Fans pick 59 books like Silencing Rebecca

By Nikki Vogel,

Here are 59 books that Silencing Rebecca fans have personally recommended if you like Silencing Rebecca. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Wild Ones

Natasha Deen Author Of The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad

From my list on kickbutt heroines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 1980s when there wasn’t consideration for representation or diversity in literature or media. If I wanted to read about a Girl of Color, inevitably, she was a slave. If I wanted to watch a TV show featuring women (of any color), they were inevitably rescued in the climactic moment by a man. As such, I grew into a reader who loves kickbutt girls of all stripes. Give me a chance to cheer on a female who’s looking for her happy ending and not about to let the world dictate how she finds that happiness (and with whom), and boy, you got me!

Natasha's book list on kickbutt heroines

Natasha Deen Why did Natasha love this book?

I love this book so much, I blurbed it! In a world where women are often asked to be quiet, to make themselves small, Nafiza Azad’s unapologetically feminist book is breathtaking. Readers journey with Paheli and her collection of girls—the Wild Ones—helping to save girls from the pain they had to endure. On their journey, they seek Taraana, a boy with stars in his eyes, who once saved Paheli and now needs saving. While The Wild Ones is a fantasy, it is an unflinching look into the #MeToo movement, the tragedies and pain of being female, the saving grace of sisterhood, and the audacious power of resilience and hope.

By Nafiza Azad,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Wild Ones as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

From William C. Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.

We are the Wild Ones, and we will not be silenced.

We are girls who have tasted the worst this world can offer. Our story begins with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother, sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escaped, she ran headlong into Taraana-a boy with stars in his eyes, a boy as battered…


Book cover of The Voice in My Head

Natasha Deen Author Of The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad

From my list on kickbutt heroines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 1980s when there wasn’t consideration for representation or diversity in literature or media. If I wanted to read about a Girl of Color, inevitably, she was a slave. If I wanted to watch a TV show featuring women (of any color), they were inevitably rescued in the climactic moment by a man. As such, I grew into a reader who loves kickbutt girls of all stripes. Give me a chance to cheer on a female who’s looking for her happy ending and not about to let the world dictate how she finds that happiness (and with whom), and boy, you got me!

Natasha's book list on kickbutt heroines

Natasha Deen Why did Natasha love this book?

This book tackles big topics. Indigo Phillips is grappling with the fallout of her twin sister’s (Violet) terminal illness and Violet’s decision to die on her own terms by medically assisted death. When Indigo hears a voice in her head, urging her to go to the Arizona desert to find a rock formation that will save Violet, Indigo takes the proposition to her sister. And Violet agrees—but only if the entire family comes along. The Voice in My Head gives readers emotional space to explore the complexities of grief, the bigger questions of whether there is something beyond our existence, the chains and wings of family, and the love and hurts that can pull us apart but also have the power to bind us together.

By Dana L. Davis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Voice in My Head as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

She can feel sorry for herself.

Or she can listen…to the voice in her head.

Indigo Phillips has always lived in the shadow of her identical twin, Violet—the perfectly dressed, gentle, popular sister. But when Violet becomes terminally ill and plans to die on her own terms via medically assisted death, Indigo spirals into desperation in her efforts to cope. That’s when she begins to hear a mysterious voice—a voice claiming to be God. The Voice insists that if she takes Violet to a remote rock formation in the Arizona desert, her sister will live.

Incredibly, Violet agrees to go—if…


Book cover of Into the Sublime

Natasha Deen Author Of The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad

From my list on kickbutt heroines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 1980s when there wasn’t consideration for representation or diversity in literature or media. If I wanted to read about a Girl of Color, inevitably, she was a slave. If I wanted to watch a TV show featuring women (of any color), they were inevitably rescued in the climactic moment by a man. As such, I grew into a reader who loves kickbutt girls of all stripes. Give me a chance to cheer on a female who’s looking for her happy ending and not about to let the world dictate how she finds that happiness (and with whom), and boy, you got me!

Natasha's book list on kickbutt heroines

Natasha Deen Why did Natasha love this book?

I love books that keep me guessing and leave me unsettled about character motivation and story truth, and Into the Sublime gets the gold on all of those requirements and more! Amelie, a member of a thrill-seeking group, heads out with three other girls—H, Gia, and Devon—to find a lake called “The Sublime,” that’s said to reveal your deepest fears. Much like the underground cave system the girls find themselves in, Into the Sublime takes readers on a twisting tale full of tension and changing alliances, and an ever-tightening noose of dread and unease. What happened in those caves? Why did four girls go in but only three come out—and whose blood is Amelie covered in? This is the kind of book you stay up late to finish...then spend the next few days sleeping with the lights on. Lovers of psychological suspense and horror won't be disappointed.

