In which I ask you to RECOMMEND A BOOK.
This time, with a small caveat:
Rec a book you do not think we’ve read. A book that’s something of an underdog — a fringe case, a book you want everyone to read but none of your friends have ever actually opened.
Also, the larger caveat applies, and I wish I didn’t have to give it, buuuuut:
Do not recommend your own book.
Because ew. Why would you do that?
Share the book-love. Don’t book-masturbate on us.
Oooh, one final caveat:
Recommend one book only, please and thank you.
kessara says:
Charles de Lint’s “Moonheart” – the original urban fantasy. The blending of reality and fantasy, Celtic and Native American folklore and mythology is beautiful. I’ve loaned this book out so many times…have owned 4 copies at this point.
August 10, 2015 — 2:20 PM
rowritesrocknromance says:
Sierra Court Blues by Lawrence Parlier!!!
August 10, 2015 — 2:22 PM
Luke Matthews (@GeekElite) says:
One of my favorite series that no one else seems to have read is BIO OF A SPACE TYRANT. It’s definitely an underdog, unknown series, but by a decidedly *not* underdog author: Piers Anthony. Here’s the thing: It’s *wildly* different from most of Anthony’s other stuff. It’s gritty, hard sci-fi. The whole series is rooted in real science and doesn’t take a hell of a lot of liberties with the realism.
The story centers around the rise to power of Hope Hubris, a refugee from one of Jupiter’s moons who ascends from homeless immigrant to ruler of the known galaxy. It’s an interesting future, where the planets of our solar system have been colonized and are all analogous to countries on Earth. Jupiter is analogous to the United States and it’s moons our satellite holdings and surrounding islands.
The first book, REFUGEE, is *extremely* dark. It’s really hard for a lot of people to get through, because Hope endures all of the nastiness of humanity, kind of piled on at once. That darkness, though, has lasting effects on the character throughout the rest of the series, so making it through that first book sets up one of the best sci-fi stories I’ve ever read.
Highly recommended.
August 10, 2015 — 2:42 PM
innerouterawkward says:
“Saga” – a graphic novel series written by Brian K. Vaughn and illustrated by Fiona Staples. I just finished Vol. 4 and I don’t know how well known it is but I think it’s freakin’ amazing 😀 It’s also my first time reading a graphic novel, but it has me hooked 🙂
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15704307-saga-volume-1?from_search=true&search_version=service
August 10, 2015 — 2:49 PM
Lani says:
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie. A YA paranormal novel that starts out simply spooky and quickly spirals into something much larger and more deranged.
August 10, 2015 — 2:50 PM
Anmiryam says:
The Visitors by Simon Sylvester — out in the UK since last year — and winner of last year’s “Not the Booker” prize from the Guardian. It’s going to be published at the end of December in the US by Melville House. The Secret of Roan Inish crossed with a serial killer mystery. Even better is the narrator, Flora, a smart, clear-eyed yet still struggling with the process of growing-up 17-year old — she’s an amazing creation. Add to this fabulous descriptions of life in a small island community and the brilliant interweaving of mythic elements and realism to get a book that enthralls and should be widely read.
August 10, 2015 — 2:56 PM
Anna says:
Jagannath by Swedish writer Karin Tidbeck. It’s a short story collection with a Neil Gaimanish (Gaimanesque?) vibe, and if you want to get into Nordic Weird, this is a good one to start with. Tidbeck writes in Swedish and English, and she has translated some of the stories herself and written others in English from the start, and you notice it a little bit in some of the stories, but the stories are so fantastic and weird and beautiful that it doesn’t really matter. As a bonus she’s included an essay at the end about writing in a foreign language, which I found very interesting.
Bonus: if you read this now you can say that you liked her work before everyone else discovered her 🙂
August 10, 2015 — 3:17 PM
Jessi C says:
Thank you so much for this rec. I bought it last week after reading your description and have discovered a new favorite writer.
August 29, 2015 — 12:39 AM
Tamara says:
Freaks Amour by Tom DeHaven. Published in 1986 but still very timely. Mutants eating Death Eggs and being resurrected, getting surgeries to be one of the normals. Someone said: ” It is a grim commentary about how American society treats marginalized groups and has a scathing critique of drug use and abuse.”
