As a reader, finding a genre of books you can devour in one sitting is an addictive feeling and it can be tempting to never stray from your established favourites. But what happens when you begin to wonder what else is out there? What you could be missing out on?
While there is no real need to step outside of your comfort zone when reading, we often wonder if we should. I know that when I read, I barely scratch the surface of the genres, authors, and types of stories out there and will probably never dig much deeper. I find that fact kind of upsetting. Some of the most fun I’ve had reading has been stepping very decisively outside of my comfort zone, and so I do try to expand my reading now and then to accommodate for the things that I either never reach for or are not typically on my radar.
But what’s the point of setting aside a book you know you’ll probably like for one that may not appeal to you? That’s exactly what I want to explore in this post, so here are 4 reasons that you should consider reading outside of your comfort zone.
Tastes Can Change
Just because you did not like a genre once, doesn’t mean you’ll never like it. I know I don’t like being scared and happily stay away from even the most popular TV shows, films, and books that fall even a little bit into the horror genre. I just don’t enjoy the experience of fear like some horror lovers do, so I’ve always stayed far away from anything with even the slightest hint of horror to protect my sleeping hours from nightmares.
However, I recently read a horror novel—a gory one at that—and somehow enjoyed it despite it being quite terrifying, which was a real surprise to me. Had I not put my past fears aside, I would have never realised that my tastes may have changed and that my tolerance for being too scared was higher than it once was. It turns out that I could have a new experience and learn a lot from a book I wouldn’t usually reach for, which I would not have known if I hadn’t tried.
For Variety
Thanks to tropes and marketing, most books are formulaic, with the characters and settings often being a story’s only true original aspects as the plot and subplot follow one or more established plotlines. Within a genre, this is even more apparent. If you don’t want to get bored of the books you read, stepping out of your comfort zone can bring some welcome variety to a stagnant or repetitive reading life.
There are so many genres out there to read and so many languages that literature is written in and translated from, and each one has the possibility to transport you to a new place or feeling. If you don’t usually step outside of your comfort zone, it’s worth it just to introduce yourself to something different than you’re used to, keeping your reading fun and inspired.
For the New Experiences
If you never read a book that sounds interesting because, for example, literary fiction isn’t your thing, you might be missing out on a story that you’ll enjoy, or an entire genre or community of readers that you can get along with. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can open you up to new types of stories, different means of sharing literature, and ways of writing that you have yet to experience. Even though it feels safer not to branch out, especially because reading can be so time-consuming, finding a new book that you love and not having expected it is an experience you should not have to miss out on.
To Challenge Yourself
If you read to relax or simply for entertainment, then this will probably not appeal to you. But reading can also be a great way to challenge yourself to learn something new or expand your reading capabilities. Reading things like Shakespeare at school is a drag for most students because they have no prior experience with it. The more you read something, the more you get used to it. Sometimes, it’s not a matter of not liking something, just a lack of exposure to it.
Maybe you find classics intimidating, so you stick to crime fiction. But it’s entirely possible that you could one day find classics less intimidating just by reading them more often. We consume modern books quickly and expect ourselves to be able to do the same with older books, which is not possible when we’re used to our modern way of communicating, which is increasingly rapid and straightforward as opposed to the sprawling, paragraph-length sentences, and tome-length books of old.
So, if you want to challenge yourself and read something you would not naturally reach for, stepping outside your comfort zone may help you do that.
Don’t forget that it’s always good to try new things, but it’s not a requirement when reading for fun, and you should always read in a way that you enjoy. Life is too short to limit yourself, but it’s also too short to read things you have no interest in. If you try stepping outside of your comfort zone and it doesn’t work for you, it’s not a big deal. Go back to where you feel safe and protect your love of reading!
How do you feel about reading outside of your comfort zone?
Read 'N Riot 