All About Genres: Navigating Literary Landscapes for Authors

Introduction: Understanding Genre in Literature

The concept of ‘genre’ is foundational in literature, serving as a compass for both writers and readers. Genres in literature are like categories on Netflix; they give us a sense of the story’s style, form, and content. For authors, choosing the right genre and subgenre is crucial—it’s the first step in connecting your book with its intended audience.

The Role of Genre:

  • Direction for Authors: Helps in targeting the right audience and framing your narrative.
  • Literary Agencies: Many specialize in specific subgenres, crucial for finding the right representation.
  • Bookstores & Libraries: Genre classification simplifies the search and discovery process for readers.

Decoding Genres: A Guide for Authors

  1. Determine the Main Category: Is it fiction or nonfiction? Is your book meant to entertain or provide practical, real-life information?
  2. Identify the Subgenre: Dive deeper into subgenres that best describe your manuscript’s themes, style, and content.

Genre Definitions: An Overview

  • Fiction Subgenres:
    • Adventure/Action: Heroic journeys and quests (e.g., “The Three Musketeers”).
    • Biographical: Fictionalized accounts of real-life figures (e.g., “The Master”).
    • Children’s: Stories for young minds, often involving fantasy elements (e.g., “Harry Potter”).
    • Crime/Detective/Police: Focused on criminal investigations (e.g., “The Moonstone”).
    • Fantasy: Imaginary worlds with magical elements (e.g., “A Game of Thrones”).
    • Horror: Evoking fear and suspense (e.g., “Frankenstein”).
    • Romance: Central theme of love and relationships (e.g., “Pride and Prejudice”).
    • Science Fiction: Future-oriented, scientific themes (e.g., “1984”).
    • And many more…
  • Nonfiction Subgenres:
    • Biography/Autobiography: True accounts of individuals’ lives.
    • Business: Guides and insights into the business world.
    • Cookbooks: Culinary guides and recipes.
    • History: Exploration of past events and eras.
    • Self-help: Books aimed at personal improvement.
    • Travel: Accounts and guides on travel experiences.
    • True Crime: In-depth look at real criminal cases.
    • Women’s Issues: Focusing on topics related to women’s experiences.
    • And more…

Special Considerations:

  • Word Count: Different genres often have specific word count expectations.
  • Market Trends: Stay informed about current trends and reader preferences within your chosen genre.

Conclusion: Your Story’s Home

Your book’s genre is its home. It’s where your story belongs and where your readers will find it. Understanding and correctly categorizing your book is not just a publishing formality—it’s a fundamental aspect of its identity and success.

Genre Definitions

Fiction Subgenres

The main subgenres are listed in Bold.

Adventure / Action
Usually involves a journey through terrain or a world previously unknown to the hero(es). It tells a tale about a hero or group of heroes who are on a quest to find something, rescue someone, or defeat a monster. The hero(es) overcome obstacles or dangers to accomplish their objective.
Examples: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. or Moby-Dick by Herman Melville.

Biographical
It is a fictional account of a contemporary or historical person’s life.
Examples: The Master by Colm Toíbín. The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates. or Lotte in Weimar, Thomas Mann.

Book Club
It can be defined as fiction that is suitable for discussion in book clubs. It’s often used as a synonym for Upmarket Fiction.
Examples: The Wine Club by Laurie Lisa. Language of a Soul by Constance Santego. An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi. or Pride by Ibi Zoboi.

Chick Lit
Amusing stories about the type of issues an average female deals with (romance, career, family, friends, etc.) and usually written by a woman. Know that the key element is the humorous way the protagonist deals with whatever the plot brings her way.
Examples: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. or Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Children’s
They are usually intended for an audience that is not yet classified as Young Adult (YA) and is a subgenre of fantasy. The main character is a child who faces a struggle or possesses some unique ability. There are often mythical/fantastical creatures who both help and hinder the young protagonist. The themes are often life lessons with morals. Examples: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. or Matilda by Roald Dahl

Christian
The story’s core has biblically-based attitudes, values, actions and is full of elements like romance, suspense, history, current events, faith, and forgiveness.
Examples: The Mockingbird’s Song by Wanda E. Brunstetter.  The Jerusalem Assassin by Joel C. Rosenberg. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. or Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.

