April Wrap-Up

I cannot believe April is already over. This seems crazy. Honestly though, I'm a little glad it is. Just not the best month for me but here's to hoping May's better.

Books I Read In April

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas (check out my review here)
Fairest by Marissa Meyer (check out my review here)
Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier (check out my review here)
The Vindico by Wesley King (review to be posted May 6th)
The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason (review to be posted May 13th)
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (review to be posted May 20th)
The Wizard Hunters by Martha Wells (review to be posted May 27th)

I'll tell you, my reading was all over the place this month. Just check out these star ratings.
One Star - One
Two Star - Two
Three Star - One
Four Star - One
Five Star - Two

Blog News

I've been really busy on my blog this month. I participated in my first ever event: Fairy Tale Fortnight. It was so much fun. If you missed any of my posts, you can checkout my wrap-up post for it here.

I've also finally set up a Twitter account. This has been a long time coming and I really hope to get used to it soon and that I can fully utilize it. You can find me here.

I'm also really, really proud (and somewhat amazed) by the fact that I reviewed every single book I read this month. I don't usually do that and I certainly didn't plan for it this month. I'd like to get a bit of a review buffer set up so I have a few reviews written in advance. (No, having the month's reviews ready at the beginning of the month isn't the sort of buffer I'm talking about.)

Other Stuff

I'm so lazy. Seriously, I know people like this sort of information like 'what are you doing outside of your blog?' but I am a very, very boring person.

Let's see, this month I read. I blogged. I watched some Power Rangers (Wild Force and started Time Force). and rewatched season one of Leverage and season six of Castle (and tried re-watching season one of Once Upon a Time and got bored). I was supposed to plant some blackberry plants but I was lazy. (See, we've come full circle.)


So, what have you been up to this month? Hopefully you're not as lazy as me. (But if you are: Procrastinators Unite!)

Review: Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff

Seeds of Discovery by Breeana Puttroff

Series: Dusk Gate Chronicles #1
Genre: Portal Fantasy (YA)
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Quinn Robbins' life was everything she thought a teenager's should be. She has good friends, a family that she loves, good grades, and an after-school job she enjoys. And, she's just been asked out by Zander Cunningham, a popular football player and great guy. But one day when driving home after picking up her little sister from the baby-sitter's, she nearly hits a boy who, after running blindly into the street, mysteriously disappears.

The mystery only deepens as she figures out who the boy is; William Rose, a reclusive, awkward boy from school who always has his nose in a pile of books.

As she becomes more aware of his behavior it becomes more obvious how out of the ordinary William is and how hard he deliberately tries to blend into the background. This only intrigues her more and she finds herself working to find out more about him, and exactly where he keeps disappearing to.

On a whim one night she follows him and suddenly finds herself in a new world. One where William is a prince, literally, and she is treated like a princess. She also discovers that she is stuck; the gate back to her own world isn't always open.

Quinn finds herself smack in the middle of a modern-day fairy tale, on a course that will change her life forever.

Top Ten YA/MG Books That Feature Characters Who Have A Family

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

The actual topic today is 'Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who ____' where the blogger gets to fill in the blank with anything they want. So, I decided to go with something that I've been noticing more and more in my YA books. Most of these kids are either A) single child, B) stuck with the most indifferent parents ever or C) orphans. I decided to make a list of the books I've read in either YA or MG where the main character has a family. Maybe parents that are involved in their life, or siblings that are total pests. The main character has to have a good relationship with at least some of their family for it to count.

Take Five: Books I Need To Read Before Watching the Movie

A new feature where I take five books of a certain theme and post them. This feature has no set schedule, but I'll probably make one or two of these a month.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about books that get turned into tv shows or movies. Not just for my Page-to-Screen feature either. I've noticed that I usually watch the movie (or series) before reading the book. Then, if I liked it enough to give the book a shot, I'm terribly disappointed. So, I've decided that for several of the next adaptations that I'm interested in, I'll be reading the book first.

