With so many books released every year (almost 3 million by some accounts!) it’s impossible for each to get its due respect and attention, so naturally some may simply go unnoticed, or may have been published so long ago it’s high time to take a look at them again. If the bestsellers list seems boring to you and you don’t necessarily want to be reading the same books as everyone else, here are 10 hidden gems that deserve to be read, and re-read.
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1. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
Riverhead Trade
One of the most unsettling and unique haunted house ghost stories of recent times. Or is it a ghost story? Who really knows—and the narrator never tells. The Little Stranger will have you asking questions long after you’ve finished reading it.
2. Longbourn by Jo Baker
Vintage
What were the servants up to while Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy were courting, fighting, and marrying? Fans of Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice in particular will appreciate this book told from the point of view of “below stairs” staff.
3. The Bad Mother by Esther Walker
The Friday Project
Walker has a refreshingly unsentimental take on motherhood and raising children. This funny part-memoir is hilariously honest and very, very funny
4. Dodsworth by Sinclair Lewis
Classy Publishing
One of Lewis’s best, this novel about an American businessman transformed by a trip to Europe is a must-read. Yes, even if you’re already watched the 1836 movie with Walter Huston and Ruth Chatterton.
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5. Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker
Douglas’ book is a must read for anyone who appreciates true crime and specifically the work that went into the FBI’s criminal profiling program. Women especially should read this book to familiarize themselves with red flags that mean danger.
6. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
Simon & Schuster
Chang’s memoir, telling the stories of her grandmother, her mother, and herself is one of the most fascinating and important books written about China. A unique and often heartbreaking account of three women living through one of the most tumultuous periods in Chinese history.
7. Carrie by Stephen King
Signet
It's time for Generation Z to nab this classic: King’s first book is still one of his best and somehow remains incredibly relevant and fresh 50 years later. King famously wrote three pages before throwing the manuscript away (his wife Tabitha rescued it, and the rest is history).
8. South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
Vintage
One of Murakami’s most touching novels, South of the Border, West of the Sun is a masterclass of gentle storytelling that builds into something heartbreaking and cathartic.
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9. Helter Skelter, by Curt Gentry and Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
W.W. Norton & Company
Bugliosi was the lead prosecutor in the prosecution and conviction of Charles Manson and his followers, so it’s no surprise the book is the number one true crime bestseller of all time. A long read and very worth it.
10. Rilla of Ingleside, by L. M. Montgomery (1921)
Independently Published
Fans of Anne of Green Gables may be familiar with the continuation of Anne’s story, but Rilla of Ingleside is special for being one of the most useful accounts of the Canadian homefront during WWI, aka The Great War. Told from the point of view of Anne’s youngest daughter Rilla, the book deals with the tragedy and heartbreak of war.
