With all the fun new shows on Netflix recently, I can’t be the only one who hasn’t been reading as much as I want to. That being said, I’ve compiled a list of three underrated page-burners that deserve to reach more people and, in my opinion, are way better than any Netflix binge.
1. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
While this book may not be everyone’s genre, if given a shot, it may draw you in further than expected. Kolbert weaves an argument about an ongoing man-made extinction through examining the mass extinctions of the past. She references every living thing, from trees to frogs, to point out the chilling signs of humanity’s impact on the environment and Earth’s evolution as a whole.
2. Passing by Nella Larsen
Written in 1929, this terribly underrated novella consumes readers with its vivid imagery and thought-provoking plot. This book deals with the “passing” of colored people to appear white in order to avoid the stereotypes and harassment they would otherwise face. In the process of crafting this text, Larsen makes a beautiful statement about jealousy and the human duality that is worth the one hundred pages. (Also, there’s a huge plot twist at the end–just a heads up.)
3. Redwall by Brian Jacques
A childhood classic, this novel (and its subsequent series) reads just as well in adulthood as it did when you were being read aloud to before bed. The gorgeous diction Jacques uses to describe every detail transforms this adventure story of a young mouse saving his adoptive abbey into a timeless classic for all lexiles, and is definitely worth reading again and again.
