#22. "Cycle of the Werewolf" by Stephen King & Bernie Wrightson

One of the best parts of reading a Stephen King book is imagining what the horrors on the page look like. While his prose varies, he definitely knows how to build suspense and create an image that is just as jarring as any film could ever be. It's why his partnership with artist Bernie Wrightson seems like a bit of an anomaly to a career fueled by imagination. "Cycle of the Werewolf" is a concept comic designed like a comic book, depicting the chaos of one small town over one year as a werewolf attacks innocent people. The stories are largely unconnected, but it slowly builds to an understated and somewhat underrated experience, capturing the essence of King in a brief form that is more creatively innovative than it is as a story. Still, it recontextualizes his work in a new and exciting way.

#21. "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka

In classic literature, the ultimate weirdo supreme is Franz Kafka, whose work relied on shocking imagery. It lead to the rise of "Kafkaesque" stories, which challenged the very structure of what a narrative could tell. But what makes Kafka worth remembering in this way? It wasn't just that his work was so jolting. It's also that stories like "The Metamorphosis" reflect a deeper and more unsettling subtext about culture. For all of Kafka's strengths in prose, it wouldn't be the same if he didn't have stubborn intentions to make something simple as a man turning into a bug into a grander theme of life. To be "Kafkaesque" is to be weird with a tragic political undertone. Few short stories exemplify this quite like his most recognized story that takes a small location and turns it into one of the biggest statements possible. 

#20. "Brooklyn" by Colm Toibin

One of the great ideals of American culture is the American Dream. It is the belief that everyone can come to the country to start a great life. Everyone has some origins in that story, and they aren't often grand statements of justice, but more the personal freedoms of the self. In Colm Toibin's "Brooklyn," he details an Irish girl named Eilis' journey west, where she gets a job, an education, and a boyfriend. The story lacks a major conflict that uproots everything that came before, but it does explore the struggle to maintain an identity in a new land. It's a powerful story, and one that works in its simple prose and bashful protagonist, who makes the dream of coming to America sound almost commonplace in a way that makes her more than an immigrant, but an actual American citizen.

#19. "Happy Birthday to You" by Dr. Seuss

Nobody could write for children quite like Dr. Seuss. In fact, what he does is almost too ridiculous to be taken seriously, if it wasn't so inspired at the same time. In his book "Happy Birthday to You," he tackles the universal event known as a birthday and mixes rhymes with fantastical imagery in a way that will delight children. It will make them wish that maybe, just maybe, they too can have a birthday that is as grand as the protagonist (which is you). It's a heartwarming story and one that could suit a birthday for anyone wanting to live large. It may not have the same rhythm and focus of his other classics like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"or "The Cat in the Hat," but it works as a minor story in his collection. It also proves that anyone can be creative if they just try. You just have to be dedicated to a silly rhyme scheme that makes sense eventually. Dr. Seuss knows how to appeal to the kid in all of us, and it's why this book works in spite of its redundancy.

Rating: 3 out of 5