Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic focuses on books that we consider unique. I had a hard time narrowing it down to a manageable list, until I decided on a guiding principle: To make the list, I had to be able to come up with a “tagline” of 3 – 5 words that captures the spirit of what makes the book unique.
Without further ado, my list of unique books… in 5 words or less!
1) The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell: Jesuits in Space!
2) Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore: Jesus’s Wacky Sidekick!
3) Room by Emma Donoghue: Five-Year-Old Narrator!
4) The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion: Love, Quirks, and Lobster!
5) The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: Disappearing Husbands Are A Pain!
6) Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith: Apocalypse By Praying Mantis!
7) The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: Mythical Creatures Take New York!
8) Fingersmith by Sara Waters: Con Artists Need Love Too!
9) Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan: Evil Parents Suck! Teens Rule!
10) Every Day by David Levithan: Different Day, Different Body! (Whoa…)
What are the most unique books that you’ve read? Share your links, and I’ll come check out your top 10!
*Yeah, yeah, I know… but “5 words or fewer” just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?
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Bookshelf Fantasies 
Room is such a great book. I was really impressed by it. I need to check out more of the books on your list too.
I thought I wouldn’t have the patience for Room initially because of the narrator, but ended up pretty blown away by how powerful it was. Looking forward to reading the author’s new book! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
What a fun list! I loved Room and have been meaning to read Lamb for a while.
Thanks! Lamb is one of my all-time favorites (and I seem to include it on my top 10 lists whenever possible). 🙂
I really want for read Grasshopper Jungle and Every day – both of them seem so interesting. Thanks for reminding me that they are worth reading! 🙂 Happy reading!
Well, they’re really different from each other, but I definitely recommend both! Thanks for stopping by!
Room was a great one for sure. I recently got an email that the author was coming out with a new book… but I never looked into it because I had shoddy cell service at the time. *Heads over to Goodreads….*
Yes, her new book just came out — Frog Music! Sounds amazing — I’ve had my eye on it for a while, should probably put in a library request. Thanks for stopping by!
You’ve totally convinced me to add The Sparrow to GR when you said Jesuits in space, lol. Yay for The Time Traveller’s Wife and The Rosie Project 😀
My TTT
The Sparrow is one of my very favorite books, and I’ve read it probably 4 or 5 times by now. “Jesuits in Space” makes it sound really goofy, and it’s not… but that’s how people always seem to summarize it!
The idea of Jesuits in space just sounds hilarious to me, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be! Room is a really unique book, I don’t think I’ll ever read anything else like it.
Gunmen, Raptors and Love Letters – Under The Mountain’s TTT
Well… no, The Sparrow is not at all hilarious — but it is one of the most moving and powerful books I’ve ever read. But yeah, people (even the author) tend to refer to it as the “Jesuits in space” book (I didn’t make that one up!), and it seems to stick. Totally worth reading. Thanks for stopping by!
“Jesus’s Wacky Sidekick!” I haven’t read it, but I always liked the idea of that one.
Also, I love that you point out it should be fewer, not less. I think of that every time I’m in the express lane at the grocery store (10 items or less).
One of our local grocery stores changed their sign to “15 items or fewer”, and people always comment… Correct, but it still sounds odd. (I’m always pointing out the less/fewer distinction to my family, and they just roll their eyes at me.)
Lamb is a really terrific book, totally funny and odd but surprisingly respectful too. Depends on your tolerance for this sort of thing (and whether you like Christopher Moore), but I absolutely love it.
Yeah, it’s one of those things that I’m not really a stickler for, but I can’t help noticing. I might not even use the correct word myself, depending on how strange it sounds. Same thing when someone mentions they got a really good book or are taking a great vacation, and my response is “JEALOUS!” Because “ENVIOUS!” just doesn’t work.
I tend not to care about common usage overriding the original definition… unless the two different meanings are complete opposites. Misuse of the word “literally” is probably the best example.
*getting off my grammatical soap box*
(Actually that’s vocabulary, not grammar…)
I CAN’T STOP!
Ha, we all have our pet peeves when it comes to grammar AND vocabulary! I may not say things correctly all the time, but at least I know when I screw up. 🙂 “Literally” misuse drives me bonkers…
I enjoyed the to-the-point descriptions of each book! Everyday definitely has an interesting premise (and I don’t even read into that much contemporary fiction!)
Cheers,
joey via. thoughts and afterthoughts
Thanks, Joey! Every Day really is terrific (and yes, unique). Thanks for stopping by!
Room and Every Day made my list, too. I also loved The Time Traveler’s Wife. The Golem and the Jinni is in my TBR pile.
Sounds like we have similar tastes! I’ll go check out your list right now… Thanks!
Great list! Haven’t read many of those, but some are on my TBR list. I’ll have to check a few of them out. Happy Tuesday! 😀
My TTT
Thanks, and happy Tuesday to you too! 🙂
Grasshopper Jungle sounds AMZING! Thanks for sharing!
Well, it’s definitely different, that’s for sure! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I’d like to read The Rosie Project myself!
It’s terrific! The Rosie Project is one of those books that I end up recommending and/or giving to everyone I know — and so far, they all love it!
I recently picked up The Sparrow! Always thought it was super religious-y so never wanted to try it but it sounds fascinating. I have been dying to read The Golem and the Jinni and I recently tried Fingersmith but had to put it on hold. It wasn’t holding my interest but I fully intend on getting back to it. Waters is a spectacular writer.
The Sparrow is such a powerful book! It’s not religious, although it does deal with faith and belief quite a bit. The author is so talented and a very interesting person (and super funny too, in real life). I still have two more Sara Waters books to read — but I’ve loved the three I have read so far!