Classic
Stands the Test of Time, a book of high quality, acclaim, and influence needs a few generations to determine whether it deserves to be called a classic.
Examples: Lord of the Flies (1954) by William Golding. Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson. Charlotte’s Web (1952) by E.B. White. or Oliver Twist (1838) by Charles Dickens.

Crime/Detective/Police
Narratives focus is on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a serious crime and needs to be solved. 
Examples: The Last Trial by Scott Turow. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, by Sara Gran. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.

Commercial Fiction
These novels appeal to a broader audience and are sometimes written in simplistic language. They tend to be more plot-driven, faster-paced, and centered around a line of events.
Examples: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Contemporary Fiction
Written in the Author’s present-day and realistic. The characters must be believable and behave in the way most readers would. The setting is a real place, or at least seems like a real place. The events are ones that could happen in real life, and the dialogue is informal, conversational, and often includes regional dialects.
Examples: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Atonement: A Novel by Ian McEwan, White Noise by Don DiLillo. or Three Junes by Julia Glass.

Cozy
Basically,  ‘cozy’ refers to mysteries that aren’t gory or violent and are usually an adult genre. Examples: Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifaxby Dorothy Gilman. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen. or The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell. 

Erotica
It uses explicit sex to explore an individual character’s sexual journey, whereas ‘Erotica Romance’ uses sex to show the development of a romantic relationship. Erotica is all about the sex.
Examples: Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin.  Unrestrained by Rhyll Biest. or Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Erotica Romance)

Family Saga
The story follows many generations of a family through historical events, changes in social circumstances, or the gain and loss of wealth from multiple perspectives over a period of time.
Examples: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. Commonwealth by Anne Patchett. or East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

Fantasy
The story’s ‘setting’ creates this genre. It will be an imaginary world that could never exist in real life. The presence of magic, fictional species, or other violations that break the scientific physical laws will be present. The story itself is often an Adventure or other genre and usually involves a struggle of good vs. evil.
Examples: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. or The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White (1938).

Magic Realism 
A ‘secondary’ subgenre of Fantasy. All magical events and characters seem to be a normal part of everyday life.
Examples: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Beloved by Toni Morrison. or Midnight Children by Salman Rushdie.

Paranormal/Supernatural
A ‘secondary’ subgenre of Fantasy. Both are outside the realm of normal scientific understanding of the natural world.
–Paranormal (beings, phenomena, folklore, fairy tales, and popular cultural creatures, such as fairies, aliens, shapeshifters, and the undead. The paranormal genre may include supernaturalist elements.
Examples: For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane. Greywalker by Kat Richardson. or Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler.
–Supernatural (matters of god, the soul, archangels, and resurrection). 
Examples: Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. or The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

Time Travel
A ‘secondary’ subgenre of Fantasy. Is a story where the protagonist travels back or forward in time.
Example: A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury. Kindred by Octavia E. B. The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold or Blackout by Connie Willis.

Gay & Lesbian
LGBTQ+ themes in speculative fiction include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. 
Examples: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith. Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown. or The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho

General Fiction / Popular Fiction
It is a book that has ‘three to four or more’ subgenres and does not fit into any one subgenre directory.
Examples: Lila by Marilynne Robinson, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki And His Years Of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami, Wolf In White Van by John Darnielle, or 10:04 by Ben Lerner. 

Graphic Novel / Comics
The simplest definition is a cartoon drawing or comic-strip format that tells a story via illustrations and is published as a book.
Examples: Maus by Art Spiegelman. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. or Ghost World by Daniel Clowes.

Manga / Anime
A ‘secondary’ subgenre of Graphic Novels. Manga is a Japanese graphic novel, typically intended for adults, characterized by highly stylized art. Most manga conforms to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. Manga means “flowing words” or “Undisciplined words”. It is an ancient art that has been used for centuries as a form of entertainment. There are 6 -7 major types of manga, each having its own audience.

Manga has its own particular artwork, especially when it comes to human faces, particularly the eyes, chin, nose, mouth, forehead… Manga is also read from RIGHT to LEFT.