August 10, 2015 — 3:37 PM
Tamara says:
First published in 1979.
August 10, 2015 — 3:44 PM
Mary Holland says:
Talking To The Dead by Harry Bingham. Police procedural set in Whales with a Lisbeth-Salander-type protagonist with an affinity for the dead. This is the first volume in an ongoing series.
August 10, 2015 — 3:52 PM
Stephen Geigen-Miller says:
The Voices in Between, by Charlene Challenger. A lovely debut novel. YA portal fantasy about the transformative – literally in some cases – power of music, and the awful weight of trauma and family history. It’s great, but from a very small Canadian press, so I’m pretty sure it meets the “underdog” criteria and then some!
August 10, 2015 — 4:17 PM
mannixk says:
“A Dry Spell” by Susie Moloney. All of her books and short stories are fabulous, but this one is my favourite. Great characters and the land/setting is so vibrant and creepy in this one.
August 10, 2015 — 4:32 PM
Wordsmith Magic says:
Fragmented, by Eliza Lentzski. Lesbian romance, so very niche writing, but a wonderful blend of romance, philosophy, and mystery.
August 10, 2015 — 4:34 PM
mjmartell says:
I just finished The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow – I read an advance copy from NetGalley and it’s out in late September. A short excerpt from my review:
The world itself is so real – set some 400 years in our future, after climate change and access to water resulted in non-stop war. In a HAL like manner, artificial intelligence (and now controlling overlord) puts a stop to it all.
To keep the peace, Talis (one of the best antagonist characters I’ve come across in a long time!) requires every world leader to contribute their child as a hostage – to be killed in the event their country goes to war. Well, first he bombs a few cities (“by city number seven – Fresno, because no one’s gonna miss that – I had everyone’s attention.”) and then he develops the “first rule of stopping wars: make it personal.”
The geopolitical cynicism/real politics are so clearly rooted in the world we live in today makes this futuristic sci fi novel feel very possible.
August 10, 2015 — 4:39 PM
plaidbunyan says:
The Dead Lands by Benjamin Percy was a top-notch, post-apocalyptic retelling of the Lewis & Clark expedition.
August 10, 2015 — 7:51 PM
john freeter says:
So many books, so little time…
I’d recommend “The House of the Spirits” by Isabel Allende. I’m not the greatest fan of magic realism, but even though I read it in school, I really liked it. I realize it’s not much of an “underdog” but I guess not a lot of people have read it in english-speaking countries.
August 10, 2015 — 8:01 PM
Paul Tremblay says:
T. E. Grau’s first collection of horror stories, The Nameless Dark, is very good.
August 10, 2015 — 8:42 PM
Gordon Petry says:
Dream Baby by Bruce McAllister is unlike anything I’ve ever read, a magic realism account of a group of U.S.soldiers fighting in Vietnam. I read it twenty years ago and it’s still entrenched in my mind. That is the kind of writing I wish I could achieve.
August 10, 2015 — 9:10 PM
wildbilbo says:
Damn you Wendig – ONE book? Fine.
Godless by Ben Peek. (The first five chapters are available for free on Tor.com: http://www.tor.com/features/series/ben-peeks-the-godless-on-torcom)
A thought provoking and profound novel that serves as an excellent jumping off point for what promises to be a great fantasy trilogy. The fictional history is rich, the fantastical elements are creative, and the characters are complex.
The book is set thousands of years after the War of the Gods, in a world in which the bloodied and wounded bodies of the gods litter the world like enormous fallen soldiers. The corpses of these dead and dying gods have changed the geography; for example, the dead ocean god Leviathan’s blood has raised seas levels and turned the sea black. Since the death of the gods, their powers have randomly appeared in mortals (called the Cursed), gifting them with strange abilities and exceptionally long life (immortality?).
This story is set in the wealthy trading city of Mireea; built on the spine of Ger, the God of the Elements who lays dying deep beneath the city. Mireea is a city preparing for siege, arming its populace, fortifying its walls and hiring mercenary bands. Mireea is about to be attacked by the marching Leeran army, an army with a dark reputation, a practice of appalling torture, and a routine of terrible ritual and cannibalism. The Leeran army seek to reclaim Ger’s power for themselves, and the population of Mireea is in the way.
