Let’s Talk Bookish: Can You Predict Someone’s Genre of Choice?

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I have one more week until finals, which is great, but also not. I’m still learning in a lot of my classes, so we’ll see how much time I’ll for review in class.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is Can You Predict Someone’s Genre of Choice? (suggested by Fives @ Down the Rabbit Hole).

What is your favorite genre and why? Is there a reason why those particular genres speak to you or capture your interest?

Fantasy is and always will be my favorite genre. I’ve loved it ever since I started reading as a child. My bookshelf is around 40% fantasy. I love reading about the worlds that authors create. There’s no limit to imagination and seeing how different fantasy worlds can be is so amazing. I don’t know why I’ve always been drawn to the otherworldly stories, it’s just what I’ve loved. I think part of it is the escape. Fantasy books feel like a true escape from the real world since everything is made up: magic systems, made up worlds, non-human creatures, etc. Reading something set in the real world is nice, but it’s not the full escape that fantasy books bring.

What is your least favorite genre and why?

Horror, easily. I never read the genre, mainly because of my overly vivid imagination. I can’t read a horror book or see a horror movie without my mind thinking up a bunch of crazy scenarios. I’ve seen one horror movie and it was a mistake. Books can have the same effect. There are even some darker mystery/thriller books that have given me the chills with the plot line and detailed descriptions.

Is the genre the biggest determination of whether you look for and choose a book, or is it something else?

Genre isn’t the most important factor to me when I choose a book. The synopsis is what really matters. Regardless of the genre (except horror), if it sounds interesting, I’ll most likely read it. If I hear about a book and it’s a genre I’m more interested in, I might be more likely to check it out and see if I want to read it. Overall, though, what the book is about is the deciding factor of whether I’ll read a book or not.

Do you find that you are able to predict what kind of genres people like based on their personalities? Do you notice patterns in which kinds of people like certain genres?

I haven’t really noticed anything about people’s personalities correlating with their favorite genres. Though, to be fair, it’s not something I’ve really thought about. I feel like it’s not as much personality as it is what people like to do. For me, I have a very expansive imagination and I think that’s one of the reasons I love fantasy so much. I also like puzzles and problem solving, which mystery novels are perfect for. History is interesting to me, which is why I’m drawn to historical fiction. Overall, I think it’s what people like, rather than what their personality is.