Top Ten Tuesday – Hidden Gems

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018!

Oh jeez. To generate these, I basically went through my read list, picked books I rated highly that I can’t remember people talking about. I don’t think of books as “hidden gems”. That’s not what I do. So, here you go my randomly generated list.

• Pet Sematary by Stephen King

I know that anything by Stephen King isn’t exactly hidden in any sense of the word, but you don’t hear about this one as much. Everyone talks about IT, Misery, The Shining, and The Stand, but I never hear about Pet Sematary as much. And I really enjoyed this one!

• In My Skin by Kate Holden

I am nearly 100% certain that no one I know has read this book, but it’s literally my favorite memoir of all time. It tells the story of a woman who became a drug addict and became a sex worker to pay for her habit, eventually getting clean and leaving the profession.

• The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne

I know, Boyne isn’t that hidden. But, like with King, I don’t hear this one mentioned as much! And I think that’s a damn shame since I love it so much. It’s a book about Anastasia and, well, I love the Romanovs.

• Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Yes, there’s the movie but have you read the book? Well, the book is great. It’s queer and southern and amazing. I need to reread it, but the book is fantastic from what I remember.

• The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis

Wow, Caidyn, a religious book? Yes! A religious book! I read this back in 2017 and I thought that it had a fantastic message to it that could help modernize the Catholic church more.

• The Marvels by Brian Selznick

Selznick isn’t exactly hidden, but I don’t think I hear people talking about this book. It has amazing artwork, plus a great story that involves AIDS and an M/M couple.

• Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Yes, this book is great. I know that it’s about death and dying, but it’s also an incredibly valuable book to help you set things up for the inevitable thing. Just helps you see what is good and bad so you know what to look for when you get to that point.

• Irene by Pierre Lemaitre

I love mystery and horror. I remember this book. I don’t remember the exact plot because it’s been a couple of years, but I remember being breathless and shocked by the story.

• The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

I read this one back in May and I loved it. It’s not my usual thing either — while I like memoirs, they’re not always great; and I’m not into graphic novels — but I adored it. I highly recommend it to anyone.

• The Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

The first book by Mark Lawrence, one that brought me into his little world. And I love him. It was all the rage when it first came out, but you rarely see it anymore since people mainly focus on his Red Sister trilogy.

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What book is a hidden gem to you?
If you do this tag, do we share any?