2022 ONTD Reading Challenge discussion

This month, read a book with an unreliable narrator!

I will come back and update with recs

from Wikipedia: Notable works featuring unreliable narrators

Goodreads lists:
Books with Unreliable Narrators
Liar Liar: YA Books with Unreliable Narrators
So You Love an Unreliable Narrator
The Unreliable Narrator Next Door

Popular Unreliable Narrator Books

8 Insanely Unreliable Narrators

Top 10 Unreliable Narrators

12 Books with Unreliable Narrators

15 Thrillers with Unreliable Narrators

I think I want to read Lolita but I also don’t want to deal w all the bullshit that comes w it.

There are so many good choices to read for this, I don't even know where to start. I'm thinking of either American Psycho (it's been on my tbr list forever and I can't get enough of the musical - the London cast recording especially because MATT SMITH AS PATRICK!) or The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I love Agatha Christie and that's one of her's I haven't read, a lot of people say it's one of the most influential mystery novels of all time and even though I know the ending I really want to actually read it myself.

Looking at the suggestions (thank you for posting!) there's a lot more on there that I wanted to read but didn't realize fit into this category. If I can fit in We Have Always Lived in the Castle I definitely will!

I'm gonna read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd! I'm also gonna do Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (and its sequel because that's the edition I bought.)

Oh would you look at that, an excuse to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle! But only if I remember to save it and not read it in March accidentally. Otherwise I may reread A Clockwork Orange for the first time since high school.

Oh, btw the kindle edition of We Have Always Lived in the Castle is only $2.99 rn, so if anyone was planning to buy it, now’s a good time!

I’m planning on reading Shutter Island! Sometimes I feel like the only person who really loves the movie, so I’m curious how the book compares.

Eve wrote: "I’m planning on reading Shutter Island! Sometimes I feel like the only person who really loves the movie, so I’m curious how the book compares."

omg! i liked the movie too. i may find a copy too!

Eve wrote: "I’m planning on reading Shutter Island! Sometimes I feel like the only person who really loves the movie, so I’m curious how the book compares."

I read that book in high school, which was very long ago. I remember nothing about it other than it BLEW MY MIND at the time. That's another one where I wonder how I'd feel reading it more than 10 years later, so if I have time maybe I'll pick it up too!

Katie wrote: "Eve wrote: "I’m planning on reading Shutter Island! Sometimes I feel like the only person who really loves the movie, so I’m curious how the book compares."

I read that book in high school, which ..."

Haha good to know!! The movie blew my mind when I saw it, but apparently people thought it was predictable, which is why I see a lot of "meh" comments about it. I definitely did NOT predict anything about it though.

I'm probably going to start this theme off with Bonfire by Krysten Ritter and then move onto The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.

Undine wrote: "I'm gonna read The Murder of Roger Ackroyd! I'm also gonna do Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (and its sequel because that's the edition I bought.)"

I didn't know Gentlemen Prefer Blondes featured an unreliable narrator. I'm definitely making it my choice for April.

I'm interested in The Moonstone, Rebecca, Never Let Me Go, and The Dinner. So I guess I'll see what I'm in the mood for in April.

I really recommend His Bloody Project to anyone looking for immersive historical fiction/murder mystery. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is hilarious. The Remains of the Day is gorgeous and heartbreaking (also historical fiction).

omg I remember you recommending His Bloody Project to me - I'm gonna read that!

I think I'm going to read The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian. A friend on here told me it involves an unreliable narrator. Then I'll read at least one more but I haven't decided yet.

Juliana wrote: "I think I'm going to read The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian. A friend on here told me it involves an unreliable narrator. Then I'll read at least one more but I haven't decide..."

I put that on hold, but it hasn't come in yet. I really love his writing and I'm super excited to read it since it's new!

