Best Under-the-Radar Books from 2021

that probably aren't on all the lists you've already seen

This week will be a little bit different! We’re well into December, and all the major publications have already declared their best books of the year (most of them did so in October, leaving out two whole months’ worth of books that didn’t publish until these last few weeks). I noticed something in common about a lot of them: they all featured the same books.

While this is great, and these books are certainly deserving of that attention, I wanted to highlight some of the best books that came out this year that I didn’t see featured anywhere else.

For a longer list of some under-the-radar picks, you can head to my Bookshop.org storefront! I’ve even put helpful hints for who will like which books there.

Best Under-the-Radar 2021 Books

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould

This is the queer horror novel of my dreams that involves everything I love: a ghost-hunting television family, a disgruntled teen that doesn’t want to be there, a weird and secretive small town (called Snakebite, to top it off), and local legends and lore that may be more than just stories. I could not get enough of Gould’s writing, and her prose definitely has me excited for whatever she’s got coming next.

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen

This book is one of the most fun I’ve read in a while, totally action-packed, and appealing to non-superhero-people as well. (Spoiler: it’s me. I can’t tell you the last time I saw a superhero movie . . . might have been Toby Macguire’s version of Spider-Man . . . ) Two people who wake up with zero memory and inexplicable powers must navigate their new world and try to stay below the radar, until they accidentally meet each other and discover they may not be alone in their experiences after all. Chen also has a brand-new book coming out at the beginning of 2022, Light Years from Home, which I am very excited to read!

Where Hope Comes from by Nikita Gill

I got into reading poetry this year, and it’s a habit I am excited to continue into the new year, as I’ve been branching out and finding new authors I otherwise wouldn’t have read. Nikita Gill is not only a talented poet but an artist as well, and this collection, written and created during the original peak of the pandemic, is incredibly powerful, especially now as we head into another scary moment that feels like we’re right back where we started. They’re sad and hopeful and enlightening and about pushing through the every day to get to the other side.

All Her Little Secrets by Wanda Morris

This one came out in November and everyone jumped on their end-of-year lists too early and totally missed this fast-paced thriller. Ellice is a young lawyer who is on a fast-track to a great career and life—until her boss is found dead in the office with a gunshot wound to his head. The boss Ellice happened to be seeing on the side. And suddenly everything is drawn into questioning as the police try to narrow down what happened to him and why, and Ellice is in the hot seat.

Next Up

We’ll be off next week for the holidays, so your TBR will have a break until the new year! In the meantime, I’m excited to watch some TV shows (I’ve been marathoning The Great, and why did I wait so long to watch this?), and read, of course.

I’ve also been reading some amazing newsletters from other book lovers all across the internet, so if you’re looking for even more recommendations, check these out:

• Elizabeth from What to Read If compiled her favorite reads of 2021

• Books on Gif has an amazingly helpful gift guide that is also filled with amazing gifs (we would expect nothing less)

• Becca from Read Something Queer has some great gift recommendations (and reminded me I need to add Yellowjackets to my holiday break watchlist)

• Olivia at For the Love of Words has the best books to gift for little ones, broken down by age groups

Let me know what you’re spending the winter holidays reading or watching! Or are you stuck on what to pick up and need a recommendation? Leave a comment, and I’d love to help you out!

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