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Off Book with Adi: No Genre Left Behind & Required Reading for Men

Writer: genredpodcast
genredpodcast
11 minutes ago
7 min read

A Bookstagrammer with a shelf for everything, a case for reading romance, and several new additions to our TBR.


ADI

Some people have a favorite genre. Adi has a favorite genre for now, a highly organized collection of recommendations for whatever mood you're in, and absolutely no intention of staying in one reading lane.


This week on Genre'd Off Book, Elyse and Katy are joined by Adi, the creator behind @adiinthelife, whose motto is “No genre left behind.” Her recommendations move between romance, thrillers, historical fiction, fantasy, horror, and everything in between.


Which, if you've listened to this podcast for more than five minutes, is very much our thing.


We have things to say about grumpy book boyfriends, the literary merit of romance, whether men should be assigned a reading list before the first date, and why a fictional murder can be an excellent addition to a love story.


And yes, somehow we end up talking about Dune, creepy children, Fringe, and the possibility that dystopian romance is having its next big moment.



Meet Adi: The Reader Behind @adiinthelife


Adi's reading story starts with a familiar trajectory: the child who stayed up late with a book, the teenager who stopped reading for fun when it became homework, and the adult who needed a little push to find her way back.


That push came from a workplace chat where her coworkers discovered she'd never read Harry Potter. She'd been avoiding it because Voldemort terrified her as a kid. Eventually she gave the series a chance, and the reading habit returned.


Romance had always been her comfort genre, but she needed a little distance from real-life dating disappointments. Enter A Court of Thorns and Roses, recommended by her sister. As Adi points out, comparing a real man to a fictional fae with wings is a nonstarter, so she could enjoy the love story without holding her own dating life up against it.


From there came thrillers, historical fiction, and genres she'd previously assumed weren't for her.


Her first book video was a late-night used-bookstore haul posted on her birthday. She eventually discovered that her favorite content wasn't just a list of romance recommendations. It was a collection designed for a particular feeling: books to make you cry, books with serious tension, books to read quickly, or books that might finally pull you out of a slump.


The result is an account that makes an unfamiliar genre feel less intimidating. Literary fiction does not require an English degree. Historical fiction does not automatically mean homework. And if your favorite genre is starting to feel a little too familiar, the next great book might be on a completely different shelf.



What We Cover


Reading outside your genre is the whole point


Adi's approach is also why Genre'd exists. Elyse had settled into a very specific romance reading routine, while Katy had gone all-in on romantasy. Both were reading plenty, but neither felt particularly adventurous.


Then they started challenging each other. A thriller here, an omegaverse there, and suddenly Katy, who once wouldn't touch horror, is making her way through Rachel Harrison's backlist.


The takeaway isn't that you need to give up your favorite genre. It's that there is probably a book in the genre you think you hate that could change your mind.


Romance is not just fluff, and men might benefit from reading it


When asked to pick just one genre, Adi eventually admits that her first love, romance, still wins. But she also has a pretty convincing response to the idea that romance has nothing substantial to offer.


Romance can be funny, comforting, and full of tension, but it can also explore grief, insecurity, miscommunication, difficult family dynamics, and what it means to show up for another person. You may not be reading it for a lesson, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.


Katy makes the case that more men should pick up a romance novel. Elyse notes that once you get past the six-foot-two fictional love interests, a lot of the appeal comes down to pretty reasonable requests: communicate openly, be interested in your partner, offer support, and don't be controlling.


Or, as Katy puts it:

Text people back.

Naturally, this turns into a discussion of required romance reading before a first date and whether finishing Dune counts as evidence of commitment. The bar may not be in the same place for everyone.


The starter romance recommendation, and what comes next


For someone convinced romance isn't for them, Adi would hand over Funny Story by Emily Henry. It's funny, approachable, and built around recognizable tropes like fake dating and roommates-to-lovers, with emotional weight beyond the relationship. Her personal Emily Henry favorite, though, is Beach Read.


For an established romance reader, she'd move to Ali Hazelwood, particularly for the banter and STEM-centered characters. She flags Deep End as a book she wouldn't necessarily give a complete beginner.


Another favorite is Carley Fortune, but Adi has an order: read Every Summer After before One Golden Summer. She argues that the character development in the latter lands better that way. She also gives a very careful, very spoiler-free warning that one element of Every Summer After can be divisive.


And if you want romance plus a real secondary mystery, Katy and Elyse make the case for romantic suspense, where yes, people are falling in love, but there may also be a serial killer.


Grumpy book boyfriends, slow burns, and the tension test


Adi's favorite romance archetype? The grumpy book boyfriend. The golden retriever can stay farther down the list, unless we're dealing with a reformed playboy.


This leads straight to one of Katy's favorite archetypes: the bad boy with a heart of gold. In YA especially, he might wear a leather jacket, skip school, and ride a motorcycle, but he's probably just misunderstood and secretly volunteering at an animal shelter.


Adi also makes a case for the slow burn over insta-love. What she really wants, whether she's reading romance or a thriller, is tension: that feeling that you have to turn the next page to get some kind of resolution. A romance confession and a murder reveal aren't the same thing, but both can keep a reader up much later than planned.


The gateway to horror might be Rachel Harrison


Adi names Kiss Slay Replay as a recent book she couldn't put down, and Katy and Elyse are right there with her. Rachel Harrison helped Adi realize that horror could be funny, character-driven, and interested in women's lives as well as whatever frightening thing is happening.


Katy, meanwhile, has read Cackle, So Thirsty, and Kiss Slay Replay, and is reading Play Nice. The discovery that you can find an author you like and simply work through their backlist has been excellent news for her.


For anyone who wants to move one step closer to a proper slasher, Katy recommends How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson, which combines a much scarier setup with a prominent romance storyline.


We also establish that creepy children are a hard no. Vampires? Fine. A silent child standing in a dark corner? Absolutely not.


Seasonal reading, murder clubs, and the perfect format


Adi is serious about reading seasonally. If the opening line announces a beautiful summer day and it's October, that book can wait until next year.


Katy has also been getting into seasonal reading and discovering her love of mysteries with memorable characters and settings. Both recommend Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, and Adi adds Kristen Perrin's Castle Knoll Files for a slightly darker English-countryside mystery with dual timelines and a touch of romance.


As for formats, Adi loves a pristine hardcover, switches to her Kindle for reading in bed, and uses audiobooks to make chores less tedious. Katy has made audiobooks part of her nightly skincare routine, which may be the best argument yet for a multi-format reading life.


Is dystopian romance coming back?


Things take a very Genre'd turn when the conversation moves to upcoming books. Elyse thinks dystopian fiction, especially dystopian romance, is due for a comeback. She has also proposed calling it “dystopiance.” Katy remains unconvinced by the name.


Then there's Fringe, Joshua Jackson, and an increasingly elaborate conversation about the next ACOTAR book. The collective strategy for the new release is to read for the vibes and trust that any essential details will come back eventually. Long battle scenes may be skimmed accordingly.



Books and Authors Mentioned in This Episode


If your TBR is already unmanageable, consider this your warning.


Romance, Love Stories & Formative Favorites


Mystery, Thriller & Horror


Fantasy, Dystopia, Historical Fiction & Genre-Benders



Find Adi & The Everything Shelf


Follow @adiinthelife on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for book recommendations across genres, reviews, reading guides, and the occasional coffee recipe or nail-color recommendation.


Adi also runs The Everything Shelf, her book club on Fable, where the goal is to make room for more than one type of reader.



We may earn a small commission if you shop through our links, at no extra cost to you. It helps support the podcast and lets us keep doing what we do.



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