Rainbow Spines Book Tag

I've been recently scouring the internet (and my own saved bookmarks) looking for fun new things to do on this blog. What have I found? Book tags! One of the very cool ones I've found (over at Books, Biscuits & Tea) is Rainbow Spines Book Tag. While it's really a youtube/vlog thing, all I've got is the cheap webcam that came with my computer and no desire to see myself in a video.

The goal is to go through your shelves and grab a book for each color of the rainbow. Simple. At least is theory. For me, the most difficult was finding an indigo book. The first one I grabbed looked way too much like my violet book. I also wanted to actually like each book - so all of these are rated three stars or higher. (I wanted to put links, but my link color is a seafoam green that really made this list ugly.)

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
As soon as I decided to do this, I knew what my 'red' book would be. (Like I had so much to chose from.) Anyway, this is an awesome retelling of Beauty and the Beast that's heavy on mythology. It's kind of a gothic story and it's one of my absolute favorite retellings ever.

The Wyvern's Spur by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb
I couldn't believe that I actually had choices for an 'orange' book. I chose this one because...because I love the book. These type of books are what got me into fantasy originally and I will always look at them favorably.

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan
I feel so accomplished for having a book by my favorite author on this list. But, seriously, I don't read yellow books, apparently, because the only other ones I could find were books in a series that I already had chosen for this list. If you like fantasy that doesn't get bogged down by world building, a pair of thieves so completely opposite but the best of friends and general awesomeness, read this book. (Right, twisting your arm over.)

Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer
For how much I love green (favorite color) I was really disappointed in how few green spines I saw on my shelves. Of those, this one was probably my favorite. It's a Christian Historical Romance and, while I did enjoy it, there was a plot that I wish had been fleshed out much more.

Forged in Blood I by Lindsay Buroker
Another favorite author that I was so happy made this list. This is the penultimate book (besides the epilogue of sorts) in a very fun fantasy set in a world that is slowly being industrialized. There are steam gadgetry and I just love this series so much.

The Inventor's Secret by Chad Morris
This was the difficult book for me to find. To me, 'indigo' is darker than this, but any darker and it looks like my 'violet' book. Anyway, this is a great middle grade sci-fi story about a brother and sister that go to the coolest school ever. Everything is virtual, they can actually be put into the middle of holographic history and study animals by controlling an avatar.

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
Steampunk + Spy School + Ms. Carriger's Wonderful Wit (TM) = a series Amy loves. Seriously though, I am so glad I had this book on my shelf because I don't think I have anything else even passably purple.

Well, that was fun. And colorful. Anyway, if you're interested in doing this, consider yourself tagged.

Me; Twitter

I twitter - I mean, I tweet.

Yup, it was only a matter of time. Of course, it only took me over a year from starting my blog before I started a Twitter account. Of course.

I am trying to tweet at least a couple times a day, but this whole 140 character limit...Well, I talk a lot more than that. I know, I know, it's not used like that - but still. I have more things to say than just that little bit. (Except maybe this post.)

Oh, you're wondering the point of this post? To tell you that you can now follow me on Twitter.

Here is a link. That'll take you right to my...tweetpage?

Review: Smarty Bones by Carolyn Haines

Smarty Bones by Carolyn Haines

Series: Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries #13
Genre: Mystery/Chick-Lit
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Professor Olive Twist has come to Zinnia, Mississippi, to study a mysterious grave wherein lies the Lady in Red, an anonymous but perfectly preserved and stunningly beautiful body. Since the discovery of the grave in 1969, Mississippi schoolchildren have been making up colorful stories about the Lady in Red’s identity and past, but no one has come any closer to learning the truth. Now, Olive claims she can not only identify the corpse, she can also prove the woman’s scandalous role in the nation’s history. Olive takes it a step too far, though, when she starts connecting elite Zinnia families with the same scandal.

Dander up, Zinnia’s society ladies know only one way to handle Olive: they call on the private investigative services of Sarah Booth Delaney. But the truth behind Olive’s research is clear as Mississippi mud, and when Sarah Booth discovers a present-day dead body, she knows there’s more than just family pride and Southern heritage at stake. If she can’t find the murderer, and fast, it might just be Sarah Booth’s life on the line next. 

