Hello everyone! Top Ten Tuesday is today so here I am with a magnificent list for you all filled with splendid books. TTT is a weekly meme hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish and each week a different topic is posted for us to make a bookish list about. It’s so much fun (and the highlight of everyone’s week, let’s face it) so be sure to head over to the official page to check everyone’s posts out and maybe even join in!

This week’s topic is:

Ten Books I Enjoyed Recently that Weren’t My Typical Genre/Type of Book

‘Recently’ is defined as within the last yearish and the books can be classified as also ones that were out of your comfort zone.

This topic was hard to come up with something for. But seeing as I’ve strayed from the last two topics I’m going to make a real effort to stick to this one. You might have noticed that I’m a big fan of Young Adult fiction and love to dabbled in historical fiction, but you’ve probably hardly ever seen the other books. The ones I read in secret, under the covers, in dark corners. My secret nightlife equivalent in books. Okay maybe I’m being a bit dramatic. 

At first I sat thinking: but there are no books that I’ve read that aren’t YA or Fantasy or about fairy-tales! But then I actually looked at my list of read books and waddya know, I have read left of centre! SO, even though I don’t stray much from what I like – to ensure maximum reading delight – I have scrounged up a few that weren’t my typical pick, voila! The irony of this is that I don’t own a lot of these books in a physical format, go figure. Apparently YA is the only genre worth 80% of my pay checks.

Onto the books!

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#1

The Wolf Wilder by Kathrine Rundell

Author: Kathrine Rundell
Published: August 2015
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 240 {kindle edition}

GENRE: Children’s Fiction/Middle-Grade, Historical Fiction

Try as I might I just never seem to lap up middle-grade fiction, let alone something specifically leaning towards children’s fiction (which you might argue are the same thing, but they’re not. So be quiet, you). I actually received an e-ARC of this so after guiltily not reading it for a long time, I did – and yes, yes, yes, yes. This is set in Russia and is all about a girl and her mum and they ‘wild’ wolves – wolves that had been tamed and kept as pets but thrown out of home for doing something naughty; they make them suitable for the wild again. Sort of like an animal from the zoo going out into the wild.

THIS BOOK, guys. Get on to it. And also: Dear Book Fairy, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send me more Rundell, I want to read them ALL. Much obliged. I need to also buy a physical copy of this because covers just don’t get any better than that.

My review

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#2

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Author: George R. R. Martin
Published: September 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 780 {paperback}

GENRE: Adult Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Scarily Large

In the back of my mind this was a book that I told myself I would read but knew that I’d probably never pick it up. You might be going, but Kirstie this book is exactly the type of book you’d love – well I know that now. SHEESH.

It’s the ‘adult fiction’ part of this that had me hesitant. Every now and then I pretend I grew up at some point and pick up a book from my parents shelf . . . and then put it back 30 pages later once my eyes have drooped out of their sockets from bleh. BUT A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE IS LIFE. After much nagging from my dad to read this, I did, and I now intend to read every. damn. book. in the series. Period.

And yes, ‘scarily large’ is totally a genre.

My Review

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#3

The Girl of the Train by Paula Hawkins

Author: Paula Hawkins
Published: January 2015
Publisher: Transworld (Random House)
Pages: 319 {hardback}

GENRE: Mystery, Thriller, Adult Fiction

Again with the adult fiction. But! That’s not the first thing on the checklist that had me going eeeehhhhh. I don’t read thrillers and (until this book and The Thirteenth Tale) I didn’t read mysteries. Because how many ‘Mystery’ books have dragons in them, HUH? None, that’s how many.

But eventually the tidal wave of hype hit me and I placed my reservation at the library (I was the 120th person – yah) and 6 months (not kidding) later it was my turn to read it and I read it faster than you can say Toothless. I will now happily read books akin to this one so HIT ME UP.

My Review

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#4

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published: 2003
Publisher: Black Swan
Pages: 364 {paperback}

GENRE: Chick Lit, Fiction

I’ve never, ever wanted to read a Kinsella book. And let’s not even mention the startlingly horrible cover this brilliant thing is afflicted with. I have no idea why but I decided from the get-go that her books were not for me. Even after finishing and LOVING this book I still don’t think I’ll read any other of her books. This is probably because she has the Shopaholic series and me and shopping is like seals and sharks, NOPE.

But a friend pressed this upon me and after a year of guiltily hoarding it and many nervous glances to where it was crammed in the corner of my bookshelf-that-I-mostly-ignore (my desk) I went OHKAY FINE. Holy cow, I could not put this down. The romance, guys, the romance KILLED ME (in a good way). If anyone pressures me into reading another of her books this is what will happen:

Me: NO I WILL NOT, *throws pillows*.
Friend: *leaves*
Me: *reads book eagerly all in one night*

My Review

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#5

Losing It by Cora Carmack

Author: Cora Carmack
Published: October 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 189 {e-book}

GENRE: New Adult, Romance, Inappropriate Cover for Public Reading

I BLUSH. I mean, just look at the cover, *internally cringing*. Perhaps you have not heard of this book, perhaps you have. I get very embarrassed when I read these books, okay? I have a particular friend who loves to point these books out to me because she knows, she just knows that I will love it even though I have 0% chance reading this without blushing. It’s a sexy book. It’s one of those NA books – one that is similar to this (and the suggestion of that same friend) is Tangled by Emma Chase (although you should totally check it unless. Unless you’re Dumbledore, my parents, or Santa Claus. Then you should definitely not check it out), but for the sake of my dignity I shan’t be posting that cover.

