Top Ten Tuesday: Cozy Reads

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

November 29: Cozy Reads (Share books that give off a cozy vibe, whether through atmosphere, setting, or some other factor. Please tell us why they’re cozy for you, too!)

I often think of “cozy” as having a setting or atmosphere that’s cold, when I’m all tucked up nice with a warm blanket and a hot cup of tea. But not all wintery settings are cozy! These are a few that are:

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield – This author also has another good wintery book, Once Upon a River, but this one feels a bit cozier to me somehow. Vida Winter is an author known for a collection of short stories. She’s reclusive and has given the press several conflicting life stories over the years. But at the end of her life, she decides to tell a biographer the mysterious thirteenth tale to her collection: her true story involving a mansion, a fire, a governess and a ghost.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden – Even though I felt like the trilogy got better with the second book, this is definitely the most wintry. Vasya and her siblings live in the Russian wilderness, where it’s winter most of the time. They spend many a cozy evening listening to their nurse’s fairy tales. When her father brings home a new wife, a devout woman who doesn’t allow for fairy tales and household spirts, Vasya must save her family and her home from the consequences.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – Aside from a gloomy atmosphere this book also has some nice, gothic, Rebecca-ish vibes. Harriet ‘Hal’ Westaway has been living hand to mouth since her mother’s death three years ago. She’s barely getting by when she gets a letter from a lawyer saying that her grandmother has recently died and left her money. Hal knows it’s a mistake: her grandmother died years ago. But she’s also desperate. She heads to Mrs. Westway’s Cornwall mansion to try to claim the inheritance. But when she arrives she discovers a family that may be more closely connected to her than she realizes. The estate comes with a lot of secrets, that might give Hal the family she’s always wanted, or might get her killed.

A Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin – This one is polarizing, and also just plain weird. But I think reading it in a warm room with a cup of tea while a storm rages outside is a good way to experience this one. When a thief, Peter, tries to rob a wealthy home in late 19th century New York City, he’s surprised to find the terminally ill daughter of the house, Beverley, at home. Against all odds, the two fall in love. But Beverley is dying, and to save her, Peter is driven to stop time and defy death itself.

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – Every year, a group of college friends meet up to ring in the new year together. This year, they’re spending the week in a hunting estate in the Scottish highlands. But over a decades worth of secrets and resentments weigh on this group. As they’re isolated and trapped by a blizzard, someone is killed. Whodunnit?

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire – Laura lives in New York City with her grandparents in the early 1960’s. One winter, under difficult emotional circumstances, a swan boy with one wing lands on Laura’s roof. To help him, Laura hides him from her grandparents and tries to build him a replacement wing. As he tells her his story, the reader sees that it parallels Laura’s experiences with her grandparents.

Still Life by Louise Penny – All the Inspector Gamache books apply but I’m going with this one because it’s first. They’re set in Canada, near the US border and even when it’s not a specific winter setting, reading them gives me a sort of cozy feeling. When a local woman dies in the town of Three Pines, the locals think it’s an accident. But Inspector Gamache suspects foul play…

Landline by Rainbow Rowell- This is also a nice holiday season read. Georgie and Neal’s marriage is on the rocks. A few days before Georgie, Neal, and the kids are headed to Omaha to spend the holiday with Neal’s family, Georgie finds out she needs to stay in LA for work. He’s upset and packs the kids and goes without her. But Georgie is able to connect to past-Neal via an old corded phone. Even though Georgie is in LA, a lot of this novel takes place in Omaha, where it’s cold and snowy. But it’s still a warm story.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Time in the Title

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

June 7: Books With a Unit of Time In the Title (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, eternity, etc.) (Submitted by RS @ The Idealistic Daydream)

For this one I just went with the last ten I read

Survive the Night by Riley Sager – Because I just decided that time of day counts as a unit of time.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – ditto

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – I’m counting “once” and “future”

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney -“Sometimes”

The Peacock Spring by Rumer Godden – Yes, seasons count too

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire – Ditto

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – Counting days of the week

Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews – Yes, holidays count

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker– so do “ages”

Top Ten Tuesday: Books and Adjectives

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

Today’s topic is

March 22: Books With an Adjective In the Title (Submitted by Nicole @ How to Train a Book Dragon)

I also decided to evaluate the adjective: does it accurately describe the book? Let’s see!

