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The Weirdest Books I've Ever Read📚 Good, Bad & WTF?!

Sinead Hanna

56,775 views

Things are about to get WEIRD, as I recount the books that made me go WTF?

I'm sharing the best WTF books I've ever read, and why I think they work for all of their weirdness. Plus some that fell short and the ones that left me deeply disappointed. Bunny, Lullaby, Victorian Psycho, weird moon asylums, crazy rich folk, twisting tales and weird witches. And the book that made me shout "OH COME ON" very loudly.
Plus I share some of the weird books YOU recommended to me.

00:00 Hello & housekeeping
03:07 WTF is a WTF book - my definition

BOOKS I LOVED
07:59 Bunny
13:36 Lullaby & Haunted
17:57 Victorian Psycho
21:52 American Psycho
25:37 Crypt of the Moon Spider
28:56 Last House on Needless Street
31:43 Knock Knock Open Wide

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
35:19 Hex, Natural Beauty, Black Flame

RANT TIME
43:19 I'm Thinking of Ending Things
44:56 Mister Magic
45:59 The Ancestor
48:14 Just Like Home
49:47 Decomposition Book
50:21 Your Suggestions

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20 Comments

@Devorum 1 month ago

It feels so validating to hear your thoughts on House of Leaves! People always look at me like I've lost my mind when I say I didn't care for it, or find it scary creepy. That said, I'm glad it exists for the people who love it and I absolutely respect what it's doing.

@JoannePellegrino-w2k 1 month ago

Knock knock open wide and Burial Tide were incredible introductions to Irish Gothic and myth. Thank you for the introduction

@Lila-Leela 1 month ago

Wow Lullaby sounds really scary!

@abbi2254 1 month ago

Once again, Sinead, you prove yourself as a true kindred reader whom I can trust wholeheartedly! 📚

@haneulnophi 1 month ago

I read The Library at Mount Char about a year ago and I still crave that feeling I got when I read it for the first time. it's not really a "scary" book per se, but surely there's a lot of horrific and violent things happening. I would say the book is a "wtf fun ride". can't wait to read the newest book coming from the author this September!

@strawberryhairclips 1 month ago

As a Library at Mount Char stan, I'm pretty sure you would like it. I have never read anything like it and I think about it often. The author's brain should be studied.

@kurben2550 1 month ago

What you said in the beginning about Bunny, that it is an inner circle that invites this newcomer into their circle reminded me of The Secret History by Donna Tartt where an inner circle invites a newcomer in. Its an academic setting too. But that of course is more of a literary crimestory. But i do find it interesting that one of the inner circle is called Bunny in the Secret History. I doubt it is a coincidence. Even if Bunny the book goes in a totally different direction i feel it has got strong influences from The Secret History.

@cosmicfox88 1 month ago

I just finished reading Lapvona. A gothic medieval folk horror with WTF moments sprinkled throughout. Loved it.

@michaelhorning6014 1 month ago

Half of this list could be Chuck Palahniuk. Choke, Rant, Invisible Monsters, Survivor, Damned, Tell-All, Beautiful You, and just about every one of his books would fit in here. He's also my favorite living writer (because Donna Tartt is so slow).

@vonVile 1 month ago

I looked into the publisher, that made the long out of print John Carpenter's The Fog novelization and it's by Echo On Publications. They specialize in reprinting OOP horror and cult film novelizations. They have 26 books so far and release monthly.

@jessayaki9496 1 month ago

32:57 Yes!!! Not enough people are talking about Knock Knock Open Wide. I absolutely loved it. It was a wild ride for sure.

@ChuckLund-o4j 1 month ago

HEX is a perfect example of the difference between unsettling weird and distracting weird. Katherine simply standing in someone’s living room is terrifying precisely because everyone treats the impossible as ordinary. That image stayed with me.

@pairaka984 1 month ago

I saw some other YouTuber recommend I’m Thinking Of Ending Things and it sounded interesting so I watched the Netflix adaptation. It was very weird but the twist made me so angry. It turned this spooky, weird, what’s going on here kind of story into just another “man’s life was ruined by a woman” kind of story.

@breehuds5863 4 weeks ago

I felt the same way about Victorian Psycho. Absolutely love it and its weirdness!

@Rachelw 1 month ago

The biggest wtf book that comes to mind is Now You're One of Us by Asa Nonami. It's translated from Japanese and it's about a newly married woman living with her in-laws. I made all my coworkers read it a few years ago because I just needed more people to share in the wtf 😮

@baxtersmom279 4 weeks ago

I feel like you are spot on about “House of Leaves”. I feel like it is a pretentious mess. BTW, I am almost done with “Diavala” based on your recommendation. I am truly enjoying it!

@AnnaG-to2ke 1 month ago

I was actually thinking about Mister Magic, and I'm glad you mentioned it! I did start it but wasn't exactly invested, and wasn't sure whether to give it another go...probably won't now, so thanks for saving my time for better options :) Thank you for spending so much time and energy on these videos, I really enjoy them

@creepypaperpriestess 1 month ago

I’m so glad you mentioned Chuck Palahniuk because I went through a phase in college when I read most of his works and, yes, he is very much a WTF? author. I still haven’t read Haunted but I’ve had a copy for two decades now. I think it’s time to finally read it.

@misch1973 1 month ago

I listened to the audiobook of Victorian Psycho and it was so much fun! Also, Anna Burnett's voice works really well for the story, not only wtf but I laughed out loud quite a few times. Thank you for the recommendation!

@readerlisa9323 1 month ago

If you've never read it, The Hike by Drew Magary was a huge WTF for me. I wasn't expecting any of that. It's a very very weird book. Some disturbing moments, some funny moments but quite an odd journey. I'm Thinking of Ending Things was excellent for me but I did it on audio and I think that makes a difference. There were so many inner monologue moments that I don't think I would have made it through a hard copy.