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We all have different tastes when it comes to many things – from food to music, art, and books. The reasons behind it can be complicated, but we’re not here to discuss them. Instead, we’re here to appreciate how these differences make our world diverse, interesting, and a little odd. 

To celebrate said oddness, today we’re also serving you a full list of weird books. Well, at least according to netizens in various online threads. Whether these books are strange due to their storylines, structures, characters, or whatever else – they are perfectly tip-toeing the line between being too bizarre to enjoy and being very captivating. So, let’s take a look at what’s on the list and maybe we’ll find our next must-read!

#1

Book cover of "A Dirty Job" by Christopher Moore featuring a quirky illustration with a skull in a pram. A Dirty Job - Christopher Moore - a delight.

haynaorno , Christopher Moore Report

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    #2

    Cover of "Breakfast of Champions" by Kurt Vonnegut, featuring a white T-shirt illustration. Breakfast of champions.

    rhb4n8 , Kurt Vonnegut Report

    #3

    Cover of "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde, featuring a character peering from a book with a whimsical backdrop. The Eyre Affair by Jasper fforde.

    hepzibah59 , Jasper Fforde Report

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    Bill Swallow
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    *ALL* of the Thursday Next books, and all of his other works. Well chosen! Seeing the audience in a live stage performance of 'Richard III' do audience interaction a la 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' was sheer comedic genius!

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    We probably don’t have to tell you that books are good for us, do we? From improving our vocabulary and enhancing critical thinking to building imagination and developing empathy – it’s one of the most beneficial pastimes a person can do. 

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    Yet, there are quite a lot of people who don’t like reading. Some of them even despise it. As with everything else in life, this hatred (or at least simple dislike) has its own reasons. For instance, some people struggle with dyslexia, which makes it harder for them to enjoy reading, while others simply have poor reading comprehension

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    Then there are those who get scared away from reading in school, where they had to study books that were boring to them, so now they imagine all books are this way. At the same time, there are folks who are simply wired to not enjoy books and prefer other forms of entertainment – it’s no secret that everyone likes different things

    #4

    Book cover of "The Illuminatus! Trilogy" featuring dolphins and a pyramid with an eye, highlighting weird but wonderful reads. The Illuminati Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson.

    VisualEyez33 , Robert Anton Wilson Report

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    Katie M.
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Took me many tries over many years, but I finally got through this one, and it was worth it. It's brilliant!

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    #5

    Cover of "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami, featuring colorful abstract background. Windup bird chronicles
    1Q84.

    nevrnotknitting , Haruki Murakami Report

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    #6

    Book cover of "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch, a weird but wonderful read recommended by bookworms. Dark Matter by Blake Crouch is an interesting read. Not sure if it’s weird enough for your criteria but it’s a ride.

    sidneyzapke , Blake Crouch Report

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    Luke Branwen
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of my favorite books ever. Idk if I'd call it "weird" but it's definitely a mindfuck.

    The latter sentiment also applies to the book-reading community itself. While they’re united by a love for literature, they might clash due to things like contrasting book interpretations or liking different genres. 

    After all, genres themselves are very open to interpretation and the exact number of them isn’t agreed upon. In some places, they’re put under 50 divisions, and with the subgenres, the number is increased to more than 110, but in other places, like Amazon, there are over 16,000 of them.

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    So, you see, very flexible when it comes to the numbers. It also suggests there’s a genre for everyone, but it might take a while for a person to discover it. 

    #7

    Book cover for "If On a Winter's Night a Traveller" by Italo Calvino, featuring a train crossing a bridge with a lamp-lit table. If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino. It’s postmodern with an inventive structure and multiple narrative threads.

    The City & the City by China Mieville. Fantastical detective fiction in two overlapping cities.

    PsychopompousEnigma , italo-calvino Report

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    #8

    "Alice in Wonderland cover with cards and animals, highlighting a weird but wonderful read by Lewis Carroll." The Trial

    Alice in Wonderland

    The Vegetarian.

    Trocrocadilho , Lewis Carol Report

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    Max Fox
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The best edition is the annotated version (annotated by Martin Gardner).

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    #9

    Cover of "A Confederacy of Dunces" featuring a cartoon character with a yellow bird, highlighted as a weird but wonderful read. Confederacy of Dunces


    Geek Love.

    QuirkyForever , John Kennedy Toole Report

    Today we will talk about only one of the genres, the so-called “weird fiction” genre. We got such an idea after witnessing people online asking for suggestions for “weird” books. We looked at what people offered and compiled the most interesting answers into this list. So, if you’re looking for some odd but good books to read, you’re in the right place. 

