Reading Recommendations - Fairy Tale Retellings

Fairy Tale Retellings are one of my favorite types of books to read.  The really good ones are when an author can make a familiar story keep you on your toes.  I also love it when they polish and make tiny details about the old story all shiny and new.  Here are some of my favorites.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
This is my all time favorite!  She has created a unique and powerful story that has even sprung into a series where the following books are all based in this world she has created and has nothing to do with any other fairy tales.  Hands down one of my favorite authors!









Entwined by Heather Dixon
Don't be deceived by this book about dancing princesses and the gorgeous dress on the cover --  the main princess in this book kicks serious butt!  Absolutely stunning!

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
A modern fairy tale retelling of Litte Red Riding Hood that is fantastic!  She has two other fairy tale retellings that I haven't read yet but trust me, I will.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
A folk tale retelling rather than a fairy tale but I had to include it because I think it is brilliant!  A story about Robin Hood told from the perspective of Will Scarlet. 











If you enjoy fantasy, I highly recommend Mercedes Lackeys Elemental Masters series.  Each book is based on a fairy tale and I absolutely adore them!  My favorite is Gates of Sleep because Sleeping Beauty is a favorite of my childhood.

What is your favorite fairy tale?  Have you read an retelling of it that you have liked?

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Expected publication: June 12th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers Summary from Goodreads
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough — especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on unsuspecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily — just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.


I have found that it can be really hit or miss with mermaid books.  They can either be really dark(Lost Voices) or really corny(Forgive My Fins).  This one wasn't at all corny and it wasn't too dark.  It is a familiar story about a supernatural and a human falling in love.  However, it is told from the point of view of the supernatural who is the boy which is a rare treat.  I liked the conflict of feelings because she is the daughter of the man who is responsible for the death of his mother.  Also the conflict within the small group of mermaids, they don't all get along but they have a common goal of avenging their mother's death and that is what keeps them together.
It was refreshing that Lily tries to resist how attracted she is to Calder because she finds it creepy.  I thought this story wrapped up nicely and I didn't feel the need for there to be more story but apparently there is a sequel, Deep Betrayal, that comes out in 2013. 

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Amulet Books
Summary from Goodreads
Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.


This is a stand-out debut novel.  I find that it is harder for me nowadays to get into young adult books that deal with everyday normal high schoolers (I like to avoid reality) but this one really drew me in.  First of all there is the main character Chloe who just forces you to love her and I will admit that I kinda wanted to be her.  She is one of those people who just make things happen for themselves.  Which can be a bit annoying to those who are closest to them - which is explored in this book.  I loved the characters, they all were very well fleshed out.  Secondly, I loved that this book dealt with more than what are considered major teen issues.  It explored everyday people issues and I think that is what made it relatable to me.

Currently Reading - Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

I am about half way through this book and loving it!  I've already downloaded the next 4 in the series onto my kobo.  I am so happy that the whole series is available at my digital library!

This is a wonderfully original supernatural series that is about people who can control the elements and Djinn.  I love it and I want to give a shout out to Felicia Day(who will probably never read this) who recommended this series in one of her Flogs.

Pure Lazyness

Sorry that I've been really lax on here.  I have my March wrap-up just waiting to be edited as well as a shelf tour!  Anywho, if you want to know what I have been reading you can always follow me on Goodreads - I check that thing like everyday! http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3785313-deanna
I hope that you have been reading well and I'll be seeing you on the flip side :D

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Expected publication: April 3rd 2012 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Summary from Goodreads
Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf? 
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others. 

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

I loved the mythology and world of this book!  I loved the concept that with the spread of Christianity the old gods of the region were made into saints.  I didn't much care for Ismae at first but near the end she grew on me.   I'm not sure why, I think I just found her a tad annoying.  I really enjoyed Duval, he was such a well-rounded character.  I liked the story and the cast of characters.  The idea of a convent of nuns who are trained as assassins was fascinating, and I wish that we could have seen more of Ismae's training.  The next book in the series is about Ismae's fellow Sister/Assassin Sybella, and I am very interested in reading more of this world.


