There’s nothing new under the sun… except for these beauties! Originality is so hard to come by- and even harder to pull off without a hitch- which is what makes these unique reads special. There’s no two books the same here! And I can recommend them all for very different reasons:
Illuminae– this series has such a u n i q u e format!! It felt a little far out at first- but I soon got swept up in this spectacular space opera. The plot, the characters, the romance, the villains, the drama- all had me on the edge of my seat. It was such a ride!!
Horrorstor– designed like an Ikea catalogue, this was funny and entertaining and horrifying all at once. I was surprised by how much I liked this, considering I’m not much of a fan of scary stories or furniture for that matter 😉
The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle- this would be original for the premise alone: Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day. But this cross-genre novel goes further than that, exploring complex and unexpected themes. It was completely different to anything I’ve ever read before.
Homegoing– I loved the way this innovative cross-generation epic progresses the story with a character from each generation. It had so much scope!
Secret History– a murder mystery told in reverse, it is all the more compelling for it!
The Trial– there’s a reason the term Kafkaesque exists- no one writes quite like Kafka. This is an oddly prophetic novel… emphasis on *odd*.
Master and Margarita– equal parts strange and sublime, I’ve never read anything quite like this. Surreally realising reality, this is an unusually philosophical read that will make you question everything.
Life of Pi– similarly (and yet totally different) Mantel challenges the very notion of what is real with this survival novel.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children– using old, unusual photographs, Riggs builds a very peculiar narrative indeed. Simultaneously an alternate history of the holocaust and an adventure fantasy, it’s not your typical read!
Wolf in the Whale– I simply had to include this for its unique subject: when the history of Inuits and Vikings collided. It feels refreshingly different.
Night Circus– I’ve seen a lot of books compared to the Night Circus– but it’s a pretty impossible feat, because nothing is like Night Circus. The structure, writing and world are all completely original. Don’t believe me? Pick it up for yourself and you’ll see how unbelievably delightful it is.
Wilder Girls– this is a hard one to pin down. In parts it’s a straight horror; other parts read more like a Sapphic romance; and sometimes it just feels like a straight retelling. For all those, it’s not your usual YA.
Scorpio Races– no one writes quite like Stiefvater. Not only is her world building very original, this is so atmospheric, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped out of reality.
Phantom Tollbooth– eccentric and charming, I can’t think of another book to compare it to… because there isn’t one! Playing with language and just plain playing around, this is one of my all-time favourite children’s books.
Good Omens– all of Gaiman’s and Pratchett’s works are so OUT THERE, I didn’t know which one to spotlight… so I decided to go for the one where the great duo teamed up! The concept for this post-apocalyptic story is wildly different and so much fun. And, of course, as you’d expect from these two authors, it’s also completely hilarious.
And that’s all for now! Do you like or dislike any of my picks? And what books have you read that stood out as unique? Let me know in the comments!
I’ve read a couple books from this list, but have even more on my tbr. I thought The Seven and a Half Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was one of the most unique and original books I read these last few years. ALso, I have a question, when you say Horrorstor is designed like an Ikea catalogue, do you mean the inside of the book? I love the cover, I’m a big IKEA fan, but had no clue it was more than just a regular fiction novel with a cool cover.
~ Corina | TheBrownEyedBookworm.com
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Great list, I love The Night Circus and the Scorpio Races had such a unique world 💜
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Yes to Good Omens, Miss Peregrine and The Night Circus. No to Evelyn Hardcastle, one of the most overhyped books I’ve ever read.
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I love The Phantom Tollbooth and am trying desperately to talk my kids into letting me read it to them. Still need to pick up The Night Circus, and all of Gaiman’s and Pratchett’s books, though I did get one of Gaiman’s children’s books and my 6 year old is obsessed with it.
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I 100% agree with you in Illuminae. It’s the only one I’ve read from this list and I haven’t read anything like it before or since.
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I have had hardcover copies of Illuminae for ages now. Saw it in my very early days of Bookstagramming in someone’s feed, and the trilogy looked so pretty, couldn’t resist getting it then. Haven’t read it till now though. 🙈
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I didn’t love Evelyn hard castle as much as everyone else does. But otherwise good choices
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I’ve only read Illuminae and TSAHDOHC from this list and loved both 🖤
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Great post! The Demons’ Play by Holly Ann was most unique book I have read so far and I’m reading Bestiary by K-Ming Chang which weird and unusual. I’m only 20% through book so I don’t know if I like it or not yet.
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I’m not surprised, but apparently I like ‘unique’ books – read several of those, more on my tbr, and now I have to check out the rest 🙂
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Oh I love Illuminae, Miss Peregrine and Wilder Girls!
I really want to read Horrorstör, although I’m not sure if I’m too scared for that haha! But the concept sounds so good!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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Illuminae was so fascinating…really different. I was intriguing throughout the entire series.
The Phantom Tollbooth was one I read as a child and over and over again since. It had a reputation (back in the day) for making readers out of non-readers. Just brilliant!
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Great list! Though I haven’t read a lot of them. I can’t wait to read Evelyn Hardcastle!
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Great list! I loved Horrorstor — so clever! Phantom Tollbooth was a childhood favorite, and I love Good Omens too!
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Horrorstor was so much fun! It kept me out of Ikea for a while 🙂
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The Scorpio Race is my favorite by Maggie Stiefvater!
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Excellent list! I feel like mine would have some Claire North on there–probably Harry August. 🙂
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I watched the life of Pi movie… I need to read the book! Btw I am tagging you on a book tag soon.
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Keep trying to read faster – my anxiety slows me down. So many titles here I need to read.
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Oh wow I LOVE this list!! Illuminae was such an amazing book omg. And I really want to read The Night Circus and Wilder Girls. They sound strange but I’m also so intrigued haha
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