These Are the Most-Read Book Genres in Every State—Did Your Favorite Make the List?

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If you were to ask me about my favorite book genre, I would find it almost impossible to choose. While I love to lose myself in a fast-paced mystery, I couldn’t live without character-driven contemporary fiction, and fantasy novels that transport me to another world are nothing short of essential. Still, if I had to choose, I’d go with mystery novels, which never fail to make me forget I’m reading at all.

Considering the fact that I live in California, that may not be entirely surprising. According to a recent study conducted by Cloudwards, the most popular book genre varies quite a bit across different states and regions in the United States. That’s right: The most popular books in every state could have as much to do with genre as the stories themselves.

Curious to find out if your favorite genre also happens to be your state’s top pick? Keep reading to find out which book genre is the most-read in every state and to get recommendations for some of the best books in each category.

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How were the most popular book genres determined?

Determining the most popular book genres in each state and across the country was no small task, but Cloudwards was up to the challenge. The company collected data from Google Trends over a 12-month period to analyze which book genres were most frequently searched.

To make sure the data was as accurate as possible, Cloudwards used search data only within Google Trends’s Books & Literature category, excluding searches that weren’t related to books and reading. All major book genres were included as search terms in the analysis.

What are the most popular book genres in every state?

The nationwide study revealed the reading preferences of each state and trends across different regions. Just how similar are your reading tastes to your neighbors’? Check out the results from each state below, and see if your state’s favorite genre matches your own.

  • Alabama: Fiction
  • Alaska: Poetry
  • Arizona: Romance
  • Arkansas: Fiction
  • California: Mystery
  • Colorado: Romance
  • Connecticut: Romance
  • Delaware: Fiction
  • District of Columbia: Fiction
  • Florida: Romance
  • Georgia: Romance
  • Hawaii: Fiction
  • Idaho: Poetry
  • Illinois: Romance
  • Indiana: Romance
  • Iowa: Family
  • Kansas: Romance
  • Kentucky: Romance
  • Louisiana: Romance
  • Maine: Poetry
  • Maryland: Romance
  • Massachusetts: History
  • Michigan: Fantasy
  • Minnesota: Romance
  • Mississippi: Family
  • Missouri: Romance
  • Montana: Fiction
  • Nebraska: Poetry
  • Nevada: Romance
  • New Hampshire: Poetry
  • New Jersey: Fantasy
  • New Mexico: Poetry
  • New York: Romance
  • North Carolina: Fantasy
  • North Dakota: Romance
  • Ohio: Fantasy
  • Oklahoma: Romance
  • Oregon: Romance
  • Pennsylvania: Poetry
  • Rhode Island: Poetry
  • South Carolina: Family
  • South Dakota: Fiction
  • Tennessee: Romance
  • Texas: Fantasy
  • Utah: Romance
  • Vermont: Poetry
  • Virginia: Romance
  • Washington: Fantasy
  • West Virginia: Fiction
  • Wisconsin: Romance
  • Wyoming: Fiction

What’s the most popular book genre in the United States?

American readers love love—and they love it so much that romance is the most popular book genre in the United States today. Romance took the lead in a whopping 22 states. That’s almost half the country!

Romance is one of the broadest book genres because it includes so many subgenres, from historical romance to contemporary rom-coms, romantic fantasy (also called romantasy) to paranormal romances and more. Romance readers also happen to read a lot, and some even read multiple books every month.

What’s driving the trend? While BookTok gets a lot of credit, we can trace the surge in romance sales to the pandemic, when bored and stressed-out readers opted for feel-good stories. The very nature of the genre promises happy endings, so what’s not to love?

Ready to get in on the romance trend? Here are some of the best romance novels of all time to get you started.

Historical romance

Contemporary romance

Romantasy

Western romance

What other book genres do Americans love to read?

Romance may be the most popular genre, but there are plenty of other genres that Americans love to read, including fiction, poetry, fantasy, family drama, mystery and history. Fiction is a particularly diverse genre that spans countries and cultures; there’s bound to be a work of general or literary fiction that speaks to every reader’s taste.

Perhaps a somewhat surprising favorite, poetry has become a beloved genre in several states after falling somewhat out of favor in recent years. And while fantasy was once considered an incredibly niche genre, it’s gaining steam, especially in states that have top-tier universities and industries with a focus on technology.

Books in the family genre, which range from generational sagas to contemporary domestic fiction, are popular in a few states, though there are fans of these stories about kinship all over the country. And though they both won the top honor in only a single state, the mystery and history genres still have loyal followings.

Want to see where your favorite genre ranked? Here are the results of the analysis by genre.

  • Romance: 22 states
  • Fiction: 9 states
  • Poetry: 9 states
  • Fantasy: 6 states
  • Family: 3 states
  • Mystery: 1 state
  • History: 1 state

What are some of the best books in America’s favorite genres?

No matter where in the country you live, there are books in every genre you’re bound to love. Once you’ve finished your favorite romance novels, explore the diverse world of the best fiction books, or brush up your poetry. If a little escapism is what you’re after, grab a fantasy or mystery novel. Or if you want to stay grounded, reach for a history book or a family-centric story with a sense of community.

Not sure what your personal favorite genre is? The best way to find out is to try a little of everything! Here are a few recommended reads from the top genres across the country, including contemporary hits and timeless classics.

Fiction

Poetry

Fantasy

Family

Mystery

History

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Why trust us

At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.

Sources:

The Best Fantasy Book Series

How to Read More Books This Year

The Best Mystery Book Series

The post These Are the Most-Read Book Genres in Every State—Did Your Favorite Make the List? appeared first on Reader's Digest.



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