Being an eclectic reader, I have very few areas I'm not comfortable delving into, very few areas 'outside my comfort zone.' There have been a few over the years, however, that were very not like my normal reading, some of which I hated, some of which I really enjoyed. Either way, they were new experiences for me:
Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis (review)
Semi-autobiographical works from the 1950s that no one has ever head which focus on the flamboyant life of a sometimes-rich aunt and her orphaned nephew don't jump out at me very often; actually this is the only one I've ever read. And I loved it.
Black Juice by Margo Lanagan (review)
Short stories are not my thing, but this little collection had me rethinking that stance. While I still don't lean towards shorter works, this one at least opened my mind to the possibility.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick (review)
While I read A LOT of fantasy based works, I rarely read science fiction, especially the older stuff, so this was big change from the norm for me.
Dracula is not outside my norm, but a heavily annotated classic is. And oh mary, I can't tell you how much all those annotations had me geeked.
Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur (review)
Erotic paranormal is not really my thing. Romance yes, paranormal yes, but the combination is primarily in the world of YA for me, not adult, so this was something of a first for me.
The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky (review)
A semi-autobiographical tale about life in a Siberian concentration camp, written by an old school Russian is definitely not a combination I've come across or a combo I've sought out. But this story is absolutely fantastic!
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (review)
I am not a big fan of realistic, contemporary YAL, especially if it's a wee bit sappy/sentimental. And I'm still not one after reading this. While I liked it when I read it, the further I got away from the book, the more I wasn't impressed.
Pox by Michael Willrich (review)
A ginormous history book about a disease is definitely not my typical cup of tea. Take out the ginormous portion and I'm much more inclined to like this type of book.
Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello (review)Plays are not normal reading fare for me. I've never been a huge fan of drama in general; although the occasional play really does rock my world. This was one such play.
Women by Annie Leibovitz (review)
I never read photography collections; this is the only one I've read. But I seriously recommend it. Her work is tremendous and moving.
You are all over the place! I'd love to take a look at the Leibovitz book, she is so talented. And I have had Black Juice on the list for years...I think it might have been Nymeth's review that did it?
ReplyDeleteIf a book is not one I like or can get into, I just stop reading. There have been any number of those.. I haven't read any on your list. I can understand not liking Draula!
ReplyDeleteLately, my book club books have been way outside of my comfort zone, but not in a good way. I haven't been able to get into them at all. The writing has really turned me off on a couple of them. But I can think of books in the past that stretched my zone in a good way. One book off the top of my head is Acorna. It is a fantasy book, which I rarely read, but I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThe books outside my comfort zone have usually been sent to me by publishers or mandated by book clubs. But I love being pushed!
ReplyDeleteWe share similar reactions to a lot of the books on this list that I have read. I loved Auntie Mame and kind of disliked Pox as well. I don't do Picoult at all, and have heard several say that her books are not very good for a serious reader. I tend to think of her as sort of manipulative. This was a great list, and I enjoyed perusing your thoughts!
ReplyDeletenice list. As it turns out, My Sister's Keeper is on my list, too. I don't do much chick-lit so I was surprised how engaged I was with that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Women is a fabulous photography collection!
Dostoyevski made my list, too. But I hadn't heard of House of the Dead. I'll have to add that to my TBR shelf, it looks like.
ReplyDeleteI rarely read the older sci-fi myself, and I'd like to try more of it. Very eclectic indeed! I'd have to think pretty hard to come up with 10.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillip K Dick book is on my long TBR list. I'm the opposite of you...I love science fiction (particularly the classic stuff) and am not a big fantasy fan. Here's my top ten, if you'd like to take a peek: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2011/11/top-ten-tuesday-out-of-comfort-zone.html
ReplyDeletePox is something I would love to read, although the heft of it would scare me. I liked My Sister's Keeper and thought it was gripping and I have read other Picoult books that I had a similar reaction too, but sometimes I get confused by her popularity.
ReplyDeleteMy Sister's Keeper was definitely outside my comfort zone too, but I wanted to know what all the fuss was about with Picoult's books.
ReplyDeleteI would love to read The House of the Dead. Sounds fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to hear Six Characters getting kudos from someone else. Like you, I'm not too big on the play format. But this one? Man alive it was ah-may-zing. I loved the twist on reality.
ReplyDeleteI loved Auntie Mame, can't say I like any of the scary ones, however.
ReplyDeleteHere's my post
I read that very same annotated version of Dracula...I think I would have been better off without all of the side notes. They kept taking me out of the story.
ReplyDeleteWomen is a great book! When it was first published, I practically ran to the bookstore to buy it. Margo Lanagan is such a great author.
ReplyDeleteI envy your lack of "not in my comfort zone." My reading scope has certainly increased as I've aged, but it feels like there are so many genres that I can't stand. Got any tips for expanding your comfort zone?
ReplyDeleteHow in the WORLD do you do this all?
ReplyDeleteI am jealous of your reading life.
I was so curious to see what you'd pick because you are a very eclectice and "brave" reader!
ReplyDeleteDid you ever see the movie Auntie Mame? Love the movie but didn;t realize it was a book. Bravo for going outside of your comfort zone. Several of these sound quite interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely more brave than I am! I think of myself as a widely read gal but there are so many books that "scare" me. For no good reason. Dracula is on that list. And after suffering through Brothers Karamazov, anything Dostoevsky scares the living hell out of me! ;)
ReplyDelete