With the sheer amount of books, authors and genres out there, one would be forgiven for preferring to stick to one, or a limited few.
Reading books outside of your comfort zone is like an adventure into the wilds. You never quite know what you might find. Just one sorry encounter can be enough to scar you for life, leaving you running back to the familiar comforts of your favourite genres and authors.
But, regardless of the risk, there's plenty to benefit from occasionally, or even regularly straying from reading books you typically enjoy.
True, reading outside of the niches you trust and enjoy can be a bit of a risk. But, if you get lucky, you can discover entirely new interests that you'll appreciate every bit as much as your favourite genres and authors.
For instance, a stickler for Thrillers can find new love for African Literature or comics. Similarly, readers of horror can find the descriptive worldbuilding in fantasy appealing.
All you have to do is to take that first bold step outside of the genres you enjoy
Literature helps to develop mental processes, contributing not only to knowledge gain but also to readers' ability to analyze and understand real-world scenarios.
For instance, branching into African Literature challenges readers to see the Black narrative through unique lenses. This can help to foster a better understanding of Black culture and traditions while quelling the many myths about Africa and the Black diaspora.
There's much to be gained from reading diverse genres and authors, as you're exposed to new cultures and viewpoints.
In doing so, you broaden your literary perspective and gain new insight that helps you not only see the world differently but the stories in it.
Let's be honest, reading the same things over again can get boring at some point, even if its your favourite author, or genre.
Like a balanced diet, healthy reading habits involve the consumption of not only one genre of literature, but several.
And, if you were worried, reading multiple genres doesn't have to impinge on your priority book picks. Just be aware that, like a patient suffering from nutritional deficiency, readers aloof to consuming books in other genres are only losing out.
At the centre of book snobbery and classism is a reader who's averse to exploring books outside of their comfort zone. Reading genres and authors apart from your favourites can help you avoid the pitfalls of book snobbery. This way, you can better appreciate diverse literary works.
Besides, it's hardly possible to properly critique a book, author or genre you haven't read. So, to help you better appreciate the style, themes and dynamics of other worlds, why not simply try them out?
I know there are reader stans who swear by one author, or genre. It's also true that being a huge fan of one author or genre can make it hard for you to explore other works.
But, take this as an encouragement to take the leap!
Are you disposed to reading books outside of your comfort zone or not? Let us know in the comments!
