Are you ready to stretch your limits? Instead of reaching for yet another bonnet book and/or tried-and-true women's fiction, why not branch out a little? Check out a title in one of these unique genres to spice up your summer.


Dystopian
This genre is set in a futuristic era in which oppressive societal control and the illusion of a perfect society is maintained by corporate, technological, bureaucratic, or moral control. Usually makes a statement about a current trend in society.
Classic Example:
1984 by George Orwell
The story of one man's nightmare odyssey as he pursues a forbidden love affair through a world ruled by warring states and a power structure that controls not only information but also individual thought and memory.


This is a style wherein fantasy and the mundane world intersect in a modern and recognizable urban setting. Think contemporary vampire and you've pretty much nailed the bulk of this genre. Finding a Christian urban fantasy is pretty much a study in futility, but one can always hope that there will soon be some titles popping up. There are some YA urban fantasies that are relatively tame, however.
Example on my TBR list:
Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut
Griffin is no ordinary teen. He is a Guardian Angel charged with protecting and keeping as many humans out of danger as he can. This book chronicles the early adventures of the teenaged Griffin as he comes to terms with his supernatural nature.


In this genre, the author speculates on how the course of history might have been altered if a particular historial event hadn't--or had, as the case may be--happened. Like what if the south had won the War of the States (Civil War for us northerners) instead of the Yanks? 
Example on my TBR list:
The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle
(disclaimer: haven't read this yet, looks great, but likely isn't for the squeamish)
When Tudor explorers return from the New World, they bring back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legends: skraylings. Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is second to the ambassador's bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally--and Mal his soul.


This is a subgenre of Alternate History. It involves advanced technology in an altered past.
Example on my TBR list:
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, A Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure...one that will change their lives forever.


So here's my challenge...choose 1 new genre to read this summer. Even if it doesn't turn out to become a favorite of yours, at least you'll have branched out a bit!