Hidden Gems
on the search for the unique and fresh reads
When my daughter was in high school—the same school where I teach—we commuted to school together. That was around 3 hours in the car together each day. One of our favorite things to do during our car rides was listen to a music streaming service Fresh Finds, the algorithmic predictions of what we’d like based on our listening choices. What usually occurred was enjoying 5 or 6 of the 30 recommended songs and every once in a while discovering an absolute treasure. This was one of those gems we discovered:
The Prince of the Hanging Garden
While I read popular books, paying attention to the charts and the recommended reads, I’m always on the lookout for the book gems, as well.
Since I started keeping track, Goodreads informs me I’ve read 1,322 books. One might think I’ve experienced all that literature has to offer having read so many books—plot wise anyway. Maybe that I’d be tired of reading even, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s always something new to learn, new to experience, new to enjoy. I adore reading, but having read so many books, it has made me more cognizant of what constitutes effective storytelling. I had a librarian tell me one time after lamenting about a book I wasn’t 100% sold on, “Why would you waste time on a book you don’t enjoy when there are so many books out there that you might?” I took her wisdom to heart. Twenty some odd years later, I reflect that following her advice has kept me reading, and probably far more than if I’d forced myself through books that struggled to keep my attention. I DNF (do not finish) a lot of books, just like skipping through songs my daughter and I didn’t enjoy.
And just like with those Fresh Find songs, I love finding bookish hidden gems. Going on a treasure hunt and finding that sparkling jewel in an ocean of options appeals to my inner Indian Jones. Finding that unknown author, being the first to navigate a little talked about title, instigating the first spark of a possible fandom is so freaking satisfying (Have I ever done that? Don’t know but I hope so). Here’s a few fresh indie finds I read that made me think—this author, this story:
As a student of my creative craft, my approach as an avid reader informs and reflects my own experience as a writer. So often while writing, I find myself thinking, how can I make this story a hidden gem? How can I be a fresh find for another reader? Like everyone else, I want to think what I do is unique and interesting, that it brightens a reader’s experience with something magical.
It made me consider what I’ve already written and what I believe makes them shiny and sparkling in that ocean. Here are three that I think exemplify the way I twist narratives.
A Young Adult story, Swimming Sideways adheres the norms of the category, but what I think makes it fresh are three specific things. First, Characterization and the fact that the main character, Abby, is Hawaiian. This perspective impacts her story and her family dynamics as her multiracial parents navigate a marriage falling apart. Like many YA novels, there is a love triangle, but this is more of an examination of the friendship between the two boys, Seth and Gabe, which plays out in the next two books.
In the Echo of this Ghost Town is a new adult novel, but rather than follow our main character Griffin to college, we follow him to work. If people have read The Stories Stars Tell, readers will recognize Griffin as the villain. He’s struggling having lost all of his friends. A kind of literary light, the writing explores family dynamics, friendship, second chances, and redemption. I’m so proud of this book.
The Letters She Left Behind is my earliest work, and while it isn’t my favorite, it is one of my highest sellers with strong reviews. That tells me that there’s something about this book readers like. My guess is that it has to do with three things. 1) Its a mystery set in Hawai’i. Second, our main characters are in midlife. Adam is 47 and have lost his wife Megan to cancer. Her best friend Alex is 46. The work together to decode a message Megan left in her journals. Except, they have history. Romantic suspense can feel formulaic, but this twists some of those elements.
Of course, these are only three of my 19 books. If you’re interested in reading about the rest of them. Check out the link below:
Let me know if the comments if there’s a hidden gem you’ve discovered that you think deserves a fandom! I’m game to read it.