Virtual Con: Geeky Staff Picks
To celebrate Penguin Random House’s first-ever #VirtualCon, we’re bringing you one of our favorite parts of the convention experience: book recommendations! Discover the stories our staff can’t stop talking about.
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Add to BookshelfThe Beautiful
by Renée Ahdieh
“Are you a sucker for a good historical romance? Do you dabble in the paranormal? Do you love Anne Rice? If you’re ready for a dazzling book to sweep you away, The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh is the book for you. With nods to Twilight, Anne Rice, and regency romances, Ahdieh cooks up a detailed and elegant world with a slow burn romance that had me devouring each chapter late into the night. Set in a vividly described 19th-century New Orleans, the story builds delicately then hurtles to a cliff-hanger ending that had me desperate to read the sequel.” — Amanda, Marketing; Penguin Young Readers
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$5.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Black Leopard, Red Wolf
by Marlon James
“Bursting at the seams in all the best ways, the first novel in Marlon James’s Dark Star trilogy is epic fantasy at its boldest, bawdiest, and bloodiest. Infused with African mythology and history, Black Leopard, Red Wolf is grounded in tradition, but it will take you someplace you’ve never been before.” — Molly, Marketing; Viking, Penguin, and Riverhead
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Bonds of Brass
by Emily Skrutskie
“Picking up this book is like melting into the best kind of fanfiction: fast-paced, character-driven, and with an emotional core that hits you right in The Feels. It’s impossible not to fall in love with these flyboys, and Skrutskie’s prose is as sharp as a weaponized rainbow umbrella.” — Ashleigh, Marketing; Del Rey
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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Fireborne
by Rosaria Munda
“This book honestly has everything I need in a book: non-toxic female friendships, women’s empowerment & power, discussions of the complicated morality of governments, love for the family you were born into vs. the one you’ve chosen, amazing characters, romance, & then there’s DRAGONS. My favorite part of this book are the characters that jump off the page, grab you, and refuse to let go. I can’t recommend this book enough.” — Tessa, Publicity; Penguin Young Readers
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$13.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Foundryside
by Robert Jackson Bennett
“Foundryside has everything: Explosions, a talking key sidekick, lesbians, and magic that works like computer coding. Sancia is a thief who has accidentally joined a war and now has to stop the rich from using their power to write reality itself. The world’s a machine and she’s the wrench.” — Kathleen, Marketing; Random House
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse
by K. Eason
“Imagine Princess Leia in the world of The Princess Bride, and you get Rory Thorne. Now is the perfect time to get lost in this wildly fun, space-operatic, fairy-tale-retelling—especially before the sequel is released this fall!” — Brittanie, Publicity; Berkley and DAW
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Glass Hotel
by Emily St. John Mandel
“Emily St. John Mandel entranced readers with a traveling Shakespearean troupe roaming the aftermath of an apocalypse in Station Eleven. Her new book, The Glass Hotel, is entirely different but just as elegant, lyrical, thought-provoking, and powerful. A tale of love and loss, greed and betrayal, devastation and survival, ghosts and memories, this is an absolutely not-to-be-missed novel.” — Julianne, Marketing; Knopf & Pantheon
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
by Holly Jackson
“Is it too much to say this book slayed me, solved my murder, and brought me back to life all at once? A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (an instant New York Times bestseller!) is about a closed case that just doesn’t add up and the girl who dedicates her senior capstone project to finding the real murderer—no matter what. It’s Serial meets Making a Murderer, what more could you ask for?” — Caitlin, Marketing; Random House Children’s Books
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$10.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Interior Chinatown
by Charles Yu
“Charles Yu always manages to deliver creative, funny, and unclassifiable stories. Interior Chinatown, with the laughing it elicits and pondering it provokes, is no exception. And the way Charlie writes about family is like getting a big bear hug, even in the darkest of times.” — Josie, Publicity; Knopf & Pantheon
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Last Human
by Zack Jordan
“If you enjoy fun, witty space adventures, then this book is for you. It reminded me of Rick and Morty and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, making me laugh while pondering the universe.” — David, Publicity; Random House
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Mexican Gothic
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
“Inject this book right into my veins, please! This book has: a haunted coward just doing his best, female characters finding their rage, gross men getting utterly destroyed, a creepy sentient house, and bonus: a misty cemetery!” — Logan, Sales Marketing; Random House
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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My Brother’s Husband, Volumes 1 & 2
by Gengoroh Tagame
“This inspiring tear-jerker is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone. For me, it was the format — my very first manga! For some of the characters, it is about confronting unconscious prejudices and rethinking societal norms. A warm & fuzzy power punch to the heart.” — Emily, Marketing; Knopf & Pantheon
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$32.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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A Phoenix First Must Burn
by
“Love Octavia Butler? Looking for more speculative fiction for your shelves? Do yourself a favor and pick up A Phoenix First Must Burn. #BlackGirlMagic comes to life in these sixteen stories by Black female and gender-nonconforming writers. Whether you’re into stories of hope and resistance, ones with fairy tale retellings or vampires, or ones that will leave you on the edge of your seat, this book will do it for you.” — Leah, Marketing; Penguin Young Readers
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$12.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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Providence
by Max Barry
“Max Barry is back and you’re going to want to devour this in one sitting. Aliens, space combat, artificial intelligence, the dangers of social media — this one has it all.” — Heather, Publicity; Penguin Publishing Group
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$17.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Return
by Rachel Harrison
“Girls meets The Shining… need I say more? Rachel Harrison’s debut is the smart, campy, feminist, creepy-as-hell millennial horror novel I didn’t know I desperately wanted.” — Liza, Publicity; Putnam, Dutton, and Berkley
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$12.99Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Starless Sea
by Erin Morgenstern
“Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea will transport you to a place where stories aren’t just written on the pages in books, they are folded into stars, painted on walls, and hidden behind magical doors. It’s a place where adventure begins with a trip to the library. I loved taking a trip to the Starless Sea and can’t wait to go back again and again!” — Lauren, Marketing; Doubleday
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$20.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Stealing Thunder
by Alina Boyden
“Alina Boyden’s powerful debut is the fantasy novel we need. Stealing Thunder follows trans heroine Razia Khan in a delightful coming-of-age story about the strength we find in one another and ourselves. It’s full of rich worldbuilding, gripping suspense, moving romance — and dragons!” — Jordan, Marketing; Penguin Publishing Group
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$16.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Story of More
by Hope Jahren
“I can’t get enough of Hope Jahren. In The Story of More, she tackles the issue of climate change with the same clarity and warmth that she brought to her memoir, Lab Girl. In a time when the world feels unfamiliar and chaotic, I have found her scientific approach to be soothing. as well as enlightening.” — Jess, Marketing; Vintage Books & Anchor Books
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$18.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Vanished Birds
by Simon Jimenez
“This book is so well-written, emotionally resonant, and just Beautiful Science Fiction, that my extremely introverted husband posted on his Facebook about it.” — Julie, Marketing; Del Rey
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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William Shakespeare’s Star Wars
by Ian Doescher
Read by Various
“Are you a Star Wars fan looking for a fresh spin on your favorite galaxy far, far away? Revisit the story of A New Hope, written and performed in the style of William Shakespeare. If you like this one, don’t forget to try The Empire Striketh Back and The Jedi Doth Return.” — Rob, Marketing; Penguin Random House Audio
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