I've gone through various phases in my reading life. When I was a child, my mom only read gothic novels. So I read...right, gothic novels. To this day, I cannot bear to open a book with a castle and a woman in a long dress on the cover.
Then I went through a long scifi reading phase. I read everything I could find that was scifi especially old scifi from the 1930s and 40s and 50s. And then one day, I stopped.
I found a library near me where the librarian ordered and shared lots of literary fiction. That began my phase of reading books that were surprising, thoughtful, and sometimes a little beyond me.
And I've continued to read those books of literary fiction. I still find them surprising. Thoughtful. Sometimes a little beyond me.
I discovered somewhere in there that I loved nonfiction that reads like fiction. (Not like a textbook. I still loathe textbooks.)
Classics. I decided to try to read 50 classics in 5 years via The Classics Club. Surprisingly I have greatly enjoyed almost every classic I've tried.
So here is where I am now: I'm getting ready to plan out 2026, readingwise. I need some new wonderful titles. I'm willing to try a new genre. Or an old one. Maybe not horror or porn-ish romance, but just about anything else.
And here's my question:
What should I read now? Could you recommend a genre or a specific book or books that I might have missed that I need to read before I die?
Please share titles that have stayed with you, that you may have read and reread, titles that are favorites. Thank you in advance for any you share.
I feel like at one time I pretty much read whatever book caught my interest at the store. I'd spend hours there looking for something "new" to read. I read contemporary, I tried literary fiction but it wasn't for me. Then I read a book that involved vampires and it was love at first sight! Lol. I never wanted to go back to "ordinary" reads like contemporary again. I still might have read one or two authors I liked until I found enough paranormal books to read. Then I "broadened" my scope to include fantasy because even if it's just humans but involving magic it's still not "ordinary." Lol.
ReplyDeleteSo I've got recommendations if you're up for paranormal reads! They border the lines of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance depending on who you ask! Lol. The latter tends to have more of a romance based story but not the porn type (at least I don't read those). Kelley Armstrong, Jeaniene Frost, and Kim Harrison are three of my favorites and are my "classic" authors for the genre! Kelley is very diverse in genres she writes now. She's even delved in contemporary reads, which I still can't read no matter who writes them. I'm still trying to get caught up on her releases, so you can pretty much find something to read from her!
Here's my TTT
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
I can only read nonfiction that reads like fiction. I also really love microhistories!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you haven't read much fantasy. I loved The Little Country by Charles de Lint, The Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin.
ReplyDeleteCyberpunk?
ReplyDeleteI did something special for today: https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/11/11/scifimonth-2025-science-fiction-a-z/
I could spend all day giving book recs!
ReplyDeleteTerry Tyler writes character driven novels in several genres: Modern day parallel Tudor Fiction - Kings and Queens, was very enjoyable if you know your Henry VIII history. While her post apocalyptic series Tipping Point is set in the UK and it hauntingly believable. Most recently she has published Served Cold, the first book in a series of duology novellas revolved around the age old issue of revenge.
If you like war stories, Kate Quinn is a good writer, or if you want something less known but still very good in that genre, take a look at The Willow Wren by Philipp Schott, The Breaking Point series by John Rhodes or Back Behind Enemy Lines by Chris Bridges.
I'll stop there!
Thanks for stopping my my blog earlier.
How about mysteries? I avoid the explicit or gory ones, but cozy and/or lightly romantic mysteries can be a ton of fun to read. They often have fun puns for titles, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by earlier.
I adore a good narrative nonfiction book (nf that reads like fiction)! Probably my most memorable read in this subgenre is The Woman They Could Not Silence. ~Carol @ ReadingLadies
ReplyDeleteIf you'd be looking into trying fantasy, I can only second another commenter's suggestion of Madeline Miller books :)
ReplyDeleteMy effort when choosing books is always to include many genres and books from many countries and cultures. I read the NY Times book review in search of new books that I would like to read. I’m especially interested in food books including memoirs, food history, and books about specific foods. A few months ago, I made a list:
ReplyDeletehttps://maefood.blogspot.com/2025/01/are-food-books-changing.html
I don’t know if you would like the same sorts of books I read but I believe that you often read my reviews on my blog. Good luck with creating some new territory for your reading.
