11 Under the Radar Books You Might’ve Missed

11 Under the Radar Books You Might’ve Missed

In Reading Lists by Megan McKeough

11 Under the Radar Books You Might’ve Missed

BookTok and other social media reviews are a great way to learn more about current reading trends and binge-worthy books. While I’m all for reading what everyone else is reading—afterall, there’s a reason they’re popular—I want to give the floor to a handful of books that haven’t been given the limelight they deserve.

From banned classics like Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 to modern and twisty New York sagas like Franklin’s Great Black Hope and Tang’s Five-Star Stranger, here are 11 under-the-radar books you may have missed that are well worth the read.

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Bradbury’s most praised work is a beloved (and banned) classic set in an America where reading has been outlawed. Though if you never read it in school, this may be one you missed and it’s absolutely worth the revisit.

The novel centers on Ray Montag, a fireman (who starts fires instead of putting them out). Tasked with burning books and the houses they were found in, Montag does his job without question until he meets Clarisse — a young, outcast neighbor who challenges his world views.

Inspired by the book burnings in Nazi Germany, and written during the McCarthy era, Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed classic is powerful, and packed with themes of censorship and conformity, lyrically highlighting the dangers of mass media and providing a wildly entertaining and speculative ride.

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2. Great Black Hope by Rob Franklin

Franklin’s stunning mashup of whodunit, coming-of-age, and New York City saga, follows Smith—a queer Black Stanford graduate whose last day of summer in the Big Apple ends abruptly by his arrest for possession of cocaine. 

Following his release and the unexpected death of his beloved roommate, he flees home to Atlanta only to return to New York after being subjected to the immense pressures of his high-achieving family.

Great Black Hope is an enthralling dive into the intersection of identity, race, and privilege, exploring what it feels like to live in between worlds, as Franklin falls into old habits and navigates his future. 

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3. Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle

A genre-bending, ghostly tale of food and grief, Aftertaste follows Kostya, a man who is all too familiar with loss, and soon discovers he has the power to magically reunite grieving strangers with their loved ones through his cooking. 

Set amid the bustling and chaotic New York restaurant scene, Lavelle’s magical saga analyzes all the ways we hunger for food, loved ones, and satisfaction. 

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4. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Dave’s twisty family saga follows two estranged siblings who join forces to get to the bottom of their father’s mysterious death that authorities claim was an accident. Though as they begin to unravel their family’s past, the death seems like anything but a mistake. 

The author’s signature pulse-pounding prose shines in this emotional story of family drama and long-held secrets that you won’t be able to put down until you hit the back cover. 

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5. Big Chief by Jon Hickey

Hickey’s dazzling drama follows a young law school graduate and aspiring political influencer, Mitch, who runs the government of the Passage Rouge Nation alongside his childhood best friend. Though when the seat is up for reelection, their power is challenged unexpectedly by an old flame and an estranged family member.

Big Chief is a dark, funny, and beautiful exploration of ancestral land, the past’s unflinching grip on the present, and ultimately, the quest for belonging. 

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6. Five-Star Stranger by Kat Tang

In the age of online interactions and commodification, Tang’s timely page-turner follows a top-rated man on a Rental Stranger app in New York City as he lives out his many personas, from fiancé to wingman to father. But when a patron threatens his long standing role as father, he begins to question his boundaries, identity, and the distant life he’s cultivated. 

Five-Star Stranger is a touching exploration of human connection and para-social relationships, confronting the confounding and familiar feeling of isolation in a hyperconnected world.

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7. The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan

Cecily Alcantara is determined to be more than a passive housewife, leading her down a slippery slope of espionage for the Japanese, in an attempt to usurp British rule over her home country of Malaya (now Malaysia). A decade later, she is forced to come to terms with the consequences of her actions and the devastating impacts they’ve had on her home and her family. 

The Storm We Made is a vivid historical fiction, diving into the complexities of generational trauma and the impacts of war, as Cecily reckons with her past and will do anything to keep her family safe. 

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8. The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

In this Great British Bake Off meets Knives Out, foodies and whodunit aficionados alike will adore this fast-paced fiction. 

Taking place on the set of one of the nations most popular baking shows and the home of famous show host (a.k.a. America’s Grandmother) Betsy Martin, the novel follows six quirky contestants as they compete for the coveted Golden Spoon. 

Yet light-hearted sabotage quickly becomes darker when a body is discovered on the property, and everyone seems to have a motive. 

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9. The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

Frida Liu’s single lapse of judgement changes everything in this scathing commentary on the assumptions, stereotypes, and pressures placed on mothers and the government's power to intervene. Chan’s riveting dystopian drama is a must-read.

Amid a struggling career, family pressures, and a recent divorce, Frida’s 18-month-old daughter Harriet is her lifeline. But when the single mom leaves her child home alone for two hours, she is sent to a rehabilitation facility where she must be a surrogate mother to other children in order to earn back her own. 

The School for Good Mothers is a shockingly relevant glimpse into the perils of modern parenting unapologetically highlighting the violence enacted upon women.

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10. Scorched Earth by Tiana Clark

Clark began writing her stirring anthology during the 2016 election, feeling small and unseen in a chaotic and unpredictable political landscape. She continued her writing through the COVID-19 pandemic while grappling with a devastating divorce, combatting her despair with radical self-love and self-acceptance. 

Nearly eight years later, her strikingly honest and hopeful collection captures queer Black joy, sensuality, and identity, spanning topics from the first Black Bachelorette to the American South and beyond. 

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11. The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo

In a mystical tale of time travel and sorcery, The Witches of El Paso follows Nena and her grandniece Marta as they search for a daughter Nena left in the past, forging a supernatural connection and bouncing between colonial Mexico and the small Texas town.

Jaramillo’s riveting family saga is a heartfelt exploration of family tradition and the enduring powers of love. Told through entrancing magical realism. 

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About the Author: Megan McKeough

Megan is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer who loves reading coming-of-age novels and memoirs. When she’s not reading, Megan is exploring the Brooklyn bike paths, trying out a new recipe, or cheering on the Houston Astros.