In recent years, I have increased my efforts to be a little more diverse in what I read and add to my bookshelves. And by this I mean not only that I am attempting to read more books authored by people who aren't white men, but also that I am trying to step a little further away from my comfort zone by dipping my toes into genres I might otherwise have ignored.
This is not an endeavour to win woke points, and I don't think anyone should be browbeaten into reading books that are considered righteous, nor do I believe anyone should be made to feel ashamed of books they do read. We might ask questions, but that's one of the reasons we read in the first place, right? To explore themes, issues, and have conversations?
For myself, I have never been the sort of reader that leans heavily into one genre over another and on my shelves you'll find Shakespeare's sonnets right through to modern day best-sellers. However, there have been genres of which I would steer clear. Not for any particular reason, just that I didn't really think they had anything for me.
Books like A Ration Book Wedding by Jean Fullerton, for example, would never have found there way on to my shelves. I am a chap after all, and I have had a preference for stories of adventure over stories of love in the past. But now that book, along with others exploring the themes of love and relationships, have come to occupy my shelves.
I understand entirely that people will want to read for comfort, for escape, and for pleasure. I read for those reasons, and when those are my reasons for turning to my bookshelves I might not be particularly interested in diversity. I might just want to pick up a book I enjoy and let the world go to hell! But, as I say, I've no interest in browbeating anyone into adding books to their shelves that they would have no interest in - this is just a friendly exploration of ideas.
How do I read more diversely?
- Sign up to newsletters from your favourite bookshops and get all sorts of recommendations sent directly to your email inbox! (And give them real consideration - don't scroll through just because it's a genre you wouldn't usually bother with).
- Read reviews, and get excited by them. Yeah, you might take a risk on something you wouldn't usually read and be disappointed. But you could be equally disappointed, if not more so, by that author you always read who writes a dud!
- Follow book bloggers who write about their favourite genres. If you want to get into horror, follow a horror fan. If you want to get into romance novels, follow a fan of romance novels. If they are passionate enough about the genre that they spend their time and effort writing about it they might just know what they are talking about.
- Follow bookish social media accounts. Mostly for reasons similar to those in the preceding bullet point.
- If you have favourite authors on your shelves, do a little research and look at who their favourite authors are in turn. Many writers read diversely in the pursuit of being better writers and improving their craft. Through your favourite writers, you might just get turned on to something you hadn't considered before.
- There are other ways, but to finish this bullet point list I will conclude with probably the most important point I can think of - just be a little bit more open. Even if you endeavour to try and read only those books that make you feel comfortable, you'll never get to read them all. You can easily spare some time, money, and effort and take a chance on something different. You may discover a gem you might have otherwise missed.
Well, that's my little rumination on reading diversely done with. I hope you enjoyed it or found something useful therein. If so, you can buy me a coffee on ko-fi - the caffeine keeps me reading and writing! Thank you!
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