The Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly challenge post previously hosted by The Broke and Bookish and now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. You can follow along for each weekly post here. This week’s post is about hidden gems – books that don’t get enough recognition or attention, ones that people should totally be reading. Here we go!

Winger by Andrew Smith

Every single person that I know who has read this book has loved this book. I’ve read it once or twice a year since the very first time I read it. Not enough people have read this book and it makes me so sad. Its so funny and emotional and REAL and everyone, everyone, everyone should read it.

Anything by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce has been writing young adult fantasy fiction before young adult fiction was even a thing. Her first novel, Alanna: The First Adventure came out in 1983 and she’s been writing amazing, strong, intelligent and real female characters since then. She’s HUGE, but not so much with the younger crowd since her books were released quite some time ago. Even the Beka Cooper series finished up in 2011. But with the release of Tempest and Slaughter this year and a lot of rereleasing of her old titles, I’m hoping we’ll get some more love for her soon.

Winter Falls by Nicole Maggi

Nicole Maggi is one of my favorite people on the planet and I pick Winter Falls because its the first of her fantastic trilogy but I really mean anything by Nicole. She is NOT known enough and that is just wrong. She’s incredibly talented and so smart and a huge inspiration for me as a writer and as a person. Her Twin Willows trilogy takes real legend and mythology and unleashes it in the real world and its written so well and its SO intriguing. There is NOT enough talk about Nicole and there should be.

I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil

This is another person where I chose one book but I honestly truly believe that she is not recognized enough in ANY of her books and all of her books are so great. I do NOT read horror, I do not read murder, I don’t do that. It’s not my thing but Gretchen has made it my thing because she’s just so so good at it! She has several books out – I think she’s up to 9 or 10, I can’t remember – and she’s just not talked about enough. This is my particular favorite of hers BUT her most recent, #murdertrending, is fighting for a very very close second.

The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera

I love everything about this book. I love how familiar it feels, I love that its by a Latina writer, and I love that there are more and more books by Latina writers and I don’t think Lilliam gets enough recognition for being as badass and smart and amazing as she is. I am so in love with this book that I’m constantly in search for news about her new book because its bound to be as good. Lilliam doesn’t hold back, in person or in her books, and I think people would love that if more people gave this book a chance.

For the Record by Charlotte Huang

Charlotte Huang is another fantastic writer and friend and she definitely does NOT get enough recognition and this book is absolutely fantastic. Its all about the ups and downs and background life of being a famous rock star and how it isn’t always bright and shiny. Charlotte’s husband works in the music business so Charlotte has a lot of inside insight on it, with big bands like Panic! at the Disco and Fall Out Boy and others. You can totally tell because she writes a genuine novel that is so good…and still kind of makes you want to be a rock star. Waaaaaay more people should be reading this book and her sophomore novel, Going Geek.

My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul 

At this point, I sort of feel like I’m just promoting my friends haha but its because I genuinely believe in these books and because I genuinely think they don’t receive the wide spread recognition that they deserve! Robin’s debut novel is beautiful, emotional and addicting. Its an incredible debut – one could only hope to have a first novel as good as this – and it really brings up familiar situations and emotions that I think a lot of teens could relate to and I wish that this book was in the hands of more people.

The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I adore Sarvenaz and I love that both of her books take place at these HUGE epic, memorable events. I love that the events are sort of characters on their own. In this case, its New York Comic Con, a BIG event, about a teen boy trying to let his best friend know that he’s in love with her while also trying to meet their favorite comic book writer. I LOVE going to conventions – there’s a craziness about them that you can’t help but love – so I loved every single moment of this book. It felt familiar and there were moments where I was cracking up, moments where I was like nodding my head in agreement, and moments where I really wished a convention was coming up soon! She does NOT get enough attention and she definitely should!

Starflight by Melissa Landers

Melissa Landers had a quick bit of fame when Alienated came out – it helped that a huge BookTuber promoted her book. I know that’s what made ME pick up the book and I’m so glad, because I love it so much. I do think that her popularity fell a little bit with her second series and I think its just as amazing as the first series. It has the typical Melissa Landers steamy romance mixed with fun sci-fi in space, that feels like a young adult Firefly. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series and I hope way more people are reading it than I’ve heard.

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway 

Robin Benway gained a lot more attention recently when her most recent novel, Far From the Tree, won the National Book Award. More people are reading her books, which makes me so happy because FFTT is so beautiful, but I have to talk about Emmy and Oliver because its such a fantastic book. Oliver is kidnapped as child  by his own father, but he never thought his dad was the bad guy and is forced to face that, see his mother and siblings he’s never met before and reconnect with his best friend, Emmy, when he’s found and returned home. Its emotional and genuine and incredibly beautiful. It does not get nearly enough attention but I’m hoping her recent win brings attention to her previous releases because I truly love this book!

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