# What is your favorite genre?



## azure111 (Aug 28, 2012)

What is your favorite genre and why? How long has it been your favorite? What attracts you to it the most?


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

That question is almost as hard to answer as what my favorite book is.  I like several genres and bounce around between them depending on my mood. I guess what I keep coming back to in the last year or so is dystopian fiction. It helps that there's been a lot of it put out lately. I like to read different people's take on a future where one human tendency has grown to dominate all others.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Mysteries and thrillers.  Lots of excitement.  Heroic characters.

Betsy


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## Michael Cavacini (Aug 2, 2010)

Mysteries/Thrillers have been my favorite genre for as long as I can remember. The constant twists and turns and face-paced action keep me coming back for more. Two of my favorite authors in this genre are Harlan Coben and Lee Child, who I'll be meeting in NYC on September 11.


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## HillaryRSmith (Sep 2, 2012)

I mean, I've always been attracted to plain old realistic fiction....mainly young adult books, I guess.  But I also love historical fiction...and I guess I'm into fantasy too, since my all-time favorite author is J.K. Rowling!


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I've always been mainly into traditional mysteries and traditional science fiction, starting in my pre-teen years back in the early 1950s.

The thing I like most in mysteries are the puzzle aspects, so it's not surprise that my favorites are locked-room mysteries, which are pretty much not written anymore.  

In SF, I'm a pushover for exploration of ancient, deserted alien cities with mysterious artifacts. I like the "sense of wonder" aspects.

I especially like crossover books, Mystery/SF.

Mike


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Romance including :
time travel, historical, regency, paranormal, sci fi, fantasy, contemporary, erotic,  historical....... 

Historical fiction/historical mysteries. 

Urban fantasy, which I am just digging into again. I finally figured I was reading that stuff way way back before it was called urban fantasy, go figure. 

I think that gives me enough to read for a while.  

But I always come back to historical romance. That includes the time travels to the past and also some historical mystery series. 
I got hooked on historical stuff pretty much when my mom gave me the Angelique series by Anne Golon to read when I hit 12 or so. I had read Karl May before that, which are adventures in the west and orient I think. German writer.  Its been a while. 

I guess I love the adventure aspect to what I read. Different worlds to explore, characters. Be anywhere else. I want to almost feel the sand in my teeth in a desert, the salt water in my hair when I am on a ship, the tight corset when I am in a ballroom.  . Where else than a book do you get to live out all these things, without moving from the comfy chair.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Pretty much anything historical. History books, historical fiction (of both fictional characters and historical figures), historical mysteries, even a bit of historical fantasy/paranormal sometimes (just picked up Daughter of the Witching Hill for $3.99). I've always been partial to it, from the time I fell in love with the Arthurian Legend when I was about 12. But it's only been in the last few years that I've really immersed myself in it and excluded virtually everything else.


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## Scott Daniel (Feb 1, 2011)

I'm also a suspense/thriller kind of guy. Coben is one of my favorites, too, MC. I've tried Lee Child but not really gotten into his work. Do you like Nelson DeMille or Brad Meltzer?


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## Fantasma (Aug 25, 2012)

Mystery for me too. Ever since childhood. Nancy Drew, my grandmother's Agatha Christies, and onward to now. (Currently reading Broken Harbor: A Novel.)


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

Horror. I love to be scared out of my wits.


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## Harriet Schultz (Jan 3, 2012)

I grew up on mysteries and then graduated into spy thrillers as a young adult. Now I'm hooked on romance--mostly historical, but also time travel, both into and out of the past, and romantic suspense because it combines the stories I once loved with those I prefer now. 
I just basically like to lose myself in a book. If I want to keep turning the pages and stay up way too late to keep reading, I know I'm into something good.


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## Loren DeShon (Jun 15, 2011)

History and historical fiction because I learn a lot.

You have to be careful with historical fiction, but the best of them have a lot to offer.  One of my favorites is the Flashman series by George McDonald Fraser, because he actually footnotes the text throughout the novel and provides an extensive appendix with expanded explanations and sources


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## AnnMHammond (Aug 9, 2012)

I kinda wonder this myself  

I feel like I don't necessarily have a favorite! I love the chick lit books, I love the Harry Potter series, I love the Belgariad by David Eddings (OMG do I wish those books were on Kindle! I need to go buy those books again.)

