Staff Picks: Jena DeBois’s Favorites
Jena DeBois (@jdooobs) thinks she’s a sometimes celebrity, but she’s actually a marketing associate at Random House Children’s Books. She enjoys working with books for a living because they’re far less difficult than people. Her favorite books will break your heart; they often include dysfunctional families or are memoirs that mean something. You can catch her and her bougie Boston Terrier puppy Oliver reading books like these and drinking lots of iced coffee (but no coffee for Oliver –he’s got enough energy for the both of them).
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Add to BookshelfCrying in H Mart
by Michelle Zauner
Simply put, Crying in H Mart is my favorite book of 2021 (so far). The memoir, by Michelle Zauner of indie rock band Japanese Breakfast, is an unfaltering glimpse into grief and perseverance. When her mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Zauner is forced to reckon with her own identity through food, family, language, and her Korean heritage. Sections of the book will make you laugh, while most pack a punch with lines that read like lyrics—leaving me breathless.
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Serious Goose
by Jimmy Kimmel
The Serious Goose has been one of my favorite books to work on at RHCB. Every parent and teacher I’ve recommended it to agrees that it never ceases to make their kids laugh out loud. This picture book written and illustrated by Jimmy Kimmel serves as a perfect reminder for kids that it’s okay not to take themselves TOO seriously, and that we ALL could use a reason to smile.
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$18.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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When You Trap a Tiger
by Tae Keller
Okay, so this is also one of my favorite books of the year. When I picked this middle grade title for my book club full of twenty-something’s, I know they were all a bit perplexed. A book aimed at tweens with main characters who are also tweens? I know, but this book transcends age and focuses on the timeless themes of finding your voice and dealing with loss. When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, Lily starts seeing tigers. Wild right? But when the tiger offers up a deal to help Lily’s ailing grandmother, Lily needs to figure out how to trap—and trick—a tiger. This book broke my heart, but by the end, put it back together again.
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$8.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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My Year of Rest and Relaxation
by Ottessa Moshfegh
After being locked in my home for months on end, it’s hard to imagine someone doing this by CHOICE. In My Year of Rest and Relaxation,the privileged, beautiful, and unnamed narrator decides to take a year off by staying in her Upper East Side apartment and sleeping. I read this book back in 2018, and it was quite possibly the oddest, most ridiculous novel I’ve ever come across (it clearly stuck with me as one of my favorites). But underneath the oddity, this book offers a tender look at someone grappling with grief and depression.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Know My Name
by Chanel Miller
I remember reading Emily Doe’s victim impact statement back in 2016 and being in awe of this nameless woman’s incredible power, grace, and strength. In Know My Name, Emily Doe reveals herself to be Chanel Miller. This is a stunning piece of writing, and it’s one of the most powerful memoirs I’ve ever read. In giving a voice to the voiceless, Chanel has gone on to become a triumphant force advocating for survivors, but she doesn’t let her past define her future. Her Instagram is a treasure trove of her beautiful comics and illustrations, and her new podcast “Childhood with Chanel and Tiffany” has been a glimmer of raw joy during the pandemic.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
