Staff Picks: Nicole Valdez’s Favorites
Hello readers, my name is Nicole Valdez and I am the Marketing and Publicity Manager for Random House Graphic, a dedicated imprint to the creation of graphic novels! While a huge fan of comics, I also read tons of prose including thrillers, fantasy, classics, and romance… spending all my time visiting local bookshops and hanging out with my dog Peanut Butter. As a kid who devoured comics as often as prose, I think its important to recognize that there is no wrong way to consume a story. What matters is that you enjoyed it. And this is my mentality as I love to hype up new books and find the perfect one to recommend to anyone who asks. I am always excited to share what I’m reading with others and can be found @Nerdy_Coley on Instagram.
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Add to BookshelfThe Magic Fish
by Trung Le Nguyen
This book is one of the most powerful, sweet, and gorgeously drawn comics I have ever seen or had the pleasure to work on. Trung Le Nguyen’s story about the young Tien trying to tell his parents he’s gay, but unable to communicate due to language barriers is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Told through three narratives—past, present, and future—it truly shows the power of storytelling and how love is a language all its own.
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$23.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley Jackson
Shirley Jackson—the queen of the uncomfortable, the unsettling, and one of my favorite authors. While many are familiar with The Haunting of Hill House (and the TV show by the same name), you may be less familiar with this brilliant story about a wealthy family of recluses due to a family murder spree. If you think that’s a spoiler, you’d be wrong.
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Caste
by Isabel Wilkerson
In the wake of the turmoil from 2020s, Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste was a beacon of understanding and motivation I needed. Wilkerson’s exploration of the U.S. through the lens of caste systems was eye-opening, painful at many points, and fueled my desire to better understand and to engage in breaking down the castes I see around me. An important and vital lesson for all of us that want to make this country better than its history of racism, slavery, and inequality.
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$21.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Royal Holiday
by Jasmine Guillory
Had to throw in a romance! Jasmine Guillory—every single one of her books has me reserving the next few hours to reading because I refuse to put her book down. They are sweet, funny, heart wrenching, and absolutely have the happy ending I want every time. The best part is you do not have to read them in order (I know because I didn’t realize they were a series) so Royal Holiday was my first and will always be the one I recommend.
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Bear and the Nightingale
by Katherine Arden
The setting alone of this book was just so breathtakingly beautiful that it made me want to wrap up in a blanket by a fire. Set in winter in the Russian wilderness, the story feels like an adult fairytale, with villains and heroes, magic and lore, and I recommend it to everyone (especially as a winter read!) And surprise, it’s a series! So more cozy feelings to come.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
