Monthly Recommendations | Audiobooks

Hey readers!
Today I bring you the first Monthly Recommendation post. For those who don't know, Monthly Recommendation is a Goodreads group where we have a monthly theme for book recommendations to share on our BookTube channels or blogs.
June theme is Audiobooks so, let's begin!

I haven’t always been an audiobook listener. But about five months ago, I realized that if I got in the habit and chose the right books, I could get more reading in. And I love the sound of reading more!

Listening to audiobooks isn’t cheating—to us, listening is pretty much the same as reading a physical book. But it differs in that I can listen to audiobooks while doing the dishes, walking to school, bullet journaling, etc.

I don’t listen to just anything on audio. I’m looking for audiobooks that enable me to read on the go. I don’t want audiobooks that can substitute for the written word, I want audiobooks that enhance it.
For me, that means a great narrative.

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Narrated by Jim Dale

Jim Dale does the best voices and I love when an audiobook is read and the voice actor does different voices for the characters. I think if you are a Harry Potter fan then Harry Potter audiobooks are a must.

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Narrated by Amy Poehler and others

The reviews on this are mixed: if you're on the fence, definitely go for the audiobook recording with a full cast including Carol Burnett, Seth Meyers, Patrick Stewart, and even Amy's parents.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Narrated by Adoja Andoh

I loved how the narrator helped me sink into the story, which takes place in Nigeria, the United States, and briefly in the U.K., and taught me how to correctly pronounce the characters' Nigerian names and cities.



Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Narrated by Nail Gaiman

It’s hard to say which Neil Gaiman novel you should listen to as an audiobook. There are a lot of books to choose from on Audible and they’re all narrated by the author himself. One of the most recommended titles by Gaiman fans for newbies is his very first novel: Neverwhere.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Narrated by Rachel McAdams

It's the classic you know and love, in a newly released audio version narrated by Rachel McAdams. For kids, this is an excellent introduction to Anne. For adults, Rachel's new narration is a wonderful way to revisit an old favorite.





Please tell me in comments which audiobooks do you like the most—I’d love to discover a new favorite today!

See you soon
   -Andrea

Cram-a-thon tbr

Hey readers!
Today I'll be sharing with you my TBR for Cram-a-thon. In case you live under a rock, Cram-a-thon is a week-long read-a-thon where you try to read as many books as you can.
In this read-a-thon, there are some challenges that you "have to complete" (but if you just read what you want it's okay, the thing is to have fun and read together).

These are the challenges:

A predicted 5-star book
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: I have only heard great words about this book. I can not wait to read THUG. I know it will be a 5-star read for me!

A book out of your comfort zone
Instrumental by James Rhodes: I've only read three memoirs and I didn't like any of those, so this is definitely out of my comfort zone. But I really think that I'm going to love this one because I truly believe that James Rhodes's story needs to be told.

A book that has been on your TBR a long time
There are so many options...
And I decided that I'm going to let you choose which book should I read for this challenge in an Instagram poll, so go follow me there!

A book that is LGBTQ+ ownvoices
Down among the sticks and bones by Seanan McGuire: I’ve heard many great things about this book and I loved the first one so... I think it's time to give it a try.
Plus, it’s a short book so that will help me get through it quickly!

Something that is not a standard novel (graphic novel, audio, comic, novella, poetry, etc)
The wicked+The divine: This is a graphic novel that I bought because I saw it everywhere. As you can read from the blurb, these gods come back every 90 years to be on Earth for 2 years and then I guess they die or whatever. I don't understand why they come back every 90 years but who cares. The story seems so different and the artwork that I've seen it's amazing.

A book that has your favorite color on the cover
Tan solo un segundo by Virgini S. McKenzie: This book tells us a beautiful love story of overcoming, secrets and a lot of dancing on the ice, and has a gorgeous intense dark blue cover.

Read 7 books
I'm kind of a mood reader so we'll see what happens with this challenge...

See you next time
   -Andrea

George R.R. Martin's new release will come out this year!

Ballantine Bantam Dell will publish FIRE AND BLOOD, a new book by George R. R. Martin, in the US and Canada on November 20, 2018, under his longtime US imprint Bantam Books. Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins, Martin’s longtime publisher in the UK, will publish FIRE AND BLOOD in the UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada) also on November 20, 2018. Martin’s longtime publishers in the following foreign territories will join in simultaneous publication, among them Penhaligon in Germany, Éditions Pygmalion in France, Arnoldo Mondadori in Italy, Penguin Random House in Mexico and South America, Luitingh-Sijthoff in the Netherlands, and Zysk I S-Ka in Poland, with more to be announced.

Set three-hundred years before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, FIRE AND BLOOD, the first of two planned volumes, is the definitive history of the Targaryens in Westeros and chronicles the conquest that united the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule through the Dance of the Dragons: the Targaryen civil war that nearly ended their dynasty forever. Readers may have glimpsed small parts of this narrative before, in The World of Ice and Fire and various anthologies, but the full tapestry of Martin’s history of the Targaryens is revealed here for the first time. Lavishly illustrated with over 75 all-new black and white portraits and scenes by artist Doug Wheatley, FIRE AND BLOOD will give readers a whole new appreciation for the fascinating history of Westeros and will be a must-have addition to every fan’s bookshelf.

We still got to wait for THE WINDS OF WINTER.., but at least we can return to Westeros this year.