Staff Picks: Kate Smith’s Favorites
Hello! I’m Kate, a publicist at Penguin Random House Audio. Outside of my 9 to 5, I am a writer and a librarian who loves her dog, swimming, running, and traveling. I read across formats depending on mood and circumstance: I listen to audiobooks while exploring new places on foot, read an e-book while eating dinner out solo, or tear through a paperback by the side of the pool after a long swim. I love sweeping fantasies, funny mysteries, romantic comedies, and books for all ages. The genre that I am most in awe of, and hope to contribute to one day, is retellings of fairytales and mythology. Books like The Witch’s Heart dust off lesser-known or traditionally villainized figures, challenge our assumptions, and ask us to think harder. You can follow me on Instagram and TikTok @agirloftheshire.
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Add to BookshelfDial A for Aunties
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
In second grade, I stumbled upon my very first Nancy Drew, Mystery of Crocodile Island. I was hooked. As an adult, the genre I find solace in is cozy and comedic mysteries. Jesse Q. Sutanto is an expert in laugh-out-loud comedy, and I was first introduced to her genius with Dial A for Aunties. I love books where characters have a big family, as it reminds me of my own aunts and uncles and the chaos of any family gathering. Meddy accidentally kills her blind date (he kind of deserves it) and calls upon her aunties to help her hide the body. Hilarity and chaos ensue when the body is accidentally shipped to California, where the family is catering a wedding. While not a mystery in the strictest sense, this book will have you turning page after page.
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$19.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Mexican Gothic
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My very first retelling was Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Mexican Gothic uses the base of Bluebeard while creating an atmospheric and wholly original feel of its own. What if Bluebeard’s wife was able to send a letter calling for help, and her brilliant and beautiful cousin came to investigate, but better? Noemí arrives to find her cousin sick and senseless and never stops questioning her in-laws from the moment she arrives. This gorgeous horror novel set in Mexico is chock-full of mushrooms, disembodied voices, disturbing dreams, and forbidden love.
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Fireborne
by Rosaria Munda
Read by Christian Coulson, Candice Moll and Steve West
As a decades-long fan of dragons (starting with The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede), I must point you towards this epic series opener. First described to me as the fall of the Romanovs with dragons, Fireborne by Rosaria Munda and read by Christian Coulson, Candice Moll, and Steve West is an epic dragon fantasy. Dual narration here feels natural and is particularly poignant. This world-building is so easy to follow and yet huge. The prose and narrators carry you through the story with emotion, and it’s so hard to pause, even though this is almost 14 hours long.
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