THE WRITERS' BLOCK - KQED's weekly series

I recently was informed about KQED, the PBS affiliate in San Francisco, and their amazing weekly series called "The Writers' Block" that features authors reading from the first chapter of their books.

It is always really interesting to hear how an author reads from his or her own book and so this series is a great opportunity to hear books you've already read or ones you have yet to discover because those book tours can't reach everyone!

Here are some great ones to check out:

Christopher Moore's reading of his latest book, "Fool" (my review)

Tiffany Baker's reading of her debut novel, "The Little Giant of Aberdeen County" (my review)

Andrew Davidson's reading of his book, "The Gargoyle" (which is sitting in my TBR pile)

Book Review: The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

BIG THANKS to Miriam and Hachette for my review copy!

"The Little Giant of Aberdeen County" by Tiffany Baker

Published by Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group

Rating: 5 stars

"The Little Giant of Aberdeen County" is narrated by Truly Plaice, an unusually large child who grows into an even larger adult, who tells her own tale along with the other interesting and eccentric people in her life. This books spans many years and follows Truly along her path, where it seems as though she is destined for misfortune and heartache. Truly dances along the fine line of morality and obligation when she unlocks the secrets to ancient herbal remedies and their dangers, which ends up altering her fate and teaching her important life lessons.

There are so many reasons why I adored this book. The most obvious one being Tiffany Baker's beautiful and eloquent writing. She has a real talent for conveying her meaning through metaphor and I often stopped to re-read certain passages out of admiration. It's astounding to me that this is Tiffany Baker's first novel, as her writing has the maturity of an experienced author.

The storyline itself is also as imaginative and well-crafted as they come, which also amazed me that it's written by a first-time novelist. Each character in this book is almost an exaggeration of themselves, and yet there is something so human and relatable about them.

I also loved the mystical and magical elements of the story, which added a unique quality to the plot and made it even more interesting.

I don't want to spoil too much about the book because yes, it is that good and I want others to read it and see for themselves why it is worthy of all the praise it is receiving! Needless to say, this book has quickly risen to the top of my list of favorite books. It is not one that everyone will necessarily fall in love with, but it is one that I felt an immediate connection with and will recommend to anyone in search of a true gem of a book.

For more of Tiffany Baker (and to read the story of how she got published and other amusing anecdotes) be sure to visit The Debutante Ball . It is also a great 'grog' (group blog) to check out because it is filled with other future literary talents, all of whom are releasing their first novels (so the members change each year).