Reading is such an enjoyable pastime for me. When I read, I want to be taken away from the mundane, day-to-day, and escape to somewhere fantastical. I'm sure I've said this before, but I don't like getting out of my comfort zone too much. Too heavy, and I'll pass. Too "out there," and I'm gone.
All that's to say, this year, I've read some books that took me out of my comfort zone. And I am SO GLAD that I did. I wanted to share a few of these books with you.
I'm using my Goodreads page to do this, so it's in reverse chronological order. {Sidenote: What would I ever do without Goodreads?}
Books Out of my Comfort Zone {So Far}
I don't really do Sci-Fi. Even though I had heard fabulous things about this book, I was still very hesitant to dive in. My library had a copy, so I figured it would be an easy way to decide if it wasn't for me. It was totally for me! Loved it, and couldn't wait for the next book to come out. Now I'm anxiously awaiting the third.
Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Corriell
I know most people wouldn't consider this an issue book, but I sorta do. It's about high school, and, let's face it, high school can be tough for anyone. The real thing that was tough for me, though, was the grandmother in this book. She was showing the early signs of Dementia. My own grandmother had Alzheimer's. It's a horrible disease, but I was pleased to see how it was handled in this book.
Pure by Julianna Baggott
The best way for me to describe this book is brutal. It was so brutally honest and showed the world at its darkest, nitty-grittiest. It was a hard book to read. Through it all, though, the writing was beautiful. Oxymoron? Yep, but true.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Along with the whole not liking Sci-Fi, I'm also not a big fan of "horror" novels. That's pretty much any novel that's creepy, scary, or a combo of the two. Mara is definitely creepy. Kinda in the "makes my skill crawl with goosebumps" kinda way. But it was oh so good. Can't wait on book two.
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
See above {Across the Universe} for more details.
Grave Mercy by R. L. LaFevers
Assassin nuns? I wasn't sure how I felt about the whole premise. Seemed a little out there to me. Ooh, how wrong I was . So, so good.
The Right & The Real by Joelle Anthony
I can honestly say that I've never had any interaction with a cult. I know that I wouldn't handle it well if I ever did. Maybe that's why this book is so fascinating to me. It goes inside a cult that is posing as a church. More importantly, it deals with the main character, who was once on the inside and is now an outcast. She's just a teenager, and she has a ton to deal with, like losing her father to the freakish people inside the organization. It still bugs me that she didn't tell anyone what was going on, but that's for another post altogether. It made me so uncomfortable to read, but it truly was amazing to read.
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
Wales? In the 1400s? I know nothing about this time or this conflict. Absolutely nothing. Plus, I can't even say their names properly. What made me the most uncomfortable, though, was the "mean girl" vibe I got from the main character toward most of the other characters in this book. I can't stand it when people think they are better than other people. But I learned a lot from this book, and know others did as well.
What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor
This covered two issues. The first – what would happen if you lost something that you'd always had? For instance, the ability to speak. This idea terrifies me. What if you lost your sight, your hearing, or your ability to communicate? It was so interesting to read about Jake and how he dealt with it. It was also interesting to read about Samantha, and all that she had to go through. She was so poor, and she did it pretty much on her own. Heartbreaking.
What about you? What have been some books {so far} that have pushed you out of your comfort zone?
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