Today, the guys in the Goodreads Top 5 Wednesday group have an interesting topic, one which is straight forward and to the point: “Favorite Books Outside Your Comfort Zone — These are books that you enjoyed that aren’t something you typically read. For example, nonfiction if you usually read fiction, contemporary if you usually read fantasy, etc. etc. They do not all have to be from the same genre, just an assortment of books outside your usual genre of choice.“

5. The Lorax

I never was much of a Dr. Seuss fan when I was growing up.  Sure, I loved the Grinch cartoon every Christmas, but other than that Dr. Seuss never really registered with me.  Once I had children though, I discovered the good doctor, spending years reading all these stories to my sons, and my favorite of the bunch, the one I grew the most fond of, was The Lorax.

Purchase The Lorax at Amazon.

4. Eaters of the Dead

Back in my twenties, I went through a period where I loved any story written by Michael Crichton.  It seems like I read everyone of them available at the time.  The Andromeda Strain.  Jurassic Park.  Congo.  Rising Sun.  Sphere.  The list went on and on.  Decades later, the one story which has remained a favorite is the one I never would have chosen at the time:  Eaters of the Dead.  I’m sure the fact I love the movie adaption, The 13th Warrior, has something to do with that.

Purchase Eaters of the Dead at Amazon.

3. Romulus Buckle

Steampunk isn’t a genre I’m very well read in.  Sure, I’ve picked up a handful of books in the last few years, but my handful of experiences do not qualify me as an expert.  What I do know is that my favorite steampunk book/series of the present is penned by Richard Ellis Preston, Jr., whose swashbuckling tales of the Pneumatic Zeppelin have thrilled me beyond belief.

Purchase Romulus Buckle & the City of the Founders at Amazon.

2. The Lightning Thief

This is another book/series I was introduced to by reading bedtime stories to my children.  Percy Jackson is also one of the few Young Adult stories that I not only could tolerate but also enjoyed following along behind.  Rick Riordan mixing humor and teen angst with Greek mythology was damn brilliant.

Purchase The Lightning Thief at Amazon.

1.  The Stand

The Stand by Stephen King’s was the first horror-esque book I ever recall reading.  I’m not ashamed to admit that the whole idea of a flu pandemic scared the hell out of me for days after I finished.  Not sure it would have the same impact on me if I read about it now, but it still remains among the handful of my favorite non-fantasy/science fiction books I’ve read.

Purchase The Stand at Amazon.

Those are a few of my favorite books outside the fantasy/science fiction genre.  What are yours?