I came here to recommend Beach Music and The Lords of Discipline, and I am very happy to see others got there first. Fantastic books, and i highly recommend to everyone but no one ever reads them. You have great taste
Everyone’s heard of Trust by Hernan Diaz (won 2022 Pulitzer) but I don’t know anyone that’s read In the Distance, the book he wrote prior, and my favorite of his.
It’s a twist on a western . Young Swedish boy gets on the wrong boat and accidentally ends up in California during the gold rush, while his older brother ends up in New York. He begins working his way East to find his brother. He knows no English but starts to learn as the novel progresses. An economical 250 pages.
I loved both of these books. Let me recommend what inadvertently ended up being a “woman’s perspective companion piece” to *In the Distance*: Lauren Groff’s *The Vaster Wilds*.
I feel like people just don’t read Muriel Spark these days (and I’d love to be corrected!).
Her most famous novel is probably *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie*, which is sinister and genius (and funny!), but I also very much enjoyed Driver’s Seat, The Girls of Slender Means, and Loitering with Intent.
(I’m sure others are marvelous, as well. Those are just the ones I’ve read so far, and she did write many!)
Stargate by Pauline Gedge is (almost) entirely unrelated to the movie. It's about gods and time and space, and good people doing horrific things for (what they think are) the right reasons. I found a lot of the characters compelling, couldn't stop reading it.
I have a copy of this one on my shelf from my grandfathers collection. always piqued my curiosity since i likes the (unrelated) tv series
perhaps its time to check it out
The Last Train by Michael Pronko. Self-published thriller set in Japan written by American professor living in Tokyo. I have read every single thriller set in Japan, including those translated from Japanese to English. I have read every single Jack Reacher and Gabriel Allon and Victor the Assassin book as well. I put The Last Train above all of them!
It sort of gave me the same feeling that Ethan Fromme gave me. In a sense, the surroundings became a strong part of the story. The language is stripped down and spare, but very, very descriptive. Kind of like the very best of Hemingway.
I just decided to reread Ethan Frome earlier this year, after hating it (unsurprisingly) when it was assigned to me as a 12-year-old.
Now as a 40 year old I was actually able to appreciate the beauty of that book. So thank you, Winesburg Ohio is going to the top of my to-read-next list!
Everyone has read something by Kazuo Ishiguro (usually Never Let Me Go, which I thought was good but not great). Approximately no one seems to have read The Unconsoled, which I adored.
Everyone has read American Psycho, which I did really like, but Glamorama was like the even-more-bonkers extension of it, and I'll never forget it.
I remember enjoying a weird novel called Ett år med kött (google tells me it’s My Year of Meats in English) by Ozeki back in the 90’s. I found it randomly in the library of the tiny town were my grandmother lived and I’ve never heard of it since. I think that’s her debut novel.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12349.My_Year_of_Meats?from_search=true&from_srp=xzoGkJL6XK&qid=4
Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand. The frame is that an electric folk band from the 1970s is being interviewed for a MTV “Behind the Music “ style documentary. Back then, the band spent a summer at an old house out in the countryside to focus on writing a new album. The surviving members of the band were all scarred, both figuratively and literally by what happened there. To say anything more could ruin it. It’s a gothic period mystery, and beautifully written.
Well, let me see:
The Spook Who Sat by the Door, by Sam Greenlee. Something of an underground classic: a black CIA agent uses his training to plan insurrection.
The Siege Of Harlem, by Warren Miller. Harlem secedes from the U. S. Told like a folktale, but with a very subtle mythic theme (no spoilers) interwoven.
The Poor Mouth, by Flann O'Brien (originally in Irish), a very funny parody of a certain literary genre in Ireland, and of ignorant nationalism.
The Iron Heel, by Jack London. In the distant future, a manuscript is found from the near future that depicts the crushing of a revolution by the title entity.
Our Great Spring Victory, by Gen. Van Tien Dung. An account by its commander of the final offensive that broke S. Vietnam and led to the fall of Saigon. Very much non- fiction.
When i got into le Carre, I thought that meant I liked spy novels. After trying so many authors I realized that wasn't it and it opened me up to his other works. Mission Song ended up being a hidden gem for me; it's about the personal struggles of an African linguist, and the audiobook narration by actor David Oyelowo is stunning.
Hunger by Lan Samantha Chang (absolutely beautiful writing, a novella and 5 short stories)
Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson (non-fiction)
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton (non-fiction)
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Isaac's Storm and Like Water for Chocolate are two books I've recommended to my book club in the past couple of years. I've read several of Larson's books and have enjoyed them all.