I loved reading Dean Koontz (he IS the one who writes the medical thrillers right? I always get this name mixed up with another writer).

I've read quite a few John Grisham books.

I loved Twilight. I love the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. 

I loved Enders Game.

I LOVE THEM ALL DARNIT!!!!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't have a favorite; I have, over the course of my life read just about everything. But there are some genres that I guess I'd call anti-favorites.  

I've never read anything labeled "women's fiction" or "chick lit" that I really enjoyed. Some were sorta o.k., but not so's I had any strong desire to read more. So at this point, I recognize those labels mean, to me, "move on, nothing to see here."

I've also never read anything that was an Oprah pick that I enjoyed. Figured that one out pretty quick as I'd tried a couple of early Oprah picks and didn't like them much.  So when browsing for something I know to skip anything with that badge. 

I generally enjoy mysteries, but have found most labeled as "cozy" to be either too treacly, or the characters just behaving foolishly.  Of course, I get that otherwise there'd be no story, but I can't have much sympathy for a character who does dumb stuff that s/he's been warned not to do. Often the bad guys are stupid, too. . . . .well, they'd have to be for the foolish main character to have any chance of survival and, as a cozy, no main character can be hurt in any way that might leave a lasting scar. 

Also, while I enjoy a good thriller, I'm not into most horror -- especially the "lets kill everything in sight in the most violent, bloody way possible while using every curse word in the language" sort.  There's got to be some good writing and plot for me to enjoy it -- lots more than just gratuitous violence.  I honestly can not understand why anyone would want to read or write that sort of thing.  I know there are perfectly normal, well adjusted people, who do like it. But I can't understand why.   At least I can understand the appeal of chick lit and cozy mysteries even if they don't work for me! 

Still. . . . . I'll try almost anything if it's been recommended by someone whose tastes are similar to mine and whose opinion I trust.


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Harriet Schultz said:


> I just basically like to lose myself in a book. If I want to keep turning the pages and stay up way too late to keep reading, I know I'm into something good.


Ooh, this! ^^^


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

Fantasy would be my favorite, although SF and history, especially about WW II and the U.S. Civil War, are also near the top.

But actually, if it's a good read, it can be mystery, techno-thriller, mainstream, etc. Generally horror and romance aren't tops, but I've even read and enjoyed those.


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## KTaylor-Green (Aug 24, 2011)

I have always been drawn to mysteries. But ever since I read my first thriller about a serial killer, I have been hooked on them. I no longer get as much satisfaction out of plain old who done its.
But I also enjoy fantasy sci fi and some romances.


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## Grace Elliot (Mar 14, 2011)

It's funny how my taste has changed over the years. 
I cut my teeth on the classics, then moved onto science fiction and now it's historical romance -and has been for years. 
I love the escapism of historical romance but it's a softer read than straight historical fiction (which I also love, and taught me to love history as a subject.)


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

It has to be horror, doesn't it? But I'll also read sf, the weirder types of fantasy (not heroic), thirllers, detective novels, and mainstream literature.


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## dielgas (Sep 3, 2012)

Without thinking too much into it, I'd tell you I like science fiction and fantasy. Then I bring myself to look over all of the books I've read and I'd tell you again that I can like any genre as long as the story is good. Although to stay within constraints of your question, science fiction and fantasy. I enjoy the splendor and ideals of something unreal becoming real, as well as new worlds being invented. I've always had an active imagination since I was young so I enjoy stories that like to take full advantage of it.


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## Marc Davies (Aug 9, 2012)

Sci-fi without a doubt is my favourite, followed closely by Fantasy.

Why?  Because I love all the weird and wonderful things that both genres can throw up.  Using my imagination in new and surprising ways gives me a real buzz.  It's something I've tried to incorporate into my own books, and any writer who can give me that feeling gets my tick of approval.


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## tahliaN (Nov 6, 2011)

dielgas said:


> Without thinking too much into it, I'd tell you I like science fiction and fantasy. Then I bring myself to look over all of the books I've read and I'd tell you again that I can like any genre as long as the story is good. Although to stay within constraints of your question, science fiction and fantasy. I enjoy the splendor and ideals of something unreal becoming real, as well as new worlds being invented. I've always had an active imagination since I was young so I enjoy stories that like to take full advantage of it.


