Hello everyone,
I love it when I find a book that feels truly original. Sometimes in the creative industries it can be tempting to follow the same formula that has earned success for others, but it is new and innovative ideas that really capture the imagination and create memories.
That is certainly the case with books. The execution of an idea is not always perfect of course, but it is having the creativity to think beyond the norm and write something unlike anything people have experienced before that really deserves admiration.
With that in mind, I have decided to share the 10 most unique books I have read. It was a very difficult list to trim down, but here we are!
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins
This one has an extremely abstract concept, the like of which I will probably see nowhere else in my life. It takes place at a scholarly institution called Montverre where pupils take part in a test called a grand jeu, but although the characters are arresting the whole thing retains a sense of mystery and elusiveness way past the final page.
The House In The Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
In what other story would you find an array of orphaned fantasy creatures and the Devil incarnate being visited by a social worker who falls in love with the house’s proprietor? The cover alone is enough to tell you that this is no ordinary story. Either way, it is a sweet and delightful one.
The Keeper Of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
This one has an original, whimsical concept but is very much grounded in the real world. A house filled with lost of discarded items that a lonely man filled with the aim of reuniting them with their owners, and a character called Sunshine that lives up to her name are the highlights.
The Murmur Of Bees by Sofia Segovia
This story is just so incredibly timeless. The summer vibes are plentiful and there is magical realism abound in a tale about an abandoned baby in civil war era Mexico that leaves you entranced by its beauty.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
This book is just pure escapism. There are plenty of stories around about circuses, but this one brings a whole load more mystique and some glorious ideas that sparkle. If you can ignore what is actually an underwhelming plot and just get caught up in the atmosphere, it takes you to places that other books will never do.
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Elizabeth Acevedo may have written a subsequent book in poetic verse, but this one is so groundbreaking and so utterly personal that it stands out on its own. The way in which it portrays complex emotion in just a few words is kind of magical.
The Last Murder At The End Of The World by Stuart Turton
There is originality everywhere you look with Stuart Turton, and his most recent release is perhaps the most unusual of the three he has written to date. It takes place in a dystopian world in which a population of inorganic humans is overseen by an AI interface that can communicate with them, and one of the elders is murdered. The story itself is mind-boggling and some of it is hard to follow, but the concept and ideas which go into it are extraordinary.
The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
The only book I have ever read that is narrated by a cat. It also makes you cry your eyes out at the end.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A part of the reason why this book was so successful is that nobody had ever read anything like it before. The setting and the main character of Kya account for that, as the sheer uniqueness of both make the familiar components of romance, murder mystery, and courtroom drama gain a new meaning.
Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister
Originality in thrillers is almost as rare as hens’ teeth these days, which is why Gillian McAllister blew everything out of the water with Wrong Place Wrong Time and became a household name in the genre. The story sees the main character Jen witness her son commit a murder and then go back in time and relive all the days which led up to it. The execution could hardly have been better.
Let’s Chat
What are the most unique books you have read? Have you ready any of the books on my list? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading :)
Stephen Reads Books 
One thought on “Top 10 Most Unique Books I Have Read”