How to Find Your Next Favourite Book Genre (And Discover Stories You've Been Missing)
If you've been reading the same kinds of books for years, there could be a whole world of wonderful stories waiting just outside your comfort zone. And no, you don't have to abandon your beloved mysteries or romances to find them.
We readers are creatures of habit.
We have our favourite authors, favourite genres, favourite reading spots, and possibly a favourite mug that nobody else in the household is allowed to use.
And when it's time to choose a new book?
We head straight for the familiar.
Romance readers reach for romance. Mystery lovers look for another suspicious death in a charming little village. Fantasy fans go searching for dragons, enchanted kingdoms, and characters with names that require a pronunciation guide.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But here's an interesting thought.
What if your next favourite book isn't in your favourite genre at all?
What if the story you're going to absolutely adore is sitting quietly on a completely different shelf, wondering why you keep walking past?
Well, it's time to do a little exploring.
Don't worry. We're not going to confiscate your favourite books.
We'd never be that cruel.
1. Stop Looking at Genres and Start Looking at What You Love
Here's a little secret about reading preferences.
Sometimes we think we love a particular genre, when what we really love is something inside that genre.
For example, perhaps you adore cozy mysteries.
But is it the mystery itself that keeps you coming back?
Or is it the charming village, the quirky characters, the warm friendships, and the fact that somebody always seems to be baking something delicious?
If it's the sense of community you love, you might enjoy small-town romance, feel-good fiction, or cozy fantasy.
And if you read romance primarily because you love complicated relationships and emotional journeys, you might discover that historical fiction or character-driven family sagas give you exactly the same satisfaction.
Try this: Think about your last three favourite books.
What did they have in common?
Was it the humour? The suspense? The characters? The setting? The emotional rollercoaster?
Once you identify what makes a story special to you, you can start looking for those same ingredients in completely different genres.
It's rather like discovering that your favourite cake isn't actually about the cake.
It's about the chocolate.
Which, frankly, makes perfect sense.
2. Discover the Wonderful World of Genre Mashups
Who decided that books had to behave themselves and stay inside one neat little category?
Some of the most entertaining stories combine elements from several genres.
Think about these delicious possibilities:
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Romantic fantasy: Love stories with magical worlds, royal intrigues, or supernatural complications.
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Historical mystery: Fascinating historical settings with puzzles, secrets, and suspicious characters.
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Cozy fantasy: Magical adventures that favour warmth, friendship, and comfort over constant battles.
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Romantic suspense: Emotional relationships mixed with danger, secrets, and unexpected twists.
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Science fiction mystery: A good old-fashioned puzzle, only somebody may have misplaced an entire spaceship.
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Historical romance: Love, drama, and complicated courtship rules, often involving entirely too many layers of clothing.
These combinations can be perfect for readers who want something different without venturing completely into unfamiliar territory.
A devoted romance reader might enjoy romantic fantasy long before trying an epic fantasy involving fourteen kingdoms and a five-page map.
There's no need to leap straight into the deep end.
Unless, of course, you enjoy swimming with dragons.
3. Follow a Character Type You Love
Sometimes it's not the genre that wins our hearts.
It's the characters.
Perhaps you love clever, resourceful heroines who refuse to do what they're told.
Or reluctant heroes who would very much prefer to stay home but somehow end up saving everybody.
Maybe you have a weakness for grumpy characters with surprisingly soft hearts.
We won't judge.
The wonderful thing is that these character types appear across all kinds of fiction.
A determined heroine might be solving murders in a cozy mystery, fighting injustice in a historical novel, or negotiating peace between kingdoms in a fantasy adventure.
The setting changes.
The personality you love remains.
Try this: Choose one fictional character you absolutely adored.
Ask yourself what made that character memorable, then search for books featuring similar personalities in other genres.
You may discover that your next fictional best friend has been hiding somewhere unexpected.
Just be careful with fictional crushes.
They're notoriously difficult to introduce to your family.
4. Let the Setting Choose Your Next Adventure
Some books transport us so completely that we can almost smell the sea air, hear the rain against the windows, or feel the warmth of a bustling village bakery.
And perhaps that's what you love most about reading.
The places.
If you enjoy atmospheric settings, try choosing your next book by where you'd like to go rather than by genre.
Fancy a weekend in a quaint English village?
You could choose a cozy mystery, a gentle romance, or a historical novel.
Want to visit a grand royal palace?
You might find one in contemporary royal romance, historical fiction, or fantasy.
Dreaming of a remote island?
Take your pick: adventure, suspense, romance, or perhaps a mystery involving a lighthouse keeper with a suspiciously complicated past.
Try this: Ask yourself, "Where would I love to spend a few hours?"
Then find a book that takes you there.
It's much cheaper than booking a holiday.
And nobody can lose your luggage.
5. Give Shorter Books a Chance
One reason we sometimes avoid unfamiliar genres is that we don't want to commit to a huge book we might not enjoy.
Perfectly understandable.
If your first introduction to epic fantasy involves a 900-page novel, seventeen rival kingdoms, and a family tree that looks like a bowl of spaghetti, you might decide the genre isn't for you.