I've gone through different reading phases too. I used to read SO much historical fiction which is perhaps why I'm not as into it today. Now I stick with my contemporary and the occasional historical. :) I think it's fun to read varying genres, but I also think that given how many books there are in the world, it's okay to stick to the genres or authors or styles we like best. :) Thanks for visiting my list.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I loved the classic TV series Star Trek, with William Shatner as Captain Kirk, (Shatner was born here in Montreal), I have never read sci-fi books.
ReplyDeleteI have gone through different reading phases as well! The phase that I am in now is non-fiction and it will stay this way, because these books for me are not only enjoyable but educational.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Deb, you know me and my tastes. Mysteries are my favorite. I always laugh about your Gothic book experience and the fact that you Mom loved them so much. Did I ever tell you that when my daughter was young, I had to turn the books facedown and tell her not to turn them over. She at one point had been fascinated by the cover of a mystery I was reading that had knife or dagger on the cover. Ha! Mostly, I would say, read what is fun for you - whatever time of life you are at. Right?
ReplyDeleteHow about classic fantasy? Lord of the Rings by Tolkien as a starting point.
ReplyDeleteYou could also google some „books I should read before I die“ and pick something.
How about translated fiction? Travel through the world and pick a different country every month…
Hmmmm. It's really hard to pick a genre for someone else! If I were to speak to my past self I'd definitely point myself at Mary Stewart's romances, though. The romance is fairly light ("clean", I suppose people would call it now, though I dislike the term) and sometimes quite old fashioned, but there's something charming about most of them.
ReplyDeleteWell, you are sure to get a wide variety of titles and authors. I have several recommendations: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold. The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady by Sharon Mondragon. I think both of those would be classified as women's fiction, maybe. They are not romances, or maybe realistic fiction. One of my all time favorite suspense series starts with Criss Cross by C.C. Warrens, it also doesn't have a romance line. A children's book recommendation: The Boy who Illustrated Happiness by Victor Santos. Words by Ginny L.Yttrup. The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers-I didn't like it the first time I read it (I didn't completely understand it), but I enjoyed it once I understood it, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI also suggest trying some fantasy! It's so broad, you can really pick any sort you like: high fantasy, historical, cosy, romance. Like you, my reading has evolved and I did tend to read similar things for a while and then switch to something else. This was especially true in my early adulthood but now I do try and mix it up as much as I can.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to diversify my reading in recent years. Not only have I tried to reading books set in different locations (outside of the US and UK), but also different voices.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/ten-graphic-novels-ive-read-in-2025/
You have tried many different genres. You know me...cozy mysteries are my go-to genre. If they have cats even better :)
ReplyDeleteIf you've give up on sci-fi (especially more recent sci-fi), it might be time to dive back in! There are so many excellent options to choose from. I like your description of non-fiction that reads like fiction -- I rarely read non-fiction, and if I do, it has to feel engaging the way a novel does.
ReplyDeleteI am into award books. Here are a few I highly recommend: (Pulitzer) The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao; The Orphan Master's Son; The Overstory; The Sympathizer; Gilead; The Interpreter of Maladies. (Women's Prize) Brotherless Night; The Lacuna; Hamnet; Piranesi; The Book of Form and Emptiness. (NBA) Hell of a Book; Interior Chinatown; The Rabbit Hutch; The Round House. (Booker Prize) Lincoln in the Bardo (Audio); The Narrow Road to the Deep North; Orbital; The Testaments.
ReplyDeleteAlso: The Justice Trilogy by Louise Erdrich: The Plague of Doves, The Round House, LaRose.