Anime a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes.
Examples: Manga My Hero Academia, Vol. 1 by Kohei Horikoshi,or One Piece, Vol. 1: Romance Dawn by Eiichiro Oda, Anime Jujutsu Kaisen 1 by Gege Akutami, or Enen no Shouboutai 1 by Atsushi Ohkubo.

Historical Fiction
Stories that take place before the author was born and are designed to educate the reader about history, as well as entertain them.
Examples: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. or The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

Horror
Are stories that produce the emotion of fear in the reader. Usually, the story’s main character faces a threat (usually a monster).
Examples: Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Dracula by Bram Stoker. The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. or The Shining by Stephen King.

Humor/Satire
Satire uses humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, corporations, government, or society itself into improvement.
Examples: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. or American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.

Literary Fiction
This genre does not follow the typical fiction formula or have a predictable narrative. Metaphors, symbolism, and imagery play a larger role in telling the story because the plot will usually not tell you the character’s motives. You may not know who the hero and villain are or what they are trying to accomplish. The climax of the story may or may not be present, and the ending is not always guaranteed to satisfy you.
Examples: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones. or Plainsong by Kent Haruf.

Medical
All events that center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any other medical environment. 
Examples: A Fortunate Man: The Story of a Country Doctor by John Berger. The Andromeda Strain, by Michael Crichton. Coma, by Robin Cook. or The Line Between, by Tosca Lee.

Middle Grade
Intended for readers that are between 8–12 years old, most are 8. No profanity, graphic violence, or sexuality (romance, if any, is limited to a crush or a first kiss). The protagonist is usually around the age of ten. The focus is on friends, family, and the character’s immediate world and relationship to it (the characters react to what happens to them, with minimal self-reflection).
Examples: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper. The Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. or Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.

Military/Espionage
AKA Spy Fiction
Examples: Patriot Games by Tom Clancy. The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. Path of the Assassin by Brad Thor. or The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum.

Multi-Cultural
Describes true-life representation of how people live in different parts of the world. Informs the reader about their culture’s heritage and beliefs.
Examples: Native American Stories Passed From Mouth to Ear to Heart By Peggy K. Ford. Multicultural Citizenship by Will Kymlicka. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. or The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Mystery
Stories in which the main character investigates a crime, usually a murder, and succeeds in discovering who committed it, how, and why.
Examples: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie. The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain. or The Godfather, by Mario Puzo.

New Adult
The protagonist is considered an adult (18–30), and usually female. The focus is on issues such as; leaving home, developing sexuality, or negotiating education and career choices.
Examples: Just One, Trilogy by Gayle Forman. Losing It by Cora Carmack. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. or Bloodlines by Richelle Mead.

Offbeat/Quirky
A quirky person is someone who is thought of as unconventional or unusual, in an interesting way. 
Examples: The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall. My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz. or Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams.

Romance
Stories about how the main character (almost always a woman) develops a romantic relationship that culminates in true love.
Examples:  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. or Lord of Scoundrels (Scoundrels series) by Loretta Lynda Chase.

Science Fiction /Sci-Fi / Futuristic
There can be no magic or breaking any physical laws (This is what distinguishes science fiction from fantasy). The story’s setting and events should never contradict established scientific knowledge. These stories are usually about human beings coping with a plausible future. The story should project, extend, or expand from the current knowledge or trends in science, technology, or society.
Examples: 1984 by George Orwell. Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. or The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Suspense/Thriller
The reader knows the protagonist is in danger right from the start, but the protagonist may not be aware of any threat at first. Stories in which the hero uses his profession’s specialized skills and knowledge to defeat a power-hungry villain and or successfully deal with a dangerous threat.
Examples: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. The Couple Next Door: A Novel by Shari Lapena. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. or Intensity by Dean Koontz.

Short Stories
Is a fully developed story that is shorter than a novel but longer than a fable, and usually only deals with a few characters. A short story should be able to be read in one sitting, anywhere from a half-hour to two hours. 
Examples: The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Robert Southey or Little Red Riding Hood by Charles Perrault.

