Looking for a literary adventure that is both easy to read and delightfully unconventional? We’ve got you covered! Feel free to dive into these 10 unconventional books that offer a unique and accessible approach to storytelling, taking readers on unexpected journeys through various themes, styles, and perspectives.
The Absent Therapist by Will Eaves
The Absent Therapist by Will Eaves is a collection of interconnected fragments that explore the intricacies of human relationships and emotions. The book takes a unique and experimental approach to storytelling and dialogue to create a collage of voices and perspectives.
Through this style, Will Eaves explores themes of love, loss, loneliness, and longing.
Loving Sabotage by Amelie Nothomb
Loving Sabotage by Amelie Nothomb is a whimsical and semi-autobiographical account by Nothomb herself. It explores her journey as the daughter of a diplomat posted to Peking for 3 years in the mid-1970’s. Along the way, she discovers the pains and joys of love and life.
This is a great story, with a lot of heart and engaging prose to keep you reading until the end.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Daisy Jones & The Six is an engaging book that chronicles the rise and fall of a fictional rock band. Through interviews with multiple band members and other key figures, the book tells the story of Daisy Jones, a free-spirited songwriter, and Billy Dunne, a troubled frontman of the rock band, The Six.
As the band climbs the mountain of success, their personal lives become entangled in a web of romances, addictions, and egos. This gripping book shows off Taylor Jenkins Reid’s excellent writing and is a must-read for music lovers and storytelling aficionados alike.
Hello and Goodbye by Patrick McCabe
Hello and Goodbye by Patrick McCabe is a darkly humorous novel that explores the complexities of family dynamics and social isolation.
Set in a small Irish town, the book follows the fragmented narratives of two damaged souls who, thanks to each other’s love, manage to turn their lives around. But of course, as London’s weather takes a turn for the worse (or worse than usual at least!) so too do their fates.
The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi
The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi is a poignant and courageous book that gives voice and agency to Afghan women, who have long been silenced. The story revolves around an unnamed woman confiding in her brain-dead husband, who lies with a bullet lodged in his neck. As she speaks to him, she unleashes her deepest desires, pains, and secrets.
Set against the backdrop of a war-torn Afghanistan, the story explores themes of love, sex, marriage, and the oppressive weight of societal norms. With raw and unfiltered honesty, the protagonist’s extraordinary confession challenges conventional expectations and reveals the true reality of life for women in a Taliban-controlled society.
Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
Upright Women Wanted, written by Sarah Gailey, is a gripping and exhilarating dystopian novel set in the near-future where the American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists and queer librarian spies.Â
The story follows Esther, a young woman who flees an abusive marriage to join the Librarians, a group of brave outcasts who distribute subversive materials.
Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden
Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden is an innovative novel that challenges traditional perceptions of death. In this book, death takes on the form of a shape-shifting woman who shares her story with Wolf Willeford, a struggling author.
The novel combines diary entries, poems and letters to present the motif of death in a unique manner, with Mrs Death and Wolf discussing all manner of humanity and what that may mean for the future.
The End We Start From by Megan Hunter
The End We Start From by Megan Hunter is a poetic novel that throws readers into a world on the brink of catastrophe. In a dystopian future, we follow a woman and her first child, Z. They’re forced to head off and find safety, and as they move from shelter to shelter, their journey traces both fear and wonder.
The book is wonderfully tense, exploring what it means to be a mother and showcasing a familiar world made dangerous and unstable.
Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt
Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt is a novel that delves into the life of Joe, a hapless salesman who comes up with an unconventional business idea – a system of anonymous lightning rods placed in workplaces to handle sexual desires and misconduct.
This hard-boiled modern fable explores themes of power dynamics, gender roles, and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.
Something Borrowed by Paul Magrs
Something Borrowed by Paul Magrs is a captivating tale set in the quiet town of Whitby. Brenda finds herself entangled in a web of mysterious events when poison pen letters start flying around town. Alongside her companion Effie, Brenda embarks on an adventure filled with encounters involving a zombie, amorous ghoul hunting, and even Icelandic history professors.
Brenda also faces an internal struggle with parts of herself. Magrs crafts a story that combines elements of mystery, humour, and self-discovery, making Something Borrowed a delightful and intriguing read.
These accessible yet unconventional books are a wonderful turn from the norm and feature some rather wild and imaginative story.
Prepare to be entertained, challenged, and inspired; are we missing any good ones from this list though? Let us know in the comments below!