35 - A book in a different format than what you normally read

[LindaLH]

I just downloaded an e-book from Project Gutenberg and copied it to my kindle. The file format is .mobi instead of .azw or .kfx - so to my mind that's a different format. I confess I'm a techie.

[Nadine in NY]

Linda wrote: "I just downloaded an e-book from Project Gutenberg and copied it to my kindle. The file format is .mobi instead of .azw or .kfx - so to my mind that's a different format. I confess I'm a techie."


I'd been thinking about using Gutenberg for this, too. I usually read ebooks on the kindle app on my phone or ipad (so I'm always choosing mobi!) but if I read a book on my computer, that would be different. And I rarely use ibooks, so I could also read a Gutenberg book on ibooks. But I kinda hate the ibooks setup so I'm not thrilled with that.

Or I could read a free Tor short on my computer. That's appealing because it's short!

Or I could do what I've got penciled in and read My Brother's Husband, Volume 1, because I never read manga. If I find myself struggling with that format, I'll DNF and turn to that free Tor short on my computer!!!

[Uniquely Kmee]

I'm definitely doing an audio book for this. Last audio book I listened too was in 5th grade lol

[Heather L]

Nadine, did you know there’s a free app for Project Gutenberg? Just throwing that out there for those looking for a different format.

[Nadine in NY]

Heather L wrote: "Nadine, did you know there’s a free app for Project Gutenberg? Just throwing that out there for those looking for a different format."


I did not know that!!

[Drakeryn]

Some ideas/suggestions for unusual formats:

Webcomics
- On a Sunbeam - https://www.onasunbeam.com/ - High school sweethearts and found family in space
- Problem Sleuth - You're a detective stuck in your room. Then, things get weird.

Visual novels
- Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning - Dark academia starring Nikola Tesla
- Dies Irae - Urban fantasy about battling a secret Nazi organization. The purchase structure for this one is kinda weird: there's an extended free prologue (which is why it says "free to play"), and then the rest of the story ("Kasumi & Marie scenario," "Kei & Rea scenario") costs money.
- steins;gate - Time travel and (I think) alternate universes? I haven't read this one but several friends have recommended it to me.

Manga
Shonen Jump offers a 7-day free trial if you just want to read something for the prompt. After that it's $1.99 a month for unlimited reading. I've been planning to read The Promised Neverland for a while, so I might do this.

Fanfiction
I'm not that familiar with the fanfiction scene so I don't have any specific recs, but from what I understand, Archive of Our Own (AO3) is the go-to site.

[Sheri]

Here's a link to Coffee Talk https://store.steampowered.com/app/91...

It was free with games with gold back in june, if anyone picked it up. It's pretty cute, fantasy people but dealing with pretty normal relationship problems and such. And the mixing part isn't terribly difficult.

[Mac]

Another idea for this prompt - a "read-along" where you consume a transcription of a play/audiodrama in your preferred format, then also view/listen to a performance of the piece. You can do one and then the other all at once, or break it down and switch back and forth act-by-act.

For auditory-only readers, the difference between one narrator reading a script, versus an ensemble cast performing it with sound effects and stage noises, definitely counts as a different format.

The easiest author do to this with is probably Shakespeare, since there are multiple plays of his that have been made into movies (with subtitles, which a lot of smaller works don't have).

[Mac]

Drakeryn wrote: "Fanfiction
I'm not that familiar with the fanfiction scene so I don't have any specific recs, but from what I understand, Archive of Our Own (AO3) is the go-to site."

For anyone not interested in stories based on existing stories, on this site if you navigate to "Other Media" and then "Original Work" you can find people's amateur, unpublished stories. (Not everyone uses this category in that way, but the summaries should make it clear which is which.)

Also, once you're on a page that lists stories, click on "Completion Status" on the toolbar on the right to filter out anything that is not finished yet. I know for some people it might feel weird to check off a prompt if you only read half of a potential story, even if that's all that exists.

[Lori]

I think I'm going to read the original serial version of The War of the Worlds. I often come across serial stories in old newspapers while doing genealogy research and I've always wanted to read one in that format.

https://decollected.net/novel/pearson...

[Sheri]

Oh, I bet you could use Kindle Serials too. I know Seanan McGuire had released both volumes of Indexing in that format. I assume they still have some, though I don't regularly seek them out.

[Sue]

For a terrific audiobook, check out The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom. The "guest" voices really make this a book to read by audio rather than print.

For a wonderful graphic novel, try Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi.

For a short epistolary, try 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.

[Annette]

I have about 3000 read books on my shelf, looking back 13 are plays and 13 are manga so I'll probably go for one of those

[Katelyn]

My mom accidentally bought a book we both want to read in "large print" format. Since I never read "large print" books I will take this one for this prompt!

[Marie]

I'm another omnivore reader! But I'm thinking poetry book in a physical book, try to find something where the format is important to the poems themselves and you might miss on an ereader. And physical books are probably my least read.

