Stepping Out of the Genre Box

I read mainly paranormal YA--throw a few good adult series like DEXTER and THE SOUTHERN VAMPIRE MYSTERIES in there. But rarely will I pick up a contemporary and read it, and love it. Nothing against contemp! Not at all! I just prefer beasts and blood.

So lately I'm trying to mix things up a bit and read a few different genres that I would normally not think twice about. I finished CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally last night, and I have to say I really loved it! Miranda is awesome, and I've read some of her other stuff, so I had high hopes for this one. But I was worried that I wouldn't connect with her character Jordan, because she's a quarterback on a football team, and my knowledge of football ends with...well I know they run around with the ball and try to get it to the end of the field. But I loved her!

Another contemp that I've loved is Gail Forman's IF I STAY which had a slight paranormal tint to it, I suppose. It took me longer to get into the second book, WHERE SHE WENT, but they're both fantastic reads!

And one of my most favorite contemps would be Jandy Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. Such a beautiful story.

Last night I decided to be wild and crazy and pick up an erotic romance--CRASH INTO YOU by Roni Loren. This is very far out of my genre comfort zone, so we'll see how that goes.

What about you all? Any books outside of your norm that you fell in love with?