Books that are Off the Beaten Path

I enjoy reading books in a wide range of genres and particularly like finding books that are unique in some way – whether it is the format, the setting, the plot or some other aspect of the story. While predictability can be reassuring when reading, I find that the books with something distinctive about them often standout to me more. This week, I selected four books that are fresh and creatively crafted:

How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz (contemporary fiction) – Written in a unique format across 12 job counseling sessions, the book is a quick but very compelling read. Cara Romero, a woman in her 50s who recently lost her job at a factory manufacturing lamps, narrates her story as she visits with a job counselor each week in order to find a job or qualify for more benefits. Interspersed among the counseling sessions are various forms and documents from her life – her rent application, job applications, and eventually her application for citizenship. Cara is tough, full of heart, and at times absolutely hilarious – she’s one of the best fictional characters that I have encountered in a long while. And the format works so well for telling Cara’s life story. I highly recommend this one – it is the perfect combination of humor, family drama, a strong setting (New York City’s Washington Heights), and characters you root for even as they sometimes make poor decisions.

I’m Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin (fiction) – Lyft driver Abbott nervously accepts an offer of $200,000 cash to transport a woman named Ether across the country with a large black box. But she has a list of rules he must follow: he cannot look inside the box; he cannot ask questions about the box; he cannot tell anyone what he is doing; they must leave immediately; and he must leave all trackable devices behind. What ensues is a hilarious and timely tale about the way technology and the internet have completely overrun our lives. As the internet community speculates about what’s in the box as well as sparking rumors that this duo is preparing to launch a terror attack, the tension mounts. A variety of characters narrate the story, which works particularly well and so many thought-provoking issues are raised. I’m Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom will appeal to fans of quirky, unique, and creative stories and is well worth the read.

Kill Show by Daniel Sweren-Becker (mystery) – Structured in transcript format, Kill Show is set 10 years after a 16-year-old girl goes missing and the circus that ensued after a true crime show comes to town to try to “help” find the girl. The tale is relayed through “interviews” with all of the key participants in the tragedy and demonstrates how Hollywood and others exploit these tragedies for entertainment purposes. It is a compelling story that is also a commentary on the true crime industry, its dark underbelly, the lives that end up ruined by all of these amateur sleuths and online shaming, and why the country’s fascination with it is often problematic. Sweren-Becker says of the inspiration for the book: “I’m fascinated by our national obsession with true crime. How do we detach from the horrific facts to find it entertaining? How do people doing this professionally sleep at night?” Kill Show is a massive page turner and very thought provoking; I highly recommend this brief but powerful novel.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi (science fiction) – John Scalzi’s latest novel is an engaging and witty romp starring Charlie Fitzer, an ex-journalist working as a substitute teacher, who discovers that his estranged uncle has died and left him his supervillain business. Suddenly, Charlie is thrown into the world of comical James-Bond-style villain societies, talking cats, laser death rays, dolphin labor disputes, a volcano island lair, and lots of double and triple twists. The book is chock-full of laugh-out-loud dialogue as well as Scalzi’s thoughts on modern day billionaires and who is actually running the world, making this both an enjoyable and intriguing read. This is a short book that will appeal to a wide range of readers; I highly recommend it. Note: Readers who aren’t usually drawn to science fiction may want to give this a try; it’s not heavy on the sci-fi and is a fun read.