If you want to go fanfiction, I recommend starting out on the Archive Of Our Own. Just remember, people writing fanfic aren't professional. They are doing it for free for the sake of entertainment, so be kind and leave a review - it's at the very bottom of the page and most authors allow anonymous reviews.

And if you're new to audiobooks, I strongly recommend Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire One of the first audiobooks I listened to. I picked it because it was short and by a favorite author and I had a long drive.

[Erica]

I posted this suggestion in the check-ins this past week.

You can always use a cookbook. There are even a few graphic novel cookbooks. A cookbook could work for the body positivity prompt too.

[K.L.]

Debbie wrote: "One style of writing books that I really love is something called multi-genre writing. Basically, those books that tell stories in collections of receipts, poems, journal entries, text messages, et..."

This is a great idea!

Twenty-one Truths About Love would be a great option if you're looking for a book that tells its story as a series of lists.

[Teri]

I have never read a graphic novel before, and I've been wanting to start with They Called Us Enemy by George Takei.

[Stephen]

Bookburners: The Complete Season 1 or The Witch Who Came In From The Cold: Season One

These are serialized novels that are kind of the the literary equivalent of TV series, each chapter written by a different authors, originally published an 'episode' at a time.

[Alicja]

Graphic Memoir Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations - excellent!
Novels in verse: Clap When You Land, The Poet X and The Black Flamingo - also for those wanting to try audiobooks all three of those are excellent on audio.

[Megan]

I'm reading Where We Live: A benefit for the survivors in las vegas. It's in graphic novel format which I don't normally read. It doesn't show up on goodreads(?) so here is an amazon link.

https://tinyurl.com/y2ok5e9e

[Julie]

For those who are not audiobook readers normally these are a few friends and family have agreed are better in audio than text.

The iron Druid chronicles by Kevin Herne Narrated by Luke Daniels
Orphan Train by Christina Kline
Furiously happy by Jenny Lawson

Not usually graphic novel readers? Here are a few favorites

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
They called us enemy by George Takei
Hyperbole and a half by Allie Brosh

[Britany]

Brandon wrote: "I am not really an audiobook reader, so any suggestions in that format with an awesome narrator that is available on Audible would be appreciated."

Ready Player One is narrated on audio by Wil Wheaton- it's fantastic. Also, Lincoln in the Bardo is read by a whole cast of characters which is really dynamic and excellent.

[SadieReadsAgain]

I guess out of all formats, audiobooks are ones I don't really use much (I listened to two out of 85+ books this year), so I'm going with The Bass Rock on audio.

[Kelly Sj]

Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra is poetry/stories in the format of a standardized test - you get to interact with each question to interpret the meaning.

To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey is a novel written as a series of letters and journal entries about an expedition in Alaska.

For other epistolary novel options, Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher is a quick fun read, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer is popular, but I found it average at best (it annoyed me that all the letters sounded like they were written by the same person, rather than being unique to the characters' personalities).

[Samantha]

Chrissy wrote: "Brandon wrote: "I am not really an audiobook reader, so any suggestions in that format with an awesome narrator that is available on Audible would be appreciated."

I loved [book:World War Z: An Or..."

They actually released a Complete Edition that combines the 2 audiobooks so you get the full book. I also recently listened to Devolution by the same author (Max Brooks, Mel Brooks' son) and it was also great!

[Erica]

Teri wrote: "I have never read a graphic novel before, and I've been wanting to start with They Called Us Enemy by George Takei."

It is totally worth your time to read it.

[Erica]

I'm going to do 2017s challenge as well and I need a recommendation for a book written in letters. I've read and loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

[Sheri]

Ella Minnow Pea was also in letters, I liked it. Sounded like a silly premise, ended up being pretty surprised with where it went. (On app so cant link right now, sorry!)

[Brandon]

It occurred to me today that a book in a play or screenplay format could work for this prompt.

For screenplays, I highly recommend Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays.

If you don't want to read Shakespeare himself but like Star Wars, Mean Girls, or Back to the Future, Ian Doescher has written Shakespeare-type treatments in all of those settings. I still have William Shakespeare's The Merry Rise of Skywalker: Star Wars Part the Ninth on my TBR list, so I may choose that one.

[Marie-Eve]

I read The Monarch Papers: Flora & Fauna last year, it had a web based component as well.. I found it really different than what i usually read. Could also work for genre hybrid. I havent read the second book in the series, so maybe i'll go with that...
it's a "butterfly effect" thing that dissolves into a weird thriller mystery thing. I dont know how to describe it, really. hehe.

I've never read a graphic novel, and a friend lent me the HeartStoppers series, so i'll probably go with that.
Or finally give audio books a shot.

[LindaLH]

Nadine wrote: "I did not know that!!"

