What’s on my mp3 player? The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman.

Yes, I’m am only just now getting around to reading this. And I’m not reading it, but rather listening to it, courtesy of Listening Library and the Palmer Public Library.

I’m not very far along, but I am loving the reading. It’s read by Mr. Pullman himself along with a full cast. I presume he’s the narrator, and if that’s true, he’s wonderful! His voice is deep and has a whispery quality that evokes a sense of secrecy and mystery. Truly, it’s perfect.

I have not seen the movie, and have heard very little about it. I plan to read/listen to all the books then watch the movie. Fantasy is not really my genre, but I’m willing to give anything a go. Authors just have to work harder to get me to believe than a real fantasy fan. The excellent reading of the story has certainly helped draw me into it. Who knows if I’d be as enthralled if I were reading it myself?

What’s on my nightstand? Shug, by Jenny Han.

Jenny is one of The Longstockings, a group of YA writers with a team blog that I read regularly, and this is her first novel. I find it engaging and well-written. The main character is realistically drawn (something that seems rare to me these days) and easy to relate to. The story feels simple and smooth, natural, which is incredibly hard to achieve and speaks well for the author.