#underhyped books

[mediashadowreads]

3 UNDERHYPED, OVERHYPED AND DESERVES THE HYPE BOOKS

[venusinmyrrh]

3 + 17 + 22 for the book asks 📚

3. What were your top five books of the year?

I posted my top five here but I had a bitch of a time narrowing it down so here's the rest of my top ten:

Christopher Isherwood's famous Goodbye to Berlin, which made 1930s Weimar Berlin come so alive in its pages I felt like I was really there with him.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which has been recc'd to high heaven by me and everybody else but deserves every word of praise it gets.

Linda Przybyszewski's The Lost Art of Dress: The Women Who Once Made America Stylish, my other favorite fashion history book, which covers the style of real women in the early to mid 20th century.

The Past is Never by Tiffany Quay Tyson, a stunning southern gothic whose opening passages give Shirley Jackson a run for her money.

Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin. Not for the faint of heart, or of taste.

17. Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

Anne Roiphe's Art and Madness: A Memoir of Lust Without Reason. Picked it up at random off a prop bookshelf and was immediately engrossed by this woman who thought the highest calling in life was to be an artist's wife, until she discovered her own talent and became an artist herself.

22. What’s the longest book you read?

Anaïs Nin's unexpurgated diary from 1932-1934, and even though I adored it and would read it again, it sure did take me about three months.

send me a book ask!

[theobviousparadox]

14 Underhyped YA Books Worth Reading

14 Underhyped YA Books Worth Reading I was emailing with an author of one of my favorite books from last year, and I realized it’s been a while since I shared a list of the books that I loved that just didn’t seem to get the hype they deserved. Some of these were published during the early days of Covid, when authors canceled book signings, school visits, and other bookish events. A few of these…

[bookishbethanyerin]

• overhyped, appropriately hyped, underhyped •

I was feeling brave, so here we are!

I do want to be clear on one thing though: I am not here to bash any books or any readers. I think everyone should read what they want, love what they love, and not be made to feel bad about that. Reading is subjective – and there are absolutely books out there for everyone.✌️

[heymusings]

One of the things that both annoys me and makes me giggle is when people on tiktok make the under/over hyped book lists and claim certain books are underhyped. But they weren't...they're just 10+ years old. They aren't under hyped, you just missed the hype.

[lunamond]

In keeping with my recommendation of Cruel Beauty, an actual good YA book, instead of 🔥hotfire garbage🔥, aka Acotar, I thought I'd recommend another favourite of mine.

So, this time, I'm going to give an alternative recommendation to Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. This post is definitely not inspired by the release of Iron Flame.

Instead please try:

Fireborne by Rosaria Munda❤️‍🔥

This recommendation is especially for anyone who fell for the advertising when FW first came out, and it was sold as a YA adjacent military dragon fantasy with a slow burn romance.

So if that sounds interesting to you and you want to read an actually well written story, go check out Fireborne.

Fireborne is a YA fantasy, the 1st book of the Aurelian Cycle (a completed trilogy).

It follows its two main characters in a military academy through their training to become dragon riders.

I personally have pitched this series to irl friends as a genderswapped Anastasia (animated movie) with dragons.

The story takes place right after a big revolution. The people overthrew the dragon riding aristocracy.

Our main characters meet up in an orphanage, where they grow up together and end up joining the military academy to become dragon riders.

A lot of the story revolves around the questions that come up when a newly formed government is put through crisis.

All seen through the eyes of the protagonists, who as teenagers are old enough to know what life was like before the revolution, but young enough to have grown up in the new system.

The story does a great job of dealing with the struggles that come with uprooting old deeply ingrained systems of oppression while trying to build a newer fairer system.

The dragons are an integral part of this theme. Unlike FW, in which magical abilities and creatures are added without regard for how they might impact the world or themes, in Fireborne, the dragons are the embodiment of political and military power.

When the aristocracy ruled their oppressive regime, they were the only ones allowed to own and ride dragons. After their fall, the new regime allowed regular people the opportunity to become riders.

