Do you ever finish a book and think, “This one. This one is the next BIG book”? I do that all the time. I’ll admit that I fall in love with stories really easy, too easy in some people’s opinions, but I can’t help myself! The problem with that, though, is that most of those books I adore and think will be the next bestseller that all of my friends will love too… well, that doesn’t happen.
Those are the books that I make it my mission to push on people. To go on and on and on about them until people read them just to get me to shut up about them. And guess what? That actually kind of works. There’s nothing that brings me the special kind of joy that comes from someone reading a smaller title I recommend and seeing the same beauty in it that I did.
So, that’s what this list is! Books that I would love to see in the hands of more readers, on more people’s “favorites” lists, on the shelves of stores like Target. Authors that I think deserve more accolades, stories that bring something special to the table and are just waiting for readers to take a chance on them. Here’s my list of books I will eternally push on everyone who says they like to read!
19 Books I Wish More People Would Read (Because You Will Love Them, I Promise)
Fantasy
Ah, just looking at those covers makes me happy. If straight up epic fantasy is your thing, this is the section for you.
Rebecca Ross finally seems to be getting more recognition these days, and I’m so happy about that. But her debut novel, The Queen’s Rising, is still a book I’d love to see on more peoples lists. It’s effortlessly beautiful, with a strong lead and a wonderful slow burn romance.
Onyx & Ivory by Mindee Arnett is absolutely one of my favorite books of all time. It’s got it all: dragons, friends-to-enemies-to-friends-again, sweeping adventure, and hard-hitting action. I’ve read this one multiple times now and found more to love each time.
Lori M. Lee’s Forest of Souls is unique, compelling, and so much fun. The plot kept me guessing, romance is not at the forefront of this one, and the ending was like a punch to the gut. Now is the perfect time to read this one too, with the sequel, Broken Web, releasing soon and available for preorder!
I didn’t realize what I held in my hands when I started reading The Nightjar by Deborah Hewitt. I read the first page and the next thing I knew I’d reached the end. The story is magical and unique and heartfelt. It works so well as a standalone, but oh happy day! There is a sequel coming later this year. I adore this book, it really is something special.
Now for some title that lean more toward historical fantasy.
Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly is one of the books/series that got me back into read after a hard time in my life. This books is a blast! Zombies, necromancy, swoon romance? It’s all there!
Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy is one of those books that will make your heart swell with happiness. I promise, and I speak from experience. It has a fun magic system, a lovely setting, and the most likable cast of characters ever.
As much as the last book will make your heart swell with happiness, Kristina Pèrez’s Sweet Black Waves will rip that heart out and shred it into an infinite number of broken pieces. It’s based on the story of Tristan and Isolde, so if that should be warning enough, but I promise that this book is worth all the pain! This series as a whole really. It holds a very special place in my heart.
Here are some weird ones!
Neal Shusterman’s Full Tilt is in my top three books of all time. I’ve probably read it twenty times at this point. And it never gets old. Shusterman has been a big author for a long time, but this little book from 2003 never gets any love! It started my obsession with creepy carnivals. It taught me the importance of recognizing and tackling my own anxieties and insecurities. It’s so unique and twisted, and so, so slept on!
I was recommended Josiah Bancroft’s Senlin Ascends when I asked reddit for books like the video game Bioshock. I am *so* glad that I asked that question, because it led me to one of my new favorite series of, well, ever! This books is the steampunk fantasy goodness that I’ve waited my whole life for. It’s witty, charming, and oh so unpredictable. Just a great time all around.
Munmun is hands down one of the weirdest reading experiences of my life. I’ve not been able to get this Jesse Andrews book out of my head since I first read it. It’s set in a world where a person’s socioeconomic status literally determines their size. And it gets weirder from there.
Contemporary
For contemporary with a hint of magic, there’s Echo Brown’s Black Girl Unlimited. I read this entire book in one evening last year. There was just no way I could put it down after I’d started. The story is breathtaking, the writing is lyrical, and it’s overall so unbelievably heartfelt. It’s a book that sticks in my mind, and it deserves way more praise that I’ve seen it get.
Suggested Reading by Dave Connis is a book written for book lovers. It follows Clara, who opens up her own library for banned books out of her locker. I laughed, I cried, I highlighted entire pages that moved me. Connis impressed me with his first book, The Temptation of Adam. He absolutely blew me away with this one.
I’ve made it my mission to get more people to read Sarah Everett’s books. No One Here Is Lonely tells a beautiful story of grief, about loss in its various forms, and about finding yourselves while building new relationships. With small hints of sci-fi, this is a book that worms it’s way into your heart and stays there.
It’s been so long since I first read Laurie Devore’s Winner Take All, but I still think about it on a regular basis. So many of us have struggle with the unending stress that comes with trying to be an overachiever, and this book is so relatable because of that. It shows one of the best depictions of anxiety that I’ve read. This is a book that doesn’t pull punches. It hits hard and leave its mark.
Science Fiction
Strange Exit was my introduction to Parker Peevyhouse’s books, and I loved it so much that I read all three of her books in one day. And since I’m actually a pretty slow reader, that says something. If post-apocalyptic virtual realities are your jam, then this is the book for you!
I read How We Became Wicked by Alexander Yates on a whim. Mostly because part of me really misses the dystopian wave of the early 2010s. This book totally delivered! It’s intense, fast-paced, and unpredictable. And remember how I mentioned wanting books like Bioshock? Well, if you’ve played those games, you know what “Splicers” are and uhhh, this book had me just as creeped out as the Splicers did.
Time-travel! I found Timebound by Rysa Walker at the height of my Doctor Who obsession and I fell in love. Time-travel with a creepy cult thrown in? Even better. And if you really enjoy listening to audiobooks, this series is one of my favorites in that format!
Thrillers
I feel like recommending Alex North books is just a facet of my personality at this point. I just can’t help myself. The Shadows is the best book I read last year. It’s intense without being graphic, it’s compelling, it’s terrifying, and it’ll have your heart in your throat by the end.
Court Steven’s The June Boys came out of nowhere and blew me away. This book is wonderful. The story is a slow burn that builds up to a heart-pounding climax. It’s full of characters that make you care, and is one of the most heartfelt, stunning books I’ve ever read.
What underrated book do you recommend? Are you planning to read any of these?
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About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
Love your post, but I’ve only read one of these, and that’s Forest of Souls! I personally didn’t love it, but it wasn’t bad! And I’m waiting for the sequel too!