Photograph by Tim Hout

In an age when Barnes & Noble's shelves seem to be stocked by a handful of companies and every dinner-party conversation revolves around the same five books, finding a fresh read can be daunting. Rather than plodding through a string of letdowns, seek out niche publishers that curate their lists with care and taste. Here are three of the best bets. Timothy Hodler

THE DALKEY ARCHIVE PRESS

This publisher was launched in 1984 as a side project of the Review of Contemporary Fiction, and landed works by many of the last century's most challenging writers, like Stanley Elkin, Gertrude Stein, and David Markson.

Try If You Like: David Foster Wallace, Thomas Pynchon
Recent Picks: William H. Gass' Cartesian Sonata, Stanley Crawford's Log of the S.S. The Mrs. Unguentine

TWO DOLLAR RADIO

Started in 2005 by Eric Obenauf, a bartender, and his wife and brother, this tiny upstart has already produced an impressive array of subversive fiction from former literary big-leaguers—like Rudolph Wurlitzer and Jay Neugeboren.

Try If You Like: Jonathan Lethem, Cormac McCarthy
Recent Picks: Lawrence Shainberg's Crust, Francis Levy's Erotomania

SMALL BEER PRESS

Founded by Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners) and her husband, this quirky press puts out surreal fiction by such undersung storytellers as Sean Stewart, Maureen McHugh, and John Crowley.

Try If You Like: Susanna Clarke, José Saramago
Recent Picks: John Kessel's The Baum Plan for Financial Independence, Geoff Ryman's The King's Last Song