My favorite « unique formatting » in books

Good morning!

This has been inspired from one of the «Top 5 Saturday» prompts; showcasing your list of mixed media (or unique formatting) books from your list — I actually had no idea what we were talking about before reading some of fellow bloggers’ lists 😅

Which is something I truly love in my reading, personally! So I’ve been wanting to share my favorite unique formatting elements.

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Just like love tropes, i’m absolutely not the pickiest reader out there — of course I have my favorites, but I don’t really care of what i’m getting “IF it’s done well”. I might have a problem with it in particular stories or if it confuses me more than anything.. but normally speaking, it’s rare that I truly despite anything.

 

 

✍︎ Diary Entry

Funnily enough, One of my teenager’s most loved serie has been in the style of a 14years old’s diary (that we follow until she get 18; last one just dropped as she’s 21) – Before I even knew this was a thing. I now have a thing for them, it’s so easier for us to slip into the skin of the MC and get the “relatable” feels.

 

 

✍︎ Message texts / emails

Thoses are my absolute favorite too !! I find that using any electronic communication between the characters «in their voices» make them appear so much more real and complex in a way.

 

Exemple I liked; “Love Virtually” by Daniel Glattauer (exchange of emails only) & “Emergency Contact” by Mary H.K Choi (combined with “normal” first person POV)

Exemple I didn’t liked; Please send help by Gaby Dunn (exchange of texts/emails only)

 

 

✍︎ Newspaper articles / blog posts

This one has been mostly a thing i’ve seen in Thrillers, and especially Ruth Ware’s: the book will includes a few articles coming from a newspaper telling you what the result of something will be… but we don’t know HOW. Of course the article doesn’t give you any specifics either- just, let’s say “A body has been found here, blabla”

In contemporaries where the MC is a blogger, this can have a peak of one of their blog posts.

 

 

✍︎ Podcasts

I’ve mainly seen this one in “Radio Silence” by Alice Oseman, which I always find to be really cool to see something a Mc have made and/or is obsessing on included so we can see it too! Additionally, i think it should come off really nicely while listening to it in audio.

 

 

Do you enjoy books that include thoses? Or new formats I haven’t said?
Which would be you favorite/least favorite?