Some books shout for your attention because they’re hyped, talked about, and reviewed endlessly! And then there are the quiet ones. Sitting patiently on your shelf, waiting to be discovered, read and loved. This list is for those books which didn’t blow up on Booktok or land on every bestseller list, but they deserve to be on yours.
You know exactly what I mean, if you found magic in a book no one else did!
Here are five underrated books, three gems from The Bombay Circle Press and two from globally celebrated authors that just might become your next favorite read.
- A Case for Mistletoe by Aisha Verma
This one will surprise you! What starts as a legal case quickly unravels into a much bigger, messier web of politics, loyalty, and how far you’re willing to go for what you believe in. What will stay with you isn’t the courtroom drama, it’s the emotional cost of being right. It’s sharp, fast-paced, and has just the right amount of moral grey. If you like stories where the stakes feel real and personal, give this a shot!
- Carrying On by Jonita Davis
There’s a kind of grief that no one sees, the quiet, everyday kind. Carrying On follows Amara, a middle-aged woman who suddenly loses her husband and finds herself alone for the first time in decades. With her daughter who is too far away to help, and a home full of memories she didn’t ask to inherit, the novel gently unpacks what it means to keep living when everything feels like it’s standing still. The routines. The silence. Trying to find meaning in small things again. It’s tender, sad, and quietly full of hope.
- The Advice Columnist by Janie Emaus
Nina’s the kind of person everyone goes to for answers, she writes a beloved advice column, after all. But when her husband walks out, her adult kids stop calling as often, and her column starts losing relevance, Nina finds herself staring down the terrifying question: What will happen when the advice-giver has no idea what she’s doing anymore?
The book is soft, messy, and full of those little moments where you realize you’re not as fine as you’ve been pretending to be. It’s about figuring things out…even when you’re the one people expect to already have the answers.If you’ve ever felt like you were falling apart quietly, this novel by The Bombay Circle Press is perfect for you.
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor has a specific routine: same meals, same clothes, same weekends alone. She’s convinced she doesn’t need anyone. Honestly, for a while, you might believe her. But as the story unfolds, you realize she’s built her life avoiding the past…and avoiding people.
What starts off quirky and funny slowly becomes a gut-punching story about trauma, loneliness, and the quiet miracle of letting someone in. Eleanor is awkward and blunt, but she’s also heartbreakingly human. And when she begins to open up, it’s incredibly moving!
- Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel KhongThis book is like reading someone a diary, messy, raw, unexpectedly funny in places you wouldn’t expect. Ruth’s life has just kind of…fallen apart. Her fiancé leaves, her career stalls, and then she moves back home to help care for her father, who’s slowly slipping into Alzheimer’s. But this isn’t a sad story in the way you’d think.
It’s one of those books that makes you want to call your parents, hug them a little longer, and pay attention to the small things while they’re still here.
If you’ve ever felt invisible or out of place, this book will wrap around you like a warm blanket and say, You’re not alone.
So if you’re tired of the same old recommendations, take this as a sign to explore the quieter corners of your shelf. Because sometimes, the most underrated books are the ones that are waiting for your attention.