Hey! Welcome back! Are y’all reading for more book recommendations?
Here are a several books that I’ve been recommending more in the past couple weeks, or are some go-to selections for readings who like particular genres. There’s some fantasy, some non-fiction, and horror.
Have you received a great book recommendation lately? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
-
Amari and the Night Brothers
If you read middle grade books or have a person in your life who does, I cannot recommend this one enough. The book description calls it Percy Jackson meets Men in Black, which is fairish. Not a ton of aliens, but there is a secret society with fantastical beings and mystery solving.
New York Times bestseller! Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a trilogy filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.
Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. Not even when the police told her otherwise, or when she got in trouble for standing up to bullies who said he was gone for good.
So when she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet, containing a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton—if only she can wrap her head around the idea of magicians, fairies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures all being real.
Now she must compete for a spot against kids who’ve known about magic their whole lives. No matter how hard she tries, Amari can’t seem to escape their intense doubt and scrutiny—especially once her supernaturally enhanced talent is deemed “illegal.” With an evil magician threatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates thinking she’s an enemy, Amari has never felt more alone. But if she doesn’t stick it out and pass the tryouts, she may never find out what happened to Quinton.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
-
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
This is a great debut for anyone who loves fantasy mixed with mythology. Also peep that pretty cover!
A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.
Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
-
The Disordered Cosmos
A wonderful memoir about a Black woman in science (namely particle physics) and the ways she weighs her dream against the difficulties existing in an unwelcoming space.
From a star theoretical physicist, a journey into the world of particle physics and the cosmos — and a call for a more just practice of science.
In The Disordered Cosmos, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein shares her love for physics, from the Standard Model of Particle Physics and what lies beyond it, to the physics of melanin in skin, to the latest theories of dark matter — all with a new spin informed by history, politics, and the wisdom of Star Trek.One of the leading physicists of her generation, Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is also one of fewer than one hundred Black American women to earn a PhD from a department of physics. Her vision of the cosmos is vibrant, buoyantly non-traditional, and grounded in Black feminist traditions.
Prescod-Weinstein urges us to recognize how science, like most fields, is rife with racism, sexism, and other dehumanizing systems. She lays out a bold new approach to science and society that begins with the belief that we all have a fundamental right to know and love the night sky. The Disordered Cosmos dreams into existence a world that allows everyone to tap into humanity’s wealth of knowledge about the wonders of the universe.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!The Disordered Cosmos by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
-
Nothing But Blackened Teeth
This is one of my go-to recommendations for people who want a haunted house story, or who love horror movies with a group of friends who have a lot of baggage together and then they’re suddenly put into tense situations. It’s never too early for spooky season for me!
Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.
A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.
It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.
But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.
And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.
Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
This book is available from:
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
Thank you, Amanda. I can always count on you to recommend a book that would never have shown up on my radar otherwise.
Thank you for the recs! I was rec’d The Orchard and I love a retelling so I think I am going to pick it up this week or possibly Daughters of the Stone which has been rec’d to me several times.
A strong endorsement from me and my 11-year-old daughter for Amari and the Night Brothers. It’s a terrific start to a middle grade series and we are not-so-patiently waiting for the next in the series to come out in the fall.
The cover of The Disordered Cosmos is creative and gorgeous.
@DonnaMarie: You’re so welcome! That’s why I do these posts!
I, an adult (in theory), read Amari and the Night Brothers a couple of months ago and it was honestly one of the best things I’ve read in some time. If you can remember a more innocent time, and by that I mean a time before JK Rowling habitually said infuriating and harmful things, it will give you the same feeling that you got the first time you read Harry Potter. I took it out of the library and the day I finished it, I immediately preordered the next one, which I think comes out in August. It’ll be a nice respite from the doggiest days of summer.