This book is out today!  So go get you some. 

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Published January 31st 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books 

Summary from Goodreads

New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

I enjoyed the feel of this book.  For some reason it reminded me a lot of Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith - I really don't know why because they really have nothing to do with each other.  Anyhow, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.  The concept is unique and very interesting.   It was fun seeing this world of old souls through the eyes of a new soul trying to find her place in it.  I look forward to the sequel.

Riveted Cover Reveal

Expected publication September 4 2012

Summary from Meljean Brook

A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland’s inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island has become enshrouded in legend. But the truth behind the legends is mechanical, not magical—and the mystery of the island a matter of life and death for a community of women who once spilled noble blood to secure their freedom.

Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on an airship, searching for her sister and longing to return home. But that home is threatened when scientific expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard, looking to expose Annika’s secrets. Then disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, with their very survival depending on keeping the heat rising between them—and generating lots of steam…

Meljean Brook just posted this on her blog - isn't it awesome!  I love it soo much better than the first to covers and I am praying that they get a revamp.  I'm a little sad that we won't be seeing familiar characters but I am excited to explore more of this world.  Ugh, I can't wait until September!

In My Mailbox #6

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the The Story Siren - basically you post what books you have received, bought, or borrowed that week.  Here are the books that I got from here, there, and everywhere this week.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell

Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay

Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers 

What I've been reading

I've been a little burnt out from all the young adult so I may strictly read anything but that this month.  Though I do have like 3 from the library that I should read... :/  I don't know.  We'll see what happens.  So here is what I have already read this month!

Now don't let the covers scare you, this series is AMAZING.  The best steampunk I've read so far.  I could read a book about every character that we've been introduced to.  The character and world development is superb.  So if you don't mind smutty sex scenes, you should look into this series!

I also just finished the One For the Money, the first book Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series(thanks Robin!).  I liked it and I am interested in reading more for sure!

This what I am currently reading.  I saw it on the digital library homepage and decided to give it a try.  I really like it so far.  Mystery and cookies is always a good combo.

In other news, I'm 5 books ahead of my reading goal!  Woot!
Anyway, this is my reading mood so far this month.  How about you?

Starters by Lissa Price

Expected publication: March 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Summary from Goodreads
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. 

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .


What a journey!  A twist on Joss Whedon's Dollhouse but Lissa Price totally makes it her own.  A good dystopian novel that doesn't stray too far from the familiar.   Callie is likable and carries the story well.  I enjoyed the thriller/mystery feel that this book had.  I could see some allusions to the fairytale Cinderella - with Prime Destinations as the (evil)fairy godmother and the senator's grandson as the prince.  I mean she loses her shoe and he come looking for her with it?  But this book does not have a fairytale happily ever after in the romance department.  The ending wraps some things up but still leaves more questions for the next book in the series, Enders which will come out December 12th 2012. 

Ditched A Love Story by Robin Mellom

In My Mailbox #5

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the The Story Siren - basically you post what books you have received, bought, or borrowed that week.  Here are the books that I got at the library this week.

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

What's in your mailbox?

Reading Çhallenge Update

I am 4 books ahead!  Woot woot!  Are you meeting your challenge goals?


I've got 2 vids waiting to be edited - I might get to it tonight.  I'll be out of state this weekend so if I don't do it tonight, it will have to wait until Monday!  Hope ya'll have a good weekend.

India Black and the Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr

Published October 4th 2011 by Berkley Prime Crime
Summary from Goodreads
Black is back! Her Majesty's favorite spy is off to Scotland in this new adventure to ensure the Queen doesn't end up getting killed. 

