 White
Oleander, by Janet Fitch, Janet. An only child of a
single mother and talented poet, Astrid watches her mother
intimidate and manipulate men with her beauty. Astrid loves her
mother and the world they share full of ritual and mystery, but
this life is shattered when Astrid's mother, upset with her lover,
kills him and is sentenced to life in prison.
- Adventure, Sports,
Mysteries, Supernatural, Horror
- Fantasy and Science
Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Humor
- Poetry, Drama, Short
Stories
- Realistic Fiction,
Problem Novels
Six Types of
Fiction Books
Let’s look at a simple way to think about genres – Almost any
fiction book can be classified as one of the following 6 genres:
- Adventure, Sports, Mysteries, Supernatural, Horror.
Looking to "get away?" This genre is all about the pleasure
reading and how we can “escape” through literature. For
example, sports can be a metaphor for "the game of life."
These forms of literature take readers out of his/her normal
day-to-day existence and put them in extraordinary
circumstances.
- Fantasy and Science Fiction. Do you like to see an
author create an exciting world unlike anything anyone has
seen? Fantasy writers get to make up all the rules. Perhaps
you prefer to stretch your imagination within the world as it
could be. Science fiction stays within reasonable boundaries.
A precise definition of these two types of books is difficult,
because these genres are related. To enjoy either one, we need
to accept the author’s story, suspending any disbelief. Then,
these books are fun.
- Historical Fiction. Historical fiction presents the
past in a manner that connects with readers on a personal and
emotional level. By nature, gets readers involved with history
in exciting and interesting ways. The characters, although not
real historical figures, behave appropriately for the
historical setting.
- Humor. Don't we all like to laugh? Even the most
serious story can contain humor. We can find humor in
practically every situation. It can be an effective tool to
deal with problems. Writers of any genres can use humor to
develop situations and characters.
- Poetry, Drama, Short Stories. Perhaps due to the
popularity of “spoken word” and rap music, poetry books have
become very. Short stories are also "hot" now. The stories can
be highly entertaining while representing a more manageable
read than a novel. For busy readers, short stories have a lot
to offer.
- Realistic Fiction, Problem Novels. Realistic
fiction is about situations and problems that people live with
and experience today. Some are about growing up, being a
teenager, or the challenges that adults face. These books let
us learn about how others manage their lives.
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