Novels in a Polish bookstore (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I read a lot. I have for a long time. I’ve read a lot of good books, some bad ones, and some great ones. Many of the great books are ones you know. A few, perhaps, are not. Here are a few good-to-great books you might not have heard of until now.

• Replay by Ken Grimwood is a time-travel story about Jeff Winston, who finds himself in his 18-year-old body after dying of a heart attack. He knows the future (but not why only he seems to know it). A great version of what it would be like to relive your life over and over – with nothing ever new (almost nothing).
• Clans of the Alphane Moon by Philip K. Dick is one of his lesser known novels, but my personal favorite. It combines comedy, action, and even romance with an outstanding premise: An insane asylum, abandoned on a distant moon decades prior, has developed its own society and culture.
• Eunoia by Christian Bok is a work in which each chapter uses only one vowel, each in turn. He lets cleverness exceed decent levels. It’s an amazing effort and certainly one-of-a-kind.
• Company by Max Barry. I think of Max as Dave Barry’s slightly out-of-balance little brother. I don’t know if they are related. I could look it up, but why be disappointed by knowledge? This book is hilarious, unexpected, and unique: A corporate satire that is compelling, realistic, fantastical, and funny.

That’s all I can think of right now. It’s been a long day.

What are your favorite lesser-known novels?