In this first book we follow three characters. Ayae, a young woman who is dismayed as she discovers she is one of the Cursed when she suddenly manifests unusual abilities – beginning with an immunity to fire. Bueralan, an exiled Baron and the leader of a band of mercenary saboteurs who is sent on difficult missions behind enemy lines. And Zaifyr, an ancient member of the Cursed who gained his powers shortly after the gods started to die (making him thousands of years old) with the ability to see and speak with the dead. Through these characters we are expertly told the history of the gods, the actions and crimes of the Cursed since the gods died, and the motivations of the cult-like Leeran army as it advances on Mireea.
This was a delicious, unhurried, languid read. I wasn’t burning through the pages in an unputdownable frenzy (although I do like those kind of books also), rather I slowly devoured each tension-laden sentence slowly and carefully to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and stopping occasionally to reflect on what I read. It encouraged a thorough and complete read, full immersion in the text instead of skipping from one explosion to the next.
I strongly recommend it.
My full review is available here: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/book-review-the-godless-children-1-ben-peek/
And to sneakily get around Chucks one book rule, here are the other books I’ve enjoyed and reviewed (and therefore recommend) this year:
– 5 Stars: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/tag/5stars/
– 4 Stars: https://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/tag/4stars/
Cheers
KT
August 10, 2015 — 9:25 PM
Asheley says:
The Last Werewolf, By Glen Duncan
August 10, 2015 — 9:49 PM
jane stevens says:
if you have never read heinlein’s door into summer, do.
August 10, 2015 — 9:50 PM
Amy E. says:
Wild Card by Jamie Wyman. It’s an urban fantasy in Vegas, with beings from multiple pantheons, and a noteworthy satyr. 🙂 Go. Read, now!
August 10, 2015 — 9:57 PM
Will Belacqua says:
As always, The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey. The best series I’ve ever read, EVER. I wrote my senior thesis on it – well, technically only half of it, as I only had 20 pages and with all four books I could easily have made it to 50+.
Also: The Books of Pellinor, by Alison Croggon.
August 10, 2015 — 10:11 PM
jack lee taylor says:
Love Rick Yancey! Read his 5th wave series. Gotta check this one out.
August 10, 2015 — 10:21 PM
Will Belacqua says:
Definitely do! The 5th Wave series is good, but the Monstrumologist is mind-bogglingly beautiful. There were sentences and scenes so amazing I had to put the books down and just cry because I’d never in a million years be that good.
August 11, 2015 — 9:31 PM
Heather says:
This book has been on my to-read list for at least a year. I will eventually read it! And not just because it keeps getting recommended.
August 13, 2015 — 6:56 PM
themeeek says:
I cannot scream the praises of this book loud enough!
Annabel by Kathleen Winter is A BEAUTIFUL HUNK OF BOOK.
August 10, 2015 — 10:40 PM
Ray Peden says:
Try Terri Lynn Coop’s book: Devil’s Deal. A wise-assed lady lawyer with a lot of balls fighting off the dogs that are chasing her father’s guilty-as-sin legal firm. The dialog alone
is worth the price of admission.
August 10, 2015 — 10:53 PM
Lizaskew says:
Hey! I downloaded a bunch of kindle samples based on this recommendation list, and this book grabbed me the most, I love it! I’m about half way through, so thanks. I’m wondering why this book didn’t get a more thorough editing spit-shine though, it’s certainly good enough to warrant one.
August 14, 2015 — 9:05 AM
Terri says:
I’ll pimp out a friend’s book here. If you are looking for a Jack Reacher-style action fix with a thoughtful literary style, check out “One Tenth of the Law” by Ray Peden. He and I were on the same finalist docket for the 2013 Claymore Award for best unpublished novel in 2013. I ended up helping to do some of th beta-reading for the final. It doesn’t disappoint.