Upmarket
A mix between commercial fiction and literary fiction.
Examples: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. or Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.

Western
Stories that are geographically set west of the Mississippi River and portray the American Wild West as virtuous, while cities are portrayed as corrupt. The setting is usually in the mid-to-late 1800s, but present-day Westerns are becoming more common, set in cattle-ranching areas or small towns. Characters are cowboys, ranchers, homesteaders, gunfighters/sheriffs/rangers, and/or frontiersmen. 
Examples: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. The Gunslinger by Stephen King. Ride Tall, Hang High by Chet Cunningham. or Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Women’s Fiction
Stories in which a ‘woman’ overcomes life’s challenges such as career, family, friendship, or to achieve fulfillment. The challenges the protagonists will face are realistic and ones that the majority of female readers can relate to in their own life.
Examples: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. The Chicken Sisters by KJ Dell’Antonia. or How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams.

Young Adult
A young adult is someone between the ages of 12 and 18. These are generally coming-of-age stories and may cross over into the fantasy and science fiction genres. Common elements are dramatic character growth, magic, and unexpected interactions between magical elements and the real world that influence the protagonist to become an adult.
Examples: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.or Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

NonFiction Subgenres

Adventure / True Story
‘True life’ tales of exploration, adventure, and survival against all odds. May be told in a story format.
Examples: Through the Brazilian Wilderness by Theodore Roosevelt. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. or Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.

Anthology
It is a series of works collected into a single volume, usually with a unifying theme or subject, such as short stories, essays, poems, lyrics, or plays, and they are usually selected by an editor.
Examples: Cabana Anthology by Martina Mondadori Sartogo. Ghostly Writes Anthology by Ghostly Writers. The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction: 50 North American Stories Since 1970 by Michael Martone. or Apothecary: Fantasy Anthology by Thomas Fay.

Art/Illustrated
A drawing, painting, or printed work of art that explains, clarifies, illuminates, visually represents, or merely decorates a written text, which may be of a literary or commercial nature.
Examples: Digital by Giovanni Maisto, Pencil by Daan Noppen, Ink by Christine Almeda, or Poster’s project, Etching project by Jaroslaw Nowak

Biography
A biography is a true story of a person’s life that is written by someone else, whereas an autobiography is the person’s life story told by that person.
Examples: Biography – Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. or Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance.
Autobiography – Becoming by Michelle Obama. or The Story of My Life by Helen Keller.

Business
Books that are written to help the reader further his or her business skills.
Examples: Business Intelligence For Dummies by Swain Scheps. Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras. The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business by Josh Kaufman. or Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport.

Celebrity
Juicy tell-alls or moving memoirs about a famous person.
Examples: My Love Story by Tina Turner. So much I Want to Tell You. Letters to My Little Sister by Anna Akana. Me by Elton John. or Naturally Tan by Tan France.

Cookbooks
Books about food, cooking, or eating. Usually contains recipes.
Examples: Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
by Anthony Bourdain. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
by Barbara Kingsolver. My Life in France by Julia Child. or Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell.

Dating & Relationships
Usually about love and the realities of modern relationships.
Examples: Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give by Ada Calhoun. The Mathematics of Love: Patterns, Proofs, and the Search for the Ultimate Equation by Hannah Fry. Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love by Helen Fisher. or Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl—A Woman’s Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship by Sherry Argov.

Diet, Food (Nutrition) & Lifestyle (sociology)
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support; plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. 
Lifestyle is the interests, opinions, behaviors, and behavioral orientations of an individual, group, or culture.
Dietusually refers to weight loss.
Examples: Diet Intermittent Fasting for Women over 50 by Jennifer Anniston. The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners by Amy Ramos. The Obesity Code by Jason Fung. or Extreme Weight Loss Hypnosis by Jessica Jacobs. Food Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy by Dr. Walter Willett. The Blue Zones Solution by Dan Buettner, or Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon, Lifestyle The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondō, This Naked Mind by Annie Grace, Spark Joy by Marie Kondo, or The Power of Habit: by Charles Duhigg.

Film & Entertainment
Written about a movie or play.
Examples: Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, The Story Of The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp, On Directing Film by Mamet, D. or Film History: An Introduction by Thompson, K. & Bordwell, D.