By Kate A. Boorman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Into the Sublime as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 14, 15, 16, and 17.

What is this book about?

"Gripping and breathless, Into the Sublime is equal parts terrifying, claustrophobic, psychological, and cunning." ―Wendy Heard, author of She's Too Pretty to Burn and Dead End Girls

A new YA psychological thriller from Kate A. Boorman, author of What We Buried, about four teenage girls who descend into a dangerous underground cave system in search of a lake of local legend, said to reveal your deepest fears.

When the cops arrive, only a few things are clear:
- Four girls entered a dangerous cave.
- Three of them came out alive.
- Two of them were rushed to the hospital.…


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Book cover of Bessie

Bessie By Linda Kass,

In the bigoted milieu of 1945, six days after the official end of World War II, Bess Myerson, the daughter of poor Russian immigrants living in the Bronx, remarkably rises to become Miss America, the first —and to date only— Jewish woman to do so. At stake is a $5,000…

Book cover of The Changeling of Fenlen Forest

Natasha Deen Author Of The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad

From my list on kickbutt heroines.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in the 1980s when there wasn’t consideration for representation or diversity in literature or media. If I wanted to read about a Girl of Color, inevitably, she was a slave. If I wanted to watch a TV show featuring women (of any color), they were inevitably rescued in the climactic moment by a man. As such, I grew into a reader who loves kickbutt girls of all stripes. Give me a chance to cheer on a female who’s looking for her happy ending and not about to let the world dictate how she finds that happiness (and with whom), and boy, you got me!

Natasha's book list on kickbutt heroines

Natasha Deen Why did Natasha love this book?

A herd of wild unicorns, a gloomy forest, a changeling, and magicThe Changeling of Fenlen Forest is a perfect choice for a cozy day of reading. The book opens with Elizabeth as she searches for her lost unicorn fawn. But her search takes her to a strange land where Elizabeth resembles a missing girl. So much so, that the town’s people think she’s a changeling—and dangerous. Elizabeth, with the help of a handsome shepherd, searches for the answer behind the missing girl. But is she prepared for the secrets her search will uncover? The Changeling of Fenlen Forest is a journey into loss and identity, and it’s the perfect read for days when readers want to inhabit a mysterious new world that’s full of intrigue.

By Katherine Magyarody,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Changeling of Fenlen Forest as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Elizabeth thinks she knows the gloomy Fenlen Forest. But when her treasured unicorn fawn, Sida, goes missing, Elizabeth tracks her into a strange land where the people think Elizabeth is a changeling, a malignant being who too-closely resembles a missing girl. If Elizabeth can find her fawn and uncover the fate of her lost double, can she stop the fear from turning into hate? To solve the deepening mystery, Elizabeth befriends a handsome, skeptical young shepherd whose stories hint at a dark secret lurking at the forest’s edge, and tame a herd of wild unicorns with the ability to unlock…


Book cover of The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite

Zosia Wand Author Of Once Upon A Place

From my list on wonderful women behaving badly.

Why am I passionate about this?

Women who behave badly delight me. My mother is Polish and I was raised by a formidable group of great aunts who gathered in flannelette nighties and curlers, in a cloud of cigarette smoke, to play cards into the early hours, fuelled by vodka shots and ginger cake. Survivors of Nazi invasion and atrocities, they were loud, effusive, argumentative, unapologetic, loving, and fiercely loyal. I explore difficult territory through my stories, but I have great faith in humanity. My characters are strong women, bold in the face of challenges. Love and loyalty are the keys to their survival.

Zosia's book list on wonderful women behaving badly

Zosia Wand Why did Zosia love this book?

The title of the book and the stylish cover design offer the first taste of its delicious content. I love a proper story, rich with details that conjure a heightened world and allow me to feel immersed within it. The sort of book you can’t wait to get back to. Extraordinary characters, glamour, danger, and adventure. And such beautiful writing – the language and rhythm sweep you along like a musical score. All that and a charismatic, inspiring heroine who overcomes monumental obstacles during a significant and distinctive period of European history. This book is a delightful, sensory experience. I recommended it to my book group and it did not disappoint.