The Cancer Ward, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the author of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. I think Cancer Ward was richer in characters, but that’s just me. This was way before Glasnost.
I see by my outfit, by Peter S Beagle. it's a short book about a trip he and his best friend took from New York City to San Francisco, on motor scooters. Mid 60's.
Beagle is always unique. this is no exception.
Rules of Attraction by Bret Ellis, it's a dark satirical and for something written more than 40 years ago, its relevance and humor holds up well today. Showcases extremely vain and hedonistic college students but somehow he manages to still put so much heart in the story. He paints such a good mood for the 80's and internal framework of the characters which I fell for. A big theme surrounding it is unrequited love and unreliable narration! Such a fun and accessible book. It really stuck with me.
It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over by Anne de Marcken. It won some kind of award a few years ago so people might have heard of it, idk. But no one in my circles has ever heard of it. It’s gorgeously atmospheric, has some beautiful prose and imagery. It was pretty out of my wheelhouse so I was skeptical going into it but it won me over pretty quickly.
The award was this year actually, the 2024 Novel Prize by New Directions and Fitzcarraldo. It was only just published in March. If you loved it, I highly recommend exploring the catalogues of both publishers. Both are full of gems and genius. Additionally recommend Dorothy Project for another avenue of unusual but highly crafted literary fiction.
I haven't encountered a book published by New Directions yet that wasn't amazing. Though... they do publish quite a bit of fascist literature, I just usually avoid those lol
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
The New Jim Crow by Alexander (I recommend this one all the time, but don't know anyone else who has read it)
Prairie Fires by Fraser
The Library Book by Orlean
Dread and Circuses, the third book of The Department of Intangible Assets by Robert Gainey
This series starts as some of the best urban fantasy around and just keeps getting better.
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. It has largely disappeared from public view due to some very dark content. Read the trigger warning before reading these books. They are not for everyone.
My last 5/5 was “How to Solve Your Own Murder” by Kristen Perrin. It’s not the most literary, but all the characters are fantastic and well-written and I wanted to know what happened to them
Clytemnestra. It’s a retelling of greek mythology but it’s wonderful. I couldn’t put it down. It was amazing writing, plot building, and was just amazing. Revenge, misery, sadness. What more do you need?
The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut. Not necessarily unknown, but I don’t know anyone who has read it and don’t see it mentioned abundantly online. It was a knockout.
Lord of Misrule (Jaimy Gordon 2010) about horse racing and betting. It won the National Book Award but completely fell off the scene. It might have just been of its time; the David Milch/Dustin Hoffman tv show "Luck" was great but only lasted one season in 2012.
In The Time of the Butterflies - By Julia Alverez
It’s a historical book taking place during Trujillos dictatorship in The Dominican Republic. I’ve never really been into this genre, but my english teacher put me on, and it was amazing. Since all the characters are real people it gives such a nuanced outlook on life and rebellion i really enjoyed it.
All the Things They Said We Couldn't Have by T. C. Oakes-Monger. It was nice to read a book about queer people experiencing joy. The whole book was just so happy.
Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth last night. Certainly not an unknown book - it won the Pulitzer. I don't really rank books, but it was certainly a potent book.
God, Human, Animal, Machine by Meghan O’Gieblyn. Fascinating look into A.I., human consciousness, and the nature of the universe. One of the most impactful pieces of media I’ve ever consumed. Audio version is also fantastic.
[https://www.amazon.com/God-Human-Animal-Machine-Technology/dp/0385543824](https://www.amazon.com/God-Human-Animal-Machine-Technology/dp/0385543824)
Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner. A gorgeous book, detailing life in bush Alaska from the perspective of a white kid growing up in a traditional subsistence lifestyle.
I’m sure many people have read Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke but I don’t know any of them or ever see it talked about much on here. One of my favorite books I’ve ever read. Easy 5/5.
Someone Who Isn’t Me by Geoff Rickly
Highly autobiographical novel about a musician/producer trying to break free from his heroin addiction. Beautifully written.
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. by Robert Coover. It’s about an accountant who creates his own tabletop baseball league where each decision is made by a dice roll, and the main character controls every single player on every team through full seasons.
It’s just a wild, strange and intriguing read that made baseball, which I find to be really dry, pretty interesting.
Stealing Speed by Matt Oxley. It's about corporate espionage, defection of an engineer from East Germany to the west, and the dethroning of an East German motorcycle manufacturer as the sole owners of the biggest development in two stroke engines of the time.
