Staff Picks: Felicity Vallence’s Favorites
Having worked in books for most my life, picking JUST FIVE is like asking me to pick favorite family members!! I’ve worked in a number of roles across the Penguin Random House family from my early days in Australia looking after authors including Jamie Oliver, Vikram Seth and Jeanette Winterson as a publicist. I spent months touring with celebrity chefs, sporting stars and big name Australian bestsellers who would sign books for hours at a time! I then transitioned into social media and working primarily on young adult novels which led me to be here in the US. But that hasn’t changed my reading habits (that are documented on @flossthefangirl) which vary from the buzziest new releases to compelling non-fiction investigative pieces—basically like my eating, I need VARIETY!
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Add to BookshelfDaisy Jones & The Six: Reese’s Book Club
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read by Jennifer Beals, Benjamin Bratt, Judy Greer and Pablo Schreiber
This book is fantastically sublime but the audio elevated it to a whole new level. The style of the interview pieces fits perfectly with the multi-cast recording which includes Jennifer Beals as the frustrated confused feminist rock icon Daisy Jones and Judy Greer as the magnificent “seen it all” yet still honestly raw Karen Karen. It’s a MUST LISTEN. But I warn you, the audio will make the reality that this band is not real maddening!
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SHOUT
by Laurie Halse Anderson
If you read any of the reporting on Harvey Weinstein from the news coverage to Ronan Farrow’s Catch & Kill (which is brilliant!), I implore to you read the highly personally, devastatingly real memoir by Laurie Halse Anderson. A verse memoir that includes single lines that will drop you to your knees, this book is an important self-examination of a life forever changed but not ruined.
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$12.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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An Ember in the Ashes
by Sabaa Tahir
This series is my answer to “YA is just too simple”. This epic fantasy series is full of complex characters, beautifully interwoven mythology and the harsh and violent realities of a world at war. The plotting is tight, the twists and betrayals land with impact and the growing tension in each book will have you flipping the pages well into the early hours. The strong lead characters aren’t just one-note heroes either, with divided motivations, and best of intentions but goes horribly wrong executions. Read it!
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$13.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Cravings
by Chrissy Teigen and Adeena Sussman
I don’t think cookbooks get enough “reviews” love, so here I am repping for a cookbook! And I’ll be honest, a celebrity cookbook definitely had me –a known cookbook addict –cynical. But Chrissy Teigen KNOWS what she’s talking about! From her hilarious short recipe intros that actually acknowledge why you really need to eat those perfect mashed potatoes, to her strong flavor combos, many of the recipes landed in my regular rotation!
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$29.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Frankly in Love
by David Yoon
Yes, this book is about teens and fake dating, but honestly, it’s about so much more! The family relationship of Frank Li, a first-generation Korean-American and the expectations that his parents place on him not only in school but for the path of his life, are explored with depth and nuance. With both laugh out loud and heartbreaking moments sharing pages, this book is an instant YA classic and should be read by both adults and teens alike.
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