Genre #1: YA Fantasy
This is probably my most read/favorite genre. My pick for YA fantasy is A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
This book gave me so many feels, and I was just completely shook at the beginning, and then the middle, and the ENDING. I can't even. I love this series overall, but the second book really kills me. Disclaimer: I like romance in my fantasy, including heavy romance, so if that's not your thing this is probably NOT the series for you. (Unfortunately.)
Genre #2: Middle Grade Fantasy
I include this category because I think you have to approach middle grade fantasy very differently than YA or adult fantasy, and that can make these books completely incomparable to other books on this list. My choice for favorite middle grade fantasy is The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan.
This book was complete magic for me when I was 9 years old. This series is what started everything. Notice I used the original cover here - the new covers just make Percy look so old. I think that due in large part to the movies (yiiiiiiikes), people forget that Percy was only 12 years old in the first book. This is a middle grade series through and through, and it is extremely well done. I have such a craving to go back and read these books soon, which I hope to start by the end of this summer.
Genre #3: Adult Fantasy
Getting a little bit predictable, but I couldn't make this list without including The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
The amount of detail in this world is mind blowing, a key reason they were able to make just the prelude into three 2-and-a-half hour long movies. And no, I cannot pick a favorite book out of the series!
Genre #4: Science Fiction
While very closely related to fantasy, science fiction is definitely a league of its own. Sci-Fi is unique because it can include both dystopian sagas and space-based novels, which aren't super close in nature. For this genre, I'm choosing The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
This book was just so original when it came out, and I devoured every part of it. There are plenty of redos and spin-offs nowadays, but this is an OG YA dystopian series, and it is so good.
Genre #5: YA Contemporary
I have only recently started reading YA contemporary, and that's because many recommendations that are given to me belong to this genre. While I'm reading it more now, it's still not my favorite and the books herein tend to be hit or miss more me. A definite hit was It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini.
This is one of those books where the main character is odd. And not like weird in a cute or funny or charming way, but weird in a way that kind of makes you cringe. And I think it's brilliant. Contemporary books are full of idealized teenage protagonists, and it makes the book fake and implausible and cheesy. This book is real, and it deals with mental illness in a way that so accurately describes the quality of life people who have depression/anxiety live with. Brilliant. One of my absolute favorites and I recommend to everyone.
Genre #6: Adult Fiction
Contemporary for the big kids! I only recently got really into reading again, so adult fiction was not even in my sights until about two years ago. Needless to say, I have a lot of catching up to do. So far, my favorite adult fiction book is Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.
There is so much going on in this book, it's never boring, and it's constantly funny and mysterious and endearing. I loved the Pretty Little Liars books when I was in middle school, and this book is essentially PLL for PTA moms. 10/10 would recommend. I also recommend the audiobook for this one.
Genre #7: Nonfantasy Middle Grade
This is a genre I devoured back in the middle school days, and while I wouldn't read as many these days, I still have distinct favorites, such as Ghost (Track #1) by Jason Reynolds.
This is an important book for middle school kids to read. It has so many important lessons, especially for people who come from privileged families and might not know the struggles of not being white and upper class in America. Also shoutout to Sunny (Track #3), because I just finished it and it's another one of those books that just captures the weirdness of kids, that authors so often want to overlook when writing their perfect characters, perfectly.
Genre #8: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, and Horror (SMTH)
This is not my genre. Also, it's four different genres. But because I so rarely read books from any of these genres, and they're related, I smoosh them into one category. My favorite for SMTH books is And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.
If I'm not going to read a lot of this genre, it seems fitting that the books I do read from it are Agatha Christie, the queen of mystery. This was creepy and crawly and captivating and I liked it. Most SMTH books fail to impress me because I either see the twist coming or the twist just didn't blow my mind. This book didn't have to worry about that because you essentially know how the book ends in the beginning. Sounds confusing? Read the book, you'll know what I'm talking about.
Genre #9: Mythology/Retellings
I love mythology and retellings!!! It's hard for me to categorize books of this genre into any preexisting categories. Too fantastical to be historical fiction, too historical to be fantasy. Plus I really like retellings of classics fairy tales, so I made up this genre of mythology (Greek, Roman, Norse, etc.) and classic retellings (Beauty and the Beast, Red Riding Hood, The Wizard of Oz, etc.). My pick for this category is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, no contest.
This book is......... stunning. So beautiful. This may be my favorite love story book of all. Maybe it's slow, maybe it's historical, but all I need to Achilles and Patroclus. I love them. This book is everything. Definitely on my list of all time favorite books.
Genre #10: Classics
Definitely not my favorite genre, but like almost every other reader out there, I suffer through them! I also tend to categorize books here when I don't know where else to shelve them and they are generally well-loved. My favorite classic book is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Like every other 9th grader, I had to read this as a part of my high school curiculum. Unlike some others who Sparknoted the whole thing, I did actually read it back then, but did not appreciate it until I was well past graduated. I have a preference for books that take place during things that are really heavy and serious and are narrated by someone too young and innocent to understand them, such as Scout's struggle to understand racial injustice. More on that in future genres.
Genre #11: Memoir
I like reading memoirs for sure. It's hard to rate a person's life, but there are definitely standouts in this genre. For my, my favorite memoir is When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.
If the circumstances of this book alone are not enough to draw you in, allow me to persuade you. This book is one of the saddest and at the same time most uplifting books I've ever read. It honestly makes me want to do what I love, be a better person, and work harder for my dreams. It is truly an inspiration.
Genre #12: Historical Fiction
While historical fiction is still not one of my favorite genres, I'm drawn to WWII books. I really loved Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, but as that is a biographical narrative and not fictional, my favorite historical fiction book has to be The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.
I told you we would come back to it! There is something so captivating about Bruno's inability to physically comprehend the injustice of Nazi concentration camps, and his friendship with a little Jewish boy is so compelling. It's not perfect, but it's real. And I threw this book at a wall when I read that ending.
Genre #13: Nonfiction
Not my most read genre, but I definitely wish I read it more. The thing is, this genre heavily overlaps with the Science category. However, the author made it clear that this book was not written by a scientist and is meant more as a common man's curiosity quelcher than a presentation of research, so for that reason my favorite nonfiction book is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.
This book is fascinating, funny, and super accessible. I love the organization and facts presented here, and I like the fact that Mary Roach wasn't a scientist and was able to break things down to a really understandable level for the common reader.
Genre #14: Science
I study science in school, so this genre feels like a requisite. I study cell biology, but I am really interested in evolutionary biology as well, so in my leisure reading I like to pick up books about anthropology, herpetology, and evolution. My favorite science book is Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal
This book started my fascination in evolutionary biology. I read this book as a senior and high school and it was just so. darn. fascinating. de Waal's use of anecdotes, research, and illustration really sold this book for me. Definitely recommend to anyone interested in this field of science.
Genre #15: Romance
I usually just include romance books under the categories of contemporary or fiction, but there are some love stories that just need to be shared with the world. One of these love stories is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
I know, I know, how typical. But in all seriousness, I think this book is written beautifully. I also have a weird reading preference for terminally ill star-crossed lovers (yikes) and this was the beginning of that obsession for me. I didn't sob over the book like I know many people did, but writing about it now is making me want to go back and read it again!
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