I'm the same, in that I'd always say fantasy & Sc fi, but lately I've been reading some excellent contemporary fiction and time travel to the past style historical fiction. I picked them up via the Awesome Indies site - guaranteed good quality indie stuff.


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## tahliaN (Nov 6, 2011)

The lines between genres are blurring in Indie books, something I welcome. Reading cross genre books has led me to being more adventurous in expanding into different genres. I'm open to pretty much anything fictional except thrillers, horror and erotica.


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## L.M.Sherwin (Sep 3, 2012)

I adore Fantasy and Science-Fiction. I also love Historical Fiction with fantastical elements: think "Sevenwaters". I love historical time periods, but I love it when authors weave in real historical details with fantasy, magic, or spiritual elements.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

My favorite genre to read is mystery/thrillers. I love trying to figure out whodunnit and the suspense of it all. Plus, they're typically fast-paced reads, which I love.


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## mkeyth (Aug 29, 2011)

I change my favourite genre a lot. I love something that makes me addicted to the book, like Down Brown's books or Lord of the Rings. You know what I mean


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## M.P. Jones (Dec 28, 2011)

Historical detective - think CJ Sansom and you are there.  I have a degree in Medieval History so I adore that kind of thing.  It has to be decent quality though and not an author who churns out a dozen 200 page books a year.


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## amygamet (Aug 26, 2012)

Contemporary romance, sometimes with suspense.  When I was younger and had time on the train ride to work, I could handle something heavier.  These days I'm like those old Calgon commercials--take me away!


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## Lyndsay (Jul 25, 2012)

GOTHIC FICTION!! By that I mean classic reads like The Monk, The Sandman, Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde etc. It has everything you could need in a good read; suspense, mystery, horror, thrills, chills and even humour. I love how intelligently they are written, how the story builds up and how characters and events are linked together and how they don't come to a happily-ever-after conclusion - that's life! (Although maybe not quite so dramatic)


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## DomEagle (Sep 5, 2012)

I'd have to say science fiction, or anything with action, suspense and adventure... I like quite a lot of fantasy books as well.

But whatever genre I'm reading, I ALWAYS like it to have aspects of romance in it. Love is such a captivating thing to write about.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

I don't have a favourite. I have "what I'm in the mood for." When I'm coming down off a string of high stress, all I want to read is historical romance novels. I want to know how the book will end and that's the best guarantee   Othertimes, I want action. Othertimes, to think. Other times, to laugh.


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## Dylan Hayes (Aug 18, 2012)

My favourite genre has changed often, but at the moment, I'll go with fantasy. I started to read fantasy books as a preteen, but my interest in it came and went multiple times over the years. I just think that fantasy worlds are cool. I've always had a big imagination and I often find the fantastic more captivating than the mundane. Not that I won't read a realistic novel if it's particularly good.


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## Groggy1 (Jun 21, 2010)

easier to pin what I won't read.  I don't do horror nor romance.  Otherwise, have a good cast of characters, decent spell check and a plot line...

I'm in.


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## CKVolnek (Jul 18, 2011)

Love stories with a child or teen as the MC. It's unique to look at the world through eyes filled with wonder, hope and awe. Give me mysteries, adventure, thrillers, sci-fi and historicals...through the eyes of a child. 
C.K. Volnek


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

I like all kinds of genres, but mostly if they include some mystery element. I liked "hard" science fiction before it became fantasy--I'm not too much into fantasy, per se. I love all kinds of mysteries. I absolutely adore the old "gothic" mysteries and wish someone would write some more of them. One of my favorite kind of story of the "ghost story" a la Barbara Michaels, because she always seemed to wrap up a mystery with just a few spooky elements. I like horror, but only when it's really a ghost story like Michaels used to write. Scott Nicholson writes a few of those and I enjoy them a lot (I think I messed up the spelling of his name, though). I adore the "Florida crime fiction" because it's usually really funny, fast-paced and full of outrageous characters. Anything that's funny is a book for me.  The more outrageous the plot, the more I like it.


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## Natasha Holme (May 26, 2012)

Two favourites:
>>  Body, mind, and spirit (esp. Byron Katie, Neale Donald Walsch, Eckhart Tolle)
>>  Eating disorder memoirs


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## Gareth K Pengelly (Aug 25, 2012)

Fantasy, horror, science fiction and, just to mix it up, lots of non-fiction.