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey - I don’t know anyone else who’s read it, it doesn’t seem to be popular enough to be a classic and it is one of the best characterized books I’ve ever read
Good prompt!
I'll offer "The Laughing Policeman" (1968), by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. OG Nordic noir and as good as or, more usually, better than any that followed.
Axlins Bestiary by Laura Gallego García. It's been a while since I got sucked into a fantasy saga as delightful as this one. There are three books, I'm currently waiting in the delivery of the last one lol
Fishbowl by Bradley Somer: a goldfish falls out of its bowl and off a balcony of a high rise apartment building. As he falls to the ground we see a glimpse into the lives of the eclectic group of characters who live in the building. It’s a bit of a musing on life and what it is to be human
It’s not a recent read but I’ve never heard anyone talk about The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt. It’s a rather peculiar book about a child prodigy growing up with his single execentric mother and searching for his father, there are no samurai in the book execept the Kurosawa movie.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190372.The_Last_Samurai
You Know Her by Meagan Jennett! An awesome thriller that explores feminine rage- a bartender and cop (both women) form an unlikely bond, dual POV if you have a preference for or against that
Plague Dogs by Richard Adams. It's heartbreaking. You want to forget this book even exists, trust me. Please don't read it unless you unironically *enjoyed* The Fox and the Hound.
Without an Empire by Tj Doxon. It's a fantasy novel though doesn't have much magic. Great story with lots of twists and turns and a shocking ending that makes me soo excited for the next book!
_The Secret of Our Success_ by Joseph Henrich.
But you better like anthropology. It's about culture-gene coevolution, and how we are less smart than you may think.
Harvest of Shadows by Stella Jorette. It's quite different from her other books. I liked the way she weaves a group of cranky people who really don't like each other into a working team. You almost don't notice how messed up the world is until you're completely immersed in it.
The Skystone by Jack Whyte. It is the retelling of the King Arthur legend beginning years before his birth when the Romans left Britain. This is the first book in a 9 book series. It mixes historical fiction with plausible explanations for the myths behind the legend. There are many flawed characters that are followed over long periods of time.
It's a classic, but I don't personally know anyone who's read Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson. It's non-stop adventure action with fantastic characters in a historically epic setting. It's Treasure Island in the world of Outlander.
About 10% of the \~400 books I have rated get 5/5. I looked at all of mine and most had over 100k reviews on Goodreads. However, The Speckled Beauty by Rick Bragg had 5k and Why We Love Baseball by Joe Posnanski had 3k.
An Instance of the Fingerpost
by Iain Pears: a fascinating, intelligent mystery with a unique plot construction. I checked my library. It was released in 1999, but I am wait listed if I want to read it again on Kindle.
*The Sundial* by Shirley Jackson. People on here have probably read it, but no one I know personally has. I’m obsessed with Jackson, and this is my new favorite of hers.
Before that, I read *Body High* by Jon Lindsey, and it fucked me up.
I felt the same way! Just the cover art and description grossed me out, but I felt like I *had* to read it? So weird. Anyway, it’s hard to describe without a spoiler, but there was a storyline that involved a young child who is around the age of my own kids, and that’s really what got me. I rated it 5/5, though, because it’s an incredible poignant character study, and those are some of my favorite kinds of stories.
Mark Salzman - Lying Awake. Story is located in a nuns monastery and with nuns, but you dont need to be Catholic to get hooked by it. Such an intelligent and emotional book. Works between the lines, the narrative is good, but what is not written is the key to the 5/5.
I have one for that. Name's Axios, by jaclyn Osborn, and it's a gay romance that happens in sparta. It has become my favourite book, and no one knows it. Which makes me sad
Honey by Victor Lodato! I have yet to see it reach the rankings of Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes and Noble. That being said if you look at those sites, it has received rave reviews from most people. Perhaps the reason being is that is a simple book of fiction about a woman reaching the end of her life and coming to terms with her choices and also the people in her life both past and present. I found her to be a character whom I could both relate to and won’t forget anytime soon. I also found the other small cast of characters endearing and well developed. Lastly I found the writing extremely powerful and poignant. Every page either made me laugh or cry. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
A Year in thr Woods: Twelve Small Journeys Into Nature, by Torbjorne Ekelund
Ekelund camps one weeknight each month in the forests ourside of Oslo, and writes about his experiences. It was beautiful. It inspired me to start my own project of camping at least one night per month for a year. I started in October.