-The Morrie Morgan series by Ivan Doig: Whistling Season, Work Song, Sweet Thunder
-Anything by: John Green; Barbara Kingsolver; Louise Erdrich; Lily King; Maggie O'Farrell; Claudia Rankine; Bill Bryson; David McCullough.
I know you loved Lonesome Dove, so maybe more Westerns? Have you read All the Pretty Horses (Cormac McCarthy)? I loved that book. There's also These Is My Words by Nancy Turner. Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison is very good.
ReplyDeleteI've branched out more recently to mysteries--if you haven't already, I'd recommend checking out The Thursday Murder Club series about members of a retirement community who solve murders and the Evander Mills mysteries by Lev A.C. Rosen about a gay detective in 1950s San Francisco. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteMy reading absolutely goes through phases! My reading has basically flipped on it's head in the last 15 years! Some things are constants but others are not!
ReplyDeleteI tend to "read around." Mysteries are my favorite, especially series mysteries, classic or contemporary. But I have to mix it up -- memoirs, non-fiction, sometmes fictionm essay. I'm still not fond of sci-fi or violent thrillers or gooey rom-com type novels but now and then one clicks.
ReplyDeleteI read romantic fantasy recently and I surprisingly enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI read most genres. But I love mysteries and thrillers.
ReplyDeleteI’ve read different genres throughout the years as well. You can probably guess that I always recommend Amish fiction but that’s not for everyone. Maybe try some suspense or psychological thriller. The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch will leave you shocked at the end.
ReplyDeleteI tend to let my current interests or travel plans dictate my reading, and I find diving down rabbit holes to be quite satisfying. When I finally got around to reading Little Women, I found myself reading multiple bios of Louisa May Alcott and her family, and then ventured into fiction (The Other Alcott Girl, and then art in Paris in the late 19th century). This year I was all about the Civil War as I had the opportunity to visit Gettysburg and so read fiction and nonfiction around that topic. When I was planning the Hadrian's Wall trip, I read almost exclusively about Northumbria.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy adventure fiction and nonfiction. Getting lost on a mountain and having to find your way back to civilization, that kind of thing. I also really like National Park setting fiction and nonfiction. Love reading about Ranger life.
I love reading about birding, fiction and nonfiction, and Steve Burrows has a great birder murder series. Books like The Big Year and Kingbird Highway are always fun and interesting.
And then there's rereading. I will always reread Cannery Row, East of Eden, David Copperfield and a slew of other Dickens, all the Austens, Winnie the Pooh, Wind in the Willows, The Years With Ross, Charlotte's Web, North and South (Gaskell not Jakes). Dorothy Sayers mysteries., and the list goes on.
Hope you find some new genres or themes to fall in love with in 2026.
You've read a lot. I hope whatever you read next is good for you.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure you've already heard about almost every book on my Goodreads "Favorites" shelves already but I see three favorites that I read before I joined Goodreads and before I started blogging, so I will list those:
ReplyDeleteDesiree by Annemarie Selinko
This is a sweeping historical novel presented as the rediscovered diary of Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary. A young silk merchant's daughter from Marseille, she has a passionate romance with a young and ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte. The story follows her remarkable life as she navigates the tumultuous years of the French Revolution and the rise and fall of the Napoleonic Empire, eventually finding herself in a position of immense power and responsibility she never anticipated.
The Wives of the Fishermen by Angela Huth
Set in a remote, starkly beautiful Scottish fishing village, this novel focuses on the lives of three very different women. They are bound together by the shared experience of being married to fishermen—a life of long absences, constant danger, and deep uncertainty. The story explores their friendships, their personal struggles, their resilience, and the quiet dramas that unfold as they wait for their husbands' return from the treacherous sea.
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
This novel is a compelling historical speculation about the legend of Pope Joan, a woman who allegedly disguised herself as a man and rose to the highest office in the Catholic Church in the 9th century. The story follows a brilliant and educated girl who, living in a superstitious and oppressive time, pursues her thirst for knowledge against all odds. Her intelligence and determination lead her on an incredible journey from an English village to the very heart of power in Rome.