those who don't know much about the royal family, think of the movie The King's Speech) and Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.

Fantasy is my favourite to write though, so here I am It's important to read a lot in your genre - a lot of authors say you should try to read at least 60-80 books a year in able to improve your writing style.

[myrddin173]

I mostly read fantasy but there are a couple books that I like. With these it's specifically the book, not the author or the genre. As I lay Dying by William Faulkner is hilarious, we read it in my English class and the teacher and I had a discussion about how the book was funny and the rest of the class was looking at us like "what are you two smoking?!?" they didn't get the humor. Also the Book Thief by Markus Zusak which I just liked. I guess if I had to choose a genre outside of Fantasy I liked it would be Mystery though I do not read it very often.

[Shadoe]

I read anything that gets too close to my face. Right now I'm reading a fantasy book, which is the first one I've read in a while, and an electronics textbook, and FrameMaker manuals. Those last two because I need to look intelligent when I start my job writing electronics procedures in FrameMaker. Lately, though, I've been reading paranormal romances. Not sure why.

[Angharad]

I love mysteries, Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie are a couple of my favorite authors. Also literary fiction. Some of my favorite books are The Poisonwood Bible,To Kill a Mockingbird, The Little Friend, there are lots of others but I can't think of them at the moment.

[Misusscarlet]

I read all books especially if the first couple of pages catch my interest. Never got into to much sci-fi, I think only books i read that had sci-fi were the Dragonriders of Pern and of course Ender's Game and the following stories from Orson Scott Card. I read really really fast so i typically go for longer books like some of the Harry Potter, Farsala trilogy, or the Diane Duane young wizards series. Not much into horror, read some King but they weren't very horrific more boring actually. I enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird, Walk two moons and brave new world. I'm into paranormal romance right now and I mean the good paranormal romance, gotta have the crazy hot sex scenes! The authors I have been reading are Christine Feehan's Dark Series, Christine Warren's novels of the others, Kresley Cole's immortals after dark, Lynsay Sands Argenuea family. Historical Romance all the way, can't go wrong with Hannah Howell. I've also read some autobiographys. The life and times of Mary Rowlandson (as much fun as it was to read i hated the lady) my favorite was Harriet Jacobs fraught with suspense, thrills and dangers!

[mythique890]

I have a short attention span. Or, I guess, I have a narrow range of things that can hold my interest for a long time. I'll read some Sci fi. Back in high school I read pretty much everything Anne McCaffery ever wrote: Dragonriders, The Rowan, Freedom's Landing, whatever. After college I got really in to Orson Scott Card, though his books are so dense (thought-wise) that I can only read a few before I have to take a break and go to a different author for a while. I also love a well-done historical fiction. I read random chick-lit, but really, probably only two of those in my life. I'll also pick up a romance once in a while.

I like a well-written non-fiction, but it's hard to stay interested in those unless the author has a really engaging voice. Hopefully all you serious readers won't laugh at me, but I get my learning fix from the specials on the Discovery/History Channel now that I can't attend college lectures... I absorb better that way. Auditory learner.

Mostly, though, if I'm not reading fantasy these days I'm reading Dr. Suess. Who was brilliant, by the way.

[Map the Dragon]

The various volumes on the tree of wisdom (not an official title..just a summation) by Mr. Paulo Coehlo.

There is not better.

I dare you to read.


Some of my favorites in no particular order:

Brida
The Alchemist
Eleven Minutes
I Sat Down by the River Piedra and Wept
The Fifth Mountain

etc.

[pskelding]

I love me my thrillers. I read a thriller about every 3rd or 4th book just to mix things up. I have also been studying them to try and improve my fantasy writing and throw some different elements into the mix. I also like me my historical fiction like Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe Series and Simon Scarrow's Cato Series. I've read some of Coehlo's stuff which I liked quite a bit. I also delve into Chinese fiction like Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Heroes of the Marsh, Judge Di, and any wuxia (swordsman) novels I can get in English.

Somethings I've read recently include -

Judge Di and the Gold Bell Murders
Under the Eagle - Simon Scarrow
Rogue Angel - Destiny - Alex Archer (a guilty pleasure pulp action novel)
American Conspiracies - Jesse Ventura
Grim Reaper End of Days - Steve Alten
Seven Ancient Wonders - Matthew Reilly
Lies the Government Told You - Andrew Napolitano
Pendergast Series - Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child