I tend to stay pretty strictly in my reading comfort zone. But every now and then I branch out and am surprised by how much I love the book. Here are some books outside my comfort zone that I really enjoyed!

1. Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

I never reach for historical fiction so this book fell off my TBR after a year of sitting there. But in July I buddy read this and I’m so glad I gave it a shot! This was a really fun read.

2. Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I NEVER read nonfiction. It’s just not a genre I gravitate towards. But this short story written as a letter to a friend who recently had their first child blew me away. This is definitely a must read.

3. The Final Six (The Final Six #1) by Alexandra Monir

Science fiction is another genre I don’t normally enjoy, but this was a 4 star read! I think what I enjoyed about this book was that it actually takes place on Earth so the sci-fi aspects were pretty light.

4. Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore

Magical realism and I don’t normally see eye to eye but this story was breathtaking. I’ve given McLemore’s other books a shot but none of them did what this book did for me.

5. City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab

As an almost 30 year old, I steer clear of most middle grade stories. But this was a lot of fun. I loved the Edinburgh setting and this was so atmospheric.

6. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

Another sci-fi novel. But like The Final Six, this takes place on Earth too. This follows a man who lives for centuries. I highly recommend this!

7. A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell #1) by Deanna Raybourn

I steer pretty clear of historical fiction but I love mysteries. So I gave this a shot and fell in love. This series is so clever and witty.

8. Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel

Oh look more sci-fi that takes place on Earth (I think I found the only way I like sci-fi). This is a really cool premise told in an even cooler format.

9. The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

This is a dystopian, another genre that’s not really my speed. This novella is out there and SO well done!

10. Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This is one of my favorite books of all time! But it doesn’t fit my comfort zone at all. It’s a historical fiction novel following a famous main character. I don’t normally like stories following the lives of famous people so this wasn’t originally on my radar. But the hype got me and I’m so flipping glad I gave it a shot. This started my love affair with TJR’s books.

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