10 Books for Changing Up Your Reading Life | More

In life there are times we all need change. Sometimes the change is huge like moving across country or finding a new career. Other times it’s a little smaller, but involves serious commitment, like wallpaper or starting a blog! Then there are the changes that aren’t so huge, but feel really good: a new hair style, a weekend at the beach, or a book that turns out to be an incredible surprise. I love it when I move outside of my comfort zone when selecting a book and am rewarded with pure delight. For a new Top Ten Tuesday, I’ve selected some books that could help anyone change up their reading life just a little. Let’s not forget, “Change is good!”

Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan
What makes this book different? In this book about a blocked writer and the woman who has become her closest friend, Delphine de Vigan created a world where you are never really sure what’s real.
Who should try this book? If you have never put down a book wondering what the story really means, you definitely need to read Based on a True Story. The end will leave you playing out more than one scenario. It’s fantastic! (My review)

 

The Bird Tribunal by Agnes Ravatn
What makes this book different? An odd man hires a housekeeper/gardener. He has rules and a missing wife. She has secrets. Neither trusts the other, and yet their attraction can’t be denied for long.
Who should try this book? For readers wanting to venture into psychological thrillers, The Bird Tribunal is a great place to start. It’s short and simple with just the right amount of tension. (My review)

 

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
What makes this book different? ExitWest is different in that it follows two young lovers as they flee their war torn country through a magic door. Yes, a magic door, and there are many of them all over the world.
Who should try this book? Readers who don’t like love stories and/or are put off by magical realism should give it a try. I think you’d be surprised…in a good way. (My review)

 

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed
What makes this book different? A dystopian novel where the daughters are forced to be “companions” for their own fathers until their married off to breed. That is until a few begin to say “no more.”
Who should try this book? If you’ve never tried dystopia before, Gather the Daughters is a good place to start. It has some heavy themes, but they’re written with tact and story unfolds quickly. (My review)

 

Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
What makes this book different? After the rest of the world has gone dark an aging scientist and a mysterious child find themselves alone in the world until contact is made with a spacecraft returning from Jupiter.
Who should try this book? If you’ve been wanting to try a little science fiction and aren’t afraid of a touch of dystopia, you’ll be richly rewarded with  Good Morning, Midnight. (My review)

 

The Guineveres by Sarah Domet
What makes this book different? The Guineveres, about four girls who grow up in a convent, is book where you never really know exactly when or where it’s taking place. Throughout, I was constantly trying to place the book within its historical context.
Who should try this book? if you normally don’t read historical fiction books, you should try The Guineveres. I think of it as historical fiction light: heavy on story, light on history. (My review)

 

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
What makes this book different? If We Were Villains is not your typical campus mystery. It follows seven young Shakespearean actors studying at an elite art college, where, of course, one is found dead.
Who should try this book? Anyone afraid of Shakespeare should read If We Were Villains. It gives you just a small taste of The Bard wrapped up in a wonderful character driven mystery. (My review)

 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
What makes this book different? Everything! I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a wild road trip book with stops at a farm, Dairy Queen and dark, creepy school. By the end, the hairs on the back of your neck will be standing up.
Who should try this book? If you don’t usually read creepy books, it’s time to try again. The relationship Reid creates between his two travelers is one you won’t soon forget. (My review)

 

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
What makes this book different? What doesn’t? Lincoln in the Bardo is without a doubt the most out there book I’ve read this year. It takes place in a cemetery over the course of a single night and features a large cast of ghosts and a good dose of history.
Who should try this book? If you read widely, but have somehow missed Lincoln in the Bardo, it’s time to give this unique story a try. At times it reads almost like a play, and at other times it’s almost a lesson in history. This book is a little frantic and a whole lot of brilliant. (My review)

The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett
What makes this book different? A couple meets on bike path at the end of college. From there The Versions of Us splits into three different versions of what happens to Eva and Jim throughout their lives
Who should try this book? If you’re not a fan of love stories this is the book for you. If you liked Sliding Doors, even better! The Versions of Us will keep you on it’s toes with a love story that doesn’t feel like one. (My review)

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