How about an e-book you can read free on Goodreads? I just stumbled upon the list:

books with free e-book downloads

I might try one of these:

A Christmas Carol
Wuthering Heights
The Chaperone
The Day the Flowers Died
13 Years in America
Just One Damned Thing After Another
A Symphony of Echoes
Seeking Solace
Veganomics
Mind if I Order the Cheeseburger?
Coffee House Lies

[Laura]

I listen to a lot of audiobooks and some of my favorites are the Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson and the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall-Smith. Also anything by David Sedaris. The narration really makes the books even better.

[Kim]

I looked up They called us enemy at my libraries but they only have the e book. Can a graphic novelbbe read well in that format?

[Jen K]

Jennifer wrote: "The river by Peter heller (also works for set outdoors)
The diviners series by Libba Bray
The Raven cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater
Confessions by kinae Minato (also works for dark academia)

F..."

I recommend Sleeping Giants which is the first book in the Themis Files trilogy. It is told in a series of interviews or personal recordings and fantastic on audio.

[Lilith]

How about a hymn book or songbook?

I was talking with some friends over the weekend about not being able to carol this year. Half of us are pagan, but we love the music and the poetry. We got to talking about all verbiage that you never hear anywhere else: words like "diadem" and "oblation". Yes, about half of us are poets, too.

It could be a wonderful meditation if this is your spiritual path, or a journey into a branch of poetry not often explored.

[Ellie]

Kim wrote: "I looked up They called us enemy at my libraries but they only have the e book. Can a graphic novelbbe read well in that format?"

I don't mind reading graphic novels on a tablet or in a phone app that separates out the panels. I find them a bit awkward to read on a computer but it's doable. eInk ereaders don't tend to be very good for images.

[poshpenny]

Brandon wrote: "I am not really an audiobook reader, so any suggestions in that format with an awesome narrator that is available on Audible would be appreciated."

Brandon for you I recommend checking out:

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) - My love for the Bobiverse is strong and I think you'd enjoy it.

The Fold

Binti

Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain - The narration on this is everything. So cheeky!

Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas

[Tranae]

I think this might be a perfect opportunity to read a play. I wanted to get into the August Wilson plays this summer and never got around to it.

[Tanu]

I might read Vikram Seth’sAn Equal Music (novel in verse)

[Jennifer]

I just finished "Wishful Drinking", an autobiography of Carrie Fisher. It was read by the author, who is hilarious. It's also very short, for people who don't want to spend too much time on an audiobook

[Tabitha]

I'm going to try reading a classic with the Serial Reader app! They send you a 10-15 minute bite sized portion to read every day. Seems interesting and definitely different from how I typically ingest literature. :)

[Darci]

I keep thinking I'm going to try audiobooks, but I never do. I got Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold with an Audible trial a while back, so I'll give that one a shot.

[Jennifer]

I've never finished an e-book and I've never read a graphic novel, so one of those options will do it for me.

[Leona]

Nadine wrote: "Linda wrote: "I just downloaded an e-book from Project Gutenberg and copied it to my kindle. The file format is .mobi instead of .azw or .kfx - so to my mind that's a different format. I confess I'..."

The phone is one I have not used. Thanks for the idea. This is hard for a lot of readers.

[LindaLH]

Sue wrote: "For a terrific audiobook, check out The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom
..."

Thanks, Sue! My book club is reading this title - I'm making a note to check out the audiobook.

[Cindi]

Brandon wrote: "I am not really an audiobook reader, so any suggestions in that format with an awesome narrator that is available on Audible would be appreciated."

Born a A Crime by Trevor Noah. It was so good as an audiobook.

If you like mysteries, I'd suggest Agatha Christie books as audios. They are pretty well done.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (or any in the Logan family series) By Mildred D Taylor was SO good.

IF you haven't read Becoming or Educated, those are good as audiobooks. And "The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family" by Josh Hanagarne was a good audiobook.

If you like romance, Molly Harper has a series that is well done as an audiobook.

The Mountains Sing was very good as an audiobook.

And really, I think any classic works are good as audiobooks. Some are almost more like performances, and the narration can add a new layer to the story.

[She loves to read]

Linda wrote: "I just downloaded an e-book from Project Gutenberg and copied it to my kindle. The file format is .mobi instead of .azw or .kfx - so to my mind that's a different format. I confess I'm a techie."
I love that perspective! :)


I don't really know what to read for this challenge. Do you think reading a book written in a language you haven't really read books in before would count for this?

[She loves to read]

Tabitha wrote: "I'm going to try reading a classic with the Serial Reader app! They send you a 10-15 minute bite sized portion to read every day. Seems interesting and definitely different from how I typically ing..."

This is a great idea! Thank you for this tip! :)

[Meg]

Cindi wrote: "Brandon wrote: "I am not really an audiobook reader, so any suggestions in that format with an awesome narrator that is available on Audible would be appreciated."

Born a A Crime by Trevor Noah. I..."

I came here to also recommend Born a Crime by Trevor Noah for Cindi's question.
To anyone reading - if there will only ever be one audiobook you listen to, I highly recommend this one! It's a great example of how the audio version of a story can be a far better experience than in print. Trevor Noah narrates himself, and does all the different voices and accents and even languages.