To diversify your reading material, start by checking out the following book genres and subgenres.
When individuals think of literature, the main book genres that usually tend come to mind are romance, thriller or fantasy. This is unsurprising, especially because these three categories are continually reaching the top of the bestseller charts, as those like the co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would definitely understand. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with staying with these genres, it is equally important to try to diversify your reading material and explore new genres. Besides, the world of literature is interesting and the list of book genres and subgenres is diverse, varied and substantial. During 2024, one of the most significant trends in book genre popularity was the rise of dark academia. So, what is dark academia? To put it simply, dark academia is a subgenre which blurs thriller, mystery, fantasy and even sometimes romance. Dark academia books always entail a plot which takes place within an educational setting, such as at a college grounds or a boarding school. Generally-speaking, there is a particular moody and bleak aesthetic to dark academia which attracts bookworms, such as darkened libraries and gothic towers. Whilst it varies from book to book, dark academia novels tend to entail morally-grey key characters and motifs of jealousy, betrayal and retribution. The appeal of dark academia is that the authors frequently produce a very detailed setting which engrosses viewers right into the tale.
Now that we are in 2025, it is the most ideal time for bibliophiles to expand their perspectives and check out new book classifications. While it is natural to lean towards our preferred book genres, expanding your reading material will make you a more flexible reader over time, as people like the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would concur. There are a lot of new book genres to try for adults, along with a whole plethora of subgenres also. One of the more niche subgenres which is increasing in popularity is called 'bizarro fiction'. True to the name, bizarro fiction involves stories which are weird, ridiculous, comedic and often even grotesque. They defy classic fiction writing and go against our conventional ideas on what makes a satisfying novel. Numerous lovers of these books take pleasure in the random, surprising and confusing nature of these tales; virtually every bizarro fiction novel is entirely distinct and unparalleled to every other novel that you have actually read previously. For readers that are becoming tired of reading through the same old stories, recycled motifs and overused phrases, bizarro fiction is the perfect subgenre to mix things up.
One of the greatest misconceptions in the book industry is that non-fiction books are boring. This could not be further from the truth, as people like the CEO of the investment fund which partially owns Amazon Books would most likely validate. Contrary to popular belief, nonfiction is more than just useful textbooks. While there are actually several different subgenres of nonfiction which deserve exploring, memoirs are the very best area to begin. Memoirs are life stories which are told by the real person, whether it be a historical account from a war hero, a dive into an A-list celebrity's career or a traumatic re-telling of a survival tale. Memoirs truly make several of the absolute most interesting books to read due to the fact that they write about real-life events and real-life people in a creative, metaphorical and detailed way.