Summer Reading Guide: Weird and Wonderful Edition

We are the weirdos, mister.

The Craft—is there anything better?

I’ve been geeking out about summer reading since I was in elementary school and there are few things I love more than a summer reading guide. I recently posted my Bookish Taste Test, so if you know me at all, my reading recs won’t be a surprise here. I’m focusing on the strange, the quirky, and the downright weird for this reading guide–some new releases, as well as a healthy backlist of titles.

I’m working with a very broad interpretation of “weird,” as you’ll see below. I also mean it in the best way possible. Weird is a compliment. Weird can mean so many things.

A few notes about the term “weird girl literature” or “weird girl books.” First, I love it. Call it whatever, but this is my comfort zone. I’ve been hashtagging my own book as a “weird book,” though it is not marketed that way. If anything, Doll Parts fits squarely in the “sad girl lit” category¹.

Karin Gillespie recently had me thinking more about Weird Girl Fiction, “The Quirky Genre That’s Sucking Up All the Oxygen.” While there are many variations of Weird Girl Books, Gillespie writes, “Words like twisted, warped, and unhinged signal the trend.” I’ll add words like “obsessive,” “grotesque,” and “absurd.” Add in magic and humor and this sub-genre widens into a wonderful range of options including everything from body horror to the octopus point-of-view in Extremely Bright Creatures.

I love that people are talking about this category of fiction, though I hate calling it a trend, which may simplify it too much. Books we might call “weird” or “twisted” (think Bunny by Mona Awad, My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, and anything by Melissa Broder) are not new and I hope they aren’t going anywhere. I personally find it all fascinating and envision giant overlapping circles (Venn Diagram-ish) with literary fiction, horror, suspense, speculative, and magical realism all part of the discussion.

Basically, I’m talking about books that make me say “what the hell did I just read” at any point in the reading experience. These are the books that surprise me. They are a lot of things, but they are not forgettable.

This summer reading guide focuses largely on contemporary fiction and yes, most of the books are by women. I have left out many titles due to space and I do not consider this a definitive list. If all varieties of weird literature is your kind of thing, welcome to the party. If you do not usually delve into off-kilter worlds in your reading, I hope you will find something here to try out anyway.

As you’ll see, there are many ways to interpret “weird” or “strange.” I’m here for them all.

Note: I am a Bookshop.org affiliate and may earn a small commission if you purchase through my links (so I’m told).

Summer Reading Guide: Weird and Wonderful Edition

1. The Quirky Ones

The Substack Gallery feature isn't designed for these book images, but I kind of like the way it looks anyway.

For anyone who isn’t into horror or maybe just isn’t in the mood for dark suspense this summer, for anyone who appreciates really good writing and a certain kind of off-kilter humor, this category is for you.

• Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson

  • This is Kevin Wilson’s newest novel. Sub in any books by him and you’ll be set for summer reading.

• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

  • I have not read Murata’s other novels, but I’m going to fix that ASAP. I don’t even know if “quirky” is the right word to describe this book, but I devoured it.

• Kittentits by Holly Wilson

  • The pitch: “A surrealist and bold take on the American coming-of-age novel.” I liked it so much on audio that I had to buy a hardback version, too.

  2. The Suspenseful Ones

  

In my personal opinion, there isn’t enough of the strange and weird in thrillers. I like a little dark comedy, a speculative angle at the very least, but anything with a hint of the absurd or wacky gets me going.

• Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang

  • We’ve got twin sisters, death, and influencer culture—a delight on every page. This debut novel is described as both “darkly funny” and “fiercely paced.” I’m a fan.

• All Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky

  • Let me just give you the pitch and let you make the right decision: “Rachel Kushner meets David Lynch in this fever dream of an LA novel about a young woman who commits a drunken act of violence just before her sister vanishes without a trace.”

• My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

  • Dark and funny, this novel is not traditionally “weird” but just strange enough that it stands out among so many other thrillers. In this case, “weird” equals subverting some genre tropes.

3. The Literary Ones

Good writing, no matter the genre, is my bookish catnip. When you combine it with something unexpected, I’m all in. If, like me, you appreciate literary fiction that is far from boring, I narrowed down this list to just three.

• Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar

  • You have likely heard about Martyr! already, but if you haven’t read it yet, consider this your sign. Poets writing prose is my other favorite sub-genre.

• The Antidote by Karen Russell

  • Much like Kevin Wilson and George Saunders, I could list any book by Karen Russell here. Her newest has a “prairie witch,” and I’m obsessed.

• Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky

  • How do I describe this fast and unsettling book? Strange is the word that comes to mind. This is proof that a book doesn’t need magic or ghosts to present an off-kilter world. It’s all in the execution.

4. The Terrifying Ones

I am a lifelong fan of horror, in almost all of its flavors. The books recommended here include grotesque, dark comedy, and psychological fear.

• Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito

  • Who it’s for: fearless lovers of horror who laugh at the most inappropriate moments. Who it’s not for: anyone with a delicate stomach. I loved it.

• Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker

  • When I think about it, this book might be one of the saddest and most gory that I’ve read in a long time. I’m so glad I read it. Hungry ghosts will make the list of weird and wonderful every time.

• Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt

  • There is something about Samantha Hunt’s writing and the way she looks at the world that unnerves me. Let’s call this fabulous and underestimated book contemporary gothic.

5. The Short Ones

I am often drawn to short story collections, but especially the ones with fairy tales, folklore, and a sincere lack of reality. Any of the books below would make for fantastic summer reading.

• What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

  • Playful might be my favorite word to describe Oyeyemi’s work. Here are some other words, via an NPR review: “dreamy, spellbinding, and unlike just about anything you can imagine.”

• Her Body and Other Stories by Carmen Maria Machado

  • I think I’ve purchased this book three times. List it as one of my all-time favorites. If there’s ever a writer who is an “auto buy” for me, it’s Machado.

• Civilwarland in Bad Decline by George Saunders

  • A list of the weird and wonderful would feel lacking if I didn’t mention George Saunders. In this case, I’m a fan of everything he writes (though I can’t keep up with his Substack).

It’s going to be a great summer all leading up to the August 26 launch of Doll Parts (unless you’re in the U.K—you get Doll Parts on July 31!).

What books are you most looking forward to reading this summer? What’s on your summer TBR?

Love, love, love,

Penny

• Enter to win Doll Parts on Goodreads

• Pre-order Doll Parts at Bookshop (or other online retailers)

• Request Doll Parts on Netgalley

1. A book about grief and loss, full of Sylvia Plath references, with a mascara-smeared crying girl on the cover = Sad Girl Lit.