Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn, and Thrive outside the Lines

Written by: Jonathan Mooney

First line: Sons, You have each asked me a question, in different ways, at different times, and, I think, for different reasons.

Why you should read this book: Framed somewhat as a letter to his children, this book braids Mooney's experience growing up with dyslexia and ADHD with an examination of the limiting and historical ideas of normality and a discussion of the power of being different. While he struggles for much of his youth to blend in and succeed according to other people's standards, he comes to understand that the conditions others call disabilities are, for him, wells of strength from which he can draw new ways of being. Through his cultural research, he discovers that there is, scientifically, no such thing as normal after all, that it is our differences that make us human and allow us to thrive, and that viewing differences as problems robs humanity of its fullest potential.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've never had to work to fit in. 

To Be Honest

Written by: Michael Leviton

First line My parents prepared me far in advance for life's inevitable tragedies (death, rejection, failure, etc.).

Why you should read this book: Raised by parents who taught a strict code of radical honesty, which included everyone sharing every thought that moved through their minds at all times, with the assumption that nobody could possibly be offended by this behavior because they are just being honest and sharing their thoughts, the author grows up never fully understanding what everyone else's problem is, and also not caring. It's both hilarious and heartbreaking, and as he carries this philosophy into adolescence and adulthood, it impacts every facet of his life until he realized, one day, that lying might be a habit that could actually improve his life, at least the part that involves interacting with other humans. After astonishing Ira Glass with his life story and worldview, he decides to be brutally honest in sharing his recollections in print. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: Honestly, I loved everything about it, although I wondered if the author and his father ever considered that some of their policy was borne out of neurodiversity as well as honesty. 

Amazing Grapes

Written by: Jules Feiffer

First line: What's up? Mommy is staring out the window.

Why you should read this book: This deeply surreal graphic novel tells the story of three siblings, Shirley, Pearlie, and Curly, and their mentally absent mother, Mommy, who spends most of her time staring out the window, insensate to the world. When their father leaves and Mommy decides to remarry, a giant two-headed swan comes to carry the children off to another dimension, but Shirley refuses to heed the call, leaving the younger siblings to take a nightmare journey through another world populated by a strange assortment of companions. Eventually Mommy and Shirley (and Shirley's fiancé, Whatzisname), are able to catch up with Pearlie and Curly in this other world, and everyone sorts out where they belong and can finally move on with their lives, presumably happier than they were at the beginning of the book.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It feel allegorical and the internal logic is more complex than any of Feiffer's other work; it's very strange and in some places hard to read due to the bizarre nature of the subject matter and the characters' decision-making processes, and also due to the pervasive themes of abandonment, loneliness, and alienation. 

The Bye Bye Man

Written by: Robert Damon Schneck

First line: In 1692, while the Devil was leading an assault on the fractious inhabitants of Salem Village, French and Indian raiders were menacing the seaport of Gloucester fifteen miles away.

Why you should read this book: Originally titled The President's Vampire, this book was rebranded after one of the chapters (the least strange and the least true one, in my opinion) was made into a horror film. Otherwise it's a collection of unusual occurrences throughout US history, most of which appear to be simple stories of hoaxes and cons based on some people's inclination to believe in the occult, along with a couple unsolved mysteries. That said, it contains numerous citations, appendixes, and an index, as if it's a real historical work, and, apart from the titular chapter, appears to catalog things that actually happened, reporting both what the gullible believe to have happened and what research suggests realistically could have taken place. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: It doesn't quite cohere; there's not an internal consistency to the chapters, although they are each amusing, standalone anecdotes (except for the last one, which is just silly and made up). 

If UR Stabby

Written by: Kaz Windness

First line: Once upon a time, there was a murderous unicorn...

Why you should read this book: If you are angry teen who also likes rainbows, or if you simply have the mentality of an angry teen who likes rainbows, you may enjoy this eclectic collection of 1- and 2-page comics about a murderous unicorn. Stabby lampoons various cultural touchstones including numerous tarot cards, and experiences disappointment in interpersonal interactions. Kind of goth, kind of emo, kind of fun. 

Why you shouldn't read this book: I was hoping for a bit more of a cohesive narrative.