TTT: Underrated Books from Popular Authors

Top Ten Underrated Books from Popular Authors

Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they have a different Top Ten list topic that a bunch of bloggers take and make their own list of those things.
 
I've decided to switch up this topic a little, so I'm going to choose my top ten underrated books from popular authors. (This isn't me saying that the more popular books aren't as good or that these underrated books are better. This is just me saying that I haven't heard many people talk about these books and I think they're swell.)

1. The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Everyone has read or wants to read or has heard of The Mistborn Trilogy, and Steelheart has gotten its fair share of attention, as well. But The Rithmatist is an intensely readable, smart, and excellently written story with an unique, even odd, premise. This book has a nice place in my heart, as it was my first Sanderson, I just want more people to read and talk about it.

2. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
It makes sense. Attachments came out before she was big, and it, again, has a somewhat odd premise. But this book is charming in its own right, and is a great self-discovery story.

3. I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
We've all heard of, read, discussed, and generally loved The Book Thief, but I Am the Messenger is just such a gem of a book. This story is important and entertaining and relevant to so many different people and I think everyone should read it.

4. Talking Pictures by Ransom Riggs
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is his fiction, a book where he integrates all these old pictures he's found into a chilling and adventurous story. Talking Pictures, however, is non-fiction, and is just him collecting, organizing, and then discussing other antique pictures that he's found. It's fascinating how similar people were about pictures back then, how much we have in common with them. This book is just fascinating, and I highly recommend it.

5. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
I know a lot of people who read Princess Academy when they were in middle school (So did I, it was one of my favorites). But I've never heard anyone talking about The Goose Girl, which is a charming little story that I really enjoyed.

6. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
On the Jellicoe Road is really popular, and most likely rightly so. (I haven't read it yet, but I plan to really soon). I fell in love with Melina Marchetta's fantasy, though. Her world-building in genuine and strong and enveloping. This series is worth every bit of time and I think everyone should read it.

7. The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson is my homeboy. Both series with him in them are wonderful and fantastic reads full of loveable characters and crazy fun adventures. BUT I'm always surprised how little attention The Kane Chronicles gets. It's seriously so great, like everything that Rick Riordan writes. If you love Percy Jackson, I guarantee you'll love this series. And you get to meet Sadie Kane! Sadie Kane is the bomb dot com.

8. Tales of the Jazz Age by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby is hailed by many as the Great American Novel, and for good reason. It's easily one of the greatest novels ever written by an American. But that's not all F. Scott Fitzgerald can do, oh no, not by half. His short stories are brilliant, just utterly brilliant. They are vignettes into characters and lives and certain events in life. They are touching and haunting and relevant. Just... F. Scott Fitzgerald, guys. He's freaking great.

9. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
If you've read any number of my Top Ten Tuesdays, you'll see that I was Gail Carson Levine's biggest fan growing up (and I still sort of am). Usually I always include one of her books on my lists, and this time is no exception. Fairest changed my life in 4th grade when I read it, and continues to change my life today. So yeah, this book. Read it.

10. Emma by Jane Austen
I love me some Pride and Prejudice. I really do, because that book is brilliant and touching and wonderful. But there's just something about Emma Woodhouse that I love. She's so unbelievably flawed, but she's still a great character who genuinely cares about things and people and tries to do what's best for everyone (even though she fails probably 95% of the time). Also, Knightley. I mean, KNIGHTLEY.