For those of us that spent the last two semesters reading dull, barely understandable textbooks, we deserve a break. I don’t know about you guys, but I want at least one book that doesn’t have an answer key printed in the back of it. If you’re mentally drained like me and you need a full-on palette cleanser, here are three books that I would recommend to give your brain a break from academic reading.

1.    Dog On It by Spencer Quinn

Dog On It is for mystery and dog lovers alike. Dog On It is a book about Bernie and Chet, two detectives that have their own business called the “Little Detective Agency.” Bernie is newly divorced and is worried about the state of his incoming cash flow. Chet is a dog that loves sniffing out crime just as much as he loves napping. Before long, Bernie and Chet are set off on a case to find Madison, a fifteen-year-old that has gone missing. They find Madison, only to get another call that she has disappeared again. Once the team finds out that Madison has a connection to some Russian thugs, they find themselves going to Las Vegas to solve the mystery of Madison’s disappearances once and for all.

 The book is, you guessed it, narrated by Chet the dog. A mystery from a dog’s perspective might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Chet’s narrations (“what’s that noise? Who’s growling? Oh I’m growling! Why am I growling?”) might be all over the place, but what else would you expect from a dog?  This book is for those that are tolerant of whimsical and, at times, childish humor. Students that have just been through a long semester and want something totally silly to read, here is a book for you.

2.    The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

When Harold Fry receives a letter from his dying friend, Queenie Hennessy, he sets off on a 600 mile journey to see her. In her letter, Queenie says that she is in hospice and about to die, but Harold believes that, as long as he keeps walking, Queenie will not die. Harold ventures without boots, without a map and without a phone. During his journey, Harold is confronted with aching flashbacks as he struggles to make the 600 mile journey, hoping that Queenie will still be alive when he gets there.

This majestic piece of fiction is a sigh of relief after a year of reading nothing but textbooks. When you read a textbook you know what’s coming up next. But while reading about Harold’s pilgrimage, there is no guessing what’s next. Right when you think you’ve got this book figured out, plot twist knocks you flat on your butt.

3.    House of Leaves Mark Z. Danielewski

This book is for the ambitious reader that loves suspense. The story follows Will Navidson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist that moves into a strange house with his family.  Everything seems normal until the day Will and Karen’s children wander off and discover that their house has never-ending hallways and secret passages that disappear once someone goes inside.  The kicker about this story is the fact that the actual narrative is a retelling. The story of Will Navidson and Karen Green would have never surfaced without Johnny Truant finding the manuscript of their story in his neighbor’s apartment. After his neighbor’s death, Johnny Truant discovers a manuscript that appears to be an academic study of a documentary film called The Navidson Record. From there Truant is sucked into the story of Will Navidson and his family. But as Johnny begins researching the House Of Leaves, strange things start happening to him. Can he figure out the mystery of the house?

This book goes totally off the rails with upside-down text, ink blotches on pages and blank pages. House of Leaves is confusing and at times downright scary. This might be a little different than Dog On It, but it’s great for horror lovers that want to panic about something other than exams.