Eight titles from the Jiangsu-based publishing giant Phoenix Publishing and Media Inc (PPM) have so far been included in the monthly list of Best Books of China, a widely recognized award aiming to promote reading among the public. 

Initiated by the China Book Review Society and China Central Television in 2014, the honor is announced monthly and summarized every year. It has developed into one of the most influential lists in China. 

The eight PPM titles cover fields such as ancient Chinese civilization, documentary writing, science and children's literature. 

Talk about Kunqu, included in the July list, is a visual discussion of China's classical Kunqu opera. The book gradually rolls out 11 classic operas to show Ke Jun, a veteran performer and inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage, and his dedication to Kunqu. It explains the profound nuances of traditional culture in a way that is accessible to readers. 

The 14-year-old Travel, a children's book by the Italian author Guido Sgardoli, was included in the list for August. The book is the first work of the Beautiful Children Stories of Growing Up series, a project from the Phoenix Juvenile and Children's Publishing Ltd, which aims to display the freshness and beauty of contemporary global works and nourish the growth of the soul through rich and colorful culture.

Talk about Kunqu

The 14-year-old Travel