Happy Tuesday, Bookworms!
You know what I love about Tuesdays? Making lists with the ladies of The Broke and the Bookish! This week we’ve been tasked with making a list of some of the most unique books we’ve read. This should be fun!
1. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell: Dude. This is about a family that runs their own amusement park centered on wrestling alligators. Oh yeah. A rival amusement park that is designed to simulate Hell features prominently. Offbeat? Quirky? Unique? I think so! (my review)
2. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn: I have to admit that this book wasn’t really my cup of tea, but it’s got quirk in spades. A family so intent on creating a family of oddities that they experiment with radioactive isotopes during gestation? Complete craziness, I tell you! (my review)
3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: The most wondrous ride through a magical circus that has ever been! I love the crap out of this book, it’s gorgeous and lovely, whimsical and poignant. (my review)
4. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion: How sweet was this book? Don isn’t your typical leading man, but the love story was just a delight. Rosie and Don and cocktail mixing FTW! (my review)
5. Room by Emma Donoghue: I thought this book was innovative. Telling the story of a kidnapping and subsequent captivity at the hands of a madman through the eyes of a child? Fascinating perspective. (my review)
6. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster: I didn’t read this as a kid, but I’m kind of bummed that I didn’t. So much wordplay and fun and learning! It’s imagination taken to the next level!
7. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman: How much more imaginative can you get than creating an entire alternate universe in London’s subway tunnels? Gaiman mingles mythology and legend in the craziest ways. Weird and fabulous. (my review)
8. Humboldt: Or, The Power of Positive Thinking by Scott Navicky: Oooooh this book! It’s tough to describe this one, but it sure is a crazy ride. I’m not just saying that because I was blurbed in the paperback… But I was BLURBED in the paperback!!! (my review)
9. Flight by Sherman Alexie: This book takes teen angst to a whole new dimension… Like literally, because the protagonist gets all time-travely and metaphysical. (my review)
10. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon: I really loved this book! Getting inside the head of Christopher who suffered on the Autism spectrum was fascinating. (my review)
What about you, Bookworms? What are some of your favorite weird, unique, quirky, crazy reads?
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Melinda
You have a great list here, although I know most of the books purely by reviews I’ve read. Some of them are even on the TBR!
Words For Worms
They are definitely a unique bunch.
Shannon @ River City Reading
Oh, Room and Curious Incident are great choices! I was so entranced by Room the first time I read it, I think I finished it in one sitting…I just couldn’t put it down.
Words For Worms
Room TOTALLY sucked me in- Jack as the narrator was just SO compelling!
bybee
This isn’t a favorite, but it is quirky: Diverdiso (not sure of spelling) by Michael Ondatjaae. (not sure of that spelling, either.) Anyway, the plot seems to be going in one direction, then suddenly, we start following a minor character, then that character leads into a new minor character. Puzzling stuff.
Words For Worms
Huh. Sounds interesting!
Nish
The only book I’ve read from your list is Neverwhere and that is a pretty unusual book.
And have you changed the look of your blog? Something looks different.
Words For Worms
I did make a few tweaks to the blog layout- I used a different theme and cleaned up the sidebar a little. I thought it was looking a bit cluttered.
Jennine G.
Well, now I’ve made a connection that makes me feel bad. I didn’t like Curious Dog or Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close (and read them years apart so never connected them before). They have that similar autistic first person narrator. Hmmm…should probably read more books like that and reread those two.
Words For Worms
I haven’t read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, but just because you read two books with autistic narrators you didn’t like, you shouldn’t feel bad. Did you read The Rosie Project? Don, though it isn’t specifically stated, pretty clearly suffers from Aspberger’s, but it’s a whole different feel.
Ashley F
Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series is my go-to whimsy. I mean she’s a book detective!!! If you haven’t read that series OMG. I mean she has a pet cloned Dodo. And did I mention BOOK DETECTIVE. It’s like book nerd Nirvana.
How have we never discussed this series before!!!
Words For Worms
I neeeeeeeeeeed to read those! For some reason I keep putting them off, which is ridiculous because everyone tells me I’d love them!
Ashley F
You will LOVE THEM. Trust me. It was a series I had totally forgotten for a while and then I found out he was still writing other books that I NEED TO READ.