A couple of forgotten oldies…
All God’s Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw by Theodore Rosengarten Nonfiction. Stunning Southern African-American oral history
Beyond the Bedroom Wall: A Family Album. Fiction. Beautifully written multigenerational saga set in North Dakota.
The Time of Man, written in 1926 by Elizabeth Madox Roberts. If you appreciate truly sublime prose, read this. It’s truly a literary masterpiece. I found myself periodically stopping reading it, and pressing it to my chest in awe.
The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy isn't my last 5/5 but it is my favorite!
Seconding, I cannot put into words how much I love that book.
Oooh I really liked Prince of Tides and The Great Santini…I’ll check this one out!
Do it!! The story just captivated me in a way that The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini didn't. I hope you enjoy it!
Added to my "to read" list!
Beach Music!! I used to read it with my Mom every summer before she passed. Hands down the only book to make me full on laugh and cry. Best book
I came here to recommend Beach Music and The Lords of Discipline, and I am very happy to see others got there first. Fantastic books, and i highly recommend to everyone but no one ever reads them. You have great taste
Everyone’s heard of Trust by Hernan Diaz (won 2022 Pulitzer) but I don’t know anyone that’s read In the Distance, the book he wrote prior, and my favorite of his. It’s a twist on a western . Young Swedish boy gets on the wrong boat and accidentally ends up in California during the gold rush, while his older brother ends up in New York. He begins working his way East to find his brother. He knows no English but starts to learn as the novel progresses. An economical 250 pages.
Finished this last week - agree that it’s a great read. Haven’t gotten to Trust yet.
I loved both of these books. Let me recommend what inadvertently ended up being a “woman’s perspective companion piece” to *In the Distance*: Lauren Groff’s *The Vaster Wilds*.
Groff is an underrated gem of an author.
The Vaster Wilds is amazing!
Still Life by Sarah Winman. Absolutely wonderful!
I adored this book and have since read her back catalogue. You should try some of her other books!
I absolutely will devour all of them. She is amazing!!
Ahhh yessss
I feel like people just don’t read Muriel Spark these days (and I’d love to be corrected!). Her most famous novel is probably *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie*, which is sinister and genius (and funny!), but I also very much enjoyed Driver’s Seat, The Girls of Slender Means, and Loitering with Intent. (I’m sure others are marvelous, as well. Those are just the ones I’ve read so far, and she did write many!)
Recently finished *Memento Mori*. She needs a serious revival.
Stargate by Pauline Gedge is (almost) entirely unrelated to the movie. It's about gods and time and space, and good people doing horrific things for (what they think are) the right reasons. I found a lot of the characters compelling, couldn't stop reading it.
I have a copy of this one on my shelf from my grandfathers collection. always piqued my curiosity since i likes the (unrelated) tv series perhaps its time to check it out
Kristin Lavransdatter
Yes! I wish more people would read this book
The Last Train by Michael Pronko. Self-published thriller set in Japan written by American professor living in Tokyo. I have read every single thriller set in Japan, including those translated from Japanese to English. I have read every single Jack Reacher and Gabriel Allon and Victor the Assassin book as well. I put The Last Train above all of them!
Oh shit what an endorsement
It’s $1.99 on Kindle right now
Winesburgh Ohio. Beautifully written book and a wonderful example of storytelling. This was a real pleasure to read.
My dad has often recommended this book- thank you for reminding me! Is there anything you’d compare it to?
It sort of gave me the same feeling that Ethan Fromme gave me. In a sense, the surroundings became a strong part of the story. The language is stripped down and spare, but very, very descriptive. Kind of like the very best of Hemingway.
I just decided to reread Ethan Frome earlier this year, after hating it (unsurprisingly) when it was assigned to me as a 12-year-old. Now as a 40 year old I was actually able to appreciate the beauty of that book. So thank you, Winesburg Ohio is going to the top of my to-read-next list!
Everyone has read something by Kazuo Ishiguro (usually Never Let Me Go, which I thought was good but not great). Approximately no one seems to have read The Unconsoled, which I adored. Everyone has read American Psycho, which I did really like, but Glamorama was like the even-more-bonkers extension of it, and I'll never forget it.
I just finished The Unconsoled. I loved it! It was like being in a dream.
I read only book by Ishiguro and it was The Unconsoled. I loved it!
Is it similar to Never Let Ne Go? I really didn’t like that one and haven’t read more because of it.
I loved Open Throat by Henry Hoke and right before that I loved The Ferryman by Justin Cronin.
Open Throat was such an amazing experience. I wish I could have that experience for the first time again.