My Top Ten Favorite Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

I can already hear the moans of dismay. I'll bet a lot of people had problems with this prompt this week. Honestly, even though this isn't something I often think about, I really don't think this will be a difficult week for me at all. There's some people that I just knew, without even thinking about it, would be on this list. I limited this to authors that I've read more than one book by because, let's face it, one book isn't always a good indication whether or not the author will be a favorite. (So, that means no Rosamund Hodge. Sadly enough.) And, yes, these are roughly in order. (I made up that stupid rule about having to read more than one book by an author before I read Rhiannon Thomas's A Wicked Thing. I love the book and I love Ms. Thomas' blog, Feminist Fiction.)

Quarter Through the Year, my Goodreads Challenge Says

So, I earlier this month I got a e-mail from Goodreads, updating my on my reading challenge. I thought I'd share these numbers with you.

I've read 28 of my projected 85 books (that's 33% complete) which means I'm ahead of schedule.

I have read 8,804 pages for an average of 314 pages per book.

My average rating for these books are 3.54.


So, my thoughts on these numbers:

I cannot believe I'm this far ahead. I almost originally put down 100 books for my challenge, but was afraid I wouldn't make that without killing myself.

I know I've read some really long books (like that Harry Potter book and a Sanderson one) but...Oh. I've got some novellas on this list. Plus three mangas. Yeah, that's where all those pages went.

I've been trying this year to be more...rather, less harsh on books. You know, if it has some good things, rate it two stars instead of one. That being said, much to my surprise, I've only rated two books one star so far this year. I've actually rated seven books five stars. Go me!

I decided to do a little quarterly survey.

Most Unexpected Like So Far:

Exactly As Good As I Thought It Would Be:

Well, That Was A Disappointment:

This was actually kind of fun to do. If Goodreads sends me another e-mail, I might do this again. If they don't, I'll probably forget. So, you got any numbers to share with me? Any books that really stand out one way or another? Love to know your thoughts.

Spring Cleaning Bookcases

Spring has sprung and I've started to get in a cleaning mood. Usually I'd be doing one of my monthly features today. (Actually, it was supposed to be an edition of Page-to-Screen.) However, this past weekend I rearranged my bookcases. Which, for me, pretty much only includes clearing the books off my shelf that I don't want anymore.

I thought I'd give a little tour through my recently rearranged bookcases. Warning: A lot of pictures (of sometimes questionable quality (I hate my digital camera)). Also may cause eye strain as you try to figure out what books I own.

April TBR Jar

So, this was postponed two weeks due to me participating in Fairy Tale Fortnight. (Which was totally awesome! Just so much fun.) Alright, the first book was left over from March, the rest of them were drawn March 28th for April reading. I edited my thoughts on March 30th. I decided to grab three more books for my reading this month.

Review: A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey

Series: The Lovegrove Legacy book 1
Genre: Historical/Urban Fantasy (YA)
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In 1814, three cousins—Gretchen, Emma, and Penelope—discover their family lineage of witchcraft when a binding spell is broken, allowing their individual magical powers to manifest. Now, beyond the manicured gardens and ballrooms of Regency London, an alluring underworld available only to those with power is revealed to the cousins. By claiming their power, the three cousins have accidentally opened the gates to the underworld. 

Now ghouls, hellhounds—and most terrifying of all, the spirits of dark witches known as the Greymalkin Sisters—are hunting and killing young debutante witches for their powers. And, somehow, Emma is connected to the murders…because she keeps finding the bodies. 

Can the cousins seal the gates before another witch is killed…or even worse, before their new gifts are stripped away? (from goodreads)

Fairy Tale Fortnight Wrap-Up

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

These last two weeks have been a lot of fun, and really busy too! I want to thank The Book Rat and A Backwards Story for hosting this event - and all of you for hanging out with me.


