Let's Talk: Underrated Books

Friday, April 27, 2012




Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!
Question: What ONE underrated book book do you want to share with the blogosphere - new or old?


Sometimes I stump myself with my own questions, guys. Seriously. I'm cruel even to myself! There are so many underrated books that I've read since starting blogging that I'm still blown away by and wish more people had read. That said, there are a ton of books I read even before I started blogging that I wish the blogging community knew, too. Some of those books remain my favourites today, and you probably hear me touting them all the time.  One such book is Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle. I wish I could say it had the world's prettiest cover, but it doesn't. It's what you'll find in the pages though, that really counts.



Sandy and Dennys have always been the normal, run-of-the-mill ones in the extraodinary Murry family. They garden, make an occasional A in school, and play baseball. Nothing especially interesting has happened to the twins until they accidentally interrupt their father's experiment.

Then the two boys are thrown across time and space. They find themselves alone in the desert, where, if they believe in unicorns, they can find unicorns, and whether they believe or not, mammoths and manticores will find them. The boys find they have more to do in the oasis than simply getting themselves home--they have to reunite an estranged father and son, but it won't be easy, especially when the son is named Noah and he's about to start building a boat in the desert.

Regardless of whether you're religious or not, this take on Noah's Ark is one you've never heard. It's fantasy, it's paranormal and it's utterly beautiful. You're enmeshed in a battle of light and dark angels, humans and an unknown god named El. There are touches of romance, and it's a sweet, soaring story line that is, at times, heartbreaking and, at other times, intense a riveting. The end is beautiful and triumphant, packaging this fourth installment of the Time series in a neat bow.

And yet, for some reason, this book remains probably the least known of the series. I don't know if it's the face that it revolves around the twins or the Biblical context, but it seems rarely read by bloggers that I've met. Honestly, the Biblical details are there, but it's not a religious book. It is, however, immensely powerful, and I've read my copy so many times that the cover fell off...so I bought a few more. If I could just offer bloggers one piece of advice...try Many Waters! You might very well LOVE it!


21 comments:

  1. I loved this book & was so glad there was one that focused on Sandy & Dennys! Good choice for underrated!

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  2. Many Waters sounds really good! I need to read more L'Engle, I haven't read A Wrinkle in Time in YEARS.

    As for what underrated book I'm a fan of, there's a lot... but I'd have to say The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Even though it's HUGELY popular in the fantasy genre, other readers shy away from sci-fi and fantasy and they don't know what they're missing with this book!

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  3. That's a tough question. I think I would go with Sleight from Jennifer Sommersby. I totally fell in love with this book, it blew me away because it was so awesome! But, as it is often with Self-Pub books they are underrated and underappreciated. 

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  4. I's say the Artemis Fowl series, it's MG,but it's great, not enough people have read them. I haven't read Many Waters, so thanx for the post, I'll be reading it soon.

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  5. Thank you! I'm so glad to see someone else who has read it...it is SO good :)

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  6. Ooooh I've never read that one! I'm adding it to my TBR pile now...underrated books are like little orphans to me :)

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  7. I totally agree on the self-pubs and SO many are really really good!

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  8. I"m so glad you'll give this one a go! I think you'll love it :)

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  9. I submitted my link!  :P   and u know i love Many Waters.  Did you ever read the ones with the Ogam Stones?  I have to look those up...

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  10. I didn't! I'll have to read them...PS...LOVE your choice! I swear I almost listed TWoBP! :))) 

    Thank you for linking up!

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  11. I think I added this one to my TBR before on you recommendation. I'm off to check.

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  12. Seriously underrrated for me would have to be Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt. I just loved that story and recommend it to all my students. It's the cover. Not a good cover at all.

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  13. I feel like such a loser since I have never read anything by Madeleine L'Engle. Clearly I need to remedy this quickly.

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  14. I put this one on my TBR list a few months back when you listed it on one of your Top Ten posts - I really need to browse through my library and find a copy soon. It sounds so fascinating! 

    Great choice and topic this week :)

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  15. I never even knew there was a companion book for a wrinkle in time!! thanks for sharing.

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  16. I adore Madelein L'Engle, even though I haven't actually gotten around to reading the Wrinkle in Time series yet. I've probably read A Ring of Endless Light at least five times though! 

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  17. crusade in jeans by thea beckman is very underated in the us
    a dutch 40 year old classic
    translated since 2006 in the us 

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  18. I guess the flood then was why the mammoths died

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  19. Thanks for the reassuring words on my unemployment post - I'm glad that you found happiness out of the same situation too! Good for you. Thanks for stopping by... I love your blog! Can't wait to e-stalk you some more!! ;) 

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  20. I didn't like L'Engle much as a kid. I've never been a sci fi fan. And I usually didn't like books that were as introspective as her books. But I might like them more now. I should try Wrinkle in Time first I think.

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