Screenwriting is not usually represented by literary agents or agencies, you will need to find a screenwriting agent or screenplay agent.

Finance
All about money and practical ways on how to budget and make more.
Examples: The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. The Intelligent Investor: The Definitive Book on Value Investing
by Benjamin Graham and Jason Zweig. or  Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Gardening
AKA  horticulture. The practice of growing and cultivating plants for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance. Useful plants, such as root vegetables, leaf vegetables, fruits, or herbs and are grown for consumption, for use as dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use. 
Examples: The Well-Tempered Garden by Christopher Lloyd. Down the Garden Path by Beverley Nichols. A Garden from a Hundred Packets of Seeds by James Fenton. or Rodale’s Basic Organic Gardening by Deborah L. Martin.

Gay & Lesbian
Collective term for literature produced by or for the LGBT community.
Examples: The Wedding Heard ‘Round the World: America’s First Gay Marriage by Michael McConnell with Jack Baker as told by Gail Langer Karwoski. The Gay Revolution: The Story of the Struggle by Lillian Faderman. Charity and Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America by Rachel Hope Cleves. or Ask a Queer Chick: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life for Girls Who Dig Girls by Lindsay King-Miller.

General / Other Non-Fiction
When your book doesn’t fit under any other nonfiction subgenre.
Examples: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt. The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America, by Greg Grandin. or Wait by Cuong Lu.

Gift Books
They represent a unique product category, where style reigns supreme. There is heavy attention paid to aesthetics. An illustrated literary miscellany (as of verse, tales, and sketches) published annually in ornamental format. Rage Kindelsperger, editorial director at Quarto, said, “A gift book is a book that you want to look at slowly and set on a table or shelf where you spend a lot of your time, so you can catch a glimpse of the cover.”
Examples: Infinite Wonder by Scott Kelly. Lonely Planet Secret Marvels of the World by Lonely Lonely Planet. Castles, Palaces & Stately Homes by Charles Phillips. or The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Lynn Curlee.

Health & Fitness
Inspiring Physical Health.
Examples: The Fit Bottomed Girl’s Anti-Diet by Jennipher Walters and Erin Whitehead. The 21-Day Yoga Body by Sadie Nardini. Faster, Higher, Stronger by Mark McClusky. or Body by Simone by Simone de la Rue. 

History
As quoted from the Free Dictionary, 1.The principles, theories, or methodology of scholarly historical research and presentation.2. The writing of history based on a critical analysis, evaluation, and selection of authentic source materials and composition of these materials into a narrative subject to 
scholarly methods of criticism.3. A body of historical literature.
Examples: Grant by Ron Chernow. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford. The History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer. or The Crusades: The Authoritative History of the War for the Holy Land by Thomas Asbridge

Home Design
Anything that inspires and helps a homeowner to design and decorate their home: tile, building designs, paint, fabrics, flooring, etc.
Examples: Mark Hampton on Decorating by Mark Hampton. Interior Design Master Class by Carl Dellatore. Wild Interiors: Beautiful Plants In Beautiful Spaces by Hilton Carter. or The Little Book Of Living Small by Laura Fenton.

How-To
A how-to book provides advice on how to do a particular thing, on any topic.
Examples: How to Sell on Amazon by Matt Voss. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backpacking and Hiking by Jason Stevenson. or Karate the Art of “Empty-Hand” Fighting by Hidetaka Nishiyama.

Humor
A book that makes you laugh, chuckle, or you find hilarious.
Examples: Bossypants by Tina Fey.  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling. Cruel Shoes by Steve Martin. or Go The F**k To Sleep by Adam Mansbach.

Journalism
Examples: All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Manufacturing Consent by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky. 30: The Collapse of the Great America Newspaper by Charles M. Madigan. or Women in American Journalism: A New History by Jan Whitt.