I loved this book thoroughly. Persevering through the sex scenes, this story was hilarious and it wasn’t too bad on the sexual front in reality. But sizzling is definitely a good word to describe certain relationships with this story. I shall say one thing, if you’re curious about this book then read the beginning with the motorbike incident and try, just try, to stop reading after that point.

My Review

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#6

According to Yes by Dawn French

Author: Dawn French
Published: November 2015
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Pages: 352 {paperback}

GENRE: Adult Fiction, Chick Lit

Chick Lit is probably one of my least favourite genres, mentally. There are plenty of great books in this genre out there but if you ever try to sell me a book and mention chick lit you’ve lost me. Instantly. My mind has attached some kind of stigma to this genre that immediately places the book in the ‘for mum’ and ‘probably never’ categories in my mind. So why did I read this one? Two words: DAWN FRENCH. I mean, if ever there was a good selling tactic is sticking that woman’s name over a book. I love French, she’s hilarious in everything she does so of course I wanted to read her words eagerly like a starved child in a candy store.

And I did. I enjoyed this quite a lot (aside from the weird bits which you can read about in my review) and would probably read another of her books. She writes really great characters with funky personalities that I loved and related too so much. I connected with every single one of them in this book, good and bad, because French writes in such an approachable manner. If that makes sense. I think you’ll have to read this one to know what I mean.

My Review

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#7

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Published: November 2012 {1st pub. 1886}
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 111 {paperback}

GENRE: Classics, Horror

I read this one recently and this, falling into the ‘classics’ genre, had me suspicious. But it was a friendly 100-ish pages long so I was happy enough to give it a whirl. Whilst I wasn’t blown to smithereens in awe of this one I did really enjoy it. It’s quick and quippy and bizarrely horrifying. I definitely want to keep reading Stevenson’s work after this (and I might have internally high-fived myself for this) because that means I’ll give Treasure Island a go – and I’ve always fancied myself falling in love with that book.

My Review

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#8

Laird of the Mist by Paula Quinn

Author: Paula Quinn
Published: December 2007
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 311 {mass market paperback}

GENRE: Historical Romance, Highlander

*awkward laughter*. That’s right, I’ve read a highlander book. And I loved it, so much. It was exactly 90% less sexy then I thought it would be and 100% more Scottish than I anticipated. I actually asked for this one Christmas and my parents bought it for me (lol?). Either way, I read it with great enthusiasm and laughed in all the right places.

It’s essentially about a young lady of  some importance who gets kidnapped by some manly highlanders and taken away but of course she ends up falling in love the main Scottish bloke and tralala! Lots of brilliance. I would actually read another highlander book after this one (I’m not gunna lie, Quinn has a ‘companion’ novel to this and it may or may not be on my iPad) because it was a fun story. However, I would probably read maybe one of these a year. Small doses, guys, small doses.

My Review

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#9

Poppy Day by Annie Murray

Author: Annie Murray
Published: July 2000
Publisher: MacMillan General Books
Pages: 467 {paperback}

GENRE: Historical Fiction, Family Saga

This book was leant to me by a family friend (although if I remember rightly I semi-stole it) because it was historical fiction and my brain went COOL. And my other sensible, brain went, wait hang on we already have lots of– before getting cut off and ignored.

I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought it would. It’s one of those family saga books of no almighty quality but it was a quaint war story that was a fun little read. I don’t think I’ll pick up another of these books any time soon. They’re enjoyable to read but DRAGONS. I need my dragons.

My Review

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#10

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Author: Mary Shelley
Published: 2012 {1st pub. 1818}
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Inc
Pages: 207 {leather bound}

GENRE: Classics, Horror

I’ve placed this one last because this was actually a re-read for me. But, even the second time around, I’m surprised by how much I enjoy this book. Usually, I find it difficult to become engrossed in classics or I get sidetracked easily because the language is just that fraction of a bit less inviting and so on. But I’ve always been a BIG fan of Frankenstein. I first read it for school literature where I studied it very, very thoroughly. Everyone (literally) else in the class hated this book. The prose was too slow, the characters were too dull, the letters were painfully long, and the plot was just weird. Ohh, no no! Not for me!!

I loved how creepy this book was and with a book like this you just have to persevere to get into the nitty gritty good parts. I adore how horrifying it is and I love how relevant it manages to be nearly 200 years later. Frankenstein is THE reason that I have continued to read classics because I’m sure there are others out there that I will enjoy equally so.

My Review

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What book have you enjoyed recently that was from a genre you don’t normally reached for?

Let me know in the comments below!

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~~ Kirstie ~~

Follow @ozbooksnail