Hope i'm not repeating a thread here but i didn't see one on the first 2 pages!

Just wondering, when you're looking for a new book or series to read, what genre to you go to first?

And which ones do you tend to avoid??


With me, i usually go to Historical Fiction or Fantasy. So i especially love it when i get to read a Fantasy series set in Medieval times or Ancient Times!

Some favourite authors in Historical or Fantasy or both; Raymond E Feist, Naomi Novik, Bernard Cornwell, Terry Pratchett, George R R Martin.


As for what i tend to avoid, its Crime every single time. With one HUGE exception, the Dexter novels by Jeff Lindsay. Cause Dexters just awesome! :drool:

But yeah, i hate chasing/detective novels. I've tried to force my way through a few and never enjoyed them. One got me close, Shakespeare's Secret, but only because i was obsessed with Shakespeare at the time. The actual chase bored me, same with DaVinci Code. Neither are crime really, are they? But the chase aspects do tend to bore me in novels xD
Maybe im just used to books with battles and fight scenes so i get bored if i read 100 pages without one :shock:

I just never pick up anything thats based on Crime. Thats a given! But if you're a crime reader, please tell me what draws you to reading them or picking up the next book?? Im open to trying again if i get a good recommendation of course ^^

I always go for horror first. James Herbert is my ultimate favourite horror writer. I don't really read much else to be honest. I like a few fantasy books, Garth Nix is a pretty good author for that. . . I also like a lot of non-fiction murder stuff.

I avoid pretty much everything else, especially "classics", they usually turn out terrible.

Ah Placebo! Im glad you said James Herbert! I've got a couple by him. But i've only actually read The Dark, but i loved it!

I've also got Once, and Nobody's True, should i read those too? ^^

I guess i USED to love horror, cause i read every Goosebumps book in 4 libraries when i was in year 6 and 7 haha.

Also got ALL of stephen kings books on kindle, but i've not read any yet.

My favorite book genres would include the following: Romance, Adventure, Supernatural/Paranormal, and historical. Either way, it has to include some type of romance for me to read it. Only rarely will I read something without romance. Like Harry Potter for an instance. I know that there WAS romance in it, but it didn't happen until, like, the sixth book! And May Bird was a good series. I hardly found any romance in it, but I still read on.

The one genre I just can't stand is Murder Mystery. Just too complicated. And my blonde of a brain doesn't do well with mysteries and putting things together. Especially murders. Never was one for that type of genre. NCIS, Bones, Law and Order? Those shows I can't stand. But I did read one book one time with the genre that THANKFULLY had romance in it to save me from closing the book and returning it to the library. Whatever You Do, He'll Be Watching (You?)--it's been quite a few years since I've read that book.

Nobody's True is really, really good. I have Once but haven't got round to reading it yet. My favourite James Herbert book is Ghosts of Sleath, it's the first one I read and it's really gorey detailed. However, Haunted is the book that is meant to come before it, and you do understand it more if you read that first. xD

I've read The Dark, but I don't remember much about it, it's very similar to The Fog, though. The Magic Cottage is a good one, not as gross as some of his, but a good read. Also, Creed isn't bad, pretty weird from what I remember. They're all the James Herbert books i've actually got round to reading. I've seen Fluke on film, not really horror as such, very sad. . . Scared to read the book because the film made me sob too much. xD

As for Stephen King, I never really got into his books much, although I read Cell and that was quite good. I want to read The Shining and Pet Semetary though, because of the films. [:

My first stop for books is still the Young Adult shelf, but within in the scifi and fantasy books. I also am always on the lookout for good novels with LGBT themes.

I will NEVER go read a Romance novel.

Originally Posted by greendragon06

My first stop for books is still the Young Adult shelf, but within in the scifi and fantasy books. I also am always on the lookout for good novels with LGBT themes.

I will NEVER go read a Romance novel.

Haha, did you ever read Boy Meets Boy? I think that book is pretty cute. [:
I don't remember it that much though, I read it in my early teens and all.

Right now I'm mainly reading YA fiction that are labeled as 'post apocalyptic' or 'dystopia.'
And the more popular middle grade novels/series.

Anything based in real life...I hate the boring modern teenage hormone induced stories that aren't even exciting...

No Magic = No read.

I always look for paranormal romances or at least adorable high school romances. (I also tend to look for pretty and eye-catching book covers...like the horrible judgmental person I am...) And occasionally, I like magical stuff to be mixed with Romance. Sometimes, when I can't find anything, I'll turn to #1 bestsellers.

I always try to avoid books about the space between life and death, trying to figure things out since a loved one has died, murder mysteries, mystery adventures, ugly-looking book covers, and books about war and sports. So far, every book I've read about war and sports has turned out to be on my hate list. And I just can't stand books where there are hardly any romance and the whole genre isn't apart of my favorites.

I normally stay away from historical fiction, for some reason i can't get into those books.

I head straight to the romance and fantasy books. I read the back of the books before i buy the books though. My favorite author in romance is Christine Feehan. And I have many fantasy authors that i can't think of at the top of my head.

Alura--x--Uneii Same here, most of the time, i have found some good books that don't have magic

The Classics are my favorite reads. Theirs a lot of fascinating stuff in those types of books. Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Horror are all seconds. I stay away from anything in the romance section and especially the young adult crap.

Originally Posted by greendragon06

My first stop for books is still the Young Adult shelf, but within in the scifi and fantasy books. I also am always on the lookout for good novels with LGBT themes.

I will NEVER go read a Romance novel.

To be honest, I don't think I've ever come across a book with strong LGBT themes that wasn't a romance.

Anyway, for me, I love books with plenty of comedy or supernatural elements. Great if it has both. As for books I don't like...anything too heavy on the drama or romance. Sure, I love a bit of drama in a book and same goes for romance but I get a little bored when that's what the main focus of the story.

I can't stand romance novels, they're all so sappy and unrealistic. I also dislike most young adult novels for the way they are written and for the even more shallow relationships and logic.

I read mostly fantasy/sci-fi and historical fiction, but I also love horror and mystery novels. Classics of these genres always have a place for me, like R.A. Salvatore, Robert Heinlein, J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King. Some of my favorites though, are really old poetry books. I have a collection, some of them from as early as the 1700s, and I'm always on the look out for more. I even collect ones I can't read, I have one in German somewhere.