If you've missed any of my posts, I've collected a schedule of them all here. Everything I posted for Fairy Tale Fortnight is linked below.

Fairy Tale TBR
In Celebration of Villains
Five Favorite Fairy Tales
Fairy Tale Tunes
Soundtracking: Cruel Beauty
Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
Five Fairy Tales Books I Want To Read
Waiting For: Crimson Bound & Mechanica & Winter
Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Series Spotlight: The Lunar Chronicles
Fairy Tales on the Silver Screen
My Eight Favorite 'Once' Characters (+ Retellings)
Review: Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier
Fairy Tale Fortnight Wrap-Up (This Post)

Around the Blogosphere:

Of course, I'm not the only one that has been busy posting and sharing fairy tale related stuff this fortnight. Below I have collected some of my favorite fairy tale related posts.

Fairytale Releases of 2015 (Beth @ Printcess & Living a Goddess Life)
Fairy Tale-ish: Fairy Tales Around the Interwebs (Misty @ The Book Rat)
Cinderella Stays Late Book Review (Krysta @ Pages Unbound)
Cruel Beauty Book Review (Titiana @ Fishmuffins of Doom)
Postmodern Fairy Tale Music (Titiana @ Fishmuffins of Doom)
Cinder Book Review (Sarah @ Just One More Chapter)

I was going to list each post hosted by The Book Rat and A Backwards Story that I enjoyed - then I realized that would take me forever. Instead, just stop by their schedule of events pages.
The Book Rat A Backwards Story

Not of the fortnight, but I just have to leave you a link to the awesomely Epic Chart of 162 Young Adult Retellings put together by the folk over at epic reads.

Final Notes:

I had a lot of fun doing this. It was, however, a lot of work and now I feel like I'm lagging in getting my other posts for the month ready. I think all these fairy tales just made my brain stop. I'd like to participate in this again next year, but I'll have some reviews already to go, I think, instead of reviewing during the Fortnight what I read during the Fortnight.

Speaking of, I actually plotted out the order I'd read the three fairy tales in by: A Wicked Thing will probably be my least favorite, so let's get that out of the way first; Fairest will take me the least amount of time so let's add that for the second of those two really close reviews. I guess one out of two isn't bad. What to know which one I was right about? Check my reviews out. (Shameless plug.)

I have added over thirty books to my Goodreads TBR because of this event. Thirty! This is including books that I ran across while preparing my posts as well as the ones I found while reading everyones awesome - though very unhelpful at narrowing down my TBR - posts.

Review: Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Series: Standalone
Genre: Romance
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Whistling Tor is a place of secrets and mystery. Surrounded by a wooded hill, and unknown presences, the crumbling fortress is owned by a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free.

My Eight Favorite 'Once' Characters (+ Retellings)

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)

Originally this post was going to be about the fairy tale shows I've seen. (All two of them.) But, upon rewatching Once Upon a Time... well, let's just say, that changed.

I know you're asking 'why eight?' No, the fact that there are eight humans on that picture is just a coincidence. I chose eight because after that, things get progressively less neat and clearly defined. I just will have to face facts that I have eight favorites and everyone else. (Though I do have a couple of 'least favorites' but we won't talk about them.) Not exactly in order, but I do like the person at the top of the list more than the one at the bottom.

Ruby/Red Riding Hood

Retellings that feature Little Red Riding Hood:
Sisters Red, Princess of the Silver Woods, A Tale of Red Riding Hood

Regina Mills/The Evil Queen

Retellings that feature The Evil Queen:
Fairest of All, Dewitched #1, Fairest

Jefferson/Mad Hatter

Retellings that feature the Mad Hatter:
Hatter, The Looking Glass Wars, Alice in the Country of Hearts

Mulan

Retellings that feature Mulan:

The Wild Orchid, Defy, Rebel Wing

Killian Jones/Captain Hook

Retellings that feature Captain Hook:
Captain James Hook and the Curse of Peter Pan, Hook & Jill, Alias Hook

Dr. Whale/Victor Frankenstein

Retellings that feature Dr. Frankenstein:

The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, This Dark Endeavor, iFrankenstein

Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin

Retellings that feature Rumplestiltskin:
Rumplestiltskin, The Crimson Thread, A Curse as Dark as Gold

Belle French

Retellings that feature Belle:
Cruel Beauty, Of Beast and Beauty, Beauty and the Beast


Notes about my choices: I am left unsure at the end of season three if Rumplestiltskin and Belle should still be on this list. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for being so likable through two seasons and hope that season three was not an indication of where I'm headed with them. If they did come off this list, they would be replaced with Kathryn Nolan/Abigail and Dr. Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket. The other reason I didn't go ahead and switch them out is because I'm not sure I could find one - much less three - retellings for King Midas' Daughter and/or Jiminy Cricket.

Rewatching season one, I discovered something that surprises me not at all: I miss Graham.

Ruby and Regina are in a constant flux over which one is my favorite. On the episodes that Ruby is actually on, it's her. All the rest are Regina. Jefferson has been my favorite of the guys since he was introduced, though Hook runs a close second.

Of these retellings, I've read only three. I would love to read more as some of these books sound really good.


Who are your favorites from Once? Want to give me any suggestions on retelling? Want to guess which one of these was the hardest to find retellings for? (Hint: It's the one I totally cheated on and gave you a manga for one of the books.)

Fairy Tales on the Silver Screen

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)

I, like many other people, got my first exposure to fairy tales through the Disney animated movies.

Snow White, Cinderella and The Little Mermaid were all early staples for me - with Snow White being the one I've seen the most - but it wasn't until Beauty and the Beast that I started to love fairy tales. (I talked about my love for this fairy tale back in my April 3rd post.)

Since then I've watched a few other fairy tale movies.

Of these, Ever After is certainly my favorite. Between Drew Barrymore playing a Cinderella that was a lot more active - and physically fit - than most cinder girls, a 'Prince Charming' that wasn't perfect and a steller supporting cast, this is one that I still love rewatching.

When I originally saw Snow White on tv, I loved it. Upon buying it on dvd, I was less enchanted. The high points are a wonderful, charming Kristen Kreuk as Snow and a delightfully dastardly Miranda Richardson as the evil queen.

Beastly, while taking inspiration from my favorite fairy tale, certainly isn't without it's flaws. If you just give it a cursory glance, it's fun fluff. Any deeper though, and certain messages start to get a bit uncomfortable. (Especially for those of us that like fairy tales for the escape.) (And it kind of screwed up it's own tag-line...)

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister was originally a book - something I did not know until recently. (And by the same author as Wicked, no less.) It was actually a movie I enjoyed a lot, as it was told from the perspective of the less mean of Cinderella's stepsisters. (If I recall, the movie wasn't as frothy as this cover makes it look, either.)

Finally, am I the only one that's seen Sydney White? I mean, you're not missing out on much if you haven't seen it, but you could do worse for college fluff. (Bet those two words don't go together often.) This movie was fun, but I hit a certain point - like as soon as I met him - and I was starting to wish that the titular Sydney wouldn't get the 'prince'.

And now, what fairy tale movies have you seen? Were they good? Not so good? 'Why did I ever watch that?' worthy? How about the new Cinderella movie? Have you seen it? I'd like to, but I'm probably waiting til it hits dvd, so tell me if you think it's worth it. Any movie suggestions?

Series Spotlight: The Lunar Chronicles

There's always those books that you meant to review, the books that you read before you started reviewing, or maybe you reviewed one of the books but it wasn't even the first one. Well, here's my answer to that: Series Spotlight. I'll be reviewing an entire series, and just generally talk about it.

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I was actually going to post this spotlight when it got closer to the release date of Winter to help the hype - but I'd rather do it for Fairy Tale Fortnight!

Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3.5
Genre: Sci-Fi
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In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now. 

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Waiting For: Crimson Bound & Mechanica & Winter

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

There's three amazing sounding, fairy tale retellings coming out this year. (Okay, there's probably more, so let me know about the ones I'm missing in the comments.) I'm really excited about all three of these books!

