This week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is “Books I Enjoyed that Were Outside My Comfort Zone”.
When I first saw this topic I thought I would struggle to put a list together as I tend to stick to the sort of books I know I’ll enjoy. However, after thinking about it I was able to come up with ten books I enjoyed that are definitely out of my comfort zone – for ten different reasons! Here they are:
1. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi – A graphic novel
2. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller – Post-apocalyptic fiction
3. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt – A Western
4. The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis – Audiobook
5. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde – A play
6. The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett – Written in an unusual style
7. Amours de Voyage by Arthur Hugh Clough – A narrative poem
8. Live Alone and Like It by Marjorie Hillis – Self-help nonfiction
9. The Epic of Gilgamesh – An ancient epic
10. Master and Commander by Patrick O’Brian – Nautical fiction
~
Have you read any of these? Which books have you read that are out of your comfort zone – and did you enjoy them?
She Reads Novels 
The Sisters Brothers and The Epic of Gilgamesh are two books that I feel like are outside my comfort zone. It’s good to know that you read them, feeling the same going in, but that you ended up enjoying them.
The Sisters Brothers was suprisingly entertaining – I loved it! Gilgamesh was more of a challenge, but not as difficult to read as I thought it might be.
I’ve read Persepolis, Gilgamesh and Master & Commander. The first two were a refreshing change but I sadly DNF the latter!
I struggled through Master & Commander, but enjoyed the second book a lot more as it was mainly land-based, which was more to my taste.
From your list, I might try the Nautical fiction. I do read some self-help, but it really has to appeal to me.
Here’s a link to my TTT post
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/%f0%9f%93%9a-toptentuesday-10-books-outside-my-comfort-zone-reading-tuesdaybookblog-booktwitter-bookx/
I almost never read self-help, but Live Alone and Like It was fun!
I haven’t read any of these but Giglamesh sounds like something I’d read…someday.
https://getlostinlit.blogspot.com/2025/11/top-ten-books-that-push-my-comfort-zone.html
I was surprised by how much I liked Gilgamesh. It was easier to read than I’d expected.
The Dog Stars Cover looks good. Here is my TTT.Click here
I like the cover of The Dog Stars too. I think that’s what drew me to it, even though I don’t usually read dystopian fiction.
I read the Wilde at school and watched a relatively recent filmed adaptation – which confirmed to me the fact that my teenage self was pants at understanding social nuances! The Gilgamesh epic I recently reread and got a lot out of, while is on my massive TBR pile!
I don’t think I would have fully appreciated the Wilde at school either. I did enjoy it when I read it for the first time a few years ago and I do still intend to read his other plays!
I have not read any of these but I’ve wanted to read Master and Commander for awhile now. I just haven’t been sure if it would be too dry and military like for me. Great list and pretty covers.
I didn’t find Master and Commander dry at all, although I did struggle with all the nautical terminology before deciding to stop worrying about it and just focus on the characters. The second book in the series was more to my taste as it was set mainly on land!
I’ve been curious about The Sisters Brothers and The Twyford Code.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!https://readbakecreate.com/ten-graphic-novels-ive-read-in-2025/
They are both great books, in very different ways!
Master and Commander is one of my favourite books, and it kicks off my second favourite series (the Lymond Chronicles being the first). Patrick O’Brian is up there with Dorothy Dunnett as one of the greatest historical novelists, and quite a lot of people, myself included, love them both. The settings, the characterisation, the character development, all are superb. I know that some readers find the nautical terminology confusing, but you can just skim over that if you want, and enjoy what I described to a friend as ‘the greatest bromance in English literature’!
Of the others, I’ve read Gilgamesh, but a long time ago: The Silver Pigs is the first of another favourite series, and I love audio books, I listen in the car, and often find you get a very different perspective by listening to a book rather than reading it: and I liked The Twyford Code, which like all her books is entirely formed of emails, text messages and documents, and is a good mystery and easy to read, I devoured it in a day or so. Her other books are also excellent. Finally, I recently saw a live production of The Importance of Being Ernest at my local cinema, courtesy of the National Theatre, and starring Ncuti Gatwa, who was marvellous. I love Wilde, so sly, knowing and funny.
Out of my comfort zone would be horror (although I like Phil Rickman’s books, but they’re more mysteries with a dash of the supernatural), stereotypical romance, or something very experimental with dodgy punctuation. Speech marks have a useful function, so use them!
I prefer Dunnett, but am really enjoying the Patrick O’Brian series as well (I’ve read the first eight books now). I do still struggle with the nautical terminology, but I don’t worry about it too much and just focus on the plot and the wonderful characters.
I’m glad you also liked The Twyford Code – I’ve enjoyed all of Janice Hallett’s books apart from The Killer Question, which I haven’t read yet but am hoping to get to before the end of the year. As for audiobooks, I just don’t get along with them very well at all. I find my concentration wanders too much, even if I’m listening alone in the car! I did like The Silver Pigs, though, and will read more in the series.
I haven’t read any of these, but I thought I would be struggling too this week.
https://laurieisreading.com/2025/11/11/top-ten-tuesday-books-i-enjoyed-that-were-out-of-my-comfort-zone/
Yes, I expected it to be a difficult topic but it seems I’ve read more books that are out of my comfort zone than I thought!
Poems, especially ‘epic’ ones, and graphic novels are definitely outside my comfort zone. Short stories, too. I don’t read much of any of those.
I never used to like short stories much until a few years ago, but I find myself reading a lot of them now!
I haven’t read any of these – they’re out of my comfort zone too!
I enjoyed all of them, but in general I do prefer to stick to what I feel comfortable with!
I quite liked Persepolis! I loved the movie adaptation of her other book Chicken with Plums!
Yes, Persepolis was interesting. I haven’t read or watched Chicken with Plums yet, though!
I also enjoyed The Twyford Code. I’m hoping to read more of Hallett’s work soon. The Silver Pigs is on my audiobook line up, so I’m glad to hear it’s good!
Here’s my list: https://franlaniado.wordpress.com/2025/11/11/top-ten-tuesday-outside-my-comfort-zone-2/