May 22, 2018

10 Books You Probably Haven't Read ... Yet

I'm known for my random book finds and off-beat title choices.

At work, the ladies are always interested in what I'm reading and always say that I find the books that no one has ever heard of. 

So here are ten books that you probably haven't heard of or read ... yet.



He Said / She Said was a recent find for me that I purchased via Book Outlet. This story was creepy and captivating and I couldn't put it down. Think of it like a HBO TV mini-series that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This story follows a couple post-dramatic past and how they reflect on the choices made on one harrowing night. Eclipses never sounded so chilling. 

Juliet by Anne Fortier is an all-time favourite re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. Although I personally have never read Romeo and Juliet, this story has stayed at the top of my favourites list since high school. I used it during my grade 12 novel study and remember not being able to stop reading it. In fact, I read it twice that year. 

Basically Juliet is a distant relative from the original Juliet and how some secrets come out and falls in love with her Romeo (or something like that). Think Dan Brown meets Nora Roberts. You won't be disappointed. 

Kristin Gore's Sweet Jiminy was a random find for me at the local dollar store. I love the selection of books at the dollar stores and for less than $5, you can find some great, notable reads! Go check it out for yourself. 

Sweet Jiminy was a southern tale that left me wanting more. I remember reading this book and loving every page. It's a quick read that weighs more in depth, then in page numbers. 



Under the Jeweled Sky was a heart-wrenching book. While reading this book, have tissues on hand. There, you were warned. This book was another dollar store find for me and I read it in one night. The writing of Alison McQueen was rich and emotional. I HIGHLY recommend this story. 

Digging in the bargain bins at any major grocery store, department store or random hole-in-the-wall is no feat for me. I don't mind. Especially when I know I'll find some gems at the bottom. 

Modern Girls was just one of those many gems. I almost put this book down and I'm so glad that I didn't. A woman of Jewish heritage falls pregnant all the while trying to keep it a secret from her family and maintain her relationships and makes decisions that shape the rest of her life. This coming-of-age story shows a version of a mother-daughter relationship, (like all mother-daughter relationships) that was beautiful, complex and definitely makes you think about what you would do in that situation. I didn't like the choice that the main character made at the end, but I'll let you decide. 

The Bookseller. Where to begin? This book was awesome! It was quirky, witty and beautiful. Soon to be a motion picture (apparently), starring Julia Roberts, The Bookseller was a great find that I couldn't put down.
This story follows a woman who is stuck between a dream and a reality, but soon the two start to fuse together and in a weird trip / twist of events, the main character comes to realize that the smallest choices that we make have lasting effects. I so hope this book becomes a movie!


I love adult fiction that surrounds the topics of family and sibling and Laura Dave's Eight Hundred Grapes is a perfect example of that. This witty, realistic story follows the Ford family and their vineyard. Dad wants to sell, mom wants a divorce and the kids can't agree on anything. This book was the perfect breezy summer read that easily played in my head as a movie. Do you do that too? Do you see books as movies in your head? I even think of celebrities that would portray the role. 

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore was a quick grab for me before checking out at my local Indigo Chapters book store. I hummed and hawed but eventually purchased this book. It was a bit challenging to get into but I'm so glad that I did. This was a different read for me but the story was great. A bookstore clerk's customer commits suicide in the bookstore where she works. The story he leaves behind for her unravels secrets of her own story and brings to light some truths that she thought she had buried deep inside. Read it for yourself - you won't be disappointed. 

The first and definitely not the last book that I'll be reading from Gwendolyn Womack, The Fortune Teller was fast-paced, full of historical and wonderfully woven romantic stories and finished with a bang! Take this book on for size at your next book club or just to get you through the weekend. Womack expertly weaves past and present, taking you along for a ride of mystery, romance, murder and magic. I can't wait to read The Memory Painter by her next. It's currently sitting on my book stack by my couch. 

Last but not least, The Perfume Collector. This was an impulse buy, as are most of my book purchases at WalMart. They always have that 2 for $15 paperback deal and I always fall prey to it. I know. I'm weak.

The Perfume Collector was sad, beautiful and romantic. Katherine Tessaro's historical romance was rich in detail and intrigue at where the story would take me next. From Monaco to WWII Europe and every where in between, The Perfume Collector was a classic example that everyone has a story and that scent plays a powerful association with memory. 

These ten books, are books that I wouldn't have found if I hadn't allowed myself to step outside my comfort zone or if I hadn't dug a little deeper in the bargain bin. The finding of these ten unique stories brought me on different journeys and prevented me from entering a reading slump (this is a real disease that affects hundreds of readers every week). 

Give these titles a try. I promise you won't regret it.
Links and cover photos from Goodreads.com 

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