TrendsHave your book-tastes changed over the years? More fiction? Less? Books that are darker and more serious? Lighter and more frivolous? Challenging? Easy? How-to books over novels? Mysteries over Romance?
Interesting question, and not something that I had ever really thought about until now. My book tastes have grown in scope over the years rather than changed. I still love childrens' and young adults' books as well as fiction, but my reading has become a lot more literary and more diverse.
Over my teens I started reading more biographies and travel books, and in my twenties I got into Ancient History, poetry and short stories. I have always however, read anything to do with animals. As a child that was Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl, then Willard Price, Joy Adamson and then more factual chunky hardback books about African wildlife, tropical rainforests and David Attenborough's wildlife books. I still devour such books now, but only at home as they aren't usually as easy to carry! At university I started reading Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Dawkins, but I tend to avoid books that are too sciencey now as I read so many journals for my job. I have travelled a lot over the past 10 years, so a lot of my reading reflects that countries I have lived in and the cultures I have experienced (China, Pacific Islands, USA) as well as the ones I want to learn more about for the future.
Over the past year or so I have started getting into more adult fantasy, such as Karen Miller, Anne Bishop and Juliet Marillier, rather than the young adult fantasy I restricted myself to in the past. Childrens books and fantasy are like comfort food for me, they keep me happy and occupied for hours! However, the books that I have always avoided and can't see myself reading in the near future are "chick-lit" romance novels, science-fiction and business!
So yes, my reading has evolved, for want of a better word, but the same themes and topics of interest have remained. Perhaps my taste has just matured somewhat, like cheese. Mmm, cheese...
3 comments:
Like you, my reading has become more literary and more diverse too. I just love the various varieties I can choose from... so no more picking and choosing what to read! ;)
I still love reading factual books about animals. Have you reviewed any here?
Melody - I find now that I have too much choice!
Jeane - Not yet. I'm still trying to catch up with what I'm reading at the moment, but I hope to start collating reviews of all my favourite books in different genres including natural history. Keep an eye out!
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