Tired of the Same Old Books? Check Out These Unusual Titles
P.S. They’ll Help You Break Free from a Reading Slump
When I feel bored of reading my usual, loved genre of books, it prevents me from picking my next read. This phenomenon happens to me occasionally. When this happens, I do not feel like picking any of the hundreds of books I already have on my TBR pile.
To prevent myself from falling into a reading slump, I break the monotony by picking up uncommon books. These books are not my usual reads. These feel like a much-needed respite to mind and, shockingly and surprisingly fresh.
I have compiled a list of such books when you want to read something different.
1. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
It is one of the best graphic novels I have read so far. This book describes the story of Holocaust survivor Vladek Spiegelman and his experiences during World War II. The book is written and illustrated by his son, a cartoonist, Art Spiegelman.
The Complete Maus uses anthropomorphism i.e. animals, to represent different nationalities. The Jews were depicted as mice, Germans as cats, and Poles as pigs. What makes the usage of anthropomorphism unique is that human emotions and expressions are conveyed realistically through the faces of animals.
Reading a graphic novel can be a surprising change from the usual stuff.
2. When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut
When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut is a collection of short stories, that dramatise the pivotal moments in scientific discovery. The unique aspect of the book is that it shows the human and a very personal side of the scientists and their corresponding discoveries. I do not think I have read any other book which does this and is not a biography or a memoir.
These stories are of influential figures such as Werner Heisenberg, Kurt Gödel, and Alexander Grothendieck.
Although these stories are fictional works, I wanted them to be true. The first story, ‘Prussian Blue’ is well written and is 99% accurate.
3. Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
Salt Slow is a collection of weird short stories by Julia Armfield. These stories have different themes bordering on the supernatural.From a girl who grows feathers to a woman haunted by a mysterious presence in her apartment, these tales blur the lines between the mundane and the supernatural.
The stories are eerie. The latent surreal feeling these stories evoke stays with you till long after.
This book is for anybody who likes spooky but not outright horror.
4. Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao
Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao feels like a picture book of Saharan Africa in the 70s. The author Sanmao has painted the very landscape of Africa through her stories that tell us about the people, traditions and struggles due to the unforgiving terrain and lack of resources.
The stories are deeply personal and emotional. Sanmao has interlaced personal life events like marriage into the stories, making these almost autobiographical. With a keen eye for detail, emotional intelligence and a spirit of adventure, the author travelled far and wide in the Saharan desert and developed personal relationships with some of the Sahrawi people. These people deeply impact Sanmao’s life, as evident from her anecdotes.
These stories are from the time when the Sahara was under Spanish control with an ever looming threat of war which is an omnipresent ominous backdrop to all the stories.
5. The Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping Chen
Land of Big Numbers is a collection of short stories set in China. The stories in this book cover the expanse of the Chinese Diaspora. We have factory workers and street musicians, successful entrepreneurs and ambitious students. They are set in various Chinese cities and rural areas, providing a multifaceted view of the country.
Te-Ping has written poignant stories highlighting the struggles of the modern Chinese generation. Issues such as the identity crisis in a rapidly changing society, expectations imposed by traditional Chinese heritage and the contemporary world and the wealth gap have been portrayed.
Pick this if you want to read about the struggles of the modern Chinese youth and its ever-evolving society.
I hope this list was helpful.
Check out my other stories here.
