Are You a Genre-Hopper?

Are you an adventurous reader? Or do you enjoy a steady diet of a single genre?

One look at your book purchases can provide the answer.

If you scanned my To-Be-Read shelves, you'd see that I'm a fan of inspirational historical romances, particularly those set in the 1800s. They've been my favorite reads for decades.

In recent years, I've met many writers who work in different genres. Eager to support my friends, I've bought their books. And I've read them.

I'd never considered reading a WWII romance until I met Sarah Sundin, but I picked up her debut novel, A Distant Melody. The book was so good that Sarah became one of my must-read authors. I devoured the other books in her Wings of Glory Series: A Memory Between Us and Blue Skies Tomorrow, and I look forward to her new Wings of the Nightingale series.

I visited my agency mate Billy Coffey's blog and learned that he's a gifted storyteller. Because of that, I snapped up his debut novel, Snow Day, and enjoyed a tale filled with his unique brand of front-porch philosophy. His second book, Paper Angels, is in my TBR pile mountain, and I'm looking forward to savoring it.

Not long ago, I won an Advanced Reader Copy of another agency mate's book. When Katie Ganshert's debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, showed up in my PO box, I let out a squeal that elicited some interesting responses from others in the post office. I knew Katie's story was a contemporary romance, but I do read them from time to time. What I didn't know was that the story includes a women's fiction element. I wasn't sure what to make of it when I first realized that, but after reading just a few pages, I was hooked. Katie's first book won't even be out until May, and I'm already eager for her second.

If I had insisted on a steady diet of inspirational historical romances set in my favorite period, I would have missed out on some great reads. By exploring different genres, I discovered some delightful surprises.

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Do you gravitate to one genre, or do you read books in different ones?

What authors have you discovered when you've chosen books outside your usual genre?

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Image from iStockphoto.

Filed under: Reading Tagged: Billy Coffey, Katie Ganshert, Keli Gwyn, Reading Habits, Sarah Sundin