However, the number of dragons is still limited, and the new regime, comprised of former revolutionary leaders, want to keep the new riders under their control.

So, in the end, they still come up with a system that allows for abuse and oppression because access to power remains restricted to a chosen few, the dragon riders and those who control them, the newly established government.

These themes make for really complicated and nuanced conflicts without easy solutions. The sequels make a great job with further expanding on these themes.

The military elements also all make sense in this series, and they employ logical means to train their most valuable military assets, their dragon riders unlike FW.

It also features one of my favourite slow burn romances (at least in YA), the relationship has actually depth and tension, while also providing believable reasons why the characters can't just get together.

I'm actually really salty that Fourth Wing took off practically overnight, while Fireborne has been out for ages and has consistently remained underhyped. But I guess it isn’t spicy... 😒

So, for anyone who picked FW up without realising that it is actually just a very trashy smutty romance mascarading as a high fantasy, I highly recommend reading Fireborne which comes with the added perk of not being written by a known zionist.

[divinesymmetry]

Pride Month list part 2: book edition

I read a lot (and I mean a lot) of queer books, especially during my YA phase ages 15-17, but here are a few that have particularly stood out to me, and why you should read them:

Maurice by E.M. Forster (published posthumously in 1971): everything you'd want from an early 20th century romance, except it's gay, and arguably the best piece of 20th century queer literature

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (2019): absolutely heartwrenching, will have you gasping for air in between sobs, and it's written by a poet so you KNOW the prose is amazing

Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart (2022): set in 1990s Glasgow, will absolutely rip your heart out and tear it to shreds

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (2021): 1950s lesbian coming of age during the red scare, need I say more?

Don't Cry for Me by Daniel Black (2022): written in the form of letters, from a Black father to his gay son

Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski (2020): for some reason, no one seems to have read this, and they absolutely should have. will, once again, leave you in sobs (I am beginning to suspect I might cry easily)

My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson (2022): another underhyped one, about race and sexuality during the AIDS crisis

Un Garçon d'Italie by Philippe Besson (2003): one of the narrators is literally a rotting corpse, that should be intriguing enough

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (1964), Confusion by Stefan Zweig (1927), Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown (1973) and Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin (1956) because, if you're like me, you're desparate to find queer literature from before the 1990s

Angels in America by Tony Kushner (1993), much quicker to read than to watch though, unfortunately, you do not have Andrew Garfield as Prior Walter in the written version

Ace of Spades by Faridah Abiké-Iyimidé (2021) starts with a quote from Get Out and that tells you everything you need to know

Ziggy, Stardust and Me by James Brandon (2019) is surprisingly rich for YA, exploring homosexuality in the 1970s, conversion therapy and Native American identity

Crush by Richard Siken (2005) if you're more into poetry, particularly the kind that will bring you physical and emotional pain

Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel (1986) because you can't not read Alison Bechdel

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (2021), The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver (2022), and She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen (2021) are the perfect romcoms if you want to switch your brain off for a few hours (or emotionally recover from half of the other books on this list)

For the similar list I made about movies, click here

Happy Pride!🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

[keplercryptids]

i'm 70% into the audiobook of the spear cuts through water by simon jimenez and holy shit this is a criminally underhyped book

[jeanmoreaux]

top 9 books

tagged forever ago by @doctorsrose & @rosesau (🫶🫶🫶)

tagging: @lvnchs | @permanentreverie | @tolerateit | @speaknowtv | @henwilsons | @newtmsa | @greenribon | @brimay | @hollyfhumberstone | @tbosas | @alinastarkovz (ofc no pressure <3 would love to hear about your fav books in whatever way you wanna share and if you don't then that's okay too!)

rules: list your top 9 books obviously. like the people before me and probably most people who did this i cheated and put series or several books by the same author as one thing bc rules are made for breaking <3 this is very much both an 'off the top of my head' as well as a 'laboured over this for hours' kind of list that's heavily biased to the present moment.

