Before this year, if someone had asked me what my favorite book was, the answer was always the same: *The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy*. I didn’t think anything would ever change that, until this year. I now have 3 books I put above that, two of which are in genres I never thought I would like, let alone consider a favorite.
Some brief history on my reading habbits, I read voraciously as a teen, and then just kind of stopped when I hit college. I picked it back up in my mid twenties in 2021 when I got back into reading via The Wheel of Time series, which I devoured. But I have mostly stuck to Sci-Fi and Fantasy since then, with the only reading outside my comfort zone being the occaisional horror book.
I decided to pick up *Lonesome Dove* by Larry McMurtry based on a recommendation from a youtuber whose book opions I trust, and I LOVED this book. It immediately became my favorite book I’ve ever read. I couldn’t believe that I would enjoy a non SciFi/Fantasy book so much.
Then I read *Hyperion* by Dan Simmons and was in awe at the beauty of the prose in that book. In the past I’ve hated flowery prose as I have found it to give me a headache and difficult to get through. But with Hyperion the prose was so immersive I found myself very vividly picturing the scenes in my mind. It quickly become my 2nd favorite book.
Finally I finished *The Secret History* by Donna Tartt two day ago and have been in a daze ever since. I had bounced off this book a while ago after reading the first few chapters and thinking it was too pretentious for me. I am now kicking myself as I now realize that was the entire point, and I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. I’ve never read characters that I couldn’t get enough off all while wanting to punch in the face. Just wow. I would probably put this above Hyperion but just behind Lonesome Dove in terms of favorite books of all time.
To anyone else afraid to read outside their comfort zone, it is completely worth it!
by hiddengecko56