Sunday, August 1, 2021

Book Recommendations, August 2021

 Here's a few books that I've read, enjoyed, and reviewed this month:


The First Girl Child: Excellent quality of writing and realistic struggles define this fantasy novel about a kingdom where only boys are born.

The Rise of Kyoshi: A fun addition to the Avatar: The Last Airbender world. It's a bit darker than the cartoon but well worth reading.

Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers: A fun collection of stories about famous authors before they were famous.

Life in the Pit: A contemporary young adult story about a girl playing in the pit orchestra and often feeling overlooked--even when the main lead starts paying her attention.

A Shard of Glass: I've enjoyed this series of fairytale retellings that mixes a fantasy world in with the story. It's what I'm planning to do with The Spectra Crowns, so I had a good excuse to get into this fun series.

Magic of Nasci: I didn't mean to binge-read this whole series in one day, but here we are. It's an excellent urban fantasy that mixes the Pacific Northwest with a hint of Japanese culture, with exciting action, a heroine who's both relatable and full of attitude, and all sorts of magical creautres.

If you'd like my recommendations spread over the month, you can follow my reviews on twitter under the hastag #CVPReviews.

My history with audiobooks

 

I have to admit, I'm not big on audiobooks, but there was one time that they were a large part of my life: family road trips. My siblings and I would beg for "The Storm Testament" (abridged to be appropriate for families). I first experienced "The Life of Pi" in audio, joining in the adventures of a boy and his tiger. I traveled through the past in "Tennis Shoes among the Nephites". My mother and I listened to a delightful scandinavian narrator read "Fire of the Covenant" as we drove through Salt Lake City. (Yes, most of these are religious fiction from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). 

Now one of my books is out in audio!
I've had a great experience working with my narrator, Talon David. She does some amazing accents for the fantasy characters. We've been working on this project for about three months, and I'm delighted to present the results to you now. 
For those too busy to read, or who prefer to listen while doing some other task, or those trying to find a measure of peace while crammed into a car with many other listeners, I hope you enjoy Mira's Griffin in audio.
Sneak Peek:
In honor of the audiobook release of Mira's Griffin, the sneak peek this week will be in audio:

Enemies to lovers?

  Enemies to lovers. What does that even mean? I've seen multiple definitions. One is that the main characters are political enemies, bu...