(1.) all for the game by nora sakavic; i don't even know what to say about this. either you read it and Get why this is on my list or you Don't. and if you haven't read it this is not a recommendation btw. this is just me saying these books did irreparable damage to my developing teenage brain. hit me like no other series probably ever will again because i read this at the Right Time while being the exact right amount of Insane. and just like seed mentioned in her list if you want to know Me and Understand Me then you need to know this series. i am sure there are traces of it in my dna by now.

(2.) the raven cycle by maggie stiefvater; same goes for this one tbh. if you want to know Me and Understand Me then you need to know this series. another instance of Right Time and Right Me. these books burrowed themselves deep into my bones and became a part of my dna. they shaped soo much of my taste in prose, storytelling techniques, tropes, and dynamics. this story and these characters took me apart and put me back together again but rearranged some essential parts inside of me. much like with aftg, i came out of this series irreversibly changed and drenched in blood final girl style.

(3.) frankenstein by mary shelley; a beautifully written story with soooo much room for whatever literary lens you want to apply to it. i know i answered an ask once where i talked about my love for this book in detail but i can't find it. but i found this rant on frankenstein and the creature. i think a lot of my love for this story comes from the fact that i had the chance to work closely with the text several times. but also it's just a heart-wrenching tale about how we define humanity and how love is essential nourishment for the soul. it reminds me of that one quote from the good place: "people improve when they get external love and support. how can we hold it against them when they don’t?" because frankenstein basically answers the question what happens when someone gives you a life you didn't ask for and then opts out of any (emotional) responsibility and leaves you desolate and utterly forsaken.

(4.) the green bone saga by fonda lee; an epic family saga i still think about A Lot. kinda succession without logan but make it fantasy mafia. sibling relationships are a big part of this story too. which if you know me. big fan of that. it's also a series that grows in scope (world building wise) and keeps adding complexity So Naturally it's impressive. amazing storytelling craft at work fr. definitely an underhyped series in my opinion.

(5.) the sword of kaigen by m.l. wang; another fantasy story focusing on family dynamics but also functioning as a character study. it's a self-published work and it shows in the BEST way. there's just something about it that makes me insane one a storytelling level because it breaks so many conventions and you either hate that or love that but no matter your opinion on it i think it's undeniable that this book has some of the best character work written in recent years. i desperately need to reread.

(6.) on earth we’re briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong; another book that fucked me up with its beautiful prose and incredibly gut-wrenching emotional honesty. it really feels like you're reading about someone ripping out the most vulnerable and messed up and complex parts of their soul and laying them bare for you to see expecting nothing but acknowledgement in return. and while my own lived experience is nothing close to ocean vuong's the emotional core of this book rings so true. also i just have to say it again. the prose fucks severely.

(7.) the grisha trilogy & the six of crows duology by leigh bardugo; another (two) series i read in my teens that shaped my taste to a drastic degree. the crows are just forever ingrained in my brain. alina's story will forever fuck me up. you all know. you all understand. w're not getting into it. i think the fact that tgt is so misunderstood and undervalued just makes me love it more. because if you get it. damn. devastating. if you don't. so sorry for you because you're missing out.

(8.) the song of achilles & circe by madeline miller; tbh both of these retellings did something to my brain. you all know these i don't have to elaborate. it's very typical queer of me to fawn over anything to do with greek mythology and retellings but. these two just HIT different. also, the prose? makes me a little insane.