August 10, 2015 — 10:57 PM
D.R.Sylvester says:
Echoes, by Therin Knite. It’s fast-paced scifi stuff, and a quick read. Like Jasper Fforde meets Total Recall (well, YMMV, this is a dodgy way to describe anything). I reviewed it last year as:
“Flipping amazing, especially for a first book. It had my favourite mix: good characters (an overly-intelligent intelligence agent, who breaks the first rule of rookie-hood by overachieving); compelling world building (a post-post-apocalypse where humanity has more fancy technology than you can poke a designer cosmetic modification at); and intriguing plot (who is that lady with the sunglasses and the umbrella, and what’s the deal with the giant firebreathing dragon that’s selectively torching suburban addresses?).”
August 10, 2015 — 11:11 PM
Cheryl S. says:
Chip Crockett’s Christmas, by Elizabeth Hand. I think she’s a brilliant writer and I’ve given away multiple copies of Saffron and Brimstone, because I think it’s her best work, but this short work, with its illustrations and sweet strangeness of Joey Ramone meets Ebenezer Scrooge, is unforgettable.
August 11, 2015 — 12:18 AM
mermaidmaddie says:
Wetlands by Charlotte Roche. i’m not actually sure if people have heard of this one (i think it was originally in german) but i hear it’s caused quite a stir, so maybe some people have? dunno. at any rate, i thought this book was amazing. Roche created the character Helen Memel who lives and breathes all the weirdest and most taboo subjects, who says the things the rest of us can’t even think. it’s all about her exploration of her own female body, all the grossest parts, and how “hygiene isn’t a major concern of mine” and there are a LOT of bodily fluids involved. a lot.
for one, the book takes place in the hospital, because helen has to get ass surgery.
it’s really disgusting, the things that happen, but its also strangely addictive and it compels you to read more. this book is not for the faint of heart.
August 11, 2015 — 4:14 AM
Andie Katschthaler says:
I’ve recently taken a veer from the fantasy I usually read to what’s considered “literary fiction” (bah how I hate the genre smashing views of the world at large) and I fell down the Adichie hole. I read EVERYTHING she’s written (in book form) in the past month or so, but my absolute favourite was “Americanah”. It’s not a hidden gem since it’s pretty widely known, but I almost didn’t pick it up. Adichie has given me so much insight into a world I knew nothing about. So awesome!
August 11, 2015 — 4:57 AM
Elizabeth Poole says:
I don’t see enough people talking about this series, so I’ll say Ari Marmell’s Mick Oberon series. First book is called Hot Lead, Cold Iron, second is about to come out. It’s set in the thirties, with all the slang and details painstakingly researched, and the main character is a gumshoe private eye–who also happens to be fae. It’s a fantastic blend of old and new, and the narrator’s voice is just a pleasure to read.
August 11, 2015 — 7:36 AM
innerouterawkward says:
This sounds amazing. Popping it onto the ‘To Read’ shelf. Thanks!
August 11, 2015 — 10:44 AM
Dave Mason says:
Kim Newman’s Anno Dracula. It’s a brilliant alternate reality-type story, but with characters from all over classic fiction. I think some folks shy away from it because it has Dracula in the title.
August 11, 2015 — 10:51 AM
Heather says:
I’ve been debating reading this one. I love vampire stories, but for some reason I’m on the fence here. What type of characters are there? You mention from classic fiction, but who are some of the characters?
August 11, 2015 — 5:06 PM
Apep says:
Well, let’s see,
– Lord Ruthven (Polidori’s The Vampyre) is the PM
– One of the protagonists is a spy, and works for the Diogenes Club, headed by Mycroft Holmes himself
– Another protagonist is Kate Reed (early draft of Dracula)
– At one point, the spy is dragged to a meeting of major figures in London’s criminal underground, including a certain Chinese doctor from Limehouse (Fu Manchu, not identified as such due to copyright issues)
– Carl Kolchak (Kolchak: The Night Stalker) makes an anachronistic appearance.
There’s more, but I can’t remember them all (thankfully, the new editions are annotated). Basically, it’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but with vampires.
August 11, 2015 — 10:31 PM
Heather says:
That sounds awesome. Definitely one I need to read now. Thanks for the details!
August 11, 2015 — 10:59 PM
Dave Mason says:
Let’s see, I think Mycroft Holmes is in there, Raffles, Dracula himself, Dr. Seward, many other vampires (like Carmilla, Orlok, and possibly Blacula), Dr. Moreau, Dr. Jekyll, Gunga Din. There are some non-fictional characters too, like Queen Victoria and the Elephant Man.
