Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 15

Get Rec’d sneaks up on me sometimes! Welcome back!

If you’re new to this feature, hi! Hello! This is where I pull from several recommendations I’ve made at my other book-related jobs for particular readers. Some are previous staff picks or books that I’ve hand-sold at the bookstore.

Get any good recommendations lately? Let me know below!

  • The Bone Houses

    The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

    This was one of my earlier staff picks and I loved the spooky mythology and the badass heroine, with her axe, just smashing skeletons.

    Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Sky in the Deep in this bewitching, historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Holly Black and V.E. Schwab.

    Seventeen-year-old Aderyn (“Ryn”) only cares about two things: her family and her family’s graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don’t always stay dead.

    The risen corpses are known as “bone houses,” and legend says that they’re the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

    Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the deeply-buried truths about themselves. Equal parts classic horror novel and original fairytale, The Bone Houses will have you spellbound from the very first page.

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    The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

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  • Knight Owl

    Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

    How stinkin’ cute is this picture book?! That’s all I have to say.

    A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero: wits, humor, and heart. 

    Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but his sharp nocturnal instincts can help protect the castle, especially since many knights have recently gone missing. While holding guard during Knight Night Watch, Owl is faced with the ultimate trial—a frightening intruder. It’s a daunting duel by any measure. But what Owl lacks in size, he makes up for in good ideas.

    Full of wordplay and optimism, this surprising display of bravery proves that cleverness (and friendship) can rule over brawn.

    Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

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    • Barnes & Noble

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    Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

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  • Rent a Boyfriend

    Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

    A super sweet fake dating romance! This one straddles the line between young adult and new adult.

    To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets The Farewell in this incisive romantic comedy about a college student who hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents, to disastrous results, from the acclaimed author of American Panda.

    Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.

    Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.

    When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

    But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?

    Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

    This book is available from:
    • Available at Amazon

    • Barnes & Noble
    • Kobo

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
    We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!

    Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

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  • World of Wonders

    World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

    If you’re partial to physical copies, this one has some beautiful illustrations that I recommend seeing in person. A great pick if you like nature or science non-fiction.

    From beloved, award-winning poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction–a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us.

    As a child, Nezhukumatathil called many places home: the grounds of a Kansas mental institution, where her Filipina mother was a doctor; the open skies and tall mountains of Arizona, where she hiked with her Indian father; and the chillier climes of western New York and Ohio. But no matter where she was transplanted–no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape–she was able to turn to our world’s fierce and funny creatures for guidance.

    “What the peacock can do,” she tells us, “is remind you of a home you will run away from and run back to all your life.” The axolotl teaches us to smile, even in the face of unkindness; the touch-me-not plant shows us how to shake off unwanted advances; the narwhal demonstrates how to survive in hostile environments. Even in the strange and the unlovely, Nezhukumatathil finds beauty and kinship. For it is this way with wonder: it requires that we are curious enough to look past the distractions in order to fully appreciate the world’s gifts.

    Warm, lyrical, and gorgeously illustrated by Fumi Nakamura, World of Wonders is a book of sustenance and joy.

    Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

    This book is available from:
    • Available at Amazon
    • Order this book from apple books

    • Barnes & Noble
    • Kobo

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
    We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!

    World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

    View Book Info Page

Comments are Closed

  1. EJ says:

    As someone in an archaeology adjacent field I don’t know if I can handle smashing skeletons with an axe.

  2. Amy E. says:

    If the skeletons were attacking, and other avenues didn’t work? I’d make an exception.

  3. EJ says:

    @Amy E.

    True. I’ve never dealt with animate skeletons before (barring the ones we call “people”).

  4. HeatherS says:

    “The Bone Houses” makes me think of that short-lived 90s animated show “Skeleton Warriors”.

  5. Kareni says:

    Knight Owl definitely looks charming!

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