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong – Yep, “violent” describes this one pretty well I’d say. The other adjective I might use is “gory.”

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire – I don’t think I would call this book, or the swan in it particularly “wild.” Actually considering the fact that the swan is significantly human, I might call it fairly tame. He can talk and reason!

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie– Yes, in this case I would call the affair at Styles (a murder, naturally) fairly “mysterious.” Nothing that Poirot can’t handle though!

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides – This adjective is fairly literal. The patient in this book is silent. She does not speak. We do, however, learn a lot about her regardless.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab – In this case it’s not really literal. Addie is perfectly visible, but her life is “invisible” because she’s always forgotten as soon as she’s out of sight.

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman – Again, not literally “invisible,” but definitely a shadowy organization.

Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace – It’s hard to say here, because I don’t know how big the hill actually is. The book doesn’t give an elevation! But I suppose it’s a big step for the characters.

The Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell– Definitely metaphorical once again (wow, there are a lot of books with “invisible” in the title!) But she does disappear, as in, people can’t find her.

Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen – Yes, several of the characters here have “royal blood.” And there are some concerns about blood being spilled, but the actual murder in this case is a poisoning.

The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elizabeth Robinson – Well, the book is fiction, so I suspect it’s not “true.” At the very least it’s fictionalized. As for “outstanding,” it’s probably not the word I’d use, though it’s not bad by any means.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Enjoyed But Haven’t Mentioned on My Blog (yet!)

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

March 1: Books I Enjoyed, but Have Never Mentioned On My Blog

I added the “yet” because these are all fairly recent reads that I’ve enjoyed.

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid – Based on the Goodreads rating it seems like this is a love it or hate it kind of thing. I loved it, but I think the expectations you go in with are important. For one thing, despite the fact that the title suggests a Red Riding Hood retelling, this isn’t one. It incorporates a lot of folklore though. It draws from both Hungarian and Jewish traditions. It’s also not YA. Both main characters are in their mid-late twenties. Don’t go in expecting late teens. Finally, it’s dark, it’s violent, it’s ugly at times. But if that doesn’t scare you off, I really liked it!

White Ivy by Susie Yang – Again this has gotten some hate due, I think, to expectations. The cover blurb makes it sound like a mystery/thriller, and it’s not really. It’s about a Chinese-American girl from an immigrant family, who wants to be accepted by an old money, privileged crowd of people. She finds a guy who she can marry and get what she’s always wanted. But she also encounters a man from her past who could threaten everything. This is a sort of coming of age, tied in with a love triangle (well, a triangle anyway…) and crime. It’s definitely a slow burn, but I enjoyed it.

The Peacock Spring by Rumer Godden– I blogged about this one when it was still on my TBR, but not since I read and enjoyed it! It’s set in a newly independent India. Teenage Una and her sister, Hal, are in a British boarding school, when their father, Sir Edward Gwithiam, sends words that he wants them to join him in New Dehli, where he’s working for the United Nations. When they arrive, Una meets Ms. Lamont, the woman who is intended to be her governess. It’s pretty obvious that Ms. Lamont is really her father’s mistress, and Una and her sister were brought to India so that she and their father could live together. The story gets more complicated from here, and all of the characters are complex people. No one is really a hero or a villain. Even when we dislike characters, who find a sense of understanding for them.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis – Again, I mentioned this one as a TBR. This had been sitting on my shelf for a long time, and I finally decided to read it at the start of 2021. It was worth the wait! Part of Willis’ Oxford Time Travel series, it’s set in the future, when time travel is a thing. It’s done regularly by historians. When one of them accidentally brings something back from Victorian England (you are not supposed to bring stuff through time!!!) it must be set right, and the time-space continuum is at stake. It’s a delightful combination of SFF, comedy, romance, and cats (to say nothing of the dog).

