Armchair BEA--Genre Fiction

Image by Emily of Emily's Reading Room

Armchair BEA's third day of fun is all about Genre Fiction. What are my favorite kinds? What is literary fiction anyway? According to the Wiki: Literary fiction, in general, focuses on the subjects of the narrative to create "introspective, in-depth character studies" of "interesting, complex and developed" characters. This contrasts with paraliterary fiction where "generally speaking, the kind of attention that we pay to the subject in literature ... has to be paid to the social and material complexities of the object".

Character studies? I don't know. I lump whatever I read into a few categories and any literary fiction I read will either fall under historical fiction or contemporary fiction. Do I read a lot of literary fiction? I want to read more. But I usually find myself reading for entertainment and that usually pushes me toward young adult fiction.

Zombie fiction is a favorite of mine and steampunk and when you combine both? Heaven :) Boneshaker by Cherie Priest combines both fabulously! Steampunk and the paranormal? Try Soulless by Gail Carriger. Urban fantasy can be fabulous with the right author and Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles is stupendous.

Young adult fiction is also great. Anything by John Green or Melina Marchetta for real fiction. For young adult fantasy my favorites are Seraphina by Rachel Hartman and Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Literary fiction? Anything by Barbara Kingsolver.

Non-fiction? The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd was a life-changer for me. Doubt: A History by Jennifer Hecht is wonderful, Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine, Why Evolution Is True by Jerry Coyne. All of these have impacted my mind and life for the better!

I love many types of genres. I love thinking about the world, I love learning about it, and I love learning about people. I can get all of that by picking up so many different types of books!