August 12, 2015 — 10:28 PM
Mark M. says:
Like stories dark and weird? Check out Damein Angelica Walters debut collection, SING ME YOUR SCARS. I added it yesterday to my Kindle amidst a shit ton of other books, started reading it, and have not looked at my other books. Some of them I’d almost finished, almost. Soon. After Sing Me Your Scars.
August 11, 2015 — 11:00 AM
jack lee taylor says:
Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. Yeah, it’s well known but none of my writing friends I know have read it yet. Read the motherfucker!
August 11, 2015 — 11:31 AM
Heather says:
I enjoyed that one, but not as much as I enjoyed his book Horns. And is it just me, or was anyone else visualizing the main character being Ozzy?
August 11, 2015 — 5:04 PM
jack lee taylor says:
That’s awesome! Ozzy! I loved Horns as well. Horns had one of the best breakup scenes put into words. For Heart Shaped box, I kinda thought of Judas Coyne like a gruff, burly Ron Perlman for some reason (he’s no singer, but still…). It’s so crazy how readers imagine character appearances.
August 11, 2015 — 9:38 PM
Heather says:
It really is. Writing is truly a visual art that makes no two views the same. I like your visualization of the character. I felt like the Horns movie held up pretty well to the book as far as film versions go. Really want to see a Heart Shaped Box film now.
August 11, 2015 — 9:45 PM
Dae says:
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. One of my favorite standalone novels ever, and one I’ve been recommending every chance I get. I’d call it urban fantasy, perhaps, if it wasn’t Victorian-era. It’s a haunting dream-waltz of a book with vibrant characters and even more vibrant, intricate overarching structure. I can’t tell you my favorite thing about it without spoiling the ending, but that in itself should be a recommendation. It’s a beautiful story.
Bonus points for a gender-balanced cast and a dose of pansexuality that’s incidental about the character in question, rather than a focus of her existence.
August 11, 2015 — 11:57 AM
Pat says:
I second this recommendation. The year I read it, I gave it to friends as gifts. I hope she has another book just as wonderful waiting to emerge.
August 11, 2015 — 7:31 PM
Will Belacqua says:
I just finished that book! It’s pretty good, and I was really happy that the romance didn’t get too trite.
August 11, 2015 — 9:27 PM
Deb Atwood says:
I agree. It’s a lovely book. I read it for the second time for Supernatural Readers over at Goodreads. I think the genre would be called steampunk.
August 12, 2015 — 11:12 AM
David says:
My wife adores this book but I have yet to read it – not my normal thing. Maybe I’ll give it a whirl when the weather cools.
August 13, 2015 — 12:44 PM
tedra says:
Unchained by J Lynn. Its UF. It has a wonderful heroin. She is the only girl Nephilim as she kicks tale. The Nephilim have a secret organization that hunts demons and while she is doing a routine demon kill she ends up striking a cop. And then goes the whole cover up thing.
This book is action from beginning to end. I boight the e version and i wish i had a copy in paper back. From what i know, there isnt one in existence which is a shame. This lady write really good books.
August 11, 2015 — 3:56 PM
Heather says:
Nightmarish Reality by W.D. Lady
Synopsis per Amazon/Author – IMAGINE EVERY NIGHT YOU WISH NEVER TO FALL ASLEEP… for once you close your eyes the unthinkable horrors plague your mind, your sanity.
Eighteen-year-old Zander Russell suffers from constant nightmares. He doesn’t know what is causing them and why his nightmares seem so real, resulting in cuts and bruises all over his body. Seemingly an average student, Zander goes to a typical high school where he’s constantly bullied and teased.
The nightmares occur more frequently in the day, blurring the lines between reality and mere illusions. When Zander meets and befriends a stranger, he begins to realize how truly different he is. It’s only a matter of time before the dark demons of the past suddenly begin to reveal themselves.
Armed with a pen and a notebook, Zander records what is happening to him as he tries to put back the missing pieces of the puzzle. He must stop the nightmares before they start to take on a life of their own.
Is it too late for Zander to control what he’s unleashed into the world?
