Under the Radar
May 2025
A selection of recently added fiction that comes in mostly “under the radar.” These are well reviewed books that get less, little or no publicity. They may be: published by a smaller press, translated, thought-provoking, quirky or unusual, challenging boundaries or perceptions, and/or feature under-represented voices.

Everybody says it's everything : a novel
by Xhenet Aliu

Estranged in adulthood, adopted twins Drita and Pete are drawn together by Pete's young son, leading Drita on a journey to uncover their Albanian roots, the truth about their adoption and the chance to rebuild their fractured family.
Harriet Tubman: live in concert : a novel
by Bob the Drag Queen

In an age where the greatest heroes from history have magically returned to help save the world, Harriet Tubman returns to create a hip-hop album with a fallen producer, forging powerful music that inspires a divided nation.
Hunchback : a novel
by Saåo Ichikawa

Shaka has a congenital disorder and lives in a care home outside Tokyo, but her mind has no boundaries: She takes e-learning courses and publishes fantasies on websites, and when she offers a ton of money for a sperm donor, her nurse accepts the dare.
I leave it up to you : a novel
by Jinwoo Chong

Jack Jr. awakens from a coma to an unfamiliar world, so he returns to Korean American enclave Fort Lee, New Jersey, to work at his parents' restaurant Ioja, spar with alcoholic brother James, connect with the male nurse who cared for him, and become underqualified sage to his teenage nephew.
The lamb : a novel
by Lucy Rose

In their secluded forest cottage, Margot and her mother welcome“strays,” lost travelers whom Mama feeds and ultimately consumes, but when a striking stranger named Eden arrives during a snowstorm, Margot must confront her family's dark practices and assert her own desires.
Nesting
by Roisâin O'Donnell

Ciara Fay escapes with her two young daughters from her controlling husband Ryan to stay in a hotel room for single mothers, but as Ryan wages a relentless campaign to get her back, she wavers?—?don't the girls need a stable home?
O sinners! : a novel
by Nicole Cuffy

Young journalist Faruq Zaidi, reeling from loss, investigates a cult in the California redwoods, The Nameless, led by Vietnam vet Odo, but as Faruq gets closer to Odo, he unravels and is forced to come to terms with old memories while trying to resist Odo's spell.
Stone angels : a novel
by Helena Rho

Angelina Lee, grieving her mother's suicide, travels to Seoul to uncover a buried family secret involving a lost aunt from World War II, confronting her heritage, past relationships and personal identity while piecing together the hidden truths that shaped her family's history.
Stop me if you've heard this one : a novel
by Kristen Arnett

Cherry Hendricks, a struggling clown in Orlando, juggles work, family pressures, and a chaotic performer community while navigating mentorship and romance with an accomplished magician, Margot, as she strives to redefine her art, career and identity in a world of comedy and spectacle.
Waiting for the long night moon : stories
by Amanda Peters

Stories of Indigenous experiences across time, from early European contact to modern water-rights activism, depicting resilience through characters like a residential school survivor, a water protector, and a young dancer, all revealing strength and dignity amid systemic hardships.

Never be without a book you love.
Fill out a request for Personalized Picks!