Top 5 Underrated Books You Need to Read!

In my opinion, half of the fun of reading is sharing your experience and opinions with other people. Gushing about a character arc, or your favorite couple, or about how the world building was so good and you just want to live there right now! So it’s always a tragic thing to realize that literally no one else seems to have read this book once you’ve discovered it. You scour the internet, looking for discussion or fan-art, and ask all of your friends if they’ve heard of it. But alas, it is all in vain. You are alone in your love.

Luckily, I’ve always had a few bookish friends that will read these hidden treasures I find, and I often do the same for them. So today I’m going to share with you my five favorite underrated books and book series!

The Emily of New Moon trilogy by L. M. Montgomery

You may recognize this author as the woman who wrote the very famous Anne of Green Gables series. Between the two of them, I’ve always preferred the Emily of New Moon books, though the two series have a lot of similarities. Both follow a spunky young orphan being raised in a new, stricter environment, who grows up to become a writer. However, where Anne of Green Gables had me bored after the first few books, Emily of New Moon kept me gripped and engaged throughout. This is probably due to the fact that it is only a three-book series, whereas Anne’s series is eight books. I also liked the romance in Emily of New Moon better. There is a love triangle, but I actually really enjoyed it and was, again, engaged the whole time.

I really don’t want you all thinking I don’t like Anne of Green Gables: I absolutely love the first few books! But I’ve just always preferred Emily of New Moon, and I feel like it’s a shame more people have not read it. If you don’t want to dedicate yourself to reading about Anne for 8 books, or you just like this kind of story, I highly recommend the Emily of New Moon trilogy!

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

This series is one of my favorite fantasy series of all time, and I almost didn’t read it! It was suggested to me by a mom in our homeschool group, so I checked it out from the library and brought it home. Where it sat. And sat. And sat. Finally, it became overdue and I had to return it, but I did check it out again.

And the same thing happened! Only this time, when my friend (whom I had told about the book) started reading it, did I feel guilty enough to actually pick it up. I must say, I sorely regret not reading it sooner, because it is fantastic!

It’s a bit of The Princess Bride, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings all wrapped into one. It has one of the most relatable and likable protagonists I’ve ever read about, and a supporting cast you really learn to love. It’s funny, it’s clever, it’s dramatic, it’s unexpected… It’s aimed for younger audiences, but you’ll love it no matter how old you are!

The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight

These were actually recommended to me by the one friend I keep mentioning in this post (you know who you are).

I absolutely love this series! It follows two protagonists, brought together by a world of growing violence and religious persecution. It’s similar to The Chronicles of Narnia with its allegorical plot and Biblical themes, but painted on fantasy background full of rebellion, adventure, and love. This series is aimed more at middle- to high-school ages and is ongoing, with three of the five books currently out, along with a novella. Again, if you like fantasy, please please check this series out!

Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis

Number four on my list is this criminally underrated book by C. S. Lewis, another famous author. I had to read this one for school and was blown away. It is the retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche and Cupid, told from the point of view of Psyche’s older sister. This book is woven throughout with underlaying themes, messages, and questions that really make you sit down and think. Masterfully told by one of my favorite authors, I find it a shame that it’s not as well know as his other works. This one is a must read for every human being on this earth, and if you feel like it’s over your head… just sit up a little straighter!

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Johnathan Auxier

This last book was given to me as a gift from my aunt, and I absolutely adore it. Put plain and simple, it’s an adventure book. It has a long journey, fantastical creatures, a mysterious kingdom, and one of my favorite book climaxes ever. I remember after finishing this book, I lent it to all my friends, telling them to read it. And though the cover is now warped and I’ve lost the dust jacket, it’s still the pride of my bookshelf. It also recently gained a sequel called, Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard, which is equally amazing! I really do wish this book had a bigger audience, because it deserves one!

Give all these books a helping hand by reading them, and then if you like them, tell your friends!! And if you have a book you feel deserves more love, tell me in the comments, and I’ll see if I can pick it up!

Until next time, Namárië!