Friday Thread: What's An Under-the-Radar Book You Love To Recommend?
And what are you reading?
Hello and happy Friday!
In preparation for my end of the month Surprise Reads & More episode, I’ve been on the hunt for under the radar books that not only intrigue me with their premise, but that pull me in and keep me engaged with great storytelling, interesting structures, good writing etc. Immersing myself in books I consider under-the-radar is something that brings me joy in my reading life!
You might be wondering what constitutes an under-the-radar book? Merriam-Webster defines under-the-radar as an “idiom that means not getting attention: unnoticed.” In terms of books and for the purpose of today’s question, I think about under-the-radar books as those not (currently) being talked about by many readers—the reasons could be because the book is a not yet published new release, a backlist that didn’t receive much buzz when it was published, and/or a backlist that was “popular” when published, but is no longer receiving attention or being talked about.
Reading under-the-radar books continues to be one of my reading intentions for 2025, especially since it lends itself to another hobby I love—book research!
Under-the-Radar Lists From Years Past
26 Books From the Last Decade that More People Should Read (LitHub)
Books That Went Under the Radar in 2023 (Bibliocommons)
Question Time
The questions I ask in weekly threads are meant to be fun and help us connect, so please know you don’t have to answer each question, if you only have the time/desire to answer one, great! Please put book titles IN ALL CAPS for easy reading
What’s an under the radar book you love to recommend?
What are you reading (or planning to read this weekend)?
Let’s chat in the comments!
Two books I want to highlight today as under the radar gems are GETTING LIFE: An INNOCENT MAN'S JOURNEY FROM PRISON TO PEACE by Michael Morton (nonfiction) and THE PHONE BOOTH AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Laura Imai Messina (literary fiction).
If you're a reader who loved THE SUN DOES SHINE by Anthony Ray Hinton (one of my all time favorite books) then you'll want to read GETTING LIFE. The writing leans toward the literary side and it's structured as a mystery that's actually solved by the end which makes what happened to Michael Morton all the more heartbreaking.
THE PHONE BOOTH AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD was a five star read for me and one I've never heard anyone else talk about, both before I read it and since and that's a shame. It's about
"grief, mourning, and the joy of survival, and was inspired by a real phone booth in Japan with its disconnected "wind" phone, a place of pilgrimage and solace since the 2011 tsunami" This is literary fiction that has a beautiful message and characters that I became emotionally invested in
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19302626-getting-life?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UNTiuni0Js&rank=4
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54776222-the-phone-booth-at-the-edge-of-the-world?ref=nav_sb_ss_2_16
One of my latest reads is RAISING HARE: A MEMOIR by Chloe Dalton which Rita also mentioned here in this discussion thread. This is the second memoir I've read lately that I've given 5 glowing stars to - THE TELL by Amy Griffin is the other one. Raising Hare is about one woman's decision to help a baby hare and the way that decision transformed her life. I listened to it, the audio narration is perfection (the author does not narrate). This is a beautiful story that any reader can enjoy. The author was able to take her truly amazing story and share the bigger picture which is something that couldn't have been easy. Her writing was never boring, I was interested and invested from page one!
I'll be sharing my full review and discussion about Raising Hare in the upcoming Books & Beyond podcast episode with Katie who, by the way, read it before me and let me know that I would ok reading this one after my initial hesitation that something bad would happen to the hare:)
I have so many! Firstly, agree with the Hare and also Esme Lennox nominations… One of my under the radar suggestion is How To Read A Book by Monica Wood - an uplifting story about found family with a slightly implausible but delightful plot involving a women’s prison bookclub, a bookshop and a tragedy and I loved it and recommend for bookish friends wanting something lovely, it’s a really good read. For Ann Patchett fans I must push her collection of essays These Precious Days which is outstanding - witty and moving, razor sharp writing - I absolutely love this book and have given it to many friends. Something really obscure but so touching and tender is Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee, Australian author - I don’t know how to describe it except as poignant, sad, funny - features a single mother doing her best in impossible circumstances written from the point of view of a sibling of a child with a medical condition, it is so gorgeous.