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    And if you want to learn what “weird fiction” is, you’re also in the right place. What we have to mention first is that the books in this list do not necessarily fall under this genre; they can be put under various categories, but their structures, narratives, and anything else made people feel like they were reading an odd book.

    #10

    Book cover of "Cloud Cuckoo Land" by Anthony Doerr, featuring a blue sky and cloud design, noted for unique reads. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is very strange but lovely. I think there are five main characters across several timelines.

    MySpace_Romancer , Anthony Doerr Report

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    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was a lot of work to read, but I received it as a birthday gift and felt morally obligated to read it.

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    #11

    Cover of "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman," a weird but wonderful read by Laurence Sterne. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman.

    GravityTortoise , Laurence Sterne Report

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    #12

    Book cover of "Interior Chinatown" by Charles Yu, featuring its National Book Award sticker. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu is probably the most unique structure for a book I have ever read (and a good story/theme).

    navybluesloth , Charles Yu Report

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    Des
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just finished watching that show on Disney+. Definitely a uniquely structured show that will leave you wondering.

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    So, when someone asked for suggestions online, they recommended it. The weird fiction genre (in fact, it’s more of a subgenre) is a bit more specific than that. 

    Still, it’s not the easiest thing to define, so bear with us. Basically, it’s a subgenre of speculative fiction (an umbrella of genres that depart from realism). It avoids or at least radically reinterprets traditional antagonists of supernatural horror fiction (ghosts, vampires, and such). Instead, it tries to instill fear and awe by evoking unnerving feelings of the ever-present sense of inescapable dread. 

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    In the books, the antagonists can be something outside the power and understanding of man, the law of nature, or something that lurks beyond the world we know. If it sounds pretty confusing, we warned you it was something hard to define. 

    #13

    Book cover of "I Who Have Never Known Men" featuring a surrealistic landscape with ladder artwork. **I Who Have Never Known Men** is probably the most unique book I’ve ever read.

    **Homegoing** is an amazing book with a structure I’ve never seen anywhere else before.

    Pugilist12 , Jacqueline Harpman Report

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    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Story of a girl locked in a cage with 39 women in an underground bunker on a nameless world". More here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/01/i-who-have-never-known-men-lost-dystopia-new-readers-after-buzz-on-tiktok "The narrator is the youngest of 40 captives and too young to remember her past. “All the guards are men,” Brown said, “and that’s all the women know about gender. They never really understand why they are there or how long they would be kept for.” Or any sense of time at all."

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    #14

    Cover of "The Demolished Man" by Alfred Bester, featuring an illustrated woman in bed, suggesting a weird but wonderful read. Pretty much anything by Alfred Bester. He actually makes use of typography and white space, so beware ebook editions.

    hamstersundae , Alfred Bester Report

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    #15

    Weird but wonderful read: "The Library at Mount Char" book cover with a dark house and leafy wreath design. -Library at Mount Char (one of my favorites)

    -Annihilation (the whole trilogy is dreamy, trippy, and uniquely well written)

    -John Dies at the End (really weird, silly, and just plain fun)

    -Vita Nostra (like a trippier Russian version of Harry Potter)

    -The Hike (a short, odd, and fun adventure).

    jjrumbl , Scott Hawkins Report

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    To fully comprehend what this subgenre is about, you have to read it. Wikipedia offers a full list of writers whose creations can be categorized as “weird fiction” – from H. P. Lovecraft to Ray Bradbury – and even within this subgenre, you have plenty of options. 

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    And if you don’t feel like reading books that instill a feeling of inescapable dread, hopefully, you’ll find what to read from today’s list!

    #16

    "Geek Love book cover, an example of weird but wonderful reads for bookworms." Geek Love.

    No-Resource-8125 , Katherine Dunn Report

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    #17

    Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk book cover featuring an airplane illustration in bright colors. Chuck Palahniuk has some weird strange good reads. The Survivor, Lullaby, Rant, all come to mind. I enjoyed the survivor the best but it’s been a bit. (He’s also the author if fight club if anyone did t know already.).

    anon , Chuck Palahniuk Report

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    #18

    Cover of "Babel-17" by Samuel R. Delany, a Nebula Award-winning book recommended for bookworms. Babel-17, by Samuel R. Delany.