Faye Faraway by Helen Fisher – This was a sort of unique read. It’s about a woman, Faye, who lost her mother as a child. As a result she’s always felt an absence in her life. She loves her husband and their two children, but she feels like a piece of herself is missing. When she travels back in time and meets her mother, and her younger self, she feels a deep sense of connection to her mother (who, of course, doesn’t know who she really is). She finds herself torn between her contemporary life with her husband and children, and the unique bond she’s forming with her mother and her younger self. This was more interesting than I expected. The stakes are largely emotional, and there’s no romance or violence. But I was compelled, even when I wanted to yell at Faye. It also had an unexpected (but good) ending.

A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire– I’m very torn on Maguire as an author. Sometimes I like him a lot, other times I don’t like him much at all. In one fell in the “like it a lot” category though. It’s based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans (a favorite tale of mine) but it’s set in NYC in the 1960s. Teenage Laura lives with her grandparents in their New York City townhouse following the death of her brother and her mother’s mental breakdown. A few days before Christmas, a handsome young man with only one wing, lands on her roof. Laura sneaks him into the house and tries to help him. As I describe the plot it sounds very YA. And it is about teenagers. But it feels like the intended audience is a little older. It’s a great holiday season read.

Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie– I’m making a point to try to read more Christie this year. I actually read this one at the end of last year. It’s not a favorite on the level of And Then There Were None or Murder on the Orient Express, but it’s just below that. It’s actually what prompted my resolution to seek out more of her work. Jacko Argyle was convicted of beating his mother to death with a fire poker. He was sentenced to life in prison and died of pneumonia shortly after. When Dr. Arthur Calgary arrives with evidence that Jacko was innocent of the murder, the Argyle family isn’t happy. His revelation opens up old wounds in the large, twisted family. It may also have rattled the real killer… After I read this I watched the recent miniseries on Amazon Prime. It was totally different. Like there was a different murderer and everything. I might have enjoyed it, if I hadn’t been familiar with the book though.

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – I think I may have mentioned this in passing also, but I haven’t really written much about it. It’s a Christie-eque locked room mystery. Not quite Christie level, but still fun. It’s about a group of friends from Oxford, who meet up every year to spend New Year’s together. This year they’re staying on an isolated estate in the Scottish highlands. But this group have over a decades worth of secrets, lies, and resentments between them. When a blizzard cuts off the lodge from the outside world, someone disappears, and is found dead. With a limited pool of suspects and no way for help to get to them soon, the question on everyone’s mind is which of their oldest friends is a murderer?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books About Witches

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

October 27: Halloween Freebie

Last year I did ghosts so for this one, I decided to to witches!

1. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman– I also love the prequel, Rules of Magic. There’s also a prequel to that called Magic Lessons, but I wasn’t as much a fan of that one. A fourth (supposedly final, but who knows) book in the series, called The Book of Magic just came out; but I haven’t read it yet.

2. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen- This is sometime accused of being a bit of a Practical Magic copycat, and I can see why. But really while the premise is the same (two magical sisters) this book does it’s own thing with it. It has a sequel, First Frost, too. I think the sequel takes it even further from Practical Magic territory though.

3. Circe by Madeline Miller- She’s best known as the witch who turned Odysseus’ men to pigs in The Odyssey. But in this novel Madeline Miller allows Circe to navigate her transition from a meek nymph-ish thing to a witch who is beloved and feared (and had a good reason for turning those guys into pigs!)

4. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire- If you’re a fan of The Wizard of Oz, you’re in for a a surprise in this one. If you’re a fan of the Broadway musical, Wicked, same thing goes (it’s very different from the book). The green lady take center stage here, and when you get to know her, you’ll never see either in the same way again. I’m not in love with this book to be honest, but the witch it portrays is vivid and compelling. It starts the Wicked Years series, but it’s the only one I’ve read.

5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness- I have some issues with this  book too, but again it’s portrayal of witchcraft is rich and fully realized. And yes, there are vampires too. And some other creatures. But the witches were my favorite in this one. It starts a trilogy (which I still need to finish!) and is the basis for a TV adaptation as well.

6. The Witches by Roald Dahl– When I was a kid this petrified me. I had nightmares about the Grand High Witch. But I think it was the first time I remember when I actually enjoyed the fear. It was the magic of being terrified and enthralled at the same time.

7. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor– This has been dubbed the “Nigerian Harry Potter.” While there are similarities (common in almost all “youngster learns about magic” narratives) this has it’s roots deeply in African folklore, which differentiates it. The story is continued in the sequel Akata Warrior.

8. A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan- This books is about five generations in a family of witches, beginning in the 19th century and continuing through WWII. I had a few issues with this one, but it’s worth a read, even if only for the last 1/4 when the witches help us win WWII.

9. The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson– I had an interesting response to this one. It’s about a girl who lives in a rigid, puritanical society called Bethel. When she’s lured into the forbidden woods that surround Bethel, she is given the journal of the mother she never knew, by the spirits of four mythical witches. That sets off a curse on Bethel, that the protagonist has to figure out how to break. I felt like this had some really great ideas and intentions but the execution doesn’t always live up to them. It’s the first in series, so I’m hoping the next book, The Dawn of the Coven, helps to realize some of it’s potential.

10. The Winter Witch by Paula Bracken– I enjoyed this one while I was reading it, but after I finished it, I hardly gave it another thought. It’s about a strange, silent girl who gets married in early 19th century Wales. Her oddities make the the locals think she’s a witch, and they may just be right… It’s part of a series, and I haven’t read the others, but it stands alone.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’d Love to Get As Gifts

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

December 22: Books I Hope Santa Brings

I decided to tweak this one a bit. I will accept these books as gifts from anyone. I’m not limiting it to Santa (*hint* *hint*)

1. Elijah’s Mermaid by Essie Fox – This is a recent addition to my TBR, after reading about it in another top ten list: Top 10 Books About Mermaids in the Guardian. It sounds just right for me though. A gothic mystery about mermaids? A Victorian set historical novel? Yes please! The writer of the list, Monique Roffey, says that Fox writes like “the  like the lovechild of Sarah Waters and Angela Carter.” Two authors I greatly admire. If I wasn’t sold before, I am now!

2. The Lost Queen by Signe Pike- This is another recent addition but I’ve heard really wonderful things about it. I also seen a lot of comparisons to a lot of popular novels from Outlander to Wolf Hall to Clan of the Cave Bear, to The Mists of Avalon, and back again. I think that sometimes comp titles can be helpful in letting readers know they’re in for a certain kind of experience (sort of a “If you didn’t like x, you probably won’t like y” kind of thing) but often they just set readers expectations in one direction, only to discover that the book goes in a different direction altogether. So I’m trying to take from those comparisons that it will be historical fiction, it’s probably on the longish side, and there will be some connections to fantasy/magic/paranormal. Actually the inclusion of Camelot and The Mists of Avalon in the (many) comp titles, and the fact that the synopsis says they the character is Merlin’s twin sister, so I think it’ll include some Arthurian elements as well.

3. Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati- I enjoyed Donati’s Wilderness series, and I liked the first in her Waverly Place series. called The Gilded Hour, even more (there’s a small link between both series). So naturally when books 2 comes out, I want it! Donati tied up some storylines at the end of The Gilded Hour, but she also left some wide open and a big question in readers minds! I want to see things resolved! Of course, that would probably open up a million new questions!

