I’m doing the 50 book challenge, and I’m getting really discouraged- a I just about want to stop reading for a while level of discouraged. I’m 34 books into it, so finishing on time is no problem, but… I’ve truly liked less than 1/2 of the books I’ve read cover to cover.
This might have something to do with scoring student writing for a living(too many months of that makes you critical of all writing), since I’ve identified the problem- the voice is usually what turns me off the books I have been less than thrilled with. So many authors have voices that are utterly un-engaging.
I think this is more a problem when books are in 3rd person POV, or it at least seems so since 90% of the books I’ve read this year have been. It’s time for a switch to first person narrators. Recommend me some books with entertaining first person narrators, please! Oh, if the narration is really engaging, the stray 3rd person POV recommendation will be forgiven, but I really do want mostly 1st.
Oops, genres… Not romance novels, and no sci-fi that involves space-travel (other worlds/aliens are ok, but I hate space-ship center stuff), the internet or robots.
Any other scif-fi types, fantasy, drama, horror, YA, and humor are all fine by me.
I recently tried out a couple of Carl Hiaasen novels. One of them, Basket Case, was 1st person narration. And pretty enjoyable, I thought – since the main character had a pretty good wit and was a bit of a smart-ass, especially when speaking to the bad guys…
If you like war stories, theres a really interesting book called Johnny Got His Gun. I’m about a third of the way into it and the story is just amazing. The reading is difficult at first because its not what you would consider commom structure, but when you see the things the main character is going through, it makes you rethink your views on war (if you are a gung ho type person).
The Land of Laughs by Jonathan Carroll. Part mystery, part fantasy part horror and will stay with you forever. I think all his books are FP POV.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. You know this one.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Maybe true, maybe not (in parts) but unique. Terrific narrative drive in parts - I felt like it had a beat behind it.
No Beast So Fierce by Edward Bunker. Quentin Tarantino says this is the best first person crime novel ever.
Life at These Speeds by Jeremy Jackson. The narrator is an eighth grader unlike any you have ever met.
The Monkey’s Mask by Dorothy Porter. A detective story told in free verse. The PI is a lesbian. Nice and steamy.
All have very distinctive narrative voices. Samples of most are available at Amazon.com so you can get a taste.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - the first person voice is a 14-year-old murdered girl watching the aftereffects of her murder. Amazingly engrossing story-don’t be scared off by the disturbing premise.
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore - bizarre, well-written and really funny!