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## Lensman (Aug 28, 2012)

Fantasy and science fiction, particularly novels that stretch concepts and ideas, or which give a new slant on a culture or type of character.  I like novels that blur the boundaries between genres (Anne McCaffrey's first Dragons books, which were science fiction dressed as fantasy; the early steampunk books, before steampunk became a well-trodden field;  Julian May's Saga of the Exiles).


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Thrillers and suspense. Oh, and pet nonfiction.


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## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

My "favorites" seem to shift from time to time. For instance, lately I have really been into mysteries...especially after buying and getting hooked on Raymond Chandler. There was a guy who knew how to use the language.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

That's hard to say.  In 2012, by number of books read, my top three genres in descending order are:

Literature, Fiction	:  29
Science Fiction, Fantasy: 28
Non-Fiction: 19

I guess that means I like literature and science fiction best, but it's hard to qualify.


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## jatkin (Sep 9, 2012)

I'd have to say YA (though all sorts of genres fall into that category so it almost feels like cheating).  YA books are just the ones that stuck with me longest, the ones I still feel strongest about and recommend to people.  They had a greater effect on my life I think than other genres.  Within that category I guess I'd say I'm a sci fi and fantasy fan, but again, I read all sorts of YA.


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## Dylan Hayes (Aug 18, 2012)

Well, it looks like our different tastes cover a wide range of genres and categories. Not that I'm surprised...


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## kmgiven (Jul 3, 2012)

I agree with some of the others - I don't really have a particular favorite genre. It's more what I'm in the mood for at the time. The genres I read and like most often are probably historical fiction, mystery, and fantasy. I like romance, too, but usually more as a subplot than the main event, and I'll read basically anything if it's funny enough.


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## azure111 (Aug 28, 2012)

It seems that mystery/suspense is very popular .


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Memoirs.  I don't know why I'm so drawn to this genre, I guess it has something to do with cracking open someone's diary and finding out what their life has been like that fascinates me.

Dawn


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## Alicia Dean (Jul 11, 2011)

I'll have to say mystery and suspense. I've always been fascinated with books and movies that keep me on the edge of my seat, scare me, make me wonder whodunnit and what will happen and how the character will survive, etc. I also love paranormal and a few other genres, but my old standby favorite is mystery and suspense. It's kind of cool that, with all the 'genre of the moment' crazes that come and go, the mystery genre remains steady and strong. One thing I love about it is that you can weave mystery into pretty much every genre, whether it's paranormal, YA (of which there are several subgenres, of course), Sci-fi, Contemporary romance, Inspirational...I could go on and on.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Still horror, but I am increasingly enjoying thrillers, detective novels, pulp fiction and mysteries.


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## projectbk (Apr 12, 2012)

I love both science fiction and gothic romance.  It's really funny how often those two intersect, actually, starting all the way back with Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.


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## T.J. Lantz (Sep 18, 2012)

A well written book can easily transcend genre. That said, I prefer my fiction to be a break from real life and as such I gravitate towards fantasy and sci-fi.


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## amstoddard84 (Sep 19, 2012)

My favorite is definitely mysteries, and lately I've found myself reading ones with a paranormal twist.  I love scouring the early pages for little clues of "whodunit" and what's to come.  I enjoy a little action and romance sprinkled into the book as well.  I've recently completed reading all of Victoria Laurie's Psycho Eye mysteries and Ghost Hunter mysteries and found them, for the most part, enjoyable.  I grew up reading Agatha Christie, Mary Higgins Clark, and the Nancy Drew series as well.  Other than that, I've also always been a sucker for anything Stephen King


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## doodle111 (Sep 19, 2012)

May be answered with one word: Novel. It is the only genre through which you may rule the world -- I did in So Sweet Justice, Kindlebooks.


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## krazykuvaas (Sep 18, 2012)

Science fiction, hands down.  I love thinking about the future, and I love the different takes on it.  Strangely, two of my favorite novels already take place in the past, Fahrenheit 451 and 1984.  Dune, obviously, is a favorite as is Ender's Game.


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## azure111 (Aug 28, 2012)

I think I tend to agree with T.J. in regards to preferring fiction to be a something different from everyday life..


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## Gayle Miller (Sep 22, 2012)

Fantasy and adventure is my favourite for the sheer escapism.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

I love mysteries and thrillers. I love to be shocked, enjoy pitting my wits against the detectives and the villains, and I'm fascinated by the mystery and the psychology behind the minds of the bad guys.