But that doesn't mean you wouldn't enjoy a shorter fantasy adventure.
The same goes for science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, and almost every other genre.
Short novels, novellas, and story collections can be wonderful ways to experiment.
You get a taste of a new storytelling style without committing the next three weeks of your life to it.
And if you don't love it?
No disaster.
You tried something new, and your favourite genre will still be waiting for you.
It isn't going anywhere.
6. Take a Chance on an Independent Author
Here's where book discovery gets especially interesting.
When we browse bestseller lists or big promotional displays, we often see the same familiar names.
Wonderful authors, certainly.
But they're only a small part of the enormous world of storytelling.
Independent authors are writing mysteries, romances, fantasy adventures, historical novels, thrillers, and stories that don't fit neatly into any category.
Some experiment with unusual settings.
Others combine genres in unexpected ways.
And some write exactly the kind of story you've been searching for, except you haven't discovered them yet.
Of course, being independently published doesn't automatically make a book wonderful.
Just as being traditionally published doesn't guarantee you'll love every story.
The fun is in discovering books on their own merits.
Try this: The next time you're looking for something to read, explore a few authors whose names you don't recognise.
Read their descriptions. Look at the story premise. See what catches your imagination.
You might discover a new favourite.
And for an independent author, finding a reader who genuinely loves their work is something rather special.
A Little Book Discovery Adventure
That's one of the reasons we created Love My eBooks.
We want to help readers discover books and independent authors they might never have encountered otherwise.
Our catalogue is a place to browse, explore and see which stories capture your interest.
Maybe you'll recognise a genre you already love.
Maybe you'll discover something completely different.
Or perhaps you'll find a book that makes you think, "Now THAT sounds interesting!"
Explore the Love My eBooks Book Catalogue
Your next favourite story might be waiting there.
7. Try the Three-Book Genre Adventure
Now, here's a little challenge for the adventurous reader.
Choose a genre you don't normally read.
Not one you absolutely dislike, of course. Reading is supposed to be enjoyable, not an endurance test.
Choose something that makes you curious.
Then try three different books from that genre.
Why three?
Because one book can't possibly represent everything a genre has to offer.
Imagine reading one disappointing romance and deciding that every romance novel must be terrible.
Or trying one confusing science fiction novel and concluding that spaceships simply aren't your thing.
You may not dislike the genre at all.
You may simply have met the wrong book.
For your three-book adventure, try:
Book One: The Comfortable Choice
Pick something with familiar elements.
If you love romance and want to explore fantasy, start with romantic fantasy.
If you love mysteries and want to explore historical fiction, try a historical mystery.
Book Two: The Curious Choice
Choose something a little different.
An unusual setting, a new author, or a story premise you wouldn't normally consider.
Book Three: The Wild Card
Go on. Be brave.
Choose a book simply because its description makes you curious.
No overthinking.
No complicated research.
Just a good old-fashioned, "Oh, that sounds interesting!"
When you've finished, ask yourself which elements you enjoyed.
You might discover a new favourite genre.
Or you might decide that your original favourite is still firmly in first place.
Either way, you've expanded your reading world.
And that's a lovely thing.
What If You Try a New Genre and Don't Enjoy It?
Then you stop reading.
Really. It's allowed.
You don't have to finish every book you start.
There isn't a secret reading committee keeping track of abandoned novels.
At least, we hope not.
Sometimes a story simply isn't right for you.
Perhaps you're not in the mood for it.
Perhaps the writing style doesn't appeal to you.
Or perhaps you genuinely prefer stories where the most dangerous thing that happens is somebody running out of biscuits.
That's fine.
Reading preferences aren't a competition, and experimenting with new genres shouldn't feel like homework.
The goal isn't to force yourself to enjoy everything.
The goal is to give yourself more opportunities to find something wonderful.
Your Next Favourite Book Might Surprise You
Imagine walking into a beautiful bookshop filled with thousands of stories.
Wouldn't it be a shame to visit only one shelf?
Of course, you can always return to your favourite corner.
Those familiar books will be there whenever you need them.
But every now and then, wander a little farther.
Peek into a genre you've never tried.
Read the description of a book by an unfamiliar author.
Follow an intriguing character into an unexpected setting.
You never know what you'll find.
It might be a thrilling adventure, an unforgettable love story, a clever mystery, or a book that makes you laugh out loud when you're supposed to be behaving sensibly in public.
And sometimes, that unexpected discovery becomes the book you recommend to absolutely everybody.
Including people who didn't ask.
Because that's what book lovers do.
We find wonderful stories.
Then we become completely unreasonable about keeping them to ourselves.
Tell Us About Your Reading Adventures!
Have you ever discovered a favourite book in a genre you thought you wouldn't enjoy?
Or is there a genre you've always been curious about but haven't tried yet?
We'd love to hear about it!
And if you're ready to venture beyond your usual reading shelf, come and take a look around the Love My eBooks catalogue.
There's always another story waiting to be discovered.
And honestly, isn't that one of the loveliest things about being a reader?