Literary Fiction
Bug Hollow by Michelle Huneven (2025)
A novel about a complicated Northern California family in the 1970s that received all the stars—from Booklist, Kirkus, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. The Samuelsons attempt to rebuild their lives after a shocking death and an unexpected pregnancy, and we follow them for years as their lives progress. Perfect for readers of Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Strout, or Mary Gaitskill.
Sacrament by Susan Straight (2025)
Straight was a National Book Award finalist, and the New York Times calls her the “essential voice in American writing and in the writing of the West”—yet she’s not always known outside her beloved California. Set in 2020, Sacrament follows three ICU Covid nurses forced to live in a trailer park near their hospital during isolation. When one of their children goes missing, the search leads to new love and loss.
Guatemalan Rhapsody by Jared Lemus (2025)
A debut short story collection where every single story shines. Set across Guatemala and the Guatemalan diaspora, we meet a cast of unforgettable characters—from a medicine man worshiping the saint of drugs and alcohol to two friends in an amateur tattooing competition. It has fewer than 500 ratings on Goodreads, making it a true hidden gem.
The Passenger Seat by Vijay Khurana (2025)
A tense debut following a group of young men on a wilderness road trip. Named one of the New York Times Book Review staff’s favorite lesser-known personal bests of 2025.
Eye of the Monkey by Krisztina Toth, translated by Ottilie Mulzet (2025)
A “disorienting” novel in translation, also selected by the New York Times as a standout under-the-radar read. A rewarding choice for readers willing to venture beyond the familiar.
Endling by Maria Reva (2025)
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025, this witty heist tale follows a misanthropic snail scientist unable to secure funding for her research on extinct species. The Guardian praised its “jaw-dropping formal invention”. Despite the Booker nod, it remains underexposed.
Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga (2025)
A ruminative debut novel longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025 that interrogates the darker legacies of family and country, blurring the line between help and harm. Booker judges called it “propulsive, unsettling, and strangely human”.
Happiness and Love by Zoe Dubno (2025)
A Thomas Bernhard homage about a former downtown darling roped back into the scene she once escaped—a novel of extreme interiority that stirred some of the strongest feelings of recognition, melancholy, and disgust.
Speculative Fiction & Fantasy
Call and Response: Stories of the Fantastic by Christopher Caldwell (2025)
A debut short story collection demonstrating impressive range—from surreal, dreamlike fairy tales to raucous weird westerns—while still managing to feel like a cohesive whole. Published by indie press Neon Hemlock.
No Such Thing as Duty by Lara Elena Donnelly (2025)
An intriguing historical fantasy following writer William Somerset Maugham on a WWI espionage mission in Romania. A subtle supernatural queer romance grounded in realism and wintry wartime atmosphere. Published by indie press Neon Hemlock.
The Dead Withheld by L.D. Lewis (2025)
A neo-noir set in the fictional desert city of San Guin, where spirits, demons, deities, and humans live side by side. At its center is private eye and necromancer witch Dizzy Carter, haunted by her wife’s murder. Lewis’s world is richly drawn and immersive, full of life, color, and blues music. Another Neon Hemlock gem.
He Burns By the River by Khalia Moreau (2025)
A Cain and Abel retelling set in postcolonial Trinidad. When a strange affliction renders his older brother near-catatonic, logical Roran is skeptical—until he starts hearing the voices of the dead. A truly original voice.
Horror & Mystery
The Witch of Willow Sound by Vanessa F. Penney (2025)
A Gothic historical fiction and horror novel with under 1,000 ratings. Readers call it a 5-star read they couldn’t put down, with an incredible setting and a compelling—if not entirely likeable—main character.
The Whistler by Nick Medina (2025)
A gripping mystery and horror novel with Indigenous themes that came out in September 2025 and has under 1,000 ratings. The prologue alone will hook you.
The Homecoming by Zoë Apostolides (2025)
A moody, suspenseful, dark and haunting Gothic mystery that gave one reader goosebumps. It has only 123 ratings on Goodreads—a crime for such an atmospheric read.
Something's Not Right by yves. (2025)
A queer speculative fiction collection with rapid-fire glimpses into different universes—vampire baristas locked overnight in cafes, ice cream scoopers with surprising side hustles, misunderstood children finding their power. “A taste of everything—and it’s all excellent”.
Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones (2025)
A bind-up of two horror novellas from one of the most unique voices in Indigenous horror. It has around 2,000 ratings—far too few for an author of Jones’s caliber.
Why These Books Deserve More Attention
Every year, excellent books get lost in the shuffle. Smaller publishers can’t match the marketing budgets of the Big Five. Late-in-the-year releases get buried by holiday chaos. And with BookTok engagement declining and discoverability becoming harder than ever, even award-nominated titles can fly under the radar.
These eleven novels earned passionate reviews and loyal readers—they just haven’t found the wider audience they deserve. Give one a chance, and you might just discover your next favorite book.