The 5 magic words that catch the attention of every book lover – New York Times #1 Bestseller.
But we really can’t be blamed for falling for those words every single time. Because of them, we’ve run through the streets of Kabul with The Kite Runner, embarked on a journey of soul-searching with The Alchemist and have had our hearts torn right out in To Kill a Mockingbird. These are the books that have pulled our heartstrings and shaped our world.
Then again, we’ve gulped down a fair share of “bestsellers” which have kept us up till the breaking dawn of twilight, wondering why anyone bought them in the first place.
For this reason, let’s step away for a moment from these limelight-basking beauties and focus our beam on a few of the underdogs – the lesser known books. Just like most middle-children, these works of art did not receive the glory they were due in spite of their celebrated parentage.
Here’s a handpicked list of lesser known books by the authors we love –
1. Full Dark, No Stars – Stephen King
From the King of All Things Terrifying comes a collection of 4 tales – 1922, Big Driver, Fair Extension and A Good Marriage. This book is mostly devoid of the popular supernatural elements, instead, it deals with a darker variety of horror, caused and suffered by humans. If you love the Stephen King classics, you’re going to love this one even more.
2. The Armageddon Rag – George R. R. Martin
If you are failing miserably (like myself) at completing the series of A Song of Ice and Fire books, you could give this one a shot. Stephen King labelled it as “the best novel concerning the American pop music culture of the sixties I’ve ever read”. As long as you aren’t looking for the same kind of content in less than 400 pages, you won’t be disappointed.
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3. The Algebra of Infinite Justice – Arundhati Roy
Following the huge success of her work of fiction, the Goddess of Big Things produced a collection of passionate essays on local and global humanitarian concerns. Published in 2001, the book includes essays she had started writing from 1998, a few weeks after India detonated a thermonuclear device. Give it a shot and your favourite author of fiction just might become your new favourite essayist.
4. Professor Challenger Series – Arthur Conan Doyle
The name Arthur Conan Doyle is synonymous with his Sherlock Holmes series. The Professor Challenger series deals with science fiction and fantasy and the protagonist is the exact opposite of Holmes – big, loud-mouthed and tough. He shares Sherlock’s smarts and is able to use it to think his way out of any situation he can’t fight to escape.
5. Adverbs – Daniel Handler
Now you’re probably wondering how this ‘Daniel Handler’ guy got on this list. Does Lemony Snicket ring a bell? Lo and behold, the writer of the 13-series bestseller – A Series of Unfortunate Events. Claimed to be better than the series, Adverbs is a novel of linked love stories that tend to get a little muddling, but as the author says on the blurb, “It might sound confusing, but that’s love!”
Diving headfirst into a book without any preconceived notions whatsoever is a blissful experience. So, wait no longer. Get hold of one of these lesser-known books and delve into a piece of heaven with no expectations to weigh you down.
Image Credits – Google Images
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