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## Kate Dawes (Sep 16, 2012)

Romance, but not the sweet stuff. I like more of an edge to it, whether it be sexual tension between the characters or intrigue in the form of a protagonist facing some kind of barrier to what he or she wants most.


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## Kristine McKinley (Aug 26, 2012)

What is your favorite genre is only slightly less difficult to answer than what is your favorite book. I can't think of a genre I haven't read. The genre I've read the most in would be romance, any kind of romance. The genre that I go back to over and over and probably recommend the most would be fantasy.


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## Nancy Fulda (Apr 24, 2011)

Science fiction and fantasy.  I enjoy a lot of genres, but I always gravitate back to the nifty fireballs and the epic space dramas.


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## frankprovo (Dec 4, 2011)

Dystopian fiction -- it can have a sci-fi bent or just paint an alternate view of modern life. Lately, I've been re-reading George Orwell's 1984 and it has been scaring me senseless with how closely the world of IngSoc is to our modern world (food prices going up, shortages of things, constant surveillance, etc.). We're not at that point yet, but it's eerie how foretelling Orwell's story was when you consider it was written in 1948.


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## stevejrichards (Sep 19, 2012)

AnnMHammond said:


> I loved reading Dean Koontz (he IS the one who writes the medical thrillers right? I always get this name mixed up with another writer).


I love thrillers, especially where they've got a twist and possibly some paranormal or science fiction element. To that end I love Dean Koontz (who doesn't write medical thrillers) and Stephen King (though the latter is in my opinion a better writer).

But I also love a genuinely well-crafted and plotted novel. I thought _The Hope_ was brilliant while among Indie authors I really liked _In the Blood_ by Steve Robinson.

Steve


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## Satchya (Sep 5, 2012)

Historical Romance


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## matthewturner (Aug 1, 2012)

Has to be Contemporary, Coming-of-Age


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## NancyHerkness (Aug 1, 2012)

Romance!  I read it and I write it.  It's been my favorite since my mother gave me JANE EYRE to read when I was a pre-teen.

Why?  It's a genre of optimism.  No matter how many obstacles are thrown in the way of the hero and heroine, they find a way to be together in the end.  When I know there will be a happy ending, I can relax and enjoy the rollercoaster ride along the way.

Also, the intensity.  Falling in love is one of the most intense experiences human beings can have.  Reading and writing romance allows me to experience it over and over again.


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## John H. Carroll (Nov 26, 2010)

Fantasy is my favorite genre.  I love the magic, romances and dragons.  I love that anything is possible.   Sci-fi is a close second, but it has to be more about the people than the science.


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## mjmonarch (Oct 4, 2012)

Defintely depends on the mood or the weather. Fantasy or Sci-fi, if not a good old fashion non-fiction history book. But as a male, action is important, though not necessarily at a Michael Bay level.


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## Devin Smyth Author (Sep 14, 2012)

Young adult fiction--currently this genre offers the best combination of storyline and characterization. While ther are certainly outliers, most contemporary adult fiction seems to be concerned with aimless plots and navel-gazing narrators.


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## vikiana (Oct 5, 2012)

mmmm   Where to start? I read a  lot and one of my favourite genres are science and history. I adore the so much. You can learn so many thins from these kind of books and the same time not get bored. It quite funny way of getting more knowledge and show off in fornt of others


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## vikiana (Oct 5, 2012)

Scott Daniel said:


> I'm also a suspense/thriller kind of guy. Coben is one of my favorites, too, MC. I've tried Lee Child but not really gotten into his work. Do you like Nelson DeMille or Brad Meltzer?


 I do like the same genre areas! Can you recommend me something more particular to read? I have read lots of things and I'm some kind of bored of the new literature I'm trying to find for myself...


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

Overall, it has to be Fantasy I think.  It's the one I read the most.  I love that anything can happen, there can be magic, romance, suspense, mystery, adventure.. any or all of these are usually present.  

I also love SciFi, Time Travel Themes, Mysteries,  Spy Novels (especially WWII) and Regency Romance.    Mostly, I just like a good story.  Lately I have been reading a lot of Dystopian fiction, and I love it.


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## azure111 (Aug 28, 2012)

Interesting Lyndl, I haven't read any fantasy in a great while. Is there a specific book you would recommend?


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