Read 26 Uniquely Written Books: April-June

 26 Books Series #2: 

Read 26 Uniquely Written Books in 2026

April- June 

Here are the uniquely written books I read in the second quarter of this year. This is the second part of my Read 26 Uniquely Written Books in 2026 post series. The first is here: Read 26 Uniquely Written Books: Jan-Mar, if you would be interested in seeing the six books I read during the months of January-March that were uniquely written. 

7. A Life in Letters: Notes and Prompts for a Return to Pen and Paper by Ronda Beaman

-  A Life in Letters is an epistolary memoir where Ronda Beaman decided to write letters that she never chose to send. Each are honest, vulnerable, and heartfelt. They range from letters to teachers from her past, friends, famous people such as Dr. Seuss (which was one of my favorites from the collection), and her family. It was a very touching collection. Following each letter, there are lines for the reader to write their own letter. It would be a perfect journaling exercise.  

8.  Taylor Swift by the Book: The Literature Behind the Lyrics, from Fairy Tales to Tortured Poets by Rachel Feder and Tiffany Tatreau

- An informational guide through most of Taylor Swift's songs. It goes into detail about the lyrics of the songs and the literary references in them. Some of the literary works are spoiled in this book though, so be careful. Along with the detailed analysis of her lyrics there are other sections such as: information about various Tortured Poets and important literature Taylor keeps alluding back to, such as Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

9. The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason

- In The Lost Books of the Odyssey, Zachary Mason has retold the story of Odysseus through a series of vignettes. Each chapter takes his story in various ways, some little deviations from his time at Troy to his journey after the Trojan war, and others are quite different. 

- Many of the chapters are told in Odysseus's voice and others are in various characters' perspectives. We get chapters from Polyphemus, Achilles, etc. Such an interesting way of taking such a well known story. Along with stories dealing with the Iliad and the Odyssey, there are also ones from other Greek Mythology stories such as the Minotaur and Theseus. My favorites were probably the one dealing with Polyphemus, the one with Odysseus fabricating his own story, and the one with Theseus.

10. Alice's Guide to Wonderland by Eric Geron

- It is told as a guidebook from Alice's perspective after multiple journeys down the rabbit hole. She gives the reader a tour of Wonderland along with information about the world such as the talking flowers, how to act at an Unbirthday party, the residents of Wonderland, and so many other pieces of lore. Along with Alice's guide, there are marginal notes from the Wonderland characters. The Cheshire Cat follows Alice through the entire book, while the other characters pop in at various points. 

-  A fun look at the world of Wonderland from the 1951 Disney movie Alice in Wonderland which is based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. 

11. When Fandom Trumps Hate by Dragonfire42, TheWatsonDiaries (Dragonfire42), VaguelyScribblesDownward (Dragonfire42)

- This is an epistolary story that is told through email, discord messages, texts, prose, and stories. It is a Good Omens fanfiction story which I read on Archive of Our Own in May (I do not support NG by any means but I still do enjoy the fanfictions created by such talented writers). I love this story with all my heart and think it is one of the best I have found.   

12. Follow This Thread: A Maze Book to Get Lost In by Henry Eliot

- One of the most unique books I have ever read and I highly recommend it to fans of mazes and labyrinths. This book is quite literally a maze book. You follow the red thread throughout the book as Theseus followed the thread throughout the Labyrinth. Also, you move the book along with it and the words. Many of the pages are upside-down or sideways.

- The book's prose goes between talking about mazes from literature and history. The framing device is the Greek myth about Theseus and the Minotaur. Henry Eliot weaves the story throughout the entire book and scatters in various information about the other stories and historical people. It was an intriguing way of relaying the information.

- The red thread creates illustrations such as various different mazes and creatures like the Minotaur. If you like an interactive read that will literally have you turning the book upside-down, you should check out Follow this Thread.

 

13. Moderating Love (Queer Ways to Fall in Love, #1) by Jax Calder

- Part of the story is told through prose and the other is told through stories and messages on an online forum. I loved getting both for this novella and seeing the relationship develop over the course of the story. Such a beautiful little romance. 

14. Noticed Me Yet? by Anyta Sunday

- Another romance told through prose and unconventional means. This time it is told through notes exchanged on a message board on a college campus. I cannot say I enjoyed this story much at all but it did have a pretty interesting concept.