There’s a world of books at your fingertips — especially if you’re an Everand subscriber. But being spoiled for choice sometimes makes knowing what to read next even harder. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Which book genre is best for me?” — wonder no more. Take this easy, seven-question book genre quiz to discover which titles you’ll want to read cover to cover.
With each of these questions, choose the first response that appeals to you — don’t think too hard. Write down the corresponding letter and tally up your answers. At the end of this quiz, you’ll know exactly what book genre you like, whether that’s romance, dystopian fantasy, personal development, or something else entirely.
I’ll even offer some recommendations to get you started with your genre journey.
1. Which of the following group of words appeals to you most?
A. Charming, passionate, romantic
B. Complex, meaningful, moral quandary
C. Letters, wartime, generations
D. Personal, authentic, memory
E. Puzzle, clues, adrenaline
F. Otherworldly, imagination, epic
G. Empowered, motivation, growth
H. Haunted, dark, menacing
2. Your Saturday is wide open. Which activity do you want to do?
A. Cuddle and watch movies with your partner
B. Attend a university lecture on literature
C. Research your genealogy to learn about your ancestors
D. Volunteer at a retirement community and listen to the residents’ life stories
E. Go to an escape room
F. Attend a comic convention
G. Practice mindfulness and yoga
H. Tour a haunted house
3. Choose a book to read (or reread):
A. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
B. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
C. News of the World by Paulette Jiles
D. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
E. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
F. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
G. Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
H. It by Stephen King
4. If you could bring one late author back from the dead, it would be…
A. Jane Austen
B. Flannery O’Connor
C. Hilary Mantel
D. Nelson Mandela
E. Agatha Christie
F. Octavia Butler
G. Dale Carnegie
H. Shirley Jackson
5. The best part about reading a great story is…
A. Getting swept up in the characters’ emotions
B. Discovering the story’s deeper meaning
C. Seeing history come alive
D. Discovering fun facts about people
E. Solving a thrilling mystery
F. Becoming absorbed in a fantastical world
G. Learning valuable life lessons
H. Feeling some deliciously creepy anticipation
6. Choose a film to watch (or re-watch):
A. Red, White, & Royal Blue
B. The Whale
C. The Color Purple
D. Elvis
E. Knives Out
F. Everything Everywhere All at Once
G. The Pursuit of Happyness
H. Get Out
7. Which of the following is on your bucket list?
A. Receive an epic love letter
B. Find a rare first edition of a classic work of literature
C. Have coffee with a former president
D. Write a book about your life
E. Solve a criminal investigation
F. Discover if life exists on other planets
G. Start your own successful business
H. See a ghost
Finished with the book genre quiz? Tally your answers and find the letter you chose the most to see what your favorite genre is, along with suggestions for books to read.
Answers
Mostly As: Romance
The reading genre you love most is … well, love! You adore stories that show people fighting, flirting, and bantering their way to happily-ever-after. Ready to fall in love again? Check out Meryl Wilsner’s sapphic and steamy Cleat Cute or Adriana Herrera’s rich and vibrant Las Leonas series, beginning with A Caribbean Heiress in Paris.
Mostly Bs: Literary Fiction
For you, nothing is more satisfying than a complex story about people whose choices and fates often reveal something deeper about the human condition, whether it’s comedic or tragic (or both). You’ll find Rebecca F. Kuang’s Yellowface fascinating for its commentary on racism and entitlement, while Tom Lake by Ann Patchett will leave you reflecting on family and home.
Mostly Cs: Historical Fiction
You enjoy incredible stories set in the past, whether that’s the Gilded Age, ancient China, or Victorian England. If you’re yearning for more of these transporting tales, travel to Prohibition-era Appalachia in Jeannette Walls’ Hang the Moon, or to Europe amid World War II in Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See.
Mostly Ds: Biography and memoir
You connect with stories about real human beings — whether historical figures, pop culture icons, or everyday people. Memoirs and biographies give you a peek into other lives and experiences, so they make for fascinating or even inspiring reads. Comedian Chris Gethard’s Everand Original memoir, Dad at Peace, is right up your alley, as is Joy-Ann Reid’s biography, Medgar and Myrlie, about a married couple and activist duo.
Mostly Es: Mystery and thriller
Nothing gets your heart racing like trying to solve a puzzling whodunnit before the big reveal. If twisty psychological thrillers are your jam, follow along as a happenstance meeting devolves into a true crime investigation in None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. Or, explore a fine example of gritty noir with S.A. Cosby’s bestselling Razorblade Tears.
Mostly Fs: Science fiction and fantasy
You don’t want to just read an incredible story, you want to escape into another world entirely. With so many incredible fantasy and science fiction novels out there to read, you’re in luck. Join a self-aware robot and monk in Becky Chambers’ A Psalm for the Wild-Built or await the end of the world throughout Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s hilarious collaboration, Good Omens.
Mostly Gs: Self-improvement
You like to have your cake and eat it, too. In your mind, books shouldn’t just entertain — they should also enlighten, motivate, and empower. Take an unconventional approach to living well with Mark Manson’s perennially popular The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, or learn how to learn from failure — at work and beyond — in Amy C. Edmondson’s The Right Kind of Wrong (the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year in 2023).
Mostly Hs: Horror
From crazed serial killers to terrifying beasts, you keep your creepy reads close to your heart. The only thing scarier than the books you read is running out of horror recommendations.
Find out what’s creeping around a Native American woman’s town in Stephen Graham Jones’s My Heart is a Chainsaw or discover the truth behind the haunting presence at a reform school in Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory.
Want to shake things up a bit? Read some genre-blending tales like Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing — the latest darling in the romantasy craze on BookTok — or Let Us Descend, a beautiful and moving mixture of literary fiction, historical fiction, and fantasy by one of the greatest writers of our generation, Jesmyn Ward. You can also try A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa, which spins memoir, history, and autofiction into something wholly original.
About the Author: G.G. Andrew
G.G. is a freelance writer and author of romance and women's fiction, including the short story "Everything Left Unsaid" in the collection A Million Ways: Stories of Motherhood. A Texas transplant, she lives outside Houston with her husband and two sons, both of whom are on the autism spectrum. In her spare time, she enjoys browsing bookstores, yoga, paper crafts, cooking, genealogy, and anything related to Halloween. She's probably drinking tea right now.