    NomDePlume007 , Samuel R. Delany Report

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    #19

    Cover of "Chouette" by Claire Oshetsky featuring an owl amid leaves. A weird but wonderful read for bookworms. Chouette by Claire Oshetsky!! One of my absolute favorite books. Bizarre plot, intensely resonant, haunting prose. Definitely check it out.

    spidersovereign , Claire Oshetsky Report

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    #20

    Cover of "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham, featuring tulips and a Pulitzer Prize badge. *The Hours*

    *Orlando*.

    retiredlibrarian , Michael Cunningham Report

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    #21

    Cover of the book "Ella Minnow Pea" by Mark Dunn, featuring colorful typography on a green background. Ella Minnow Pea.

    abookdragon1 , Mark Dunn Report

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    #22

    Cover of "The Dead Father" by Donald Barthelme, featuring a large hand on a landscape, a weird but wonderful read. If you want weird, you want The Dead Father by Donald Barthelme.

    worldsbesttaco , Donald Barthelme Report

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    #23

    Cover of "The Hike" by Drew Magary featuring a blue crab on black background; a weird but wonderful read. The Hike by Drew Magary.

    Apocalypstick1 , Drew Magary Report

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    #24

    Purple book cover of "The Castle of Crossed Destinies" with minimalist black illustrations. The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino, in which stories are told through tarot cards.

    Roland Barthes’ S/Z, which breaks down Balzac’s story, “Sarrasine.”.

    Obvious-Band-1149 , Italo Calvino Report

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    #25

    Thomas M. Disch's book "334," a unique read praised by David Pringle. 334 by Thomas M Disch. It has a sort of map you need to reference to tell which character and time they are in.

    perpetualmotionmachi , Thomas M. Disch Report

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    #26

    Cover of "The Salt Grows Heavy" by Cassandra Khaw, featuring abstract black and white figures on a red background. The Salt Grows Heavy was pretty weird. Just finished it.

    mekanical_hound , Cassandra Khaw Report

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    #27

    Book cover of "My Year of Rest and Relaxation" by Ottessa Moshfegh, featuring a seated woman in a white dress. Anything by Ottesa Moshfegh. I really liked My Year of Rest and Relaxation.

    loumomma , Ottessa Moshfegh Report

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    Chris the Bobcat
    Community Member
    2 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The cover painting is 'Portrait of a Young Woman in White' by Jacques-Louis David, painted ca. 1798. Just in case you were interested.

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    #28

    Codex Seraphinianus cover with red abstract art and unique script, a weird but wonderful read for bookworms. The Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini.

    InsaneLordChaos , Luigi Serafini Report

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    #29

    Cover of Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian,” featuring a figure in a wagon under a vast sky, a weird but wonderful read. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

    Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy

    Child of God by Cormac McCarthy.

    Victorian_Cowgirl , Cormac McCarthy Report

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    #31

    "The Last Window Giraffe book cover with vibrant orange background and map design." The Last Window-Giraffe by Peter Zilahy. It's a memoir about the political turmoil in 90s Belgrade, Serbia. The twist? The book is written and structured like a children dictionary, A to Z, complete with picture and illustration.

    carsya23 , Péter Zilahy Report

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    #32

    Cover of The Urantia Book with a tree and sky background, highlighting weird but wonderful reads. The Urantia Book.

    Agondonter , Multiple Authors Report

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    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, this book claims to be authored by numerous angelic writers. These angels transmitted the texts of the chapters to a human recipient during the early to mid twentieth century. It presents itself as a religious text, like the Bible, with five major sections. One is devoted to the history and structure of universal creation. One is devoted to the creation of our planet. Then an history of humanity. Etc. It is a powerful book, with surprising spiritual views regarding the identity of Jesus, the reason why there is so much suffering on Earth, what happens after we each die, etc.

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    #33

    Cover of "Bunny" by Mona Awad featuring a black silhouette of a rabbit on a pink background. Bunny by Mona Awad was weird. In fact, I think it was more weird than good… but it was an addictive and fast read. Glad I read it because it was so weird… weirdest book I’ve ever read really.

    Pristine-Fusion6591 , Mona Awad Report

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    #34

    Cover of "The Briefcase" by Hiromi Kawakami, with a light blue background and white tree branches, a wonderful read. The Briefcase by Kawakami, Hiromi

    Jagannath by Tidbeck, Karin
    The Hole by Oyamada, Hiroko


    Soonchild by Hoban, Russell.

    3kota , Hiromi Kawakami Report

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    #35

    Cover of "Convenience Store Woman" by Sayaka Murata, a unique read for bookworms. Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is a really interesting and "weird" book that I absolutely loved, it's very short so if you read it and don't like it it won't have taken much of your time. Super interesting book!

    M_A_D_S , Sayaka Murata Report

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    Poll Question

    What's your favorite type of unconventional story theme?

    Fantasy epics

    Dystopian futures

    Alternate histories

    Meta-fiction