When Queen Victoria attends a séance, the spirit of her departed husband, Prince Albert, insists she spend Christmas at their Scottish home in Balmoral. Prime Minister Disraeli suspects the Scottish nationalists plan to assassinate the Queen-and sends the ever resourceful India and the handsome British spy, French, to the Scottish highlands. 

French will take the high road, looking for a traitor among the guests-and India will take the low road, disguised as a servant in case an assassin is hiding among the household staff. India is certain that someone at Balmoral is determined to make this Her Majesty's last Christmas...


I love this series!!  I love the main character, I love the language, and I just love it!!  I will admit that I had some of it figured out but what is the fun of a mystery if you are completely clueless.  I really hope that the next one comes out soon.  If your are into historical mystery with a slight romance twist then you should try this one out.  The first in the series is India Black.  In the meantime do you have any suggestions for me from this genre?  I need more!

January Wrap-Up 2012

In My Mailbox #4

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the The Story Siren - basically you post what books you have received, bought, or borrowed that week.  Here are the ebooks that I got at the digital library this week.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

What's in your mailbox?

February End of the Month TBR

Here are the books that I want to read before the end of the month.  It's a bit ambitious but that's ok.  These books will all be familiar because they have been featured in hauls and IMMs.
 

I just started reading The Pledge and it is so far enjoyable so yay! :D

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Published February 7th 2012 by Putnam Juvenile
Summary from Goodreads
"Blessed with a gift..."cursed" with a secret." Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship - or an early grave. 
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood - not even from each other.

This book stressed me out!  I know that sounds like a bad thing, but really it just means I got sucked into the story.  I never knew who Cate could trust or what was going to happen next -- I was expecting treachery at every turn!  The world that Jessica has created is very familiar, but it has been twisted into such an interesting form.  And I loved seeing and feeling it all from Cate's point of view.   I cannot wait for the next release in this brilliant series!

In My Mailbox #3

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the The Story Siren - basically you post what books you have received, bought, or borrowed that week.  Here are the books that I got at the library this week.

 Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom

Swoon by Nina Malkin

Waiting on Wednesday - Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.  It is a weekly meme were you post about books that you are eagerly anticipating.


Expected publication: September 4th 2012 by Simon Pulse
summary from Goodreads
Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives… 

When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed. 

As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

In My Mailbox #2

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the The Story Siren - basically you post what books you have received, bought, or borrowed that week.  Here are the books that I got at the library this week.

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

What's in you mailbox?

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Published January 31st 2012 by Bloomsbury USA
Summary from Goodreads
When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?


I don't remember liking Austenland but I LOVE Shannon Hale so I decided to give Midnight in Austenland a chance.  I'm glad I did!  This is one of those books that I find my thoughts randomly coming back to even now that I am not reading it anymore.  I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much is because of the mystery twist - it gave the story depth.  You are constantly trying to figure out if there really was a murder or not.  I also enjoyed Charlotte's journey of discovering herself after divorce.  I highly recommend this book especially if you are a Shannon Hale fan and would like to see another side of her writing.  

Waiting on Wednesday - The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.  It is a weekly meme were you post about books that you are eagerly anticipating.


Expected publication: August 21st 2012 by Walker Childrens
Summary from Goodreads
Emmeline Thistle has always had a mysterious bond with cows, beginning on the night of her birth, when the local bovines saved the infant cast aside to die in the forest. But Emmeline was unaware that this bond has also given her a magical ability to transform milk into chocolate, a very valuable gift in a kingdom where chocolate is more rare and more precious than gold or jewels. Then one day Owen Oak, a dairyman’s son, teaches Emmeline to churn milk into butter – and instead she creates a delicious chocolate confection that immediately makes her a target for every greedy, power-hungry person in the kingdom of Anglund. Only Owen loves Emmeline for who she truly is, not her magical skill. But is his love enough to save her from the danger all around her?

In My Mailbox #1

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at the The Story Siren - basically you post what books you have received, bought, or borrowed that week.

Starters by Lissa Price
Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelly Coriell


What's in your mailbox?