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The ReadDown

Staff Picks: Laura Kemp’s Favorites

by Laura Kemp

Hi! I’m Laura and I’m an Associate Manager for the PRH International team. I help support sales for the English language editions of PRH titles outside of the US and Canada. I’m originally from Michigan and lived in New York for five years, before relocating to Seattle, Washington last year. I like to read books full of adventure and heart that spark my curiosity and contain magical adventures, both real and imaginary. You can find me to chat about books, cats, and vegan donuts over at @booksandbrambles on Instagram.

  1. 1
    A Deadly Education Book Cover Picture
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    A Deadly Education

    by Naomi Novik

    A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik is one of those books that I will recommend to everyone I know if they say they’re even a little bit interested in fantasy. It takes the magical school trope and turns it on its head. Just think Hogwarts if it was suddenly filled with deadly creatures trying to kill the students around every corner. The book follows our main character Galadriel, “El,” as she takes us on an all-encompassing survival guide of how to make it through four years of attending the Scholomance without losing life or limb. Securing a position at one of the sought-after magical enclaves is most students’ goal, but El somehow just can’t quite fight her pride and moral sense of responsibility to grovel for a position. Did I also mention she’s constantly fighting to not give into her incredibly powerful dark magic, to stop herself from becoming an evil sorceress and killing everyone around her? She takes selflessness to a whole new level. Along the way she manages to make some friends, even if one of them happens to be wonder boy hero Orion Lake, and learns that just maybe she doesn’t have to go it alone anymore. And of course, she ends up attempting to save the school in the process. This is the first book in a trilogy and all of the books are available to read! Which is always a wonderful thing to discover when starting a new series.
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    Paperback
    $18.00

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  2. 2
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    Born a Crime

    by Trevor Noah

    Trevor Noah doesn’t really need an introduction, but wow what a book! His childhood growing up and attempting to navigate the social and racial hierarchy of post-apartheid South Africa is a journey everyone needs to experience. His mother alone is such a fascinating and incredible human whose story of resilience and survival will stick with you long after you set this book down.
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  3. 3
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    Kiki’s Delivery Service

    by Eiko Kadono

    If you love Hiyao Miyazaki films, hop on the nostalgia train with me by reading Kiki’s Delivery Service! The original story of a witch coming of age as depicted in the well-known Studio Ghibli film contains even more Kiki and Gigi adventures you will not want to miss.
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    $8.99

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  4. 4
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    The Thursday Murder Club (Netflix Tie-In)

    by Richard Osman

    When you retire, you think maybe you’ll spend your days doing water aerobics or, finally, here’s your chance to get good at chess. But at Coopers Chase retirement home, a gang of unlikely friends decide that their time is better spent solving murders as their new hobby. I’m not normally a cozy mystery reader, but this one is very fun and also deals with some heavier themes. It’s a perfect, quintessentially British escape from reality.
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    $18.00

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  5. 5
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    Breath

    by James Nestor

    I’ve never really stopped to think about how I breathed until I picked up this book. James Nestor dives into the science behind breathing and the practices and therapies that have developed throughout history. If you need the encouragement to maybe pick up yoga or get into meditation or just want to take a moment to take a breath and relax with a good book, I couldn’t think of a better pick than Breath.
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    $20.00

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