Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Top 10 Most Unique Books I've Read


Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is all about unique books. Fun! Here's a list of the most unusual books I could think of that I've read:

1. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Tops pretty much every list of weird, bizarre, unusual books. I didn't love it, but it was definitely a unique experience that I won't forget anytime soon.

2. The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
So bizarre and dark, dark, dark. I loved it.

3. Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
A favorite post-apocalyptic novel, it's written in a pidgin English that takes a bit to get into but is absolutely worth it.

4. Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
As letters fall from a statue they are banned from use by the council of the island of Nollop, and also disappear from this book. I thought it would be gimmicky, but it's actually pretty clever.

5. The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin
A book that feels more like a documentary and a piece of art.

6. I2 by James Bannon
So weird. Hardly anyone has heard of this I think, probably because it was self-published. It's totally worth reading though.

7. 14 by Peter Clines
One of the best horror novels I've read. I can't believe I still haven't read his other book (though it's on my Personal Reading Challenge for this year.)

8. Beyond the Dark Veil edited by Sue Henger
Unlike everything else on this list, this one isn't a novel. It's a collection of post-mortem and mourning photography from the Victorian era. Such a fascinating glimpse of life and death at that time.

9. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Weird, bizarre, and really really good.

10. Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith
The apocalypse is brought to us by giant praying mantises in this crazy teen novel that is really hard to describe in a way that doesn't elicit raised eyebrows of doubt. But trust me - it's really good.

When you read as much as I do, sometimes books start feeling a bit samey. This can be good - we all love a good comfort read now and then. But I do love have a reading experience that's different from any I've had before. What have you read that stands out to you as unique? I'd love more suggestions!

2 comments:

Lauren Stoolfire said...

I'm going to have to try The Library at Mount Char soon! It sounds so good. :)

Lauren @ Always Me

3goodrats said...

Oh yeah! It is super weird. I have no idea how the author came up with this idea. I can't wait for him to write another book!