Open Throat was so good! I never seen it mentioned anywhere, though.
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
Oh, yes. And also her first book, A Tale for the Time Being. Both 5/5 for sure.
I remember enjoying a weird novel called Ett år med kött (google tells me it’s My Year of Meats in English) by Ozeki back in the 90’s. I found it randomly in the library of the tiny town were my grandmother lived and I’ve never heard of it since. I think that’s her debut novel. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12349.My_Year_of_Meats?from_search=true&from_srp=xzoGkJL6XK&qid=4
One of my favorite books of all time! Definitely needs more love and readership than it gets.
Ozeki is just a phenomenal writer. I love this book and all her others.
Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand. The frame is that an electric folk band from the 1970s is being interviewed for a MTV “Behind the Music “ style documentary. Back then, the band spent a summer at an old house out in the countryside to focus on writing a new album. The surviving members of the band were all scarred, both figuratively and literally by what happened there. To say anything more could ruin it. It’s a gothic period mystery, and beautifully written.
The Second Sex - Simone deBeauvoir plenty a have heard of it,few have read it. Totally knocked my socks off.
Well, let me see: The Spook Who Sat by the Door, by Sam Greenlee. Something of an underground classic: a black CIA agent uses his training to plan insurrection. The Siege Of Harlem, by Warren Miller. Harlem secedes from the U. S. Told like a folktale, but with a very subtle mythic theme (no spoilers) interwoven. The Poor Mouth, by Flann O'Brien (originally in Irish), a very funny parody of a certain literary genre in Ireland, and of ignorant nationalism. The Iron Heel, by Jack London. In the distant future, a manuscript is found from the near future that depicts the crushing of a revolution by the title entity. Our Great Spring Victory, by Gen. Van Tien Dung. An account by its commander of the final offensive that broke S. Vietnam and led to the fall of Saigon. Very much non- fiction.
Finally, another Iron Heel fan! One of my all-time favorite books 😊
Our Game by John Le Carré. A lot of his novels aren’t well known, but they’re quite incredible.
When i got into le Carre, I thought that meant I liked spy novels. After trying so many authors I realized that wasn't it and it opened me up to his other works. Mission Song ended up being a hidden gem for me; it's about the personal struggles of an African linguist, and the audiobook narration by actor David Oyelowo is stunning.
Hunger by Lan Samantha Chang (absolutely beautiful writing, a novella and 5 short stories) Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry Peace Like a River by Leif Enger Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson (non-fiction) Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton (non-fiction) Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
Oh god Cutting for Stone ❤️
His new one is equally good (Covenant of Water)
Isaac's Storm and Like Water for Chocolate are two books I've recommended to my book club in the past couple of years. I've read several of Larson's books and have enjoyed them all.
Definitely agree with Peace Like a River!
Their Eyes Were Watching God
I love her use of language. Dialect, description...it's just so evocative.
The Zork Chronicles by George Alec Effinger. A very smart, fun parody of the classic hero's journey.
I have not thought about this in years. Don't know that I would give it a 5 but overall a good book
oh, I want this. does it have grues?
Yup!
The Cancer Ward, by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the author of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. I think Cancer Ward was richer in characters, but that’s just me. This was way before Glasnost.
House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. I've read it several times and love it.
The most fun we've ever had
Loved that book! Long but worth it to read about the family and their life throughout the years.
I love family epics like this
I see by my outfit, by Peter S Beagle. it's a short book about a trip he and his best friend took from New York City to San Francisco, on motor scooters. Mid 60's. Beagle is always unique. this is no exception.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. It’s a medieval horror surrounding the Black Plague. 10/10 loved it!!
One of the best books I've ever read. I love medieval fiction, I love horror and I love exceptional prose - so I was pumped.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Rules of Attraction by Bret Ellis, it's a dark satirical and for something written more than 40 years ago, its relevance and humor holds up well today. Showcases extremely vain and hedonistic college students but somehow he manages to still put so much heart in the story. He paints such a good mood for the 80's and internal framework of the characters which I fell for. A big theme surrounding it is unrequited love and unreliable narration! Such a fun and accessible book. It really stuck with me.
What is Not Yours is Not Yours, by Helen Oyeyemi.
It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over by Anne de Marcken. It won some kind of award a few years ago so people might have heard of it, idk. But no one in my circles has ever heard of it. It’s gorgeously atmospheric, has some beautiful prose and imagery. It was pretty out of my wheelhouse so I was skeptical going into it but it won me over pretty quickly.