Charleen
Probably the most unique book I’ve ever read is one called Everything Matters! (yes, with the exclamation point) by Ron Currie, Jr. Unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy it… but it was definitely interesting. One of two books I’ve read that make significant use of second-person, and that part of it was actually done really well.
Words For Worms
I haven’t heard of Everything Matters! More book titles need exclamation points. Swamplandia! used one too. I’m fond of overusing them myself!!!
Charleen
See also: http://youtu.be/SItUPanOxkk?t=29s
Heather @ Capricious Reader
Dang, I wish I’d thought of Room. Perfect answer!
Words For Worms
Why thank you, dear!
April @ The Steadfast Reader
I was torn between American Gods and Neverwhere. Good call with The Curious incident…
Words For Worms
It’s hard to pick a Gaiman in this situation, isn’t it?!
Megan M.
So much good stuff on this list! I’ve really got to read The Night Circus.
I second the Thursday Next books. They are wildly inventive!
Words For Worms
You simply must read The Night Circus. If you read it, I’ll check out The Eyre Affair. Deal?
Rory
Is it weird that it’s one of my life goals to be blurbed?
Swamplandia – very unique. I still have Geek Love in my pile based your recommendation as a “Rory book”.
Words For Worms
Totally admirable life goal! It caught me completely by surprise but now I feel a bit like a rock star :). I stand by Geek Love being a “Rory book.” It just is.
Psychobabble
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut comes to mind.
I loves me some Ice 9.
Words For Worms
It’s sitting on my kindle! Vonnegut and I have a rocky history, so I’ve been putting it off.
Trish
The Curious Incident of the Dog is one that I really want to re-read. And Room is on my shelf. I’ve had to skip every single description of it today because I don’t want to know more than I already know! LOL. Fun list.
Words For Worms
Room is really good, but I’m pretty sure that Emma Donoghue can do no wrong.
Megan
Okay – the most offbeat, thoroughly enjoyable book I have ever read is “Gullible’s Travels” by Cash Peters. (NOT to be confused with “Gulliver’s Travels.”)
Gullible’s Travels is narrated by Cash Peter, who is a travel journalist for NPR and has to cover such strange attractions as the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, The Kansas Museum of Barbed Wire, The Museum of Questionable Medical Devices.
I was laughing until I was crying with this book. It is all true. The places are true. He simply documents his travels. Only Cash Peters could make visiting the Biggest Ball of Twine a wonderful chapter.
Liesel Hill
Great list! Haven’t read many of those, but I’ll have to check a few of them out. I’m seeing that Room book on several lists. Hmmm… Happy Tuesday! 😀
My TTT
Words For Worms
Room is awesome!
Christine @ BookishlyB
I’ve heard such mixed things about Swamplandia, but I think I’m heading over to the side that wants to read it.
Words For Worms
Karen Russell is a tough one for me. I did enjoy Swamplandia!, but with some reservations. I tried a book of her short stories and DNF’d. If you like magical realism and a whole lot of quirk, you might love her. Leah from Books Speak Volumes claims Karen Russell is her spirit animal LOL.
Rebecca @ Love at First Book
I love how eclectic your picks were. I agree with a lot of them, and Room really was unique for me, too. I also thought Push by Sapphire was unique and so was The Flame Alphabet. Good list, though!
Words For Worms
I’ve not read Push or The Flame Alphabet, but I’ve had both on my radar for a while. Thanks for the reminder!
Jenny @ Reading the End
Aw, The Phantom Tollbooth! That’s an excellent entry for this list — not one that would have occurred to me, but it’s definitely unique. I did read it as a kid, and loved it. I’ve always been sad there weren’t more Norton Juster books for me to read.
Words For Worms
Whimsy is hard to define. I think I’m going to stop making any attempt and just thrust The Phantom Tollbooth into the hands of unsuspecting children studying vocabulary lessons.
Andi (@estellasrevenge)
Ooooh! I’ve liked several of these myself, and I have several more on my TBR. I love unique books! Especially after reading so long, many of them run together. Hmmphf.
Words For Worms
True story, it’s always great when a book really stands out!