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Everyone loves a one hit wonder – that song you turn on when you’re feeling a little down. Who cares if you don’t know who actually sings this song; it’s a classic! But what about a literary one hit wonder? What about those books that are just devastatingly good – but don’t have a follow up novel to satisfy our hunger? Today, we’re pairing our favorite literary one hit wonders with the one hit wonders we love to dance to. It’s a big ol’ nerdy party over here!

The leaves are finally beginning to change and it’s almost – almost! – sweater weather. We’re waving farewell to those summer days spent reading outside and instead daydreaming about how we can bottle up the taste of a pumpkin spice latte into a reading experience. So grab your favorite blanket, light a few candles, and hunker down for a hygge day of reading.

Loving a story is an amazing thing. There are so many great tales in the world and sometimes it is hard to narrow down what the very best reads are to spend time on. Compounding this concern is the plethora of great long running series of books which have taken over the shelves of local bookstores. While many people have been spending their time on long running tales like A Song of Ice and Fire or Harry Potter, an occasional break from the thousands and thousands of pages is nice. It is time to consider throwing in some one and done novels to give a bit of rapid closure and catharsis. For Singles Day, we're providing a list of some of the best standalone novels for a quick recharge before diving back into that epic series.

Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle is a Socialist parable about the horrors of the meat industry at the turn of the last century. George R.R. Martin is one of the most famous fantasy authors living. Their books couldn’t be more different, and yet there’s remarkable similarities between them. Take, for example, Sinclair’s description of the killing floor and the Red Wedding. How then would the man known for dragons and swordplay do with Sinclair’s own bloody realism?

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Do you find yourself speaking in a British accent when it’s not your native dialect? Do you find yourself gazing out of your 4th story window longing for your love to ride up to your doorstep on his faithful steed with a bouquet of roses in hand? Do you find yourself chain smoking Marlboros just to have the scent linger on your clothes because you’re pining for your man? If you have answered yes to any of the above, then you my friend, need to put down the novel.

It’s National Read A Book Day and we’re grateful for a world full of literature. Think about it: if we really wanted to we could run to the library after work, or pop into a bookstore on our lunch break. And if you’re reading this right now, chances are you have a TBR pile on your nightstand and unread books on your bookshelf. The printed world is everywhere! But imagine a world without books. Today, we’re exploring books, both fiction and non-fiction, that bring this concept to the forefront. Read on!