- Room (Emma Donoghue)
- Uncle Tom's Cabin (Harriet Beecher Stowe)
- Around the World in 80 Days (Jules Verne)
My mind is all ajumble with this bucket list. There are so many directions in which to go. Not that I want to make this an endless, impossible-to-complete list. But at the same time, I want the books on the list to enlighten and entertain. I want to gain something be it insight, happiness, knowledge, or just plain old fun.
In college I made sure to take a "fun" class every semester. It didn't have anything to do with my major and it was something that interested me. The first few years these were classes such as fencing, dance, weightlifting, etc. However, I found that the mandatory literature and writing classes piqued my interest. And my "fun" classes became more intellectual; Shakespeare, The History of Literature, Creative Writing, Business Writing, Science Fiction and Fantasy.
What I enjoyed most was reading through different genres that I wouldn't ordinarily pick up, and then finding that I enjoyed said genre. Even more so, I enjoyed discussing the origins and intent of the writings and researching and writing my own opinions and sharing them with other people. I enjoyed the diversity, and I just plain enjoyed learning. And to my surprise, before I graduated I found that I had garnered enough credits for a minor in Business Writing and almost enough credits for minors in German and Literature.
So I've decided to start looking through the different genres. Perhaps I should add books to my bucket list so I can safely say I've read at least one of every genre. There are a few problems with this, though. One is that I can't find a universally accepted list of literary genres. I've found many that are similar, but no two are identical. Two is that new genres do crop up. Take Steampunk for example. This is a relatively new genre. From what I gather, it's been around for a while, grouped into Science Fiction or Horror or Fantasy. And only recently has the moniker Steampunk been classified. Steampunk novelists include Jules Verne, Kady Cross, Cassandra Clare, and Jack Dann. Steampunk novels typically have settings around the late 18th century and have magic or futuristic gadgetry. The recent Sherlock Holmes movies (starring Robert Downey Jr) are fair examples of Steampunk.
For right now I am starting with the following list of genres. I'm a bit iffy about using it, but at least it's a start.
Fiction Genre List
· Action and Adventure,
· Chick Lit,
· Children’s,
· Commercial Fiction,
· Contemporary,
· Crime,
· Erotica,
· Family Saga,
· Fantasy,
· Dark Fantasy (probably still a major sub-genre!)
· Gay and Lesbian,
· General Fiction,
· Graphic Novels,
· Historical Fiction,
· Horror,
· Humour,
· Literary Fiction,
· Military and Espionage,
· Multicultural,
· Mystery,
· Offbeat or Quirky,
· Picture Books,
· Religious and Inspirational,
· Romance,
· Science Fiction,
· Short Story Collections,
· Steampunk
· Thrillers and Suspense,
· Western,
· Women’s Fiction,
· Young Adult.
Non-Fiction Genre List
· Art & Photography,
· Biography & Memoirs,
· Business & Finance,
· Celebrity & Pop Culture,
· Music, Film & Entertainment,
· Cookbooks,
· Cultural/Social Issues,
· Current Affairs & Politics,
· Food & Lifestyle,
· Gardening,
· Gay & Lesbian,
· General Non-Fiction,
· History & Military,
· Home Decorating & Design,
· How To,
· Humour & Gift Books,
· Journalism,
· Juvenile,
· Medical, Health & Fitness,
· Multicultural,
· Narrative,
· Nature & Ecology,
· Parenting,
· Pets,
· Psychology,
· Reference,
· Relationship & Dating,
· Religion & Spirituality,
· Science & Technology,
· Self-Help,
· Sports,
· Travel,
· True Adventure & True Crime,
· Women’s Issues.
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