The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at York U chapter.

Have you ever wanted to read books that would make a positive impact in your life, raise awareness on social issues, analyse different points of views and help you solve mysteries? If your answer is yes to any one of these questions, this is an article just for you.

There are a variety of genres to read from such as mystery, thriller, horror, and romance, to name a few. Each genre helps us to explore and venture into a different world with our imagination and gives us a sense of new ideas. Through reading we are able to connect, learn, and explore.

There are times after finishing a book we put the book down and say “wow” because of the many adventures the story has taken you through and the ride of emotions. We are able to connect on a deeper level and understand meanings.

Getting some suggestions on good books helps us to try new books and learn different ideas, opinions, thoughts as well as opening doors to what we may like.

books on bookshelf — Susan Q Yin via Unsplash

Romance books are always a fresh and good read. We may find ourselves giggling, blushing, and feeling heartbreak. Romance books put us in a whirlwind of emotions and always wondering what will happen next and what the chapter entails. Do the two lovers have a happy ending or will there be a major heartbreak?

The romantic genre is for those who enjoy reading and dwelling into the world of love, relationships, marriage and may connect themselves to similar events in the novel. One thing that is refreshing is many authors have a variety of different life lessons with this genre that teach us something new.

One suggested romance book is It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover. This is a book that gained a lot of fame in the last few years throughout social media. Lily and her ex-husband Ryle are happily moved in and she bumps into her first love, when she asks out on a date she says yes. She slowly realises her ex husband is a major part in her life and Ryle will not approve of Atlas being present in his ex wife and daughter’s life. Although she wants a second chance in true love, this story reveals the twists and turns in their lives, making this a very emotional read.

Another suggested romance book is called Twisted Hate by Ana Huang. A very handsome doctor charms a woman and the woman finds herself obsessed and falling in love. Josh Chen proposed a rule of no jealousy, strings, and falling in love and named it enemies that benefit one another. Jules Ambrose is focused on passing her bar exam and does not want to be involved with a doctor who is trying to put her in pain. The more she spends time with him she starts to hate him and sees the man he is. This book has many twists and turns that leave the reader in shock.

couple in front of sunset — Photo by The Phope from Unsplash

We all love a good mystery book that leaves us in shock and wondering for more. A mystery book you might like is Someone Had To Do It by Amber Brown. Brandi Maxwell is living a dream in her New York Fashion House as an intern. One day at a party she hears something that she wasn’t supposed to and her fate changes. The model she works with has everything but she’s about to lose her money and fame and her stake in the family fortune is dropping. This is where Brandi and Taylor’s fate mixes and there are twists and turns.

As halloween recently passed by we were in the spirit for some spooky, scary, and bone chilling vibes. The horror genre brings all these emotions plus more that leave our hearts beating so fast and we need breaks in between our reading. A horror story called The Exorcist written by William Blatty brings out the same sense. This book is a classic horror novel that tells the chilling story of a young girl named Regan MacNeil who becomes possessed by a demonic entity. The story unfolds in Georgetown, where Regan’s mother begins to notice disturbing changes in her daughter’s behaviour. This book explores themes of faith, doubt, and the nature of evil, and it has become a landmark work in the horror genre.

Thriller genres help us to see many mysteries that need to be solved. The process of uncovering secrets and solving puzzles can be intellectually stimulating and satisfying for readers. A good thriller is A woman in the Window written by AJ Finn. Dr. Anna Fox is a psychologist that lives alone in her house and is scared of open spaces. She only interacts online and not with people. Anna’s life becomes entangled with the lives of her neighbours, because she sees them as a perfect family and watches them through her window. One day, she observes something shocking in the Russells’ home, leading her to believe that a crime has occurred. The novel explores themes of mental health, trust, and the unreliability of perception.

Another good thriller book is called The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. The story follows Rachel Watson, an alcoholic and emotionally devastated woman who takes the train to London every day to work. During her commute, she watches a house with a perfect couple Megan and Scott Hipwell, and becomes obsessed with them. In Rachel’s imagination, they represent the ideal love she lost. One day when she sees them fighting and the women missing she starts to investigate. But the twists and turns lie because she doesn’t know what’s real and what’s her imagination.

man with backpack beside books — Redd via Unsplash

We can explore and see the different genres and all they provide us. We can feel a rollercoaster of emotion with these genres and they leave us wanting more. With these genres we are able to connect ourselves and read and explore.

Reading helps us to explore, feel better, connect with the characters, place, events and may hold something special to our hearts. We often find comfort in reading what we enjoy and this is also a form of self care and spending time with yourself.

Thriller, romance, mystery, and horror help us enveil plots, twists and turns and we often get attached to what we are reading. The different genres help us to use our imagination and make our minds ponder on what’s going to happen next.

Reading is curiosity for the brain and imaginations help us to further visualise the next plot of the story as we turn the pages towards each chapter. For your next read give these books a try, who knows, these may be the ones that will change your life.

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