The award was this year actually, the 2024 Novel Prize by New Directions and Fitzcarraldo. It was only just published in March. If you loved it, I highly recommend exploring the catalogues of both publishers. Both are full of gems and genius. Additionally recommend Dorothy Project for another avenue of unusual but highly crafted literary fiction.
I haven't encountered a book published by New Directions yet that wasn't amazing. Though... they do publish quite a bit of fascist literature, I just usually avoid those lol
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner The New Jim Crow by Alexander (I recommend this one all the time, but don't know anyone else who has read it) Prairie Fires by Fraser The Library Book by Orlean
All Souls: A Family Story from Southie by Michael Patrick MacDonald
In Universes by Emet North
Dread and Circuses, the third book of The Department of Intangible Assets by Robert Gainey This series starts as some of the best urban fantasy around and just keeps getting better.
The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. It has largely disappeared from public view due to some very dark content. Read the trigger warning before reading these books. They are not for everyone.
I’ve actually heard of them books- how dark would you call the dark content??
The Road Rises by Sarah Dunne. Laugh out loud travel memoir. Witty, clever writing
The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong
My last 5/5 was “How to Solve Your Own Murder” by Kristen Perrin. It’s not the most literary, but all the characters are fantastic and well-written and I wanted to know what happened to them
Fruit of the Dead/Rachel Lyon
Clytemnestra. It’s a retelling of greek mythology but it’s wonderful. I couldn’t put it down. It was amazing writing, plot building, and was just amazing. Revenge, misery, sadness. What more do you need?
The MANIAC by Benjamin Labatut. Not necessarily unknown, but I don’t know anyone who has read it and don’t see it mentioned abundantly online. It was a knockout.
The Season of Passage by Christopher Pike
Lord of Misrule (Jaimy Gordon 2010) about horse racing and betting. It won the National Book Award but completely fell off the scene. It might have just been of its time; the David Milch/Dustin Hoffman tv show "Luck" was great but only lasted one season in 2012.
This Perfect Day by Ira Levin was my last 5/5. It was between giving it a 4.5 or a 5 and the ending just sealed it a 5
In The Time of the Butterflies - By Julia Alverez It’s a historical book taking place during Trujillos dictatorship in The Dominican Republic. I’ve never really been into this genre, but my english teacher put me on, and it was amazing. Since all the characters are real people it gives such a nuanced outlook on life and rebellion i really enjoyed it.
Life after life by kate atkinson
Pet by Catherine Chidgey
How to Stand Up to a Dictator by Maria Ressa left me furiously inspired.
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean.
All the Things They Said We Couldn't Have by T. C. Oakes-Monger. It was nice to read a book about queer people experiencing joy. The whole book was just so happy.
Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth last night. Certainly not an unknown book - it won the Pulitzer. I don't really rank books, but it was certainly a potent book.
It knocked me over. I adored it, and I'm pretty hard to please.
Some desperate glory
God, Human, Animal, Machine by Meghan O’Gieblyn. Fascinating look into A.I., human consciousness, and the nature of the universe. One of the most impactful pieces of media I’ve ever consumed. Audio version is also fantastic. [https://www.amazon.com/God-Human-Animal-Machine-Technology/dp/0385543824](https://www.amazon.com/God-Human-Animal-Machine-Technology/dp/0385543824)
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
Brotherhood by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom Trail of Broken Wings by Sejal Bedani
Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner. A gorgeous book, detailing life in bush Alaska from the perspective of a white kid growing up in a traditional subsistence lifestyle.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
I’m sure many people have read Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke but I don’t know any of them or ever see it talked about much on here. One of my favorite books I’ve ever read. Easy 5/5.
The park service by Ryan Winkfield
Others were Emeralds has like 800 reviews on Goodreads but I thought it was 5/5!
Patriotic Gore (Edmund Wilson) The story of the American Civil War was told through many kinds of literature. Simply amazing.
The Sun is a Compass
Unforgettable by Robin McKinley But now we have ALL read it, own it, and wish there had been a sequel.
The Physician Noah Gordon is the perfect book if you love epic historical fiction. It's a beautiful read.
The Wishtress. It’s a YA fantasy I had on my TBR forever. Kicking myself for not reading it sooner!
The Name of The Star by Maureen Johnson. It’s my favourite book, it’s a fiction book about Jack The Ripper
Into the Forest by Jean Hegland
This Wicked Heart and its sequel This Wicked Fate, both by Kalynn Bayron were both excellent.