By Beatrice Colin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As the clock chimed the turn of the twentieth century, Lilly Nelly Aphrodite took her first breath. Born to a cabaret dancer and soon orphaned in a scandalous murder-suicide, Lilly finds refuge at a Catholic orphanage, coming under the wing of Sister August, the first in a string of lost loves. There she meets Hanne Schmidt, a teen prostitute, and forms a bond that will last them through tumultuous love affairs, disastrous marriages, and destitution during the First World War and the subsequent economic collapse. As the century progresses, Lilly and Hanne move from the tawdry glamour of the tingle-tangle…


Book cover of The Hero in History

Andrew Bernstein Author Of Heroes, Legends, Champions: Why Heroism Matters

From my list on celebrating heroes and heroism.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a kid from Brooklyn who is, and always has been, an inveterate hero worshiper. In a world that is generally mad and too often violent, I have weaned myself on the lives of heroes. I may lack their prowess, but I have striven for their dedication to excellence. I have published numerous books, including The Capitalist Manifesto: The Historic, Economic, and Philosophic Case for Laissez-Faire. But it is my recent book that crowns a lifetime of thinking about heroes. What is their nature? What factors in the world give rise to the possibility—and the necessity—of heroes? How do we rationally define the concept “hero”? These are the questions my book addresses and seeks to answer.

Andrew's book list on celebrating heroes and heroism

Andrew Bernstein Why did Andrew love this book?

Hook draws an interesting distinction in his book on heroes. He discusses two types of heroes: the eventful man and the event-making man. “The eventful man in history is any man whose actions influenced subsequent developments along a quite different course than would have been followed if those actions had not been taken. The event-making man is an eventful man whose actions are the consequence of outstanding capacities of intellect, will, and character rather than of accidents of position. This distinction tries to do justice to the general belief that a hero is great not merely in virtue of what he does but in virtue of what he is." 

This is an interesting distinction that we can profitably deliberate on. Hook was a philosophy professor for decades at NYU and he brings to the issue of heroes a grasp of the historical discussion of it.

By Sidney Hook,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Hero in History as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Considered by some the most controversial American philosopher of contemporary times, SIDNEY HOOK (1902-1989) was infamous for the wild swing in his political thought over the course of his career, starting out as a young Marxist before the Great Depression and ending up a vehement anti-Communist in his later years. Hook's conception of history and the individual's impact upon it is the subject of this intriguing work, first published in 1943. Subtitled A Study in Limitation and Possibility, it examines the concept of the "hero" as it relates to leadership in the modern world, the hero as a child of…


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Book cover of The Oracle of Spring Garden Road

The Oracle of Spring Garden Road By Norrin M. Ripsman,

The Oracle of Spring Garden Road explores the life and singular worldview of “Crazy Eddie,” a brilliant, highly-educated homeless man who panhandles in front of a downtown bank in a coastal town.

Eddie is a local enigma. Who is he? Where did he come from? What brought him to a…

Book cover of Dangerous Witness

Laura Hunsaker Author Of Dark Past

From my list on books where the hero falls in love first.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been a reader, and with Irish and Scottish families, I’ve grown up hearing beautiful stories of magic and the fair folk. When I discovered romance novels, I was able to combine my love of happily ever afters and the myth and legend of my childhood. I even took classes on the Mythology of Ireland and Britain while I was obtaining my degrees. With a specialty in British Literature, I have been able to ensure my stories, while full of myth and magic, are also steeped in historical accuracy. The lush and vivid descriptions in my stories are paired with magic and time travel, with every story leaving the reader satisfied with the happily ever after the characters have earned.

Laura's book list on books where the hero falls in love first

Laura Hunsaker Why did Laura love this book?

I love this story, especially because the hero, Brooks, not only falls in love first but also believes the heroine betrays him, so he breaks things off with her. But Brooks never stops loving her.

I love the apologies, I love the way actions speak louder than words in this book, and I love the way they get back together for a well-deserved HEA (happily ever after).

By Katie Reus,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dangerous Witness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Me and Muhammad Ali

Mia Wenjen Author Of Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

From my list on children's books about boxing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Did you know that boxing is the number one fitness trend in America, outpacing spinning and yoga? It’s a workout that engages the mind and the body, incorporating strength training, cardio, and reflexes. But why is this good for children? Self-confidence! Self-discipline! Healthy lifestyle! The value of hard work! Meeting people who are different from you. All three of my children have gravitated to boxing. My son started at age 8 and continues to train as a college student. My middle daughter trained for the Golden Gloves as her COVID-19 pandemic focus. My oldest daughter has recently found her way into boxing after graduating from Rhode Island College of Design. 