(9.) giovanni’s room by james baldwin; this book has some of the most insane prose i have ever read. baldwin's grasp on language is uncanny fr. every other sentence packs a punch in one way or another. he manages to capture some aspects of the queer (specifically the bi) experience in a way that felt so familiar to me and put words to so many of my internal experiences. it's about the self and identity and being lost and refusing to let yourself be found. it's also about human connections and how you'll wither when you deny yourself to open up to the people closest to you. it's about so many things without being about one think in particular. like all the other books on this list, love and belonging are at the core of it, but in a very distorted way. i don't think you can really understand unless you've read it. it's So Good.

honorable mentions; emma by jane austen (cunty women RULE), wuthering heights by emily brontë (severely fucked up in the most entertaining way. that's how you write drama.) east of eden by john steinbeck (cain and abel shit and deranged women? sign me up), these violent delights by micah nemerever (be gay do crime in the most mentally ill way possible), if we were villains (love it when characters haunt a narrative. also definitely a book about the gay sex that is not happening), women in love by d.h. lawrence (still currently making my way through this one but it's so deliciously messed up and queer i am almost certain it will leave a permanent mark)

[thereaderbee]

📚 What are some underrated books that you’ve read this year?? Happy Thursday, Bookworms … Have you read any books this year that you feel are underrated? I’ve read a few, and the first one that came to mind was *Iron Widow* by Xiran Jay Zhao! (Also, throwback photo because it was pouring rain yesterday and too dark to take photos.) I read this book back in January, and it’s so good. I don’t see it around much, but everyone should read it. I have the sequel preordered and I can’t wait to devour it. ❤️ What are some underhyped books that you loved this year?? 🌲 📚 🌲 📚 🌲 📚 #AlltheBookDec22 #MyFictionalMusings #CourtofReadingDec22 #Reaing ingintheWeb 🌲 📚 🌲 📚 🌲 📚 #ironwidow #xiranjayzhao #bookstack #yabooks #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booknerd #booklover #bookphotography #books #reading #bookrecs #goodreads #bookobsessed #yafantasy #fantasybooks #bookcommunity #booksaremagic #readmorebooks #cozyreading #bookaesthetic #bookcommunity #readingisfundamental #fiction #readingtime #ilovebooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CmL_8INOkUi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bookaddict24-7]

Can you please recommend a book which you love?

Hmmmm I love questions like these, but it’s always a bit of a challenge because I like many books and many genres. Here are SOME books I love in different genres!

Romance:

Broken by Elizabeth Kelly (I’ve read a lot of romance and I didn’t want to be a broken record with my recommendations for romance. This book was a favourite in 2020 or 2021–time passes quickly. There were situations that will definitely pull at the heartstrings!) Also, Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid blew my mind. It’s the second in a series but can be read as a standalone! It’s M/M hockey players who absolutely hate each other.

Fantasy:

Babel by R.F Kuang (I just finished this yesterday and need to write my review. It was brilliant.) Also, Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan was stunning.

Sci-Fi:

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers (This book will make you think about everything. This is sci-fi, but it’s like a super chill sci-fi with some thought-provoking moments. It’s beautiful. I recommend it with a cup of tea.)

Memoir/Autobiography:

This category is hard because even though I just got into this genre in 2022, I read some brilliant books. One of my favourites was Uphill by Jemele Hill!

Fiction:

How Not to Drown in A Glass of Water by Angie Cruz (this was probably my favourite read of 2022. The audiobook was a work of art that left me feeling so many emotions.) Dominicana by her is also brilliant.

Horror:

Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente (I usually do Horrorstor or The Long Walk or The Troop or Tender is the Flesh for this genre, but this one by Valente is such a fun and tiny impactful book. That end was mind blowing.)

YA:

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney (this was a surprising and super underhyped read. I’m trying to just stick to one for this general category or else I’ll be here all day.)

YA LGBTQ+:

Here the Whole Time by Vítor Martins (I think I’ve mentioned this book before and I will always mention it because it deserves more love. Also, I got my friends to read Darius the Great is Not Okay this past year and they loved it! Also, loved She Gets the Girl, I Wish You All the Best and Cemetery Boys!)

Hope you enjoy!

Happy reading!