Five Fairy Tale Book's I Want To Read

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

While there are a lot of fairy tale retellings out there that I want to read, these are the ones that have really caught my attention. Let me know if you've read any of them and if you've got suggestions for any other.

Top Ten Characters I Want to 'Check In' With

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

It seems like I'm always wanting to see what characters are up to, even after the end of a book or series. It feels like there's always so much more they could be doing - more adventures they could be going on. I knew this was going to be a fun prompt for me. It seems unbelievable though, that I was only able to come up with eight. Upon thinking about this, I realized that either the book/series ends so perfectly that I don't actually want another look into their lives, or I've not actually finished the series yet. Oh well...

Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

Series: A Wicked Thing #1
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
Add on Goodreads

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept. 

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

Soundtracking: Cruel Beauty

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)

I've been thinking about doing posts like this for awhile. I'm not sure this is something I'll ever do again, but I wanted the chance to give a fairy tale retelling a fantasy soundtrack.

Fairy Tale Tunes

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I don't usually post on the weekends, but I wanted to do a couple of special Fairy Tale Fortnight posts. (And I thought that because they're non-bookish - at least, mostly - that the weekend would be perfect to post them. Besides, my week is filled!)


I love music. Okay, most people do - at least I've never heard anyone say 'oh, I hate music'. Anyway, I wanted to talk about some of the awesome fairy tale music out there. No, I don't mean singing squirrels from Disney (well, sometimes…) - but songs inspired by or blatantly mentioning a certain fairy tale. (Including youtube videos for your listening pleasure.)

My Five Favorite Fairy Tales

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

Originally, this was going to be about my favorite fairy tale retellings (of course) but...well, this is a little embarrassing, but I feel like I haven't read enough to even have a top five list. *Cough cough*

In Celebration of Villains

Thank you so much The Book Rat & A Backwards Story for hosting this.

I remember the time when I used to fall firmly on the side of the 'heroes'. The 'white hats'. You know - before. Before I started sympathizing with the villain. Before I started finding them fascinating. Before I started actually liking them - sometimes more than the hero.

The question is, where would the story be without a good villain? There's this saying: villains act; heroes react.

In most stories, villains are the driving force behind - well - everything. Where would the Beast be without the villain? (Okay, that might not be the best example…) He surely wouldn't have met Beauty, though! How about Cinderella without the Evil Stepmother? Probably never even wanted to go to the ball.

One of my favorite things about retellings is how the villains can change. Maybe they were irredeemable in the original - but now they're a big teddy bear. (But shh. They still don't want it to get out.) Or, now they're the love interest. (Scarlet, anyone?)

While the heroes get their (much needed, usually) character development, the villains get a chance to show what they're truly made of too. Maybe they're as irredeemably evil as they first appeared. Maybe they have a history, a past (a Freudian Excuse, if you will). Maybe they are simply misunderstood (and face it, they generally are).

For a tv show that does villains right, check out Once Upon A Time. Sure, all their villains start out delightfully villainous, but after time, character development and the advent (sometimes) of their own true love, they start looking a lot more like people and a lot less like 'evil villains'.

It's easy enough for me to say why I started liking villains in all stories (so much more interesting and, dare I say, cool than the heroes) but in fairy tales, it's a little different. A lot of the villains in fairy tales, at least the Disney versions that I've seen, are female - and they are so much more gutsy and proactive than the damsels that are our 'heroines'.

Villains: Are they all that bad? Article in The Washington Post has some interesting things to say about this.

Want to find out which fairy tale villain you are? (And, honestly now, who doesn't want to know?) Check out this fun, quick little quiz over at quizsocial. Which Fairy Tale Villain Are You? (Me? I was The Big Bad Wolf. ;))

April Releases

There are so many new books coming out this year that sound so good - so, I have decided to have a little post at the beginning of each month where I can talk about the books that release soon that interest me.

I've got a bunch of books that come out this month that sound so good.