Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, bloggers share their own bookish top ten lists based on the topic of the week.  You can check out Ten Tuesdays here.

Top Ten Recent Books I Enjoyed That Weren’t My Typical Reads

Over the last year, I’ve made it a goal to read more books that aren’t in my usual comfort zone of YA (and reading more diversely in general, but particularly within YA).  It actually made hard and easy- easy, because I had a lot of books to choose from, but hard because of narrowing down the choices!  These were the ten that stood out the most!

1. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith.  Mysteries aren’t normally a genre I read, but since it’s written by J.K. Rowling herself, I figured I’d give it a try…and I really liked it!  She is really good with mysteries, which wasn’t a surprise, for some reason, but I definitely want to read her other ones.
2. The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  I tend to stick to history when I read non-fiction, but I’m glad I heard about this one!  It is sort of historical, but it focuses more on science, which is something I don’t read a lot, but this book was worth it!
3. Fledgling by Octavia Butler.  I’ve wanted to read Octavia Butler for a while, and last year, I was really glad I listened to this one!  I know she’s big in sci-fi, and I can see why with this one!
4. The Martian by Andy Weir.  Again, I don’t read a lot of sci-fi, particularly adult sci-fi, but this was a book I heard a lot about last year, so I knew I had to pick it up.  It’s funny, and I kept rooting for Mark Watney.  I still need to see the movie (I sort of wish I had seen it in theaters, but that’s not going to stop me from watching it anyway), but it really was a great listen.
5. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor.  I really liked this post-apocalyptic book set in Africa!  It’s also inspired by African myths, and I really liked that, because it’s nice reading something not inspired by Greek myths.
6. Sorcerer’s & Secretaries by Amy Kim Kibushi.  Manga is something I want to read more, and Sorcerer’s & Secretaries is one of my favorites that I read last year.  I related a lot to Nicole (and I still like that we share a name), and it’s magical and whimsical, and we all need more magic and whimsy in our lives.
7. Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince.  I was really taken with this memoir, and how Michaela worked so hard to reach her dream of being a ballerina.  She never felt sorry for herself, and I really admire her determination.
8. Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 by David Petersen.  Mouse Guard is completely awesome, and so far, it’s the only graphic novel I’ve finished and really liked.  Plus, it’s adorable warrior mice, and you can’t go wrong with that.
9. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  This book made me realize how lucky I am and how much I take for granted.  She told a completely brilliant story, and I have no idea why it’s taking me so long to read her other books.
10. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor.  I know this is the second book from Okorafor that I’ve mentioned, but she really deserves it!  I love how she uses African myths in her books, and it makes me want to keep reading because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.