Each week during Wyrd and Wonder has a themed ‘top five’ style post and this week’s theme is Outside Your Zone. This focuses on books you’ve read or would like to read that are outside your comfort zone. My list will be a mix – two books I want to read and three books I have read that are outside my usual fantasy wheelhouse.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
I’ve seen so much praise for this book and I was debating on snagging a copy when I was offered an eARC because it’s getting traditionally published! I decided it was a sign and I needed to check it out. This sounds like ‘sci-fantasy’ with a videogame inspired setting, which isn’t something I usually go for.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
I actually own this book but it’s been sitting unread for at least a year. I love a good library setting, but I’ve heard this is super weird and I’ve just been waiting for a good opportunity/mood to pick this up.
Orconomics by J. Zachary Pike
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to make of this book but it won SPFBO one year so it must be good, right? It was good! It reminded me of a D&D campaign with a side lesson in economics and it was surprisingly hilarious.
Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe
This was possibly my first foray into LitRPG and was surprised to find I enjoyed it! The magic system and setting is heavily influenced by leveling up powers and the school setting was a delight.
Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar
Despite thinking the concept of the eldritch horror is cool, I don’t actually like them in my books that much. I just don’t really vibe with the Lovecraftian influence but Gunmetal Gods felt much more like heaven vs. hell (for the most part). It was a good story, though quite long!
This was a tough list to put together because I don’t consider too much outside my comfort zone in fantasy. I definitely go through phases or reading moods where I’m not picking up much within a subgenre but I like to think I’m pretty widely read!
Powder & Page 
I just finished a terrorism thriller which was way outside my comfort zone, but otherwise… non-fiction? You just started Carl, right? How do you like it so far?
LikeLike
I’ve binge read 30% of it already and it’s absurd and hilarious! Enjoying the novelty of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Library at Mount Char was really good. I hope you enjoy it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard such good things about it, but the constant is that it’s weird! 😀
LikeLike
School settings and Lovecraftian horror both feature on my list this week too – they have to pitch just right to catch me (but every now and again they do). I haven’t read any LitRPG, as I’m pretty sure it’s going to irritate the hell out of me… but I probably should give some a go and test that theory. I tend to assume it’s all magic systems and plot, where I prefer politics and character, but that’s blind bias and I should get over it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, LitRPG is… interesting. It’s super fun, but objectively it’s kind of trash, LOL! I would say that yes, they are mostly magic system and plot but I’ve only read maybe three(?) at this point.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nowt wrong with trash if its entertaining 😀 (I say as someone who watched both Argylle and The Fall Guy at the weekend, although I’d only recommend The Fall Guy 😂)
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL, I’d heard Argylle was bad but it’s so tempting because Henry Cavill…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Out-of-comfort-zone reads are inherently difficult to identify, just because I don’t usually even pick them up and if I stumble on one by accident, I DNF it. I think the last one I finished was Raven Tower by Ann Leckie. Thanks for persevering to give us the list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooo, Raven Tower was definitely a weird one! I usually have a good idea of what I would like or not like, so I don’t pick them up that often either.
LikeLike
I’d probably put LitRPG outside of my comfort zone, just because it was a challenge prompt one year and it was so hard to find titles, but it seems to have come a long way since.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s gotten much more popular! It’s not my favorite subgenre, but if a book gets enough attention I’ll pick it up 🙂
LikeLike