Inspired by: Let's Get Lost -- Adi Alsaid (Coming to the Teen section in July 2014)
Early in Let's Get Lost, one character takes another on a tour of his hometown. This is the kind of tour you can only give if you've lived in one place for your entire life and know all the places that are overlooked or that have history to them. The book really invites the reader to look at life as a treasure hunt, which reminded me of my list of bookstore finds that I refer to as "hidden treasures." It's stuff I love to recommend, because they're books people probably wouldn't find on their own. Stuff I only know is there, because the bookstore is where I spend my time.
Barnes & Noble Collectable Leatherbound kids classics for $10 Hidden in: Juv Bargain
Featuring titles like Peter Pan, Anne of Green Gables, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Blue Fairy Book, etc...These books make the best gifts because they're totally readable and look amazing on the shelf. They're the kind of gift you can give a little kid and they'll want to hold onto them when they're grown. However, because they're in bargain instead of with the other classic kids books, I fear a lot of people miss them. (Also, just $10!)
Talk Show Murders -- Al Roker (and Dick Lochte)
Hidden in: Mystery
I came across this book one day while shelving. Admittedly, mystery is one of my weaker sections to recommend in, because I only like to recommend things I really enjoyed, and my to-read list is where most of my mystery books are. In addition, some of my favorite mysteries are shelved in fiction or teen, causing me to forget about them completely. When possible, I like to recommend Talk Show Murders, because, as I say, it's a book, but it's also a conversation starter. "Did you know Al Roker had a mystery book?" No, you probably did not. It's a great gift to give the person who reads mystery but has everything. Everything...except for this.
Battle Royale -- Koushun TakamiHidden in: Sci-fi/Fantasy
It is rumored that Suzanne Collins (author of Hunger Games) stole a bunch of ideas from Battle Royale, a Japanese novel... Collins claimed she'd never heard of the work before writing Hunger Games. I love to challenge readers to pick up this 800-page mammoth of a book and see the similarities and differences for themselves. However, be warned: Battle Royale is more graphic than Hunger Games.
A. J. Jacobs
Hidden in: Humor
Looking for a gift? Tucked away in humor are a few books written by journalist A. J. Jacobs. He'll take a year of his life and do something crazy with it, like read the entire Enclyopedia Britannica or dedicate himself to following instructions from the bible. They are fun to read, but you learn things too. I think they're a pretty good gift idea for a hard-to-buy for older gentleman. (Also check out the trivia section--that entire section is a hidden treasure.)
Attachments -- Rainbow Rowell
Hidden in: Fiction
While everyone in the Teen section is going crazy over Eleanor & Park and Fangirl (and rightfully so), poor Attachments is sitting over in the Fiction section, mostly ignored. Attachments is about a guy whose job it is to monitor the company emails and the girl with constantly flagged emails, who he falls for.
Les Petits Fairytales --
It used to be that while everyone was browsing for toddler books in the Little Books for Little Hands section, these super cute board books were sitting in the Fairytale section, where no one would think to look. But, it looks like someone finally moved them--huzzah! Also check out the Little Books for Little Hands section for a babylit version of Pride and Prejudice. That's a treasure as well, albeit not a hidden one.
What are your hidden treasures?