[avatarthelastairgender]

idk if you're still doing violence asks but if you are, 21 and 22 for tlt?

part of canon you think is overhyped

the humour, especially in the first book. like, to be fair, i don't think tmuir evoking internet memes is something that is done entirely without purpose; i think in some ways it's intertextual with memes for a reason. but sometimes i see the books praised for their humour and, i'm gonna be honest, a lot of the lines are not funny to me and make me cringe. "you studied the blade" "thank you, next" please stop

your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

this answer is cheating because it's just a character but CYTHEREA!!!!! SHE IS SO UNDERHYPED AND SO WONDERFUL!!! I LOVE YOU CYTHEREA

[chickycherrycola]

Okay, I have the same questions for you! How long have you been writing and what are some of your favorite tropes/storylines to write? Also, do you have a movie/show/book you’d consider a hidden gem or under-hyped fave??

Hello there Tower! 🎶 thanks for providing me with a wonderful distraction while I work from home today ehehehe *rubs my tiny fly hands together*

How long have I been writing:

Truly, kind of all my life? I've loved books, reading, and words since childhood - I was that quirky little kid who preferred going to the library over going to the park 😅 I wrote a LOT in high school and college, but I doubted myself too much to ever do anything with any of it. I never submitted short stories to publishing houses, never posted any of my fanfics online as a result. I took a long break from writing after graduating college and only recently got back into it, about... late 2021, I want to say? I re-read some fave old Soul Eater fanfics and got inspired to take up the metaphorical pen again, and I'm so glad I did. Now it feels like all I do with my life is write and I wouldn't have it any other way tbh!

Favorite Tropes/Storylines To Write:

Boy oh boy, where to even begin? I love romance, comedy, and the wonderful intersection of the two in the form of the ROMANTIC COMEDY, which im sure is pretty obvious given the kinds of fics I tend to post. I write as a form of escape from reality and use humor to cope and process big feelings, so writing rom-coms with a lot of heart and mature themes at their core is my jam.

In terms of tropes - my faves are the following, in no particular order: Friends to Lovers, Idiots In Love, Boy Falls First, Found Family (im actually a HUGE SLUT for this one and want to write it so badly!), Second Chance Romance, Animal Companions (i utilize this one a TON in my original fiction), Cozy Fantasy and/or stories that seamlessly weave magic or supernatural elements into the "real" world... and lastly, not really a trope, but Character Driven Stories are the GOAT.

Also... I just really love writing smut. PWP one-shots are my guilty pleasure. >:3

Hidden Gems/Underhyped Faves:

I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED!

Books (though two of these are comics technically):

-SAGA by Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples: adult graphic novel space epic series full of memorable characters and absolutely gorgeous art that tackles a lot of tough stuff and has made me feel the full spectrum of human emotion

-The Tea Dragon Society by K. O'Neill: a wholesome, heartwarming all ages comic chocked full of pocket-sized dragons and the COZIEST fantasy vibes EVER

-The Locked Tomb series: idk if it counts as an underrated fave/hidden gem cause the book series has a pretty sizable and active fan base, but im recommending it anyway cause Harrowhark Nonagesimus is one of my favorite characters in all of fiction, and if you like stories that explore both romantic and platonic partnership dynamics, you should give it a read if you haven't already!!

Shows/Anime:

-D. Gray-Man: shounen anime set in Victorian England about exorcists and featuring the most Cinnamon Roll Main Character in the Universe who I will always love with my whole heart, Allen Walker

-Re:Creators: a reverse isekai in which fictional characters are suddenly pulled from their universes into the real world and tackles the question of what fiction/art mean to us humans, one of my favorite shows of ALL TIME with excellent music composed by Hiroyuki Sawano

-Baccano!: a sort of steampunk/fantasy caper involving alchemists, immortals, outlaws, gangsters, an immortality elixir, and a murder mystery on a train, told in a non-linear format that really puzzles the brain on the first couple of watches

-Witch Hat Atelier: is technically a manga but is getting an anime soon! A series about a young girl who goes to magic school to become a witch, featuring an excellent magic system and gorgeous art

Movies:

-this answer is already soooooo long so ill just recommend my favorite movie of all time, PACIFIC RIM, which if you haven't seen you should WATCH RIGHT AWAY because it has the partners trope you love! Its a 2013 sci-fi flick directed by Guillermo del Toro about kaijus invading Earth from outer space, and the giant, dual-piloted robots that humanity devises to fight back with, and was so revolutionary in its portrayal of its main female character that it created a whole new benchmark for assessing portrayal of women characters in fiction (The Mako Mori Test).

