I’ve never been one to skip from genre to genre. Romance and dystopia are usually my favorites. I don’t usually venture out much father than that when reading. I like what I like and I'm not one to waste time on things that likely will not pan out. Being a college student, I don't get much free time, so I have to make the time I do get count.

Recently, though, I expanded my borders. I went and bought a copy of Alton DiSclafani’s newest novel, "The After Party." You can find information about the book and the author herself here.

The book is historical fiction in genre. I’ll admit, I have read a few historical fictions, but they were mainly set in the times of castles and queens. They also usually involved some sort of romance. DiSclafani’s novel is set in 1950s Texas and tells the story of two upper-class socialites. The main theme of the novel is friendship, though it does explore the class, race, and gender role circumstances of the 1950s time period. Because it is set in Houston, Texas, it also has subtle themes of regionalism.

That being said, it’s pretty easy to see why this book fell out of my normal range. It involves very little romance and, being set in the past, is the exact opposite of a dystopian novel. Because Disclafani is visiting a local bookstore in my area, however, I decided to pick up her new book, despite the fact that it was something that I would not ordinarily be interested in. I was not disappointed.

I’m glad I expanded my borders. The book was great and I really got sucked into it. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I stayed up late to finish it, which really says something, because I don't usually pass up sleep voluntarily, especially when I have to work very early the next day. Even though the plot was nothing like I was used to, it kept me interested until the very end. Admittedly, I was a little shocked. I wasn’t expecting to really like the book because it isn’t what I would normally choose for myself to read. It made me realize that I was missing out on this whole great genre. I probably never would have realized how much enjoyment I'd get out of it if I hadn’t ventured out of my comfort zone.

So, this is why I think it’s important for all of us to push our comfort zones and expand our boundaries. In books, yes, and in other things as well. We’ll never know what we’re missing if we don’t test the waters and embrace the unusual. Who knows, we may find something that's worth losing sleep over.