Read 26 Uniquely Written Books: Jan-Mar

 26 Books Series #2: 

Read 26 Uniquely Written Books in 2026

January- March 

I'm starting a series this year where I read/talk about 26 books in different categories. This is the second post in that series and it is going to focus on uniquely written books. It will include epistolary novels and other books that are not just written in prose. Throughout the year, I'm going to keep track of the books I read quarterly.

1. The City of Dreaming Books (Zamonien #4) by Walter Moers

-  Walter Moers has an interesting way of writing his books where he uses illustrations and plays with the formatting throughout. There will be pages where one word is repeated for the entire page. Others will just have a few words. You never know what you are going to get in his books. This formatting fits perfectly with the zany world he is creating. It is highly entertaining. 

 

 

2. S. by Doug Dorst and J. J. Abrams 

- One of the most intriguing books I have ever read. It is told through the prose novel Ship of Theseus, the marginal conversations between Jen and Eric, and the artifacts placed in the book by both Jen and Eric. I love that it is as if we are reading Eric's copy of the book. One of the coolest premises for a book, which had me thinking about some of the best parts of academia and some of the worst. 

 

3. e. by Matt Beaumont

- e. is entirely told through the emails of the employees at an ad agency. Matt Beaumont was able to create a distinct voice for each of the characters so well and I enjoyed getting to know each of them throughout the story. It is one of the most ridiculous books I have ever read and also one of the funniest. I will be continuing on with the rest of the series sometime this year. 

 

4. A Flowering of Ink by K. L. Noone

-  A Flowering of Ink is told through both prose and the letters that the two main characters, Burne and Devon, write to each other. I adored reading about them falling in love through their words. It was enjoyable getting to learn about each of their careers and passions, while also watching them grow attached to one another. This was a beautiful little story that I know I will remember for a long time. 

5. Season of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar 

-  Amal El-Mohtar's writing is stunning and I had a great time reading most of the stories and poetry in this collection. The stories were told through letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose. One of my particular favorite stories from the collection which really played with formatting was "The Green Book." It is a story about a woman's consciousness being put into a book. 

 

6. A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic: Or, Like Lightning in an Umbrella Storm by Philip C. Stead 

-  This is a middle grade story that is told completely out of order. It starts at Chapter 13 and continues on from there. The reader goes on quite the adventure with the main character who is a young goatkeeper named Bernadette, a forgetful wizard, a Boat That Does Not Grant Wishes, the author of the story himself, Steve the three-legged goat, and many other characters. 

 

March 2026: Hobbies & Crafts 🎨

In March, I spent some of my freetime playing  Nintendo Switch games and also making a diamond painting for my aunt. March was a pretty good month. 

 

 

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Nintendo Switch Game 🎮

  I had a great time getting back into playing this game on the weekends while listening to some audiobooks. My brother and I used to play the original Lego Star Wars games years ago. I love how much they revamped the game in this new version. 

 

Snoopy and Woodstock Diamond Painting 🌷 

 

Diamond painting is probably my favorite out of my artistic hobbies. I love how they not only look beautiful when they are done, but also how much it helps with stress relief.