In conclusion - thanks for giving me an excuse to ramble on and on, and I do truly hope you enjoyed all this drivel! 🙏😁

[thistlecatfics]

20, 21, 25

20. part of canon you found tedious or boring

The obvious answer - the camping in book 7. jkr desperately needed a heavier hand from her editors for that one.

21. part of canon you think is overhyped

Honestly in the marauders/mwpp fandom canon is obnoxiously underhyped - so many people act like giving canon the most uncharitable reading possible is a political action rather than just a lazy analysis.

(But in general - it's book 5! when people dismiss that book as "capslock harry" I get so livid. He's a child in pain! the book itself is so brilliant in being a bridge to the larger war, the resistance, the first war, the marauders era!)

25. common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

There's no femslash. There is, I promise. Yes, it's imbalanced, but you can look harder if you actually want to read femslash.

choose violence asks

[teamkrissy]

Yesterday I saw a person with a really underhyped somewhat recent book (2020) that I read and liked in their basket and I was so excited

[bajoop-sheeb]

Gladly! The books on this list aren’t limited to specifically anti-colonial science fiction and fantasy, but they do center related and relevant topics, themes, etc.

Anything by NK Jemisin. She is the best speculative fiction writer of her generation and probably the best speculative fiction writer alive. She is easily one of the best writers working right now, across all genres. That’s not hyperbole. She deserves all the hype.

Anything by Octavia Butler. She needs no introduction. Her short fiction is incredible; “Bloodchild��� is one of the pieces that inspired me to write.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon. Excellent. Just read it.

The Radiant Emperor duology by Shelley P. Chan. It broke my heart and it'll break yours.

Babel by RF Kuang. You’ve probably already heard of this book because Harper Voyager marketed the shit out of it and was right to do so. Is it subtle? Uh, no. But it’s very good. Kuang writes a compulsively readable story, that’s for sure.

The Unbroken by CL Clark. An exploration of what happens when conscription blurs the line between colonizer and colonized.

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo.

So Long Been Dreaming: Post-Colonial Science Fiction and Fantasy (anthology) edited by Nalo Hopkinson.

Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (anthology) edited by Sheree Renée Thomas.

Severely underhyped books of assorted speculative genres:

The Blood Trials by NE Davenport. Given the chokehold romantasy currently has on the public it’s insane to me that this book hasn’t sold a billion copies.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez. It’ll change you.

The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera.

The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull.

Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun. Ignore the marketing, this book is YA (maybe NA) and you’ll appreciate it more if you approach it as such.

Read widely. Read diversely. People of the Caucasian persuasion need to stop getting pissy when the story doesn’t immediately center them and they don’t automatically relate to everything the character says and does and is. Just let yourself get swept up in the story—even if it touches on (gasp!) racism—and maybe, just maybe, it’ll reveal something to you.

Or maybe not! Marginalized sff authors do not have to and should not have to educate their readers. But if I see one more white person complain about how Black characters are fundamentally annoying because they complain too much I’m going to fling myself into the sun

Thanks for coming to my ted talk I didn’t want to do it but here I am

PLEASE for the love of the universe read anti-colonial science fiction and fantasy written from marginalized perspectives. Y’all (you know who you are) are killing me. To see people praise books about empire written exclusively by white women and then turn around and say you don’t know who Octavia Butler is or that you haven’t read any NK Jemisin or that Babel was too heavy-handed just kills me! I’m not saying you HAVE to enjoy specific books but there is such an obvious pattern here

Some of y’all love marginalized stories but you don’t give a fuck about marginalized creators and characters, and it shows. Like damn