4. Readings: Seventeen Writers Revisit the Books They Love by Anne Fadiman- I love the idea of this and I’m curious about how and why these writers decided what to reread. I’m totally conflicted about rereadings: there’s a lot I want to reread, because I suspect I’ll read it differently now. But I also don’t want to ruin any memories of books that might not live up to them. Plus can I justify rereading when there are so many books out there I haven’t read? I have no answers to these questions, but I’m curious how these writers answer them. Plus, I always love a good book about books!

5. Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman– I’m sure I’ve mentioned this book on this blog before, but that’s because I really want to read it! I love Practical Magic and Rules of Magic, and I generally like Alice Hoffman as a writer, so why wouldn’t I want the prequel? Hopefully I’ll get it soon so I can stop blogging about it and start reading it!

6. A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire– I’m actually iffy on Maguire’s work. I didn’t care for Wicked, so I never bothered with the sequels. I did enjoy Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Mirror, Mirror and Hiddensee. So I really don’t know what to expect from this! But I want to read it because a) fairy tale retelling b) The Wild Swans is a favorite of mine and c) it’s set in NYC. So it has quite a bit in it’s favor already, as far as I’m concerned.

7. Fallen Angel by Kim Wilkins– This was recommended a while back in a tweet from Australian author Kate Forsyth (can’t find the tweet now). It’s also released under the title Angel of Ruin. However it has not been released in the US. Not to worry though, I’ve got my Aussie friend on the lookout for it! Hopefully when I finally get to read it, it’ll be worth all the effort!

8. The Tiger Catcher by Paullina Simons– About a year ago I won a goodreads giveaway (that I have no memory of entering!) for the sequel to this book. But based on what I’ve read about it, it’s the kind of thing that should be read in order. This is the first book in the trilogy. The second has been sitting on my shelf for a while, waiting for me. I do hope that I actually want to read the second after reading this one!

Top Ten Tuesday: Musicals Based on Books

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday

November 3: Non-Bookish Hobbies (Let’s get to know each other! What do you do that does not involve books or reading?)

I’m so nervous about the election today, but doing this post was a welcome distraction this week!

Most people who know me, know these things about me: 1. I am a bookworm. A book devourer. I consume books. 2. I love musicals. I love music as a storytelling device. So naturally, I love it when some of my favorite books become musicals. Here are some books that have become musicals over the years. Some you probably know, but others you may not. You could say that geeking out over musicals it one of my non-bookish (but sometimes still bookish) hobbies.

Ragtime

Based on the novel Ragtime by EL Doctorow

I actually haven’t seen this one live, but I’ve come to love it via the Original Broadway Cast Recording which features some of my all time favorite performers including Audra MacDonald, Marin Mazzie (who we recently lost too soon) and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

The Woman in White

Based on the novel The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins

This musical chopped down the Wilkie Collins’ novel pretty significantly, but that’s necessary. There’s no way to get everything in the book into a two and a half hour production! The show was pretty short live on Broadway and in London, but the cast recording is available to anyone curious.

The Phantom of the Opera

Based on the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I’d say that most people know this or at least know of this. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical takes some liberties with the original novel by Gaston Leroux but for the most part, they work. The show is one of the biggest hits in the world, with productions running worldwide. It’s had a Hollywood version, and the 25th Anniversary staging is also available to watch.   However, not everyone knows that the novel also has other musical adaptations by Maurice Yeston and Arthur Kopit, Ken Rice, and David Staller.

Jane Eyre

Based on the novel by Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte

This had a brief Broadway run in 2000, but I never had the opportunity to see it. I discovered it thanks to the cast recording and some youtube videos. If you’re a fan of the novel and you like musicals check it out.

The Secret Garden

Based on the novel by The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Lucy Simon’s musical adaptation of The Secret Garden expands the story a bit, depicting flashbacks of Archibold’s romance with Lily, but not in any way that feels untrue or disrespectful to the source material. I really liked how the ghosts at Miselthwaite are an active part of the show.

