I noticed the other day that the books I was checking out were predominately in one genre. I was so excited to read them but now I look at them and don't feel the burning need to pick them up that I usually do. The books were mostly young adult dystopian reads and I think I'm burned out on this genre right now.
Have you ever been caught up in a genre and then suddenly crave something different to read? No matter how amazing and original a society an author can create, at their core most dystopian novels are the same. The same applies to any genre really. Once you've read enough of a genre you can predict with some reliability the plot track of the book. The individual elements may be a surprise but the general plot is the same. And I was ok with this predictability before because I enjoy dystopias and the originality in some of the elements some authors throw into the plot track.
So I'm going to take a break in this genre and return to some of these books later. When my appetite for dystopia returns. I know some of these books are amazing and I do plan on returning to them later but right now my mind craves something new to read. The best way I could explain this to a non-reader is to think of their favorite food. That food is amazing and they would love to eat it for a day or two. Maybe even a week if they love the food that much. But sooner or later they crave something new to eat. They want something savory or sweet or softer or tougher to eat. This is the same with books. I love dystopian novels. I can read a group of them at any given time. But now my mind craves something different to "eat".
I have agreed to read a dystopian from NetGalley with a fellow group member from GoodReads next week and I'm in the middle of Wither which seems to be a pretty quick read but after those reviews, I think I'm going to leave dystopian novels alone for a few weeks and search for some other genre. Or perhaps I'll pick books at random from a variety of genres. Who knows?
Have you ever gotten on a genre kick? Did you eventually get burned out? Which genre? How long before you returned to that genre? Leave me a comment and let me know!
I can't read too many books of the same genre back to back or they all begin to blur together so I always try and and vary my reading list, for example this week I will read a paranormal romance followed by chicklit followed by historical fiction followed by urban fantasy followed by crime fiction.
ReplyDeleteShelleyrae @ Book'd Out
I've begun to realize I get into book "kicks" where I want to read the same genre back to back because book is so good and I want to read another one "just like it" This is why I'm burned out on dystopian right now though.
DeleteYou seem to have a schedule for what you're going to read. Do you? How does that work out? I might have to try to make my own schedule.
Thanks for stopping by and discussing this with me!
What you said--YA dystopian! I was buddy reading a bunch last year with my oldest daughter who doesn't live with me and it was a good way to connect, but now I am trying to avoid them, unless a really intense one drops in my lap.
ReplyDeleteI like to be eclectic, so I might read from all different genres over a period of time, though I favor suspense. Gives me a smaller readership by not just reading YA, but that's okay. If I'm not happy with my reading, why do it?
YA dystopian is a great genre with some books. But now I am tired of them. I don't know if I'll go to avoiding them altogether but for the next few weeks I doubt I'll pick up a dystopian.
DeleteI too tend to be an eclectic reader- except for my specific "kicks" where all I want to read is dystopian, or zombies, or (insert genre here). I went to the library again today and tried to pick different books and keep in mind the Eclectic Reading Challenge that I'm in. I may be limiting my readership as well. I hope someone doesn't decide not to read my blog because I read a variety of books. But if so, that's ok. This is a blog of books I read and if I'm restricted to certain genres I won't be reading very much because of burn out.
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