Juvenile
Is a young person who is not yet old enough to be considered an adult.
Examples: The War on Kids How American Juvenile Justice Lost Its Way by Cara H. Drinan. Virginia Family and Juvenile Laws and Rules Annotated by Publisher’s Editorial Staff. Juvenile Delinquency Theory, Practice, and Law by Larry J. Siegel, Brandon C. Welsh or What Are My Rights? Q&A About Teens and the Law by Thomas A. Jacobs J.D.

Medical
Health-related subjects.
Examples: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine by J. Larry Jameson, Anthony S. Fauci, Dennis L. Kasper, Stephen L. Hauser, Dan L. Longo, Joseph Loscalzo. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2021 by Maxine A. Papadakis, Stephen J. McPhee, Michael W. Rabow. Adams and Victor’s Principles of Neurology by Allan H. Ropper, Martin A. Samuels, Joshua P. Klein, Sashank Prasad. or Basic & Clinical Pharmacology by Bertram G. Katzung.

Memoir
How to write your own story.
Examples: Having the Last Say by Alan Gelb. Handling the Truth by Beth Kephart. Your Life as Story by Tristine Rainer. or Living to Tell the Tale by Jane Taylor McDonnell.

Military & War
True recordings of war history and experiences.
Examples: The Iliad (8th century BC) by Homer. History of the Peloponnesian War (423–411 BC) by Thucydides. On War (1832) by Carl von Clausewitz. or War and Peace (1868) by Leo Tolstoy.

Multi-Cultural
Diversity, relating to, or including several cultures.
Examples: Multicultural Citizenship: A Liberal Theory of Minority Rights by Will Kymlicka. Rethinking Multiculturalism: Cultural Diversity and Political Theory by Bhikhu Parekh. The Home We Build Together: Recreating Society by Jonathan Sacks. or Still Not Easy Being British: Struggles for a Multicultural Citizenship by Tariq Modood.

Music
Books on any type of music, usually for musicians.
Examples: Bass Culture When Reggae Was King by LLoyd Bradley. Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City by Lizzy Goodman. Our Noise: The Story of Merge Records, the Indie Label That Got Big and Stayed Small by Laura Ballance,‎ John Cook, and‎ Mac McCaughan. or Jelly Roll: A Blues by Kevin Young.

Narrative
A book or guide that helps a writer learn the art of storytelling.
Examples: The Triumph of Narrative: Storytelling in the Age of Mass Culture by Robert Fulford. Narrative: The Basics by Bronwen Thomas. Postmodern Narrative Theory by Mark Currie. or Maps of Narrative Practice by Michael White .

Nature & Ecology
A species is called indigenous or native to a place when that species lives there because of the natural environment, not human change. Ecology – interrelationship of organisms and their environments.
Examples: Indigenous Knowledge, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology by Raymond Pierotti. North American Indian Ecology 2nd Edition by J. Donald Hughes. Hinduism and Ecology: The Intersection of Earth, Sky, and Water (Religions of the World and Ecology) by many authors. or  Ecology and Experience: Reflections from a Human Ecological Perspective by Richard J. Borden.

Parenting
Child-rearing is the process of promoting and supporting all aspects of their development, from infancy to adulthood.
Examples: The Explosive Child: A New Approach for Understanding and Parenting Easily Frustrated, Chronically Inflexible Children By Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. The Happiest Baby On The Block by Harvey Karp. The Motherly Guide To Becoming Mama: Redefining The Pregnancy, Birth, And Postpartum Journey by Jill Koziol, Liz Tenety, and Diana Spalding. or Positive Discipline: The Classic Guide to Helping Children Develop Self-Discipline, Responsibility, Cooperation, and Problem-Solving Skills by Jane Nelsen Ed.D.