Les Miserables

Based on the novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Once again, this is one that really needs no introduction. It’s played all over the world. It was a major Hollywood film. There are even three separate concert stagings available to home viewers (I’m partial to the 10th Anniversary, but there’s also the 25th and the more recent Staged Concert. Yes, Hugo’s novel was adapted significantly to be able to take place onstage in a three-hour span. But as far as adaptations go, I felt that it was pretty well done, especially considering the size of the source material.

The Bridges of Madison County

Based on the novel The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

This one is weird because I hated the literary source material. I found it badly written and treacly. I saw the show because I was a fan of the composer/lyricist, Jason Robert Brown, as well as the two leads, Kelli O’Hara and Stephan Pasquale. I was surprised to see that Marsha Norman wrote a script that took the basic premise of the novel; a four-day affair between a fifties housewife and a traveling photographer, and did something very different with it. It didn’t last long on Broadway, but the cast recording is available.

The Light in the Piazza

Based on the novella The Light in the Piazza by Elizabeth Spencer

This is based on Elizabeth Spencer’s novella of the same name (which I also love), but in this case, the music, the performances, the sets and costumes, and production all came together to enhance the beauty of the material. The show was filmed live and broadcast on PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center. Though there’s no official DVD release of which I’m aware, the video may be on the internet somewhere. There’s also a cast recording available.

Passion

Based on the novel Fosca by IU Tarchetti

This isn’t for everyone. I’ll say that straight out. It’s a dark story of love and obsession.  It’s not a romance we’re comfortable with, and one of the primary players is Fosca, a character who doesn’t quite qualify as a heroine, but she isn’t an anti-heroine or a villain either. Though I could see different people responding to her character in different ways. But it’s also really beautiful in an unexpected way. I would suggest that people looking at this leave their cynicism at the door. Luckily the original Broadway production is available on DVD.

Wicked

Based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

I’m actually not the biggest fan of this one. It’s a fun show, with some catchy tunes that provides an enjoyable few hours of theater. I just don’t think it’s more than that. But then I wasn’t the biggest fan of the novel either. It’s actually very different from the show. Some significant chances were made to the story in adapting it for the stage.

South Pacific

Based on the book Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener

This Rodgers and Hammerstein Classic is based on the book of interrelated short stories but James Michener, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948, The musical combined several of these stories, and won the Pulitzer for Drama in 1950. There’s a Hollywood film, a made for TV version with Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr, and a 2005 staged concert starring Reba McEntire and Alec Baldwin. A Broadway revival was broadcast on PBS but not released on DVD. It may still be available on the internet somewhere.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall 2020 TBR

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

September 22: Books On My Fall 2020 TBR (or spring if you live in the southern hemisphere)

1. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke– Despite my mixed feelings about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, I’m really looking forward to Clarke’s sophomore novel. It’s significantly shorter than her first, and it sounds like a perfect quarantine read. It was actually written in response to Clark’s own bout with illness.

2. Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman– I mean, it’s a prequel to Practical Magic and Rules of Magic. Yes, please!

3. The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett– This is a prequel to Pillars of the Earth, and I suppose all of Follett’s Kingsbridge novels. But I’m still behind on reading the third in the trilogy A Column of Fire. I suppose I should get to that, before I read the prequel. Or, are there “rules” about the order, since it’s a prequel?

4. Majesty by Katharine McGee- American Royals was a total guilty pleasure, and it turned out to be just what I needed when I read it. Hopefully the sequel will be the same.

5. Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow– I love the connection between magic/witchcraft and women’s suffrage. Perfect for an election year, when it’s more important than ever that we all vote!

6. One by One by Ruth Ware– I feel like Ruth Ware’s novels have gotten better as time goes on. I loved her most recent ones: The Death of Mrs. Westaway and Turn of the Key. I’m really eager to see if her newest lives up to that quality.

7. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade– I love the idea of this. An actor, unhappy with how his character has been written, takes refuge in the word of fan fiction. When he agrees to a publicity date with a fan, he realizes that she’s also his fandom friend in fanfic world. I think that this draws parallels between the love an artist has for his/her work and the love a fan has for something. I’m interested to see how it plays out.

8. Mad & Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency by Bea Koch– I love the idea of delving into the women of this period who are often left out of regency novels, and even much of written history. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jane Austen, but the regency wasn’t all about white women! This books looks at women of color and LGBTQ women, who have been too often overlooked by history.

9. Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney– I loved Cooney’s YA novels when I was younger, so I was excited to see that she had a new book for adult readers out soon. I also like that this book focuses on a protagonist in her 70’s. So many books focus on 25-35 year olds exclusively!

10. A Wild Winter Swan by Gregory Maguire– I’ve had mixed success with Maguire as an author, but I’m eager to see what he does with one of my favorite fairy tales, The Wild Swans set in 1960s NYC.

Retellings Can Also Be Original

Billy Porter (photo: Broadwayworld.com)

I read earlier that actor Billy Porter will be playing a genderless fairy god-person in a new film version of Cinderella. My response to the news was mild curiosity. It’s an interesting idea, that has the potential to be done well. Whether or not it is done well depends on a lot  of factors. But then I read several comments bemoaning yet another film adaptation of Cinderella. People were asking why we can’t have fewer reboots and more original stories.  For the record, I think that fewer film reboots is a great idea. But I don’t consider retelling a fairy tale to be an unoriginal remake, unless the filmmakers don’t think outside the box. There are a lot of original unique ideas that stem from fairy tales.

 

Disney’s 2015 film adaptation of Cinderella, based on their 1950 animated film (photo: vanityfair.com)

I suppose that because my own creative  work is based on fairy tales this is an issue that’s close to my heart. But truly believe that fairy tales make rich artistic source material because they’re both flexible and powerful.  Various critics have attempted to identify precisely why fairy tales endure. In Why Fairy Tales Stick(2006) Jack Zipes says:  “we respond to these classical stories almost as if we were born with them, and yet we know full well that they have been socially produced and induced and continue to be generated this way through different forms of the mass media.” While that’s true certain images call to mind a fairy tale in ways that transcend media. Show someone pictures of a fancy shoe, a clock and a pumpkin and it’ll call to mind Cinderella. The images may have nothing to do with the story itself but they’ll call the story to mind because these stories are so much a part of us. Some may say that’s because we’ve been bombarded with the fairy tale nonstop. And there may be an element of truth to that.

The Glass Slipper (1955) (Photo: moirareviews.com)

But fairy tales have never been simple stories. Many people associate fairy tales with their Disney adaptions. If they’re aware that the Disney films are, in fact, adaptions, they’ll often refer to “the original story.” As if such a thing exists. But most fairy tales have diverse sources. Often Disney will draw from predominantly one version  over another, but that’s not to say that’s the “original.” Most of these stories are drawn from oral tradition and mythologies.

The Slipper and the Rose (1976)  (photo: thehunchblog.com)

Because they come from diverse sources, fairy tales can be told for many reasons. In an essay called Wearing Tiaras: On Fairy Tales, Community and Happiness, Ruth Daniell argues that:

If fairy tales can grab our attention more quickly than other forms of storytelling—and certainly they grab our attention soonest, as they make up so much of what children first encounter—then don’t we need them, as much or more as other media, to tell us that violence is wrong, that everyone should be able to be happy?…Sometimes it’s easier to deal with trauma in less direct ways. Sometimes it’s easier to imagine a happy ending for a princess than for yourself. Sometimes it’s easier to become the princess than waiting for the world to right itself.

She goes on to say that:

 Children of all genders—not just girls—can and should, if they want to, enjoy fairy tales. We can aspire to a variety of ideals