Page-Turners from Every Shelf: A Genre-Hopping Book Guide

Finding a suitable read might be difficult at first. However, finding your genre might be life-changing and like a grand stepping stone that will make you get into literature as a hobby. If you are interested in discovering a new genre, this is the beginner-friendly guide for you. My three picks for you based on genre would be fantasy, dystopian, and gothic fiction. Let's discover some books from these genres!

Fantasy started existing during the 18th century, but it started getting recognized as a separate genre in the 19th century. Fantasy is a unique genre. It often consists of mythical creatures, superpowers, and improbable situations. It is sometimes known for being childlike, but I believe that is not true. Reading fantasy novels feels like expanding our world and creating other alternative universes. If it is well written enough, it gives the feeling of home, and it often consists of the same tropes, like good against evil, coming of age, and betrayal. It is often full of plot twists, unexpected events, and a little bit of reality and sorrow, as most main characters usually go through hell and back.

For example, one of my all-time favorite book series in fantasy is the Six of Crows duology written by Leigh Bardugo. The duology follows Kaz Brekker and his gang of anti-heroes, also called “The Crows.”

The story is full of tension and mind-numbing plot twists until the end. There's also some magic, which is complemented by a darker atmosphere to make things even more interesting. Kaz Brekker, the infamous thief, is promised a considerable amount of cash to kidnap Bo Yul-Bayur, a scientist. The Ice Court is the most heavily guarded location in Fjerda, and Kaz will not be able to enter it alone. He hires Inej Ghafa. Inej is well-known for her agility in climbing buildings and moving across impossible terrain. She is quiet but powerful. Next, Kaz hires Jesper Fahey, the crew's sharpshooter. He is careless, sarcastic, and enjoys gambling a little more than he should. The third member is Nina Zenik, who is a witch. She is confident, loud, and not afraid of who she is. She is also powerful, as she can kill people from meters away without even having to touch them. Matthias Helvar is a witch hunter who somehow ends up on the crew. Lastly, Wylan Van Eck is the son of a rich merchant. He is insecure due to his inability to read, but he is the brain of the group. He is a demolition expert and an incredible engineer. He is the only ace in Kaz’s hand since Wylan’s father is the one who is paying them, but soon they have to learn that Wylan’s relationship with his father is not like they had expected. The second novel follows the aftermath of the heist and has an intriguing storyline since politics get involved. The duology is full of diversity, and everyone can find a piece of themselves in a character. I believe that it is one of the best examples of this genre because it consists of a fair level of magic, diversity, myths, and plot twists that leave a bittersweet feeling in your heart when you are done with it.

Moving on to Dystopian literature, the word dystopia has Greek roots, and it means “bad place.” Dystopian literature began as a response to its polar opposite, utopian fiction, where everything seems to be perfect. The history of dystopian literature traces back to the French Revolution in 1789, and it was first used to criticize dictatorship. Dystopian books are set in a different universe, where everything seems to be as bad as it can be. Its purpose is to make people uncomfortable, examine our values in society, and make comments on society’s flawed parts by making them stand out while using an unfamiliar setting. Every dystopian book is an echo of our society’s voice. Dystopian literature reached its peak in the late ’90s and early ’00s. One of the most popular series written in this era is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It is a trilogy and a perfect example of how corrupt governments can be and how far they can go just to stay in power. It makes discrimination, selfishness, the need for revenge, and hunger for power stand out. In the books, there have been attempts to get rid of the corrupt government of Panem, but none of them have been successful.

The government sets up a punishment called “The Hunger Games,” where 2 kids from every district are chosen to fight in an arena until there is a survivor.

The main heroine, Katniss Everdeen, is a confident archer who hunts with his best friend, Gale, to keep her family well-fed. When she volunteers to go to the Hunger Games to replace her 12-year-old sister, she knows that she has to survive. The other tribute from the 12th district is Peeta Mellark. Peeta’s parents are sure that their son is not going to be able to make it out alive from the arena.

During the games, barbaric murders occur, but somehow Katniss and Peeta, both find a way to stay alive, and it makes the president furious. They eventually lead a revolution when they get back home, but realize that things are getting worse as they keep fighting for their freedom. It is a story of characters that eventually have to lose everything they ever had. The book also explores romantic themes, Katniss must choose between her bestfriend Gale, or her partner in the Hunger Games, Peeta. In the story, they are used as metaphors and two pathways Katniss could take, while Gale symbolizes anger, war, and trouble; Peeta symbolizes light in the darkness, mercy, rebirth, and peace. What makes the story relatable is the parallels we can see in our daily lives. For instance, why does the public allow the Hunger Games to take place? Because they do not believe their children will be picked. How many people believe that they will never be unsatisfied, separated, seriously ill, or harmed? People enjoy making selfish decisions. But wouldn't we be better off as a society if we ensured safety for everyone who is having a hard time? Also, the metaphor for Gale and Peeta is a parallel showing the two pathways a person can take after traumatic events. Recovery or Rage. The story is like a wake-up call to everyone, making them find connections to their lives. This is why dystopian books are important for society. It teaches people what is wrong in the world they are living in. Hopefully, more people start reading dystopian fiction again, and it continues to exist as a reflection of our society.

Lastly, Gothic fiction started out in the late 1700s and combines paranormal, romantic, and horror components. It originated at a period of significant social and cultural transformation in Europe, especially in reaction to Romanticism, Enlightenment rationalism, and concerns about the industrial revolution and shifting social conventions. Emily Brontë pushes the emotional and psychological boundaries of the genre with her outstanding classic, "Wuthering Heights". Brontë gave Gothic fiction a raw emotional twist, not just fear or suspense, but deep obsession, revenge, grief, and wild love with the ugliest consequences. The story of Wuthering Heights starts when Mr. Lockwood, an inquisitive but distant man, rents Thrushcross Grange, a home on the Yorkshire moors. While touring the area, Lockwood stops by the nearby and gloomy Wuthering Heights, where the odd and miserable Heathcliff resides. Lockwood finds the strange atmosphere and relationships in the household fascinating, and during his uncomfortable visit, he asks his housekeeper, Nelly Dean, to tell him the story of the residents of Wuthering Heights.

The story follows the courtship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, whose souls are indecipherably intertwined together. Despite, and often precisely because of, their profoundly ingrained immorality, you can find yourself drawn to Heathcliff's intensity, his sorrow, and his bare desire, as well as Catherine's selfishness, her stress, and her battle against the limitations of her life which cause Catherine to end up with Thrushcross Grange's aristocratic and sophisticated Edgar Linton until death does them part, prioritizing societal standing over her liaison with Heathcliff. As the story evolves, the recollections of Catherine haunt Heathcliff progressively more. He claims to have seen her soul and develops an obsession towards reuniting with her again upon death. At one point, the characters are deemed to be flawed, crooked, and unlikeable as Brontë made it her mission to show us how far human emotions can take us, how these instincts and emotions control us in the means of making us question what it means to be human. Ask yourself this: What do you do when your reason for life is irrevocably doomed by fate from the very start?

Closing up, each genre is distinct in its own right and significant to society in many ways. We should try to gain some important lessons while looking into different genres to determine which ones best suit our tastes. Keep in mind that anybody can read if they find something they enjoy, make an effort to appreciate what they are reading, and identify their preferred novels and categories. Hopefully, you can find one that you will enjoy enough to recommend to those who want to get into reading.