Books I Loved That You Might Hate (and That's Okay)

There is a very specific kind of book that I think of as mine. Not in a possessive way (okay, fine, a little possessive), but in the sense that it feels like it was written for me specifically, like the author reached into my brain. And here's the thing about those books: a lot of the time, other people don't like them.

And that's okay. I promise I'm fine with it. Reading is subjective, and not every book is for every reader, in fact, that's kind of the whole point of this email.

These are books that will not be for everybody, but are definitely for me. If you didn't vibe with them, I hear you, and I still love you. But if you're looking for something that feels like a book was made for you, maybe one of these is it.

But first, I had the talented Isabel Canas on my show this week.

Isabel Cañas is the USA Today bestselling author of The Hacienda, Vampires of El Norte, The Possession of Alba Díaz, and her brand-new YA debut, The House of Gardenias, out today. Isabel writes gloriously gothic Mexican horror where the real terror is tangled up with history, power, and the human heart. And plot twist, the real monster is usually not the ghost.

We go back to her goth teen days reading Dracula under the desk, and the "too Mexican" rejection that hit her on her honeymoon in Mexico City and led straight to The Hacienda, and defending her PhD dissertation the day before that book came out.

She also talks about writing The Possession of Alba Díaz while pregnant, after the fall of Roe v. Wade, the loss of both her grandparents, and why The House of Gardenias is her most emotional book yet.

Plus, she teases a new book announcement coming soon.

So grab your copy of The House of Gardenias and check out the episode on Youtube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Okay, now for the recs.

You can find all the books listed below on my shelf here.

The insufferable nature of June, our protagonist, is my favorite thing about this book, and it's the exact reason most people dislike it. I get it. She's not supposed to be likeable. She's supposed to be real, and messy, and the most unflattering mirror the publishing industry has ever had to look into. As someone who has been in the fiction publishing arena for the last fifteen years, I can tell you there is nothing in this book that is not one hundred percent accurate. This book is special, and I will die on that hill.

People either love this book or they hate this book. There are very few lukewarm feelings about it, which honestly tells you everything you need to know. I obviously love it. It's a riot. It's hilarious. It's ridiculous. And I hear you when you finish it and you're like, what the f**k did I just read? Because that's also how I felt. But like, in a good way. You know?

Another one that is definitely not for everybody, but that I love. It's basically about six pretentious villains, so if you couldn't already tell, this is very on-brand for me. I just think this book is really spectacular. But I understand that a lot of people do not like these, and that's okay. It's just not okay in my house. (I'm kidding. Mostly.)

I know a lot of people who didn't really vibe with this one, and that's totally fine. But this book is basically my heart and soul, and I will never forget it as long as I live. I understand if it wasn't for you, gothic, lush, and strange isn't everyone's cup of tea. But for me, there's not a single thing about this book that I would change or that I dislike. Not one thing. I mean it.

People love to tell me how bad this book this. And I get that the ending is… obscure. But I think that’s the point. And it had me fully engaged, on the edge of my seat, unable to put down, and glancing over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't being watched. Did it end up going to a place I never expected? Yes. Do I care? No. I still absolutely loved it

Now I want to hear from you: what's a book you love that a lot of people don't? The one you'll defend in the group chat, the one that's a five-star in your heart even if it's a three-star on Goodreads. Hit reply and tell me.

I'm genuinely so curious, and I'm absolutely going to add the best ones to my TBR.

Host of Talking Horror Podcast