By Genre

Genre is something that lacks a definite structure.  While one person may classify a book under a particular genre, another reader walks away from a totally different impression.

It doesn't help that most books are only given one/two genres.  Walking in to any bookstore or library, books are automatically grouped based on their overall genre, which can sometimes make it hard to find the particular book you are looking for.

So, when I label a book, I include the multiple genres that I believe the book falls into.  Since definitions of each of these genres may vary, I have a brief description of what each of these genres mean in my head. I also hope they help you find a book you might be interested in.



Contemporary Fiction

This label refers to the setting of the book.  Books with this label take place in our modern world, but the story itself is fictional.


Fairy Tales

There are a lot of fairy tales out there, and most people are familiar with the Disney
retellings of the stories; however, there are a ton of books out there that retell a specific 
fairy tale or folk tale.  This label is for books that are clearly a retelling of a particular 
fairy tale (or folk tale).  I also have each book with this label also labeled with the 
story being retold.



Fantasy

This label refers to the setting of the book.  The book takes place in a world that is not 
our own, one that typically has some sort of magic in it (though that may not 
always be the case).


Historical Fiction

This label refers to the setting of the book (as well).  These books take place in our 
world during some historical time period, and while the book may be based on real 
events, the actual story is fiction.


Mythology

Books with this label incorporate mythology into their story, whether it is Greek, 
Roman, Norse, Native American, Egyptian, or any other mythology.  The gods 
from these mythologies are alive and active in the lives of the book's main characters, 
and they are obviously counting on the reader knowing/recognizing basic mythology.  


Romance

This label means that there is a clear romantic element to the book; this could mean 
that there is some romantic interest that effects the decisions of the main character, 
or that romance is really rhe main focus of the entire plot.  This label DOES NOT 
necessarily mean "R" content; I have labeled many young adult books as "romance" 
because there is a strong romantic element to the story. (Check to see if the book is 
also labeled "young adult"; if so, this means that the romantic content doesn't go 
above a "PG-13" level.)


Urban Fantasy

This label also refers to the setting of the book.  Books with this label take place in a 
modern or future version of our world, one that has magic and typically also has 
fantastical creatures such as vampires, werewolves, shifters, witches, faeries, etc.


Young Adult

Books with this label mean that the book is typically classified as "Teen" or "Young Adult" in a bookstore, and that the intended audience for the book is teenagers.