Mia's book list on children's books about boxing

Mia Wenjen Why did Mia love this book?

This is based on the true story of the author’s mother, and it shows a side of Muhammad Ali that not many know about.

Muhammad Ali is scheduled to visit Langston’s neighborhood and he is excited to finally meet his hero. Langston is inspired by Muhammad’s rhyming poetry. When he tries to enter the venue, a security guard stops them. When all hope is lost, Langston turns to find Muhammad Ali himself intervening. He brings them in as his personal guests at his event.

By Jabari Asim, AG Ford (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Me and Muhammad Ali as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

Like most of the kids he knows, Langston is a huge fan of boxing champ Muhammed Ali. After all, Ali is the greatest for so many reasons - his speed, his strength, his confidence - and his poetry. Langston loves that Ali can float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, and Ali's words give him confidence to spin his own poems. When Langston hears the champ is coming to the local high school, he's ecstatic - this will be a day that will go down in history for him. When the big day arrives, Langston gets a special…


Book cover of The Bad Guys

Chrissie Krebs Author Of Bizard the Bear Wizard

From my list on graphic reads for young reluctant readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I was obsessed with comics, whether it was Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, or the Far Side, I would devour every one I could get my hands on. I discovered the joy of observing two storylines – the one the writing was telling me and one that the pictures were telling me. As I became a teacher, I realized the importance of pictures and stories working together to keep students engaged. The resurgence of graphic novels has now been a focus for me in my pedagogy practices as well as my pathway as an author-illustrator. 

Chrissie's book list on graphic reads for young reluctant readers

Chrissie Krebs Why did Chrissie love this book?

The Bad Guys series which chronicles the adventures of some stereotypically dangerous animals trying to do good and save the world pulled me in from page one.

You have humor (especially around bodily functions which always gets a giggle) and well-developed characters that are oftentimes naughty but incredibly likable. In the first episode, the book has been broken down into manageable chapters, the dialogue is not too lengthy and the high-paced illustrations communicate action and humor perfectly.

Young readers will certainly feel accomplished after completing this 144-page graphic novel.

By Aaron Blabey,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Bad Guys as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE!

"I wish I'd had these books as a kid. Hilarious!" -- Dav Pilkey, creator of Captain Underpants and Dog ManThis New York Times bestselling illustrated series is perfect for fans of Dog Man and Captain Underpants.They sound like bad guys, they look like bad guys . . . and they even smell like bad guys. But Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are about to change all of that...Mr. Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys' first good mission. They are going to break two hundred dogs out of the…


Book cover of Ratscalibur

Joan Marie Galat Author Of Mortimer: Rat Race to Space

From my list on children’s stories with rat or mouse adventures.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since writing a middle-grade novel about a lab rat living on the International Space Station, I was curious to see how other authors tackled the challenge of creating stories about talking rats and mice. After all, these rodents are not generally popular in real life. What exciting approaches did others use to get past this dilemma? I wanted to see how they balanced the ideal—being true to the nature of a species—while constructing original characters in challenging situations. Analyzing how other writers succeed is always useful.

Joan's book list on children’s stories with rat or mouse adventures

Joan Marie Galat Why did Joan love this book?

Ratscalibur reveals what happens when a ragician turns grade seven student—Joey—into a rat. Joey becomes Ratscalibur when he pulls a spork from a dehydrated scone. The other rats are convinced he can help save their kingdom but Joey is not so confident. Still, if he wants the chance to become a boy again, he must help the rodents fight their devious enemies. Rich in humor, this book’s charm also comes from illuminating a character who is quite certain he’s not meant to be a hero. This novel is full of original twists that will keep readers turning pages.

By Josh Lieb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ratscalibur as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President

“A witty mash-up of favorite fantasy motifs.”—New York Times Book Review

“Ratscalibur is funny, it’s scary, and it’s sweet, like life. But it has talking rats and magic, so it’s better than life.”—Jimmy Fallon

“Full of clever dialogue and hilarious puns...Don’t be surprised if this novel achieves best-seller status.” —Booklist

“The only way I could’ve liked this more is if I were eleven.”—Ira Glass

“A charming take on an old favorite.”—Publishers Weekly
 

When Joey is bitten by…


Book cover of The Wild Ones
Book cover of The Voice in My Head
Book cover of Into the Sublime

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Interested in heroes, language, and magic-supernatural?

Heroes 113 books
Language 89 books
Magic-Supernatural 670 books