In the age of the digital swipe, it’s easy for brilliant books to disappear in the noise. But some stories are quietly powerful, still deserving of hype. Here are five overlooked reads, each obscure in its own right and worthy of a little BookTok love.
Trigger Warning: Some of the books mentioned touch on themes of trauma, grief, mental health, substance issues, misogyny, and bodily autonomy. Please exercise personal care while reading.
The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys
Helen Humphreys’ novel feels much like a secret you’ve stumbled upon. Through Humphrey’s piercing style, readers are swept away to a world of history and connection. The Lost Garden is set during WWII and follows a gardener, Gwen Davis, as she flees war-torn London to seek refuge and stability in the countryside. Gwen must plant the seeds of her new life, beginning with her role of overseeing a group of women who grow crops for the war.
The novel is empathetic and tender, transporting readers into Gwen’s life and letting them live it alongside her. The Lost Garden is a slow, patient read that stands apart from the fast-paced nature of commercial buzz; it’s a story that blossoms with every turning page.
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of abortion, infertility, and domestic abuse. Please exercise personal care while reading.
I was gifted Red Clocks a long time ago, but it’s a novel that’s lingered in the back of my mind ever since. The book received some praise upon its release, but it seems to have been lost beneath the sea of BookTok trends. Red Clocks envisions a near-future America where abortion and IVF are outlawed and follows five women as their lives intersect under the weight of these new limitations.
Zumas’ writing is sharp yet intimate, capturing the small rebellions of ordinary women. Each character confronts the question of bodily autonomy in her own way — as a mother, a daughter, a teenager, a healer, and a scholar — bringing together the deeply political issues with the quietly personal challenges. It feels increasingly urgent but also subtle. For that reason, Red Clocks is a quietly profound novel that should be reintroduced into bookish conversation.
The Seas by Samantha Hunt
Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of suicide, bullying, and alcoholism. Please read the full list of TWs before purchasing.
Hunt’s haunting novel The Seas shimmers with mystery and loneliness. A young woman, who believes she is a mermaid, waits for her lover in her isolated hometown on the coast. What begins as something mythical and romantic slowly unravels alongside the narrator herself, who becomes convinced that fiction and reality are the same.
Though the book has received some attention, it still warrants far more. I experienced the story as unique and deeply evocative. Hunt effortlessly blends imagination with everyday realities, which gives the story a truly unusual quality. Fans of siren-esque stories will enjoy this subversive take on a mermaid tale. It’s a quiet, unsettling novel that deserves to resurface time and again.
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi
There’s something so distinctive about Helen Oyeyemi’s style. What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours is a collection of stories all centered around keys, literal and metaphorical, that open doors into surprising worlds. The stories feel magical and uncanny, and Oyeyemi has this way of making the weird feel entirely natural.
This collection often gets overlooked or compared to her later novels, but it’s stayed with me because of its creative absurdity. If you like books that twist reality just enough to make you see the world differently, this is one to check out and share with other book people.
The Comforters by Muriel Spark
I found Muriel Spark’s debut novel, The Comforters, to be a strange but intriguing read. The story explores what happens when life begins to read like fiction, centering on Caroline Rose, a young woman who suddenly starts hearing the sound of a typewriter narrating her every move. Something that begins as an unusual quirk soon spirals into something greater, forcing Caroline (and the reader) to contemplate the boundaries between author, character, and reality.
While it was published in 1957, The Comforters feels modern in its playfulness and self-awareness. Spark stirs humor, paranoia, and existentialism into a clever and unsettling story. Although Spark is best known for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, her debut novel is an underrated gem that deserves a newfound audience.
Hopefully, these quietly striking reads have earned a place on your TBR. Every book offers something unique for all reading tastes, from more experimental reads to character-driven, flowing narratives. Sometimes the best books are the ones that need a little searching to discover…
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