Kate's Book'd Lists

Footnoted and Fancy Free

Created by Kate - Updated on May 25^th 2023

One of the peculiar delights of written English is the ability to use footnotes not just to expand the text but to connect with the reader in a way that can be unusual, personal, and very funny. The first author I found using footnotes this way was Jonathan Stroud, and over the years I've seen several authors using similar techniques to escape the boundaries of a conventional narrative. The only downside to this list is that audiobooks often lose the flavor of the author's intent so I definitely recommend the print version.

What if? : serious scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions

Munroe, Randall, author.

From the Publisher

In the New York Times best-selling book from the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, Randall Munroe gives hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask. In pursuit of answers, Munroe ran computer simulations, pored over stacks of declassified military research memos, solved differential equations, and consulted with nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by signature xkcd comics. (They...

My Thoughts

The questions in "What If?" are interesting in their own right, but Munroe's snark comes through very clearly between the stick figures and the footnotes. If you're interested in more from him, his well-known website xkcd.com incorporates alt-text on his comics as a sort of digital footnote.

An abundance of Katherines

Green, John, 1977-

From the Publisher

Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships.

My Thoughts

Also a good one for math nerds! The teenagers in John Green's books are often a little too smart for their own good with hefty doses of self-reflection; Colin maybe needs it more than most.

The Eyre Affair Jasper Fforde.

Fforde, Jasper.

From the Publisher

The first installment in Jasper Fforde's New York Times bestselling series of Thursday Next novels introduces literary detective Thursday Next and her alternate reality of literature-obsessed England Fans of Douglas Adams and P. G. Wodehouse will love visiting Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, when time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously: it's a bibliophile's dream. England is a virtual police...

My Thoughts

Hardcore literature nerds will especially enjoy this one. Fforde clearly loves the classics and gives well-known characters their own lives outside of their original stories.

Gulp : adventures on the alimentary canal

Roach, Mary.

From the Publisher

Why is crunchy food so appealing? Why is it so hard to find words for flavors and smells? Why doesn't the stomach digest itself? How much can you eat before your stomach bursts? Can constipation kill you? Did it kill Elvis? In Gulp we meet scientists who tackle the questions no one else thinks of; or has the courage to ask.

My Thoughts

Unlike some of the others on this list, nearly everything Roach has written is extensively footnoted so try any of her books for equally amusing histories of the seemingly mundane.

My Lady Jane

Hand, Cynthia, 1978- author.

From the Publisher

Edward is the King of England. He's also dying, which is inconvenient, as he's only sixteen and he'd rather be planning his first kiss than who will inherit his crown. Jane, Edward's cousin, is far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately, Edward has arranged to marry her off to Gifford secure the line of succession. And Gifford is, well--a horse.

My Thoughts

Alternate historical fantasies are my favorite, but I have to say this one managed to surprise me.

The truth

Pratchett, Terry, author.

From the Publisher

Discworld's first newspaper editor just wants to get at the truth but unfortunately, like other editors before and after him, many people want him dead for a variety of reasons. Sequel to The fifth elephant.

My Thoughts

Pratchett is also very well-known for his footnotes. "The Truth" is one of my favorites (and perennially relevant, it seems).

Forgive me, Leonard Peacock

Quick, Matthew, 1973-

From the Publisher

A day in the life of a suicidal teen boy saying good-bye to the four people who matter most to him.

My Thoughts

I often recommend Matthew Quick for those who enjoy John Green his work being similarly quick-witted, quirky and requiring abundant Kleenex.

The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao

Díaz, Junot, 1968-

From the Publisher

Oscar, an overweight Dominican from a New Jersey ghetto, dreams of becoming a writer and finding love, but Fuku, the curse has haunted his family for generations, may well prevent him from attaining his desires.

My Thoughts

The footnotes here aren't quite as in-depth but still worth mentioning since it adds to an already wonderful book.

Beauty queens

Bray, Libba.

From the Publisher

When a plane crash strands thirteen teen beauty contestants on a mysterious island, they struggle to survive, to get along with one another, to combat the island's other diabolical occupants, and to learn their dance numbers in case they are rescued in time for the competition.

My Thoughts

I'm positive someone somewhere has described this as "Lord of the Flies meets Project Runway." Like some of her other books, though, Bray sets up gonzo premises in order to talk about pretty significant social issues.