Pets
Primarily for a person’s company or entertainment rather than as a working animal, livestock, or a laboratory animal.
Examples: Zak George’s Guide to a Well-Behaved Dog by Zak George. The Ultimate Guide to Raising a Puppy by Victoria Stilwell. Tiny But Mighty by Hannah Shaw. or
Exotic Pets: A Veterinary Guide for Owners by Shawn Messonnier

Photography
The art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy and especially light on a sensitive surface (such as film or an optical sensor).
Examples: Read this if You Want to Take Good Photographs by Henry Carroll. Better Photo Basics, The friendliest beginners’ guide to photography by Jim Miotke. One Face, Fifty Ways, An ideas book for enthusiasts and beginners by Mark Wilkinson & Imogen Dyer. or The Art of Photography 2nd edition: A Personal Approach to Artistic Expression, The best book on the philosophy of photography by Bruce Barnbaum

Poetry /Poems
A composition in verse. A piece of writing in which the words are arranged in separate lines, often ending in rhyme, and are chosen for their sound and for the images and ideas they suggest.
Examples: Soft Science by Franny Choi. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur.  How to Write Poetry: A Guided Journal with Prompts to Ignite Your Imagination by Christopher Salerno. or A Poetry Handbook by Mary Oliver.

Politics
The art or science of government.
Examples: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari. The Anarchy
The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire by William Dalrymple. Winners Take All, The Elite Charade of Changing the World by Anand Giridharadas. or The Right Side of History, How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great by Ben Shapiro.

Pop Culture
Anything with a buzz is deemed pop culture. Describes the lifestyle and tastes of the majority, entertainment (movies, music, TV), sports, news (as in people/places in news), politics, fashion/clothes, and technology.
Examples: The New Biographical Dictionary of Film: Updated and Expanded by David Thomson. Rebels on the Backlot: Six Maverick Directors and How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System by Sharon Waxman. The Revolution Was Televised: The Cops, Crooks, Slingers, and Slayers Who Changed TV Drama Forever by Alan Sepinwall. or Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle.

Psychology
The science of mind and behavior (social psychology and human behavior).Examples: The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Heidt. Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud. Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. or Influence: The Psychology Of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini.

Religion
The belief, service, and worship of God or gods.
Examples: The Bible by many authors. Introduction to the History of Indian Buddhism by Eugène Burnouf. In Gods We Trust: The Evolutionary Landscape of Religion by Scott Atran. or Between Muslim and Jew: The Problem of Symbiosis under Early Islam by Steven M. Wasserstrom.

Science
Any system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation.
Examples: Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution: The search for what lies beyond the quantum by Lee Smolin. A Crack in Creation: The new power to control evolution by Jennifer Doudna and Samuel Sternberg. A World Beyond Physics: The emergence and evolution of life by Stuart Kauffman. or A Brief History of Time by S. W. Hawking,

Self-help
The action or process of bettering oneself or overcoming one’s problems without the aid of others.
Examples: Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. Whatcha Gonna Do with That Duck? by Seth Godin. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen. R. Covey. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. or Mindsight by Daniel J. Siegel.

Spirituality
Usually a belief that there is higher power running the universe (esoteric traditions and religious traditions). Books are written to satisfy the deeper human thirst for meaning, peace, mystery, answers, truth, empowerment, growth, happiness, and enlightenment.
Examples: Metahuman: Unleashing Your Infinite Potential by Deepak Chopra. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby. or Waking Up by Sam Harris.

Sports
An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature.
Examples: Moneyball by Michael Lewis. Paper Lion by George Plimpton. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. Born to Run by Christoper McDougall. or Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger.

Technology
The specific methods, materials, and devices used to solve practical problems.
Examples: Designed for Digital: How to Architect Your Business for Sustained Success By Jeanne W. Ross, Cynthia M. Beath, and Martin Mocker. Artificial Intelligence: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review By Thomas H. Davenport, Erik Brynjolfsson, Andrew McAfee, and H. James Wilson. The Future Is Faster Than You Think: How Converging Technologies Are Transforming Business, Industries, and Our Lives By Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler. 0r No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention By Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer.

Travel
To go on a trip or tour, usually for the purpose of a vacation destination.
Examples: 10 Years a Nomadby Matt Kepnes. Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel by Rolf Potts. An Intentional Travelers Guide to Unconventional Budget Accommodations: Creative Ways to Save Money on Transformational Travel by Michelle C. Chang. or Best of Europe Guidebook by Rick Steves.

True Crime
Is when the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.
Examples: Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas, The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson, The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, or The Lazarus Files by Matthew McGough.

Women’s Issues
The study of social issues as they pertain to the status of women in human society. 
Examples: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran. or Becoming by Michelle Obama.