For Readers: Blog

Quirky books to break up a reading rut

These offbeat books range from cute-and-quirky to odd-and-unsettling, but will definitely shake up any reading rut you might be stuck in. 

Fans of Knives Out or Anthony Horowitz’s unconventional murder mysteries won’t want to pass up Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. At Ernie’s family reunion of self-admitted murderers, it’s not long before the bodies start to pile up. As he recounts the web of deaths tied to his family history, it’s up to Ernie to solve the twisty crime. This witty and clever whodunit is a refreshing homage to Golden Age murder mystery classics. [e-book | print | audiobook | large type]

A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase is a heartwarming look at a memorable mother-daughter road trip. As her own life falls apart, Grace has no reason not to join her over-the-top, Elvis-obsessed mother’s seventieth birthday trip to Graceland. As the miles pass on their unusual journey, will the duo find some common ground and a renewed relationship? The humor and heartache of the typical mother-daughter bond are candidly captured in this promising debut. [e-book | print]

K-Ming Chang shares another perspective on human connection in her offbeat and sometimes strange short story collection Gods of Want. With a sense of surrealism and myth, these stories examine the complicated relationships between Asian American women, whether they be family, friends, or more. Poetic writing and mesmerizing imagery make this a standout collection about otherness, queerness, and memory, with a touch of the fantastical. [e-book | print]

Known for his original and darkly humorous horror reads, Grady Hendrix is back with How to Sell a Haunted House. Reluctantly returning to her hometown after the death of her parents, Louise suddenly has to contend with the family’s creepy doll-stuffed house and her estranged brother. Oh, and that house doesn’t WANT to be sold. If you can stomach the scares, you’ll be thrilled by this atmospheric story about grief and dysfunctional families that is packed with chills and chuckles. [e-book | print]

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty starts off the new Midsolar Murders series, an out-of-this-world romp about a human who flees to a space station in the hopes of shaking off her murder-magnet past. Mallory’s terrestrial life was ruined by a suspicious string of deaths, so when death follows her to space she must find the culprit to protect her new life. Fascinating world-building, a compelling mystery, and an intriguing cast of various life forms makes for a charmingly chaotic investigation.  [ebook | print]

Stay in space a little longer with Moiya McTier’s The Milky Way, perfect for anyone who prefers science writing that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Narrated from the point of view of a rather snarky Milky Way, this is an amusing tell-all about the cosmos and all it contains. McTier is an astrophysicist, so you’ll learn while you laugh your way through this eccentric tour of the universe. [e-book | print]

⏤Laura