August 11, 2015 — 5:02 PM
portlandorange (@portlandorange) says:
Daniel José Older‘s Tor.com short story “Ginga,” set in supernatural Brooklyn. It centers on Kia, a teenage genius from his Half-Resurrection Blues novel, which is also amazing.
August 11, 2015 — 7:17 PM
Apep says:
The Goblin Corps, by Ari Marmell. Short pitch: Lord of the Rings from Sauron’s POV, but without turning Sauron or his servants into misunderstood woobies.
August 11, 2015 — 10:37 PM
James R. Tuck says:
CONQUEROR WOMB: Lusty Tales Of Shub-Niggurath
No I am not joking.
This is a GREAT collection.
Seriously.
There is actually very little smut in it. Mostly what you are going to find is transgressive scifi and horror. Well-written, thought provoking stories that will make you think.
Don’t like Lovecraftian stuff? It’s cool, you don’t have to!
Seriously, download the sample and give it a try. I’m not kidding. It’s great.
http://www.amazon.com/Conqueror-Womb-Lusty-Tales-Shub-Niggurath-ebook/dp/B00IC7C3G2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1439359047&sr=1-1&keywords=conqueror+womb
August 12, 2015 — 2:00 AM
Weetzie says:
I’m utterly in love with Alis Franklin’s Liesmith at the moment. And its sequel, Stormbringer. An excellent amalgamation of Norse mythology and geek culture.
August 12, 2015 — 7:40 AM
Paul Stephenson (@PRSBooks) says:
I just finished Jay Stringer’s Ways to Die In Glasgow, which was brilliant. You should read that.
August 12, 2015 — 8:08 AM
Deb Atwood says:
I recommend The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. It’s an oldie not much read now, but it garnered a number of prestigious awards. The writing is lyrical and soulful. Can I just say I’m in love with Estraven?
August 12, 2015 — 11:21 AM
Lizaskew says:
On it! I’ve been wondering where I should start with LeGuinn.
August 13, 2015 — 6:08 AM
Deb Atwood says:
So glad to hear it. I hope you love The Left Hand of Darkness. Happy reading!
August 13, 2015 — 10:30 AM
Miri says:
The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner. Technically middle grades, I believe the recipient of Newberry Honor designation, and absolutely one of the best narrators I’ve ever read. One I still go back to, time and again.
August 12, 2015 — 11:40 AM
janinmi says:
Queen of Iron Years by Lyn McConchie and Sharman Horwood, from Kite Hill Publishing. An alt-Boadicea novel (but not from her viewpoint) that’s wise, wondrous, heart-wrenching and all kinds of awesome. OMG just go read it already!
August 12, 2015 — 12:58 PM
Beth Tanner says:
The Broken Citadel by Joyce Ballou Gregorian – excellent parallel-world fantasy with some interesting cross-over elements. Alas, no longer with us to write more books but this was such fun!
August 12, 2015 — 2:41 PM
Diana says:
In the Night Garden, by Catherynne Valente. A labyrinth of interwoven narratives, a written dream. If we don’t sink into complete illiteracy, it should be required reading in the next fifty years.
August 12, 2015 — 2:58 PM
Heather Greye says:
I got hung up on the “a book you do not think we’ve read” part…so I recommend Dictionary of the Khazars.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/321566.Dictionary_of_the_Khazars
It can be read straight-through or jumping around through references. There are two versions – male and female that are the same excepts for 17 lines — and has enough historical stuff in it that you just don’t know what to think…
August 12, 2015 — 4:51 PM
Lizaskew says:
The Birthgrave, by Tanith Lee! This was her first published work, and though it is a bit overly dependent on theme toward the end, I didn’t even care when I first read it because it was just so mesmerizing. Her description is perfectly intimate, her characters are so real, and the epic journey is super epic. Really left an impression on me, and I don’t think Lee gets enough recognition. She was an amazing writer.
August 13, 2015 — 6:02 AM
annedougherty says:
The Girl of the Sea of Cortez by Peter Benchley (much better know for penning Jaws). This is an amazing little book about a girl’s coming of age and our relationship with nature.
August 13, 2015 — 11:07 AM
Janis Mooradian says:
anything by Andrew Vachss
August 13, 2015 — 2:06 PM