Top Ten Tuesday | Hidden Gems

meltotheanyAside

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!

So, this week’s topic is all about the hidden book gems that we feel deserve so much more love and recognition… and reviews! A few of the ten that I picked are just books that I feel like I don’t hear enough about, and I think they are perfection! But most of these are books that I went on my read shelf on Goodreads and found by sorting from least number of reviews! And, friends, some of these deserve so much more love! 💖

➽ Senlin Ascends (The Books of Babel #1) by Josiah Bancroft
5,309 Ratings & 981 Reviews
Okay, if I could only recommend one book on this list, I would pick this one. I know that is has gotten a lot more hype and recognition since Orbit picked it up, but it’s honestly the most unique book I’ve ever read in my entire life. I read this when it was still self-published, and I still think about it to this day. This is smart, and lyrical, and oh so perfect. Seriously, friends, pick this up!

➽ The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
33,444 Ratings & 5,440 Reviews
Okay, this is going to be the “biggest” book on this list, but the reason I really wanted to include it was because I feel like this is Holly Black’s hidden gem! Honestly? This is my favorite published Holly Black work and I wish more people would fall in love with it, too!

➽ Art of War: Anthology for Charity by Petros Triantafyllou
146 Ratings & 66 Reviews
This amazing, forty story anthology only has 66 reviews on Goodreads? Lord, help me! Not only do the proceeds for this go to an amazing cause, there are some of the best names in SFF contributing to this!

➽ Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher
18,595 Ratings & 3,675 Reviews
Whenever people ask me to recommend them a hidden gem, I always pick this book. This is one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read in my entire life, and I wish so very much that it would be more read and loved. I think this is a really polarizing book, though, and it was so very many triggers so please use caution for rape and captivity. But if you are in the right mindset, please give this beautiful book a try.

➽ The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion (Danielle Cain #1) by Margaret Killjoy
884 Ratings & 207 Reviews
Friends, this horror novella is everything. The atmosphere is spooky and perfect, the writing is whimsical and addicting, and the cast is diverse and wonderful. This is the perfect fall read, too, so you all should really consider picking this up!

➽ Echo After Echo by Amy Rose Capetta
394 Ratings & 127 Reviews
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the number of reviews and ratings this had! This was one of my all-time favorite books of 2018! It has an amazing f/f romance, set among the backdrop of a theater production and a murder mystery! Honestly? This is another perfect fall read!

➽ The King of Bourbon Street (NOLA Nights #1) by Thea de Salle
346 Ratings & 133 Reviews
This is the book that actually throws me for a bit of a loop, because I feel like so many more people have read this! Like, this is hella beloved in the romance community, but the Goodreads numbers don’t lie. I read this is year and fell so in love with the New Orleans setting and our plus sized main character. But be warned, this is a very steamy ready, but if that’s what you’re in the mood for? This will be perfect for you!

➽ The Melody of You and Me (Lillac Town #1) by M. Hollis
420 Ratings & 189 Reviews
Okay, I feel a little bad about putting this one on the list, just because it is kind of hard to find on the internet lately. But I couldn’t put down this novella that stars a pansexual girl! Seriously, I read this for Pride this June and it meant more to me than I have words for. I just wish it was more easily accessible for people to buy and read!

➽ Inkmistress (Of Fire and Stars 0.5) by Audrey Coulthurst
501 Ratings & 144 Reviews
I can’t believe this early 2018 release hasn’t received more love. Friends, I loved this. This is a YA fantasy that stars a bisexual main character who has relationships with a boy and a girl on page. This is still one of my favorite reads of the year, and it truly deserves so much more love.

➽ The Seven Princes of the Thousand Year Labyrinth, Vol. 1 by Aikawa Yu
207 Ratings & 31 Reviews
Like I could make a list and not include a manga recommend. Especially one of my all-time favorites that deserves all the love in the entire world! The basic premise of this is that the Emperor of the seven lands has passed away, and the seven Lords of those seven lands find themselves trapped in a medieval castle. Inside the castle that was thought just a fantasy, the Lords are met with constant rising water, traps, puzzles, and riddles, that they must figure out or they will lose their lives. Together they must decide who will be the new Emperor. It’s perfection!

Okay, my loves! That’s all ten! I honestly feel like I could easily add ten more to this list! But hopefully you’ll find a new book or two! Let me know what your personal favorite hidden gem is! And I hope you’re all having the happiest of reading! 💖

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52 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday | Hidden Gems”

      1. Yes you did!
        I am having happy reading… I’m working on the second Mistborn and also Clockwork Prince. I hope you are having happy reading, too!

        Btw you told me to message you mid September to buddy read Ember in the Ashes. Let me know if you are still interested in doing that!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Oh gosh! I completely forget! I’m so sorry, these October 2nd releases are killing me! Hehe! Would you be cool with doing it the first week of November (maybe late October if I can fit it in… but I’m just… I swear every book comes out October 2nd! Haha!)? ❤

        Liked by 1 person

      3. That’s no problem at all, I’ve got lots of things to read until then. Mistborn along can keep me occupied that long. 😜
        This would be my first buddy read, so I’m not quite sure how it works.

        Liked by 1 person

      7. Hey, love! I’m not sure if I will be able to, I am actually leaving for California tomorrow a bit unexpectedly! But…. I’ll let you know! I’m so sorry, love! But don’t wait for me… if you want to start it up! 💖xx

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Mel, I literally had Mud Vein on my list and then thought to myself: “You know what? Melanie is going to have this on her list let her broadcast this one to the world!” lol I still can’t believe the odds that I finished reading that on Christmas morning. I can still feel the tears.

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  10. ooooh i love this post! feels like the blogging world can get so caught up in liking/talking about the same set of books, so it’s sooo refreshing to see some unique ones. i’m definitely going to have to check these out!

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  12. great post, Melanie! Darkest Part of the Forest and Echo After Echo are both SO underrated. and I still have to read Mud Vein and Senlin Ascends asap!! the rest of these too!!

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      1. not really, honestly – happy life, faaaaar less reading. but it’s good! I’m feeling good.

        and oh i can’t help there because you should :)))))

        Liked by 1 person

  16. I will FOREVER be bitter that everyone slept on Echo After Echo, because it was also one of my faves of 2017! I’m surprised King of Bourbon Street has such low numbers, because it’s SO good and it feels like it’s universally loved on book twitter. The Melody of You and Me also deserves more love for sure!

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    1. Hehe, I love you, Madalyn! Yes to all this! Echo After Echo is such a perfect read for fall too, so…. no words! I couldn’t believe King of Bourbon Street was so low, because it is so talked about? At least… it felt that way? Haha! And yes to Melody of You and Me. The fact that you’ve read it… *crush deepens* Hahah! I hope you’re having happy reading, beautiful! 💕xx

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  19. Pingback: TBR Lows & Highs #3 – Sarah Ames-Foley

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