Books to Read If You Aren’t Into “Typical” Books

If you read a lot like I do, you’re always looking for new books. However, if you’re used to reading one particular type or genre of novel, you run the risk of finding yourself in a reading slump. What’s a reading slump you ask? Well, as someone who goes through them every now and then, it is an unfortuante place where no book seems good to read. With a little bit of research, here are some books to read if you’re tired of the “traditional” book!

1. Ducks, Newburyport by: Lucy Ellmann

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellmann was shortlisted for a Booker Prize recently and puts a spin on the usual novel. In this book, the narrator tells the entire story in mostly ONE sentence. Yes, you read that right, one sentence over 1,000 pages long! The New York Times states that this book highlights the way that modern humans think, in long winding sentences rather than formally framed thoughts. The Narrator is describe as “a mother of four living in Ohio who has a cutting power of observation and a depressive charm” (The New York Times).

2. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by: Mark Dunn

The title of this book is meant to represent the “LMNO” sequence of the alphabet, as much of the book deals with letters and the alphabet. Ella is a girl living on a fictional island where they display the sign “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” (one of the only sentences that contains all of the letters in the alphabet). As the letters begin to fall off the sign, they are deemed inappropriate to use in language. Interestingly enough, as the letters fall off the sign, they are also removed from the novel’s writing itself.

3. Long Way Down by: Jason Reynolds

Long Way Down is a unique book in the sense of timespan. Usually, we see books that take place over days, months, or years. However, Reynolds’  novel takes place over a span of sixty seconds. The main character spends sixty seconds reflecting on whether or not to shoot his brother’s killer. This book is most definitely an interesting read!

4. House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

No book list could ever be complete without one good thriller or horror novel, so here is House of Leaves. This book is unique in its format, with footnotes, long asides, margin scribblings, and single-word pages telling the horror story. 

HAPPY READING!

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