Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Most books follow a fairly predictable writing structure. But sometimes it's fun to switch it up a little. Especially when you've set a goal to read a large number of books in one year. So this week we get to have a little fun with the format.

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Suggestions:
Bustle: 13 Experimental Books With Unusual Formats To Stretch Your Mind And Make Your Brain Swoon
Barnes&Noble: 8 Books so Unique They Have No Readalikes
Barnes&Noble: 6 YA Books with Awesomely Unique Formats
Huffington Post: Innovative Novel Formats
Modern Mrs. Darcy: 5 books with thought-provoking structures
Listopia: Books with Innovative Book Design/Structure
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Optional questions:
- What are you reading for this category?
- What makes the format unique?

.... hands down and Im not quite sure how I'm going to pull this off. There are websites dedicated to how to read this book. I'm going to have to go out of order for this one, and start it early, because it involves reading the book several times through to make it work. But such an interesting concept and my hardcover copy is stunning!!

I also thought of House of Leaves here. I think I have a copy somewhere, if not I know my brother does and he enjoyed it.

A third option, on the light and fluffy side is , which is YA and sounds interesting. Also my library has a copy or two.

I read House of Leaves last year, but didn't really enjoy it.

For this prompt I currently have 3 options: Six Stories, The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Dear Committee Members. Has anyone read one of them?

I have great things about Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, so I am going to use it for this prompt. It is written in verse and was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. I would really like to get an Audible version, but I don't they have one.

I'll probably read Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, which takes place over the course of one day.

Or A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, is written in several different styles and tones.

Shelly wrote: "I have great things about Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, so I am going to use it for this prompt. It is written in verse and was longlisted for the National Book ..."

Maybe they have an audiobook version on other platforms like audiobooks.com or scribd.com?

Shelly wrote: "I have great things about Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, so I am going to use it for this prompt. It is written in verse and was longlisted for the National Book ..."

This answers my question about whether a book written in verse counts as "unique format/writing structure." I am thinking of reading The Golden Gate as it has been on my tbr shelf for awhile.

The other option is To Be or Not To Be: A Chooseable-Path Adventure. (I read Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography this year and it was fun, once I got over the weird sensation of skipping around in a book.)

Sophie wrote: "Shelly wrote: "I have great things about Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, so I am going to use it for this prompt. It is written in verse and was longlisted for the..."

Thanks, Sophie. I will check those platforms.

Sophie wrote: "I read House of Leaves last year, but didn't really enjoy it.

For this prompt I currently have 3 options: Six Stories, The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Dear Committee Members. Has anyone read one of them?"

I read Dear Committee Members and loved it! I kept laughing out loud and my husband kept asking me what was so funny.

This is such a great prompt! I may read a few that fit here and use them for other prompts that they also fit. I'm considering Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age, which is all one sentence (128 pages!) and also S., which intimidates me a bit. I may play it safe and try The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker, which takes place on an escalator. I've read other Nicholson Baker books and liked them, but they can be weird.

I'm planning on reading Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid/Douglas R. Hofstadter.

S./J.J. Abrams sound very interesting too!

I'm thinking about S. by J.J. Abrams. It sounds really interesting! If it wasn't for this prompt and the links, I might have never heard of it!

I'm just going to go with a graphic novel for this prompt

I am thinking about reading City on Fire for this one, since there are several breaks with "handwritten" pages. This counts as "unique structure", right?

I think it would count.

Heather wrote: "I think it would count."



Thanks!

I think I might pick up The Perks of Being a Wallflower for this, since it is written as diary entries. I would also reccommend Carrie since it has epistolary narrtive parts in it.

I read a really fascinating book this month called Vanishing Point by David Markson.
The story is told from the perspective of an aging "author" who is compiling/organizing bits and pieces of his novel on index cards. There are only a few interjections from the "author" throughout the book. Most of the gathered bits of his book are wonderful trivia, quotes, historical facts, and absurdities about famous authors, artists, and philosophers. There is no real plot, just the gathered information, which starts to show recurring themes. I hope I can convince one person to give this really interesting bit of experimental fiction a try. I intend to read another one of Markson's books (Reader's Block) for this challenge in 2018. And did I mention it is only 191 pages.

I added it Tammy. Than you for the suggestion! Sounds intriguing.

Hannah wrote: "Thanks, Tammy, that sounds very interesting! I'm most definitely going to pick Vanishing Point for this one!!

And for those of you still undecided: If you haven't yet read [book:S.|1..."


Hannah how did you read S.?? Did you read the text first and then go back and read through the comments or did you try and read them all together?

I actually have this website bookmarked for when I start reading it, I can't wait..https://whoisstraka.wordpress.com/the...

Hannah wrote: "At first I had planned to read the main text first and then circle back for the comments in the margins (which are also color-coded to signal during which phase of the conversation they were writte..."

I'm definitely reading it, its been sitting on my shelves waiting for months and this prompt is perfect. I actually like the thought of reading it cover to cover, it makes sense that it would seem like you just picked it up off the shelf .....

Thank goodness for this long thread, because you all really helped me narrow down my choices! I'm so excited about some of these that I will probably read them for other categories!

