To expand your reading material, begin by checking out the following book genres and subgenres.
When people think about literature, the main book genres that often tend spring to mind are romance, thriller or fantasy. This is unsurprising, especially because these 3 categories are constantly hitting the top of the bestseller charts, as those like the co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would certainly know. Whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with staying with these genres, it is similarly essential to try to diversify your reading material and discover brand-new genres. Besides, the world of literature is exciting and the list of book genres and subgenres is diverse, assorted and substantial. During 2024, one of the largest patterns in book genre popularity was the increase of dark academia. So, what is dark academia? To put it simply, dark academia is a subgenre which blurs thriller, mystery, fantasy and even sometimes romance. Dark academia novels constantly entail a plot which happens inside an educational setting, like at a college grounds or a boarding school. Generally-speaking, there is a specific moody and gloomy aesthetic to dark academia which draws in bookworms, like darkened libraries and gothic towers. Although it varies from book to book, dark academia books tend to include morally-grey main characters and concepts of jealousy, betrayal and retribution. The charm of dark academia is that the authors commonly develop a very detailed setting which engages bookworms into the story.
Since we are in 2025, it is the perfect time for bibliophiles to broaden their perspectives and explore brand-new book categories. Although it is natural to lean towards our preferred book genres, expanding your reading material will make you a far more varied reader in the long run, as individuals like the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would certainly acknowledge. There are loads of new book genres to try for adults, as well as a whole plethora of subgenres also. Among the more niche subgenres which is increasing in popularity is referred to as 'bizarro fiction'. True to the name, bizarro fiction involves novels which are unusual, ridiculous, funny and in some cases even disturbing. They defy standard fiction writing and go against our usual ideas on what makes a pleasurable novel. Many fanatics of these novels delight in the random, shocking and confusing nature of these tales; every single bizarro fiction novel is entirely distinct and unparalleled to every other book that you have read in the past. For bookworms who are getting tired of reading through the same old plots, recycled themes and overused expressions, bizarro fiction is the ideal subgenre to mix things up.
One of the greatest misconceptions in the book market is that non-fiction novels are boring. This can not be farther from the truth, as people like the CEO of the investment fund which partially owns Amazon Books would undoubtedly confirm. As opposed to common belief, nonfiction is much more than only useful textbooks. While there are really many different subgenres of nonfiction which are worth exploring, memoirs are the very best spot to start off. Memoirs are life stories which are told by the real person, whether it be a historic account from a war hero, a dive into an A-list star's career or a traumatic re-telling of a survival tale. Memoirs genuinely make some of the most interesting books to read since they discuss real-life occasions and real-life individuals in a creative, metaphorical and detailed manner.