5OnMyTBR / General Books

#5OnMyTBR: Unconventional Formats

Dini @ dinipandareads39 Comments

Hello Mondays, welcome back to #5OnMyTBR, a meme created by the wonderful E @ The Local Bee Hunter’s Nook. This bookish meme gets us to dig even further into our TBRs by simply posting about five books on our TBR! You can learn more about it here or in the post announcing it. You can find the full list of prompts (past and future) at the end of this post!

This week’s prompt is: Unconventional format (e.g. text messages, emails, verse, etc.)

I am all for unconventional formats that make reading much more fun! Of course, if it isn’t done right then it just makes it harder to connect to the characters and story but I do love reading stories in letter/email format and I’ve come to really enjoy text messages in books! That’s why it’s surprising how difficult it was for me to come up with my list this week because no books (on my TBR) came to mind! Not right away, anyhow! I don’t think all of these are solely written in these formats but a good chunk of them are (I’m also a bit too lazy to check right now)

Technically You Started It is told completely through text messages. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book told only in that format so we’ll see how it goes! I do love some good text messages though 😍

I think Code Name Verity might be told partly in anecdotes/vignettes? I’m not entirely sure actually… I thought this might have even been written in letter or note format but I guess I’ll find out when I finally read it! I realise this probably doesn’t count as unconventional but… 😅

I’m cheating a bit with Sleeping Giants because I do remember reading it years ago and not enjoying it but I also for the life of me cannot remember what happens. So it’s going to be re-read! It’s told in interview format!

I’m honestly not sure what kind of format House of Leaves is told in but I’ve been told it’s ‘crazy’!

I first heard about 84, Charring Cross Road through a bookstagrammer who did a short review/feature on her IG live. I believe it’s written in letter form and it just sounds so wonderfully heartwarming and something book lovers would happily enjoy/appreciate. It’s also a movie!

May:

  • 18/05/2020 — Unconventional format (e.g. text messages, emails, verse etc.)
  • 25/04/2020 — Blue Cover

June:

  • 01/06/2020 — LGBTQ+ Main Character
  • 08/06/2020 — Pride Free Day
  • 15/06/2020 — Rainbow (on the cover, made from covers… be creative!)
  • 22/06/2020 — LGBTQ+ History (non-fiction or historical novels)
  • 29/06/2020 — LGBTQ+ Author

Do you like reading books in unconventional formats?
Have you read any of these or are they on your TBR too?

39 thoughts on “#5OnMyTBR: Unconventional Formats”

  2. I LOVE books in text format. Have you ever read Teagan Hunter’s Texting series? It starts with Let’s Get Textual. It’s so cute and funny! OH, and Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata is done mostly through emails. Love that one, too.

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  3. I have four of these on my tbr, too, so I’m not much help on whether or not they qualify. 😃 But, you’re right, when an unconventional format is done right, it’s so much fun!

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  6. Great list! I read a book many years ago called Love, Virtually by Daniel Glattauer – it was almost entirely based of emails between two people who met by e-accident and ended up debating whether to have an affair or not – it was really fun and got my intrigued into this style of writing.

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    • Ooh, someone just mentioned this same book to me on Twitter! When you say affair though do you mean there’s cheating? Or do you mean they’re debating whether to hook up or not? Lol if it’s the latter I’d definitely be keen to check it out — I’m not big on the cheating trope though 😛

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    • I don’t think I’d read anything like it before when I first picked it up but it feels like so long ago (or my memory is just really that bad) and I want to give it another try. I heard the audio was great 😀

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  9. Technically, You Started It was on my list as well!! The rest sounds interesting as well! I have to admit that I knew I want to use this prompt since before I announced the meme and I still had to sit down and look thoroughly for the right books — it’s easier to think of the ones I already read 😀
    Great list! ❤

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    • They’re so good, right!? Do you have a favourite? And YES! The more the merrier for this weekly meme 😃 It’s a nice refresher for what’s on the TBR (especially if you’re like me and have forgotten what’s on there coz it’s so long 😂)! Haha

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      • I don’t remember the last texting one I’ve read but I love Illuminae bc it’s told in various formats- emails, chats, and so on! I love a story told in different formats!!

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  12. I keep wanting to read Code Name Verity, I’ve heard great things about it. I’ve only read two of the authors other books that are probably not as well known as that one, but I’ve enjoyed them. 🙂

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