12 books. 4 genres. 1 head-to-head tournament to determine the best under-the-radar read of 2025. The votes on our Instagram polls have been counted and we have a winner!
From December 1 to 5, tune into our Instagram account where we'll post a daily video featuring three top Hidden Gems in four of the most popular genres in Burlington: historical fiction (Monday), mystery/thriller (Tuesday), biography/memoir (Wednesday), and contemporary romance (Thursday). Cast your vote for the book you think sounds the best of the three.
On Friday, check out the final showdown of the best books from all four genres, and vote for your favourite over the weekend. Our top Hidden Gem of 2025 will be declared on Monday, December 8!
The Experts
Our genre experts for 2025 are Community & Programming Librarian Sarah (Historical Fiction), Community & Programming Librarian Kathleen (Mystery/Thriller), Customer Service Associate Remy (Biography/Memoir), and Central Branch Manager Denise (Contemporary Romance).
Image left to right: Hidden Gems contenders Sarah, Remy, Kathleen, and Denise
Check out what each defender has to say about their hidden gem reads below, and don't forget to follow us @BurlONLibrary on social media.
The Books
Which hidden gems will YOU pick to read?
Historical Fiction - Sarah
The Guest in Room 120
This is a fictional story about Stanford University's founder, Jane Stanford. The novel follows Jane's escape to the Moana Hotel in Hawaii after an attempt on her life, which leads to her eventual murder. Flash forward to 2005. Bestselling author Zoe goes to a writer’s conference at the Moana, looking for inspiration for her next book, and spends the week uncovering the truth of Jane’s death 100 years prior. Read to find out if the truth will be revealed!
Borrow The Guest in Room 120 by Sara Ackerman
A Magic Deep and Drowning
If you're a fan of The Little Mermaid, A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox is the book for you. Set in the Dutch Golden Age where 20-year-old Clara escapes a bad omen, takes a job on an estate and grows close to a young man with russet hair and eyes the colour of the sea. Clara must choose between a calm life and a life filled with excitement, and as ancient conflicts between the land and the sea are revealed, she finds herself in the middle of a deadly power struggle.
Borrow A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox
The Wayfinder
The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson is set in a remote Tongan island in the South Pacific during the height of the Tu’i Tonga Empire. On the brink of starvation, a young girl named Korero is chosen to save her people, and so she sets off on a seafaring voyage. Her journey explores themes of survival, power, self-discovery, and resilience. This book is reminiscent of the movie Moana, and what a beautiful cover!
Borrow The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson
Mystery/Thriller - Kathleen
Her Many Faces
Inside a glittering London club where power, privilege, and secrets collide, four important members end the night poisoned. Katherine Cole, a quiet waitress, is suddenly cast as a murderer, her life pulled apart by anyone who ever claimed to know her. Five men offer five versions of the truth, each more revealing—and unreliable—than the last. As trust breaks down and hidden motives come to light, one question becomes harder to answer: Who is Katherine really? This is a gripping mystery for anyone who likes stories about complicated characters and twists you don’t see coming.
Borrow Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke
If the Dead Belong Here
When a young girl disappears without a trace, her family is left heartbroken and unsure how to move forward. As time passes, her older sister Nadine begins having strange, vivid dreams that feel more like warnings. Old family tragedies come to light, and Nadine starts to believe the truth about her sister’s disappearance might be hidden in their family’s past. With help from her elders, she begins to face the ghosts and secrets that have been ignored for too long. If you like emotional mysteries with a touch of the supernatural and stories about families healing from the past, this one’s for you.
Borrow If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust
Dead of Summer
Return to an island where the beach hides secrets, and every house feels like it’s watching you. When Orla comes back to Hadley Island—still shaken by her best friend’s disappearance years ago—old rumours quickly start to spread again. A new visitor begins digging into the island’s dark past, a lonely local notices strange things happening at night, and the truth refuses to stay hidden. With creepy moments, messy relationships, and a mystery that pulls tighter and tighter, this is a great pick if you enjoy small-town thrillers filled with suspense and secrets.
Borrow Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell
Biography/Memoir - Remy
Pieces You’ll Never Get Back
Ali is a young author working on her first novel when she nearly dies giving birth to her son. Undiagnosed eclampsia puts Samina in a coma after birth, and when she wakes, her mind and body are forever altered. Her memoir is her story of finding her way back to herself alongside her newborn son as she grapples with faith, recovery and family.
Borrow Pieces You’ll Never Get Back by Samina Ali
I Deliver Parcels in Beijing
Hu Anyan brings readers along with him as he narrates his life while working various short-term jobs in China. Hu opens readers to the realities of work without a stable life and the dehumanizing nature of our contemporary global work system. I Deliver Parcels in Beijing is a stark and honest depiction of tiring, relentless work in some of China’s major cities, and a must-read for our time.
Borrow I Deliver Parcels in Beijing by Hu Anyan
Semi-Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything
Stoner opens up about their life as a childhood actor and leaves nothing behind. From family violence to eating disorders to rehab and a questionable education, Stoner’s story is eye-opening. More than a personal memoir, this book is a call to industry reform for child stars and a story of finding oneself by following your own voice.
Borrow Semi-Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything by Alyson Stoner
Contemporary Romance - Denise
The Heart of Winter
Abe and Ruth’s love story is a beautifully imperfect epic—from a disastrous blind date to farming together for 70 years. As they face the challenges of aging and illness, they’re reminded that true love isn’t about grand gestures—it’s built in everyday moments, quiet resilience, and the simple joy of growing old together.
Borrow The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison
The Summers Between Us
Lia returns to her family’s summer cottage after a decade away—and bumps into Wesley, her first love. Through alternating timelines, we rediscover their sunlit summers, whispered promises, and the heartache that separated them. Can they heal old wounds, defy expectations, and build a future together that’s stronger than the past?
Borrow The Summers Between Us by Noreen Nanja
I Know How This Ends
Margot, a brilliant but jaded meteorologist, experiments with modern dating—one awkward date at a time. But then she begins having unexpected visions of a future with Henry, a waiter she hasn’t even met. As fate and choice collide, Margot learns that love is more than science — and sometimes, knowing how your story ends makes you braver than ever.
Borrow I Know How This Ends by Holly Smale
Check It Out
BPL Instagram - Watch the pitch videos for all 12 Hidden Gems
Looking for More Hidden Gems?
Check out the books that were championed in our 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, and 2020 tournaments—all winners in our view—to add to your 2026 reading list!