I'm going to read the night guest. I wanted to find one by a woc but it'll do

Tzipporah wrote: "I think I want to read Lolita but I also don’t want to deal w all the bullshit that comes w it."

sebastian knight also has an unreliable narrator (many of his books do, despair is another one, which has a proto HH figure but no csa) and is one of his more delightful books if you're interested

Lea wrote: "I'm interested in The Moonstone, Rebecca, Never Let Me Go, and The Dinner. So I guess I'll see what I'm in the mood for in April.

I've had The Moonstone on my shelf for about six years and haven't yet read it. I might pick it for this challenge.

Hmm..not sure what I want to go with this month. Picking is so hard! Lol. I was looking at The Blind Assassin (I had to read Alias Grace in HS and really enjoyed it). Looking at my tbr shelf I have: Lolita which has been on their for ages, The Thief, and Before I Go to Sleep. Oooo, someone rec'd The Red Tree in a post recently and I've been curious about that.

Sasha wrote: "Hmm..not sure what I want to go with this month. Picking is so hard! Lol. I was looking at The Blind Assassin (I had to read Alias Grace in HS and really enjoyed it). Looking at my tbr..."

oooh i have a copy of 'Before I Go to Sleep' on my shelf! i will probably read it for this month if you want to discuss!

Soooo many books from my tbr list in this category. Also loads I have read previously so should be lots to talk about! I'm hoping to read

We Have Always Lived in the Castle
A Clockwork Orange
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
To Kill a Mockingbird.

We'll see how far I get. Also I can highly recommend

Lolita
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Rebecca
Fight Club
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Looking forward to getting started :)

I'm glad a couple of people already mentioned Rebecca, that's on my list. That and Wide Sargasso Sea I think. Honestly you could write a thesis on unreliable narrative depicted by female insanity on Jane Eyre and it's spin offs

Post is up! https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com...

I didn't have an idea for this month, so I'm going to read One of Us Is Lying.

I'm going to read The Drama Teacher which I got from NetGalley. The blurb says "unreliable narrator" hah

I'll be reading Rebecca this month.

For anyone who is thinking about picking The Dinner by Herman Koch, there's a BBC World Book Club episode where he discusses that book.

Here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p029...

There is also an episode where Kazuo Ishiguro discusses The Remains of the Day.

Here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02r...

I think I'm going to read Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day. I loveeeed 'Never Let Me Go' and enjoyed his writing style, so hopefully this will get me out of my reading funk.

According to the list on goodreads, Code Name Verity is there and I've heard INCREDIBLY good things about it EVERYWHERE so that's my pick. If I have time left in the month, The Blind Assassin, I'm keen for more Atwood

I'm reading The Dinner by Herman Koch this month because, coincidentally, it ended up being a book I snagged at the library last week on the "Blind date with a book shelf". When I got home and took off the wrapping I was like oh hey this is one for the challenge. I'm almost done with it so hopefully this month will be less crazy and I'll get in more as well :)

I just finished reading The Girl on the Train for this month and I enjoyed it well enough. I had the mystery figured out about halfway through, but the ending was still pretty satisfying. I'm kinda curious about the movie and might watch that in the next week or two.

I'd wanted to read the Curious Case of the Dog in Nighttime, but I'm trying to use this challenge as a way to read some Kindle books I own and haven't read yet and I already owned The Girl on the Train.

Because I want to read The Handmaid's Tale for dystopia month, I've decided that I will also try and get through Never Let Me Go in April as it's been in my Kindle library for ages.

So i finished Before I Go to Sleep yesterday. it was meh. not nearly as tense or exciting as i wanted it to be.

I think i'm also going to aim to read Atonement this month, since it has been sitting on my shelf for forever.

After reading One of Us is Lying, I no longer think it applies to this challenge. I will read We Have Always Lived in the Castle and/or Belzhar.

I've been reading His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae and I'm reallllly liking it!!

So I just read Never Let Me Go, and I'm curious as to why Kathy would be considered an unreliable narrator? She tells things out of order, but otherwise seems more or less credible...

I'm reading Allegedly and it's SOOOO good so far. I said this in another post, but I'm so grateful for this challenge because I never would've known about this book otherwise.

I read The Remains of the Day which was really interesting and good!