Quirky Books
A Confederacy Of Dunces
By John Kennedy Toole
1980
New Orleans can be a strange place. Toole captures the oddity of this
raucous Louisiana town through a brilliant cast of characters, each
with their own wonderful eccentricities. The novel begins with a
description of it's hero, Ignatius J. Reilly: "A green hunting cap
squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps,
full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in
the ears themselves, stuck out of either side like turn signals
indicating two directions at once." Toole's sense of humor moves the
book along at a sharp pace.
Welcome To The Monkey House
By Kurt Vonnegut
This is a collection of 25 easily-digestible short stories by
Vonnegut, the author of the celebrated novel
Slaughterhouse-Five. The stories highlight the author's gift
of story-telling and sense of the American social fabric. Readers put
off by Vonnegut's esoteric writing style will find this book
pleasantly enjoyable.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
By Hunter S. Thompson
1971
Those easily offended should avoid this book. Thompson's view of the
United States is unlike anyone else: and that's probably good. Told
in the first person, this book chronicles two friends driving across
the country together. It is a ride filled with an abundance of
profanity, pornography, racism, sexism, homophobia, and heavy heavy
heavy drug use.
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
By Tom Wolfe
1968
After finishing this book, you will say: "What did I just read?" The
writing style is extremely strange, as if the author was doing LSD as
he wrote. This book details the beginnings of the Hippie
counter-culture of the 1960s by traveling along with author Ken
Kesey's Merry Pranksters in a multi-colored school bus called
Furthur. The book describes the first acid tests in San Francisco and
the influence of The Grateful Dead.
Wolfe is the author of the more mainstream novels The Bonfire of
the Vanities and The Right Stuff.
Miss America
By Howard Stern
1995
Radio comedian Howard Stern delivers a hilarious look at his own life
in this best-selling book. Be warned though, this book contains lots
of profanity and pornographic suggestions and is not intended for
young readers. The first chapter, "Cybersurfing for Vagina," is a
hilarious description of Stern's online sexual encounters.
Acquired Tastes
By Peter Mayle
If you've ever wondered what the good life was about, but didn't want
to experience it by watching television, then you will definitely
enjoy Acquired Tastes. Author Peter Mayle (Toujours Provence) guides
the reader through approximately 20 different hedonistic pleasures
that most us of can't (and never will be able to) afford, from a fine
cigar to the pleasures and angsts of a mistress. One can almost see
themselves in a tailor's shop in London or a humidor in Havana. Mr.
Mayle's writing is excellent, and a very quick read - you won't want
to stop reading.
-- reviewed by Melissa Bushner
The Demon Haunted World: Science As A Candle In The Dark
By Carl Sagan
In an extremely thought provoking book, scientist Sagan expounds on
why we, as a society, should be more skeptical and not just
arbitrarily accept things. We need to apply basic scientific
principles and ask why, how, and who? What is really behind our
beliefs? Do we have to accept things merely because it is the
"proper" thing? Can our beliefs and ideas really survive basic
scientific tests? Perhaps if we were all a little more skeptical in
our beliefs, we wouldn't be so susceptible to the mindless drivel of
TV?
-- reviewed by Chris Cesulski, Rochester Hills, Mich.
The Illuminatus! Trilogy
By Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson.
These books will make you question reality, and perhaps create a new
one for you. A tapestry of amazing characters, conspiracy, irony, and
paradox. Read anything by Wilson if you aren't afraid of losing your
grip and becoming a paranoid freak!
-- reviewed by Christy-Ann Marie Neal
By Tom Robbins
I could not believe that in your "Quirky Books" sections, there were
no Tom Robbins books. The man has a excellent sense of humor, will
use anything as a main character (including a sock, a spoon, and a
shell) and always has a twist on the endings. Recommend books by Tom
Robbins are Skinny Legs and All, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Still
Life With Woodpecker, Another Roadside Attraction, and Jitterbug
Perfume . After reading these, you'll begin to wonder why you have a
TV in the first place.
-- reviewed by Diane
A Feast of Snakes by Harry Crews
Crews's writing has come to be known for his bag of quirky "misfits," and this
book certainly delivers, as it is set in small-town Florida where residents
and out-of-towners alike gather for an annual festival that celebrates, quite
frankly, snakes.
--reviewed by Stacy Jones Waller
The Foxfire Book
by Eliot Wigginton and his students
The Foxfire Series was developed as a class project in the early 70's. Articles
were written by the students about early life in the Appalachian Mountains.
The students helped capture a simple and disappearing lifestyle. The Foxfire
Book is the first in the series. There are articles about log cabin building,
snake lore, hunting, moonshining, mountain crafts and foods. More than how-to
books, they allow you to look into the lives of the people interviewed. A very
interesting series!
-- reviewed by A. Adamchak
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