I read every day — these are the 5 best books I've read that don't get enough attention

Life is busy, and after working, socialising with friends and family, parenting and keeping on top of household chores, it can sometimes feel like you’re left with no time to yourself. And even when you do find yourself with free time, reading a book is often at the bottom of your list of priorities.

But there are so many reasons to turn to a book instead of your phone. From escaping into a fictional world to learning more a topic you’re passionate about, reading a book helps you unwind and reduce your stress levels, while also hopefully feeling entertained and/or informed. I’m a lifelong reader, but I only really started making an effort to read every single day again at the beginning of 2024. Since then I have devoured a lot of books, ranging from science fiction and romance to non-fiction and thrillers.

I read a lot of the big new releases, but I also make an effort to go outside of my comfort zone and read authors and genres I’m not overly familiar with. In doing so, I have come across some true hidden gems that just don’t get enough attention, in my opinion. 

Without further ado, here are five of the best books I’ve read in the last couple of years that I think deserve a lot more hype. For more book recommendations, reviews and news, click here to subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Bookish Drop, on Substack.

1. So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne – 2025

So Thrilled For You revolves around Nicki, Charlotte, Steffi and Lauren, a group of four univeristy friends in their thirties whose lives have pulled them in all different directions. As they reunite for Nicki’s baby shower, tensions rise and disaster strikes after someone starts a fire at the house. 

This is a book about motherhood, friendship and all the things we don’t tell our loved ones. I still think about this book all the time; the characters are so different, yet over the course of the novel I felt like I could relate to each and every one of them. I would recommend this book to anyone, but in particular, any mother or mum-to-be.

I can’t believe it’s had just 5,000 ratings on Goodreads so far!

You can buy So Thrilled For You here.

2. A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering by Andrew Hunter Murray

This book follows Al, an “interloper” who lives in wealthy people’s homes while the real owners are away, without them ever knowing he was there in the first place. He’s getting by just fine until one day he breaks into the wrong house on the wrong day and sets in motion a pretty dramatic chain of events.

I’m not usually a big fan of thrillers and mystery novels, but when the publisher sent me a copy ahead of its UK paperback release, I thought the concept sounded really interesting. To my surprise (and delight), it had me gripped within just a couple of chapters. It is just a little on the long side for this kind of book, but don’t feel daunted by the page count, because it has so many laugh out loud moments and I was desperate to know how it ended.

You can buy A Beginner’s Guide to Breaking and Entering here.

3. Goodlord: An Email by Ella Frears

Goodlord: An Email was my first read of 2025, and what a way to start the year it was! Taking the form of one long, very poetic email addressed to an estate agent, this is a fictional memoir of habitation focused on the places we call home. We follow the writer of the email, an artist in her thirties, as she takes us through her life, from her teenage years to the present day, via a succession of short-term stays and shared accomodation. 

It’s darkly funny at times and utterly bleak at others, but above all it’s a piercing take on the housing crisis. The style of this book makes it easy to read in one sitting, and I just couldn’t put it down. With just 370 ratings on Goodreads at the time of writing, it’s a real hidden gem, and one that is well worth adding to your list of books to read.

You can buy Goodlord: An Email here.

4. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

Romantasy novels are a big deal at the moment, and it feels like everywhere you turn, there is a new series or standalone book popping up. Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros and new author Dani Francis are dominating BookTok right now, and there are countless videos dedicated to the most popular romantasy reads.

But there’s one lesser-known book I think you should try if romantasy is your thing. As a big fantasy reader, I found Faebound, by Saara El-Arifi, to be one of the most refreshing books I’ve read in the genre. It follows two sisters – Yeeran, a warrior in the elven army, and Lettle, a diviner, who find themselves forced into the fae world. There, their loyalty to each other, their people and their hearts is tested.

The world-building is really good (and doesn’t feel like a chore), the secondary characters are memorable and the chemistry and tension between the romantic leads was better than in many other, more popular, books I’ve read. Also, there are some twists I absolutely did not see coming, which is rare in this genre. This Goodreads award winner is criminally underrated, with just 22,000 ratings on Goodreads, far less than some of the bigger names in romantasy. 

You can buy Faebound here.

5. Four Seasons in Japan by Nick Bradley

Four Seasons in Japan is a story of two very different stories. It follows Flo, a translator suffering from a crisis in confidence, who finds a mysterious book on the Tokyo subway and feels compelled to translate it. The novel revolves around Ayako, a strict woman who runs a coffee shop and has just taken guardianship of her grandson, aspiring artist Kyo. Flo follows these characters across a year in rural Japan, changing the course of her own life in the process. 

This is such a gentle, reflective story full of flawed, believable characters you can’t help but root for. I only picked this up because of the cover (yes, I’m one of those people), but was blown away by how immersed it made me feel; the author lived in Japan for many years, and you can really tell. With just over 6,000 ratings on Goodreads in the two years since it was published, this is another under-the-radar book I would highly recommend trying.

You can buy Four Seasons in Japan here.