I'll be choosing between:
Adulthood Is a Myth (Memoir in Graphic Novel Format)
The Mezzanine (Stream of Consciousness)
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (Novel within a Novel)
S. (Novel within a Novel)
84, Charing Cross Road (Epistolary Autobiography)
Wittgenstein's Mistress (String of Thoughts, One Character)
Dept. of Speculation (Vignettes)
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Memoir in Graphic Novel Format)
Dear Committee Members (Epistolary -- Entirely Recommendation Letters)

I just got a notification from the library that my request for S. is in! I requested it a little too soon. I don't know if I can wait a week to start it. I am interested to see the format, after hearing so much discussion about it!

Completely stuck on this but I did find the Illuminae series would work, and to try reading The Book Thief again

I'm going with S. for this one!

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Teresa wrote: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore"

I love this book, and I think you should read it, but are you sure you're putting it in the right category? It's written in standard novel format.

S. is amazing and I highly recommend it. I read it straight through with reading everything on the page at once, because I just couldn't stop myself from looking at it anyway, but I know others find that very confusing.

I'd also recommend The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century. It is absolutely written the same as any other Guide book except about the 14th century. Definitely not your normal history book

For me, I'm looking at either Rhett & Link's Book of Mythicality: A Field Guide to Curiosity, Creativity, and Tomfoolery orHow to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe...I like travel guide books, ok?

I'll be reading either S. or Gemina

Jackie wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore"

I love this book, and I think you should read it, but are you sure you're putting it in the right category? It's written in standar..."

All I know is that it's on the Listopia list, and on my TBR list. :)

I think I am going Tim read The Book of Daniel. I had heard that it had a unique style and the book sounded very interesting.

Teresa wrote: "Jackie wrote: "Teresa wrote: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore"

I love this book, and I think you should read it, but are you sure you're putting it in the right category? It's wri..."

Forgot that I've been wanting to read Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters for about six months now, so switching to that for this category!!

I will read Million Little Mistakes. It's been on my shelf for a while.

Shelly wrote: "I have great things about Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, so I am going to use it for this prompt. It is written in verse and was longlisted for the National Book ..."

Hi,

It is available on Audible now. :)

I can't believe I forgot to recommend one of my favorite reads from last year, Lab Girl. (I read it twice!) What's unique about the format is that it's a memoir that has alternating chapters: one about the author's life and the next about plant biology (her area of research). The plant biology chapters are short and absolutely fascinating, and relate metaphorically to her life.

Stephanie wrote: "Shelly wrote: "I have great things about Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, so I am going to use it for this prompt. It is written in verse and was longlisted for the..."

Oh! Thanks.

‘DEPT. OF SPECULATION’ BY JENNY OFFILL

Guys, if you haven't read 4321 yet, this may be your option! It's so cool, my favourite book I read in 2017. Definitely fits the category - the story is about the boy, from the day he was born, until the day he dies, but told as 4 different stories. As per the description: "Four identical Fergusons made of the same DNA, four boys who are the same boy, go on to lead four parallel and entirely different lives."

Goska wrote: "Guys, if you haven't read 4321 yet, this may be your option! It's so cool, my favourite book I read in 2017. Definitely fits the category - the story is about the boy, from the day ..."

That's the one I chose...just picked it up from the library. Sounds amazing. Glad you enjoyed it!

Cheri wrote: "Sophie wrote: "I read House of Leaves last year, but didn't really enjoy it.

For this prompt I currently have 3 options: Six Stories, [book:The Invention of Hugo Cabre..."

I agree! I loved Dear Committee Members!

S. Looks so cool! I think I want to read both that and One Rainy Day in May

S. is really good, and fits this prompt better than anything else I can think of. I actually got it from the library, read it, then bought my own copy so I can reread in the future and possibly even mark it up (more)!

I am considering Dear Committee Members, Dept. of Speculation,Illuminae (which I just bought) and One Rainy Day in May, which is the first in what is going to eventually be a series of 27(?), each book 880 pages - by the author of Leaves of Grass.

4321 looks interesting too! This is one category where I will have a hard time deciding, I think.

I'm going with The Book Thief for this one, I hope that's 'unique' enough. Although S. looks amazing and I LOVE J.J. Abrams so I'll add that to my list for 2019 reading :)

Tracy wrote: ".... hands down and Im not quite sure how I'm going to pull this off. There are websites dedicated to how to read this book. I'm going to have to go out of order for this one..."

S is absolutely AMAZING as you read it and then a bit odd when you finish. I loved the journey, though.

Teresa wrote: "Goska wrote: "Guys, if you haven't read 4321 yet, this may be your option! It's so cool, my favourite book I read in 2017. Definitely fits the category - the story is about the boy,..."
He Teresa, I'm sure you'll enjoy it! Long reading, but very page-turning!

I am finally going to read something by Brian Selznick, I just don't know which one:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
or
The Marvels

I like experimental fiction so I had a good few choices for this topic. I finally decided on Solar Bones by Mike McCormack, which is written as one long sentence and is narrated by a ghost. It was nominated for the Booker Prize as well as some other awards so I'm very much looking forward to it.

Just ended in the book page of Satellite, written in "speak text", so unique format! This review is a good exemple of how the book is written: "if u can't c why i don't like this book, maybe u will like it."
The story seems pretty cool, but I would have difficulties to read. It's probably easier for English readers :)

I recomend The Neverending Story for this task, I already read it and it's a beautiful book =)

I'll probably read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Canterville Ghost: The Graphic Novel
I haven't read a graphic novel so this will be unique for me. I'm really looking forward to it.

After reading: I LOVED IT! I will definitely try more graphic novels. It was beautifully illustrated and was an original text version as opposed to an abridged version. Fabulous.