Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Underrated Books

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They feature a different top ten list every week. This week's topic is my favorite books that have under 2000 ratings on Goodreads. 

1. Forever and One Week (Spirits of Saoradh #2) by Caroline Cairn - I received this book directly from the author and it was so incredibly good. Think of it as kind of a sexy and dark retelling of Aladdin. The chemistry between the two characters was hot and there was so much emotion in the storyline. And even though it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

2. On The Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis - The main character is dealing with the inevitable disaster that will result after a comet is supposed to hit the earth and her drug addicted mother . . . oh and she's autistic, which just adds a unique twist to the usual dystopian storyline. 

3. Dismember by Daniel Pyle - A boy survives a car accident that kills his entire family. He grows up and wants to replace the family he lost and he starts by kidnapping a little boy from a shopping mall. Here's a tip: DON'T READ THIS ONE AT NIGHT! I read it during the daylight and it still scared me. I read this one in one sitting because I just could not put it down. If you like thrillers, READ THIS ONE.

4. The V Word: True Stories about First-Time Sex by Amber J. Keyser - These stories were hilarious and so relatable and honest. There were also so many people represented here: lesbians and straight women and transgendered women who waited until their wedding night and women who just wanted to get it over with and even sexual abuse survivors experiencing their first consensual sexual experience. I wish I had had this book when I was growing up. I absolutely adored it.

5. How It Ends by Catherine Lo - I loved the realistic portrayal of a friendship between teenage girls. Yes, there was a little romance but the primary focus was on the friendship. I loved that!!

6. Nora and Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor - This is one of the most beautiful books I have read this year. How does it have so few ratings?? People need to read this book, especially because the publisher is waiting to see how this one does before making a decision about a sequel. READ THIS BOOK!!

7. Fearless by Rafael Yglesias - Granted, it has been more than two years since I read this book, but I do remember that the story of two survivors of a plane crash moved me. Just don't read it when you are about to go on a plane. The description of the plane crash was uncomfortably vivid.

8. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison - Yeah, I know it seems like there are just so many dystopian novels out there (and there are), but this one is definitely worth adding to your TBR. It's the story of a plague that wipes out most of the world's population and it kills women way more than men. This one was addicting.

9. Wives and Sisters by Natalie Collins - This one is about a girl questioning her faith and her devotion to the Mormon church after a friend disappears at a young age. Love the mystery, as well as the cult-like atmosphere of the church in this one.

10. Whisper To Me by Nick Lake - I wish this book got more love! It has a murder mystery and PTSD and mental illness and just a little bit of romance. It was such a moving book and so different from what the premise said.

11. Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen - This is the only book written in verse that has ever made me ugly cry. I just love this book so much. It's beautiful!

12. You Were Here by Cori McCarthy - This was such a moving story about a girl still grieving for her brother. The best part of the book was that a few of the POVs were actually drawings instead of the typical narrative. I loved this book!

13. Seed by Lisa Heathfield - Am I the only one who loves books about religious cults? Maybe. This is the story of a fifteen year old girl who starts questioning everything she has ever been taught. I adored this one, 


What are a few of your favorite underrated novels?

28 comments :

  1. I see ON the Edge of Gone. I picked up a copy of that book without knowing anything about it, so I'm glad it made your list!

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    1. Joy, oh I am so glad! I wasn't expecting to love that one as much as I did. I hope you love it too!

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  2. I bought Skyscraping because of you!! I still need to read it though. I also picked up Nora & Kettle when it was on sale. You Were Here and How it Ends are two I want to get to as well. Lots of great picks!!

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    1. Grace, YAY!! I am so happy that I could push Skyscraping on you. I don't see nearly enough people talking about it, so I hope you love it. Nora and Kettle is AMAZING!! Fingers crossed the sequel gets made. :)

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  3. I liked reading You Were Here more than I thought I would. More people should read it, so we can get it's ratings up! :) Great Top Ten! :D
    My Top Ten Tuesday!

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    1. So true Giovanna! I went into it with semi-low expectations too and I was so surprised. I try to talk about it every chance I get so more people will (hopefully) read it.

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  4. Great list! I haven't read any of these... but I remember hearing about Nora & Kettle and still want to check it out!

    Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

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    1. Thanks Lisa! Nora and Kettle is amazing. Please read it!

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  5. I just got a copy of On the Edge of Gone! I hope I like it as much as you did :)

    My TTT.

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  6. Seed sounds so good! I am loving this TTT for introducing me to so many of these awesome books. Great list! :)

    My TTT

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    1. Yes Jordan, this week's TTT is murder on my TBR, but I LOVE it!!

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  7. Just based on cover alone, why haven't more people read these books? They all sound good from your descriptions of them. My wish list just got longer. :-) I definitely want to check out Nora and Kettle, The V Word, and Skyscraping for starters.

    Here is my list.

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    1. Literary Feline, you are so right!! These covers are gorgeous and the stories are just as good. So glad I could expand your TBR. I live for pushing books on people. :)

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  8. OH OH I AM SO GLAD TO SEE WHISPER TO ME HERE. *shrieks* I love that book. <3 It's definitely going down as one of my favourites of 2016. :') And I really want to read Dismembered now. It sounds terrible and terrifying and I need it. *nods* Also I bought Nora & Kettle and can't WAIT to read it! :D

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    1. Cait, yes it is so underrated but EVERYONE needs to read it!!! I read Dismembered before blogging, so I didn't get too much of a chance to fangirl obsessively about it. Yes it is terrifying, but YOU NEED IT!! I can't wait until you read Nora and Kettle too. I am sure you will love it!!

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  9. I haven't heard of any of these, let along read any of them. I'll have to look some of these up now to see what I'm missing!

    Check out my TTT
    Lizzie @ Big Books and Grande Lattes

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  10. I JUST bought Nora and Kettle (like last month?) and I'm debating on whether I should get the physical or kindle version of You Were Here. I heard there were images in it, so maybe I should get the physical. BUT IT'S CURRENTLY ON SALE NOW. Either way, it will be bought and it will be read!

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    1. Valerie, I HOPE YOU BOUGHT IT AND I HOPE YOU LOVED IT!!! I had it on my Kindle and it was fine, but you may love it so much that you want a physical copy too. I know I do!

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  11. Shocking that we have several in common, as usual 😂 And that the rest are on my TBR. Seriously, I am with you on at least half of these (meaning, the ones I have read) and am pretty excited about the rest of them since you loved them! I need the UK cover for Seed though, because Idk what even is with the US one. I do not like.

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    1. Shannon, yep shocking is the word. I just can't believe it!! :) You need to read the ones on this list that you haven't yet because, you know, you will love them since I did.

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  12. The only one on this list I've heard of is Nora & Kettle, which I do want to read. Every single on (except maybe Dismember, because the title alone scares me) is now going on my TBR list. Yay!

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    1. And then when I went to add them, I actually had four more already added--probably because I'd heard about them on your blog!

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    2. And then when I went to add them, I actually had four more already added--probably because I'd heard about them on your blog!

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    3. I am so happy to hear that Wendy! I love pushing books on people and I love it even more when they take my recommendations. I really hope you read these books because they are all amazing! Dismember isn't as bloody as the title would suggest, but it is a bit scary. I can understand that it wouldn't be for everyone. :)

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