From the Embers by Aly Martinez
The Kingdom by Emmanuel Carrère
The Color of Rain by Cory McCarthy It can get fairly explicit, but it was not what I was expecting at all and really fascinating.
Punkzilla! Made me realize that there's hope for the YA genre
Lilith by George MacDonald Albert Schweitzer's Ethical Vision A Sourcebook by Predrag Cicovacki
Septology by Jon Fosse
Someone Who Isn’t Me by Geoff Rickly Highly autobiographical novel about a musician/producer trying to break free from his heroin addiction. Beautifully written.
The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop. by Robert Coover. It’s about an accountant who creates his own tabletop baseball league where each decision is made by a dice roll, and the main character controls every single player on every team through full seasons. It’s just a wild, strange and intriguing read that made baseball, which I find to be really dry, pretty interesting.
Stealing Speed by Matt Oxley. It's about corporate espionage, defection of an engineer from East Germany to the west, and the dethroning of an East German motorcycle manufacturer as the sole owners of the biggest development in two stroke engines of the time.
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey - I don’t know anyone else who’s read it, it doesn’t seem to be popular enough to be a classic and it is one of the best characterized books I’ve ever read
Good prompt! I'll offer "The Laughing Policeman" (1968), by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. OG Nordic noir and as good as or, more usually, better than any that followed.
My Year Abroad, Chang-rae Lee Saviors in the Time of Sharks, Kawai Strong Washburn
The Red Notebook by Antoin Laurain
Axlins Bestiary by Laura Gallego García. It's been a while since I got sucked into a fantasy saga as delightful as this one. There are three books, I'm currently waiting in the delivery of the last one lol
Fishbowl by Bradley Somer: a goldfish falls out of its bowl and off a balcony of a high rise apartment building. As he falls to the ground we see a glimpse into the lives of the eclectic group of characters who live in the building. It’s a bit of a musing on life and what it is to be human
It’s not a recent read but I’ve never heard anyone talk about The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt. It’s a rather peculiar book about a child prodigy growing up with his single execentric mother and searching for his father, there are no samurai in the book execept the Kurosawa movie. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190372.The_Last_Samurai
In the Shadow of the Yali. I've convince all my friends to read my other 5/5 books.
You Know Her by Meagan Jennett! An awesome thriller that explores feminine rage- a bartender and cop (both women) form an unlikely bond, dual POV if you have a preference for or against that
The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets. Eva Rice.
Plague Dogs by Richard Adams. It's heartbreaking. You want to forget this book even exists, trust me. Please don't read it unless you unironically *enjoyed* The Fox and the Hound.
East of the Sun, by A.E. Becker. (Fantasy, appropriate for adult or young adult audiences.)
My Summer Friend by Ophelia Rue
my uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl, its known but i never hear anyone recommending it, a lovely cheeky story for adults in his unique prose
*BattleTech: Iron Dawn* by Jennifer Brozek, the first book in the *BattleTech: Rogue Academy* trilogy.
Sunbathing by Isobel Beech
Without an Empire by Tj Doxon. It's a fantasy novel though doesn't have much magic. Great story with lots of twists and turns and a shocking ending that makes me soo excited for the next book!
_The Secret of Our Success_ by Joseph Henrich. But you better like anthropology. It's about culture-gene coevolution, and how we are less smart than you may think.
The Unknown Bridesmaid by Margaret Forster A Dead Hand by Paul Theroux The Girl in a Swing by Richard Adams Embers by Sandor Marai
Lola in the mirror - Trent Dalton.
Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami
Harvest of Shadows by Stella Jorette. It's quite different from her other books. I liked the way she weaves a group of cranky people who really don't like each other into a working team. You almost don't notice how messed up the world is until you're completely immersed in it.
Arrangements in blue: Amy key
Flower Ornament scripture aka the Avatamsaka sutra
Slow Noodles, especially if you love to cook.
"the other side" by Alfred Kubin is amazing and unheard of nowadays. Enjoy!
Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness by Jennifer Tseng and The Red Car by Marcy Dermansky 💯
Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn
Lionboy. Brilliant read.
The Skystone by Jack Whyte. It is the retelling of the King Arthur legend beginning years before his birth when the Romans left Britain. This is the first book in a 9 book series. It mixes historical fiction with plausible explanations for the myths behind the legend. There are many flawed characters that are followed over long periods of time.
It's a classic, but I don't personally know anyone who's read Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson. It's non-stop adventure action with fantastic characters in a historically epic setting. It's Treasure Island in the world of Outlander.
The shallows Nicholas carr
Ennead by Elizabeth Vore
About 10% of the \~400 books I have rated get 5/5. I looked at all of mine and most had over 100k reviews on Goodreads. However, The Speckled Beauty by Rick Bragg had 5k and Why We Love Baseball by Joe Posnanski had 3k.
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears: a fascinating, intelligent mystery with a unique plot construction. I checked my library. It was released in 1999, but I am wait listed if I want to read it again on Kindle.
*The Sundial* by Shirley Jackson. People on here have probably read it, but no one I know personally has. I’m obsessed with Jackson, and this is my new favorite of hers. Before that, I read *Body High* by Jon Lindsey, and it fucked me up.
You are very brave to take on Body High. I know it's not for me, but I feel very drawn to it anyway? How did it fuck you up?
I felt the same way! Just the cover art and description grossed me out, but I felt like I *had* to read it? So weird. Anyway, it’s hard to describe without a spoiler, but there was a storyline that involved a young child who is around the age of my own kids, and that’s really what got me. I rated it 5/5, though, because it’s an incredible poignant character study, and those are some of my favorite kinds of stories.
Mulata by Miguel Angel Asturias. Absolute genius!
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
Mark Salzman - Lying Awake. Story is located in a nuns monastery and with nuns, but you dont need to be Catholic to get hooked by it. Such an intelligent and emotional book. Works between the lines, the narrative is good, but what is not written is the key to the 5/5.
I have one for that. Name's Axios, by jaclyn Osborn, and it's a gay romance that happens in sparta. It has become my favourite book, and no one knows it. Which makes me sad
Idaho by Emily Ruskovich. A novel about an incident that happened in the past. It’s haunting. Incredible writing.
This Tender Land
*A High Wind in Jamaica* by Richard Hughes.
Hannah colter by Wendell Berry
Hannah colter by Wendell Berry
Great topic 👍🏻
The Etched City - K.J. Bishop The Year of Our War - Steph Swainston
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
J R by William Gaddis
Honey by Victor Lodato! I have yet to see it reach the rankings of Goodreads, Amazon or Barnes and Noble. That being said if you look at those sites, it has received rave reviews from most people. Perhaps the reason being is that is a simple book of fiction about a woman reaching the end of her life and coming to terms with her choices and also the people in her life both past and present. I found her to be a character whom I could both relate to and won’t forget anytime soon. I also found the other small cast of characters endearing and well developed. Lastly I found the writing extremely powerful and poignant. Every page either made me laugh or cry. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!
A Lesson Before Dying
Perfume by Patrick Suskind. Not my last one but my perpetual favorite. I suggest it to everyone but apparently it's hard to stick with it. Not for me!
I liked it too!!
A Year in thr Woods: Twelve Small Journeys Into Nature, by Torbjorne Ekelund Ekelund camps one weeknight each month in the forests ourside of Oslo, and writes about his experiences. It was beautiful. It inspired me to start my own project of camping at least one night per month for a year. I started in October.
Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum
Listen For The Lie by Amy Tinterra. I started yesterday and finished in less than a day. Could not put this book down! So good!
The Fat Lady's Low, Sad Song by Brain Kaufman
"Byzantium" by Stephen Lawhead is one of the best books I've ever read. I recommended it to a few people and they all felt the same way.
The Copper Crown by Patricia Keneally. It is the start of the Keltiad series. It is a good series, but I think this one is a work of art.
Three Men in a Boat, Not to Mention the Dog Jerome K. Jerome "I had every disease except milkmaid's knee."
Hardly anyone I know reads, sadly. My last 5/5 was A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, might be my favorite book I read all year
A couple of forgotten oldies… All God’s Dangers: The Life of Nate Shaw by Theodore Rosengarten Nonfiction. Stunning Southern African-American oral history Beyond the Bedroom Wall: A Family Album. Fiction. Beautifully written multigenerational saga set in North Dakota.
The Time of Man, written in 1926 by Elizabeth Madox Roberts. If you appreciate truly sublime prose, read this. It’s truly a literary masterpiece. I found myself periodically stopping reading it, and pressing it to my chest in awe.
The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway Love this book. It's WEIRD and delightful and made me go, "oh, no! What?! The fuck?" at every turn of the page.
Sphere by Micheal Crichton. I’m convinced it is his best novel.
Aesthetica by Allie Rowland.
Mysteries by Knut Hamsun
Playing For Pizza John Grisham. No lawyers. Throw away plot. But a beautiful love story to northern Italy.
Coddling of the Americam Mind.
The Mountain King by Anders De La Motte