Question Of The Day, Wednesday, May 30, 2018

[Mamanyt1953]

I read voraciously and eclectically. This question is going to be very hard for me, but...what is your favorite genre of books?

As I said, I read a LOT, and I read a LOT of different things. But recently I've fallen totally in love with cozy mysteries. They're fun, entertaining, the language doesn't turn the pages blue, and any romance is very...well, not even soft-core...it doesn't really have a core, and is fluff all the way through. Given some of the very intense books that I also read, cozies allow me to decompress, to have fun solving a mystery without any angst, and to laugh while doing so.

 

[Katie M]

If I absolutely have to pick one, I'd say historical fiction. I love history, and a well-written novel can make me feel like I've been transported through time.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I don't have a specific type of book I like to read. I avoid genre fiction though (mysteries, romance, etc) because I don't like how predictable they are. I read a lot of memoirs though, so there is that.

 

[Margret]

Right now, SF/Fantasy (there's a good deal of overlap). But it's a close call; I'm also very fond of mysteries, especially historical (Brother Cadfael, Sister Fidelma, etc.) and cozy. I've noticed that there's also a good deal of overlap between mysteries and Fantasy: the Joe Grey books, for instance, or Midnight Louie.

Margret

 

[Draco]

I like fantasy, especially if it involves vampires.

 

[muffy]

I also enjoy reading cozy mysteries. Especially the ones involving cats.

 

[neely]

My favorite genre of books has definitely changed over the years. Right now I would have to say I like biographies and/or non-fiction.

 

[cassiopea]

History and True Crime

Favourite historical topics: Military, Social, Medicine etc

I used to love Adventure and Fantasy books, just been awhile since I managed to find more good ones.

 

[Winchester]

Anything and everything. I enjoy different things at different times. I guess I'm a big sci-fi/fantasy fan with a bit of horror thrown into the mix.

Right now, I'm into a cozy mystery rut and that's Ok with me. Reading a lot of Laura Levine, Katherine Hall Page, Barbara Allen, MC Beaton, etc. With everything going on in today's world, it's kind of nice to go to bed at night with a cozy mystery and my M & Ms to relax for a while before dropping off to sleep.

 

[MeganLLB]

I like fantasy or adventure fiction. My favorite books are Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis's space trilogy. Books that take you into a whole new creative world are my favorite. I also like Greek and Roman mythology.

 

[Willowy]

I like books such as The Cat Who series, Mrs Murphy, Midnight Louie, etc. They're in the Mystery section but there isn't a whole lot of mystery to them, lol. I also like John Grisham books (legal thriller category, I think), and most Michael Crichton books.

I don't care for most fantasy. I'm not good at imagining the setting, so the author has to be really good at world-building for me to enjoy it. I do very much like Beauty by Robin McKinley and a few others.

For a while I was trying to read every Newbery Award winner, and as many of the Honor books I could find, and enjoyed most of them. I think those fall under the YA category but other than that they're an eclectic bunch, so it's hard to categorize that.

I also like Clive Cussler books. I'm not even sure what category they're in, I just steal my dad's paperbacks. But they're fun .

 

[DreamerRose]

My favorite is mysteries, Elizabeth George, J.A. Jance. Second favorites are biography and history. I can't tolerate historical fiction because so much of it is inaccurate, and I get irritated by that. Phillippa Gregory is the worst offender.

I also like modern Westerns. The Hillermans are a favorite.

 

[Jcatbird]

I’ ve rarely met a book I didn’t get something from. Favorite! Hmmmmm. How to work this IPhone is a good one! Lol. I love them all but I often choose according to my mood or current activities. Been studying some ancient item or found an old letter? History. Looking at rocks? Geology. Artifacts? Archeology. Plant hunting? Reference books. Just for Fun or need to relax? Mysteries like the ones by Lillian Brain or Rita Mae Brown. Who can resist a cat mystery with a twist of humor! Anything that makes me laugh or takes me away is a good thing. I grew up on F/SF so I still grab those at times. I happen to love an old timey favorite as well.... poetry. I am probably the only one left who does that!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I've noticed that there's also a good deal of overlap between mysteries and Fantasy: the Joe Grey books, for instance, or Midnight Louie.

Oh, Joe Grey is firmly rooted in fantasy. You HAVE read "The Catswold Portal," no? I'd like the Midnight Louie books better if there were more of Louie and less of those pesky humans in the book. BTW...two of my feral toms are names "Joe Gray" and "Midnight Louie."

History and True Crime

LOL, I periodically go on True Crime binges. Specifically serial killers and women who kill abusive spouses. My husband used to get very nervous about that. With some reason.

I can't tolerate historical fiction because so much of it is inaccurate, and I get irritated by that. Phillippa Gregory is the worst offender.

I actually enjoy Phillippa Gregory, but I don't think of her as "historical fiction," per se, rather as fiction loosely set against a modified historical background...which is to say, I enjoy them the same way I enjoy fantasy.

 

[Margret]

It's been a while but yes, I have read The Catswold Portal. I have it next to my bed, in fact; I was planning to re-read it in preparation for Kit's trip there, but then the series just skipped over the trip to get right to Dulcie and Joe's kittens (good decision, but I'd still like to know more about Kit's adventures).

DreamerRose , you may enjoy the Sister Fidelma mysteries. The author (Peter Tremayne) gives a lot of documentation about the historical background.
Sister Fidelma mysteries - Wikipedia
Sister Fidelma Series by Peter Tremayne (GoodReads)
INTERNATIONAL SISTER FIDELMA SOCIETY
Peter Tremayne (BookBub author page)

Margret

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Kit could have her own series, for my money.

 

[Margret]

Kit could have her own series, for my money.

Hear, hear!

Jcatbird , no, you aren't the only one who likes poetry; I do as well. Although my tastes tend to run to Ogden Nash and Hilaire Belloc....

(If you've never encountered Hilaire Belloc, see Project Gutenberg: Books by Belloc, Hilaire (sorted by popularity). I especially enjoy his "children's" books, which, in all fairness, I wouldn't read to a child unless the child were extremely sophisticated. The only one which isn't available on Project Gutenberg is New Cautionary Tales, because it's still in copyright.

From The Bad Child's Book of Beasts:

The Lion​

The Lion, the Lion, he dwells in the waste,
He has a big head and a very small waist;

But his shoulders are stark, and his jaws they are grim,
And a good little child will not play with him.

The Tiger​

The Tiger on the other hand,

is kittenish and mild,
He makes a pretty playfellow for any little child;
And mothers of large families (who claim to common sense)

Will find a Tiger well repay the trouble and expense.

* * * * * *​

You can see why I wouldn't read it to a child.)

Margret

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Nor to a desperate mother of teenagers. Just too, too tempting.

 

[DreamerRose]

Margret - I will check out Sister Fidelma. I do like historical fiction if it is accurate. It brings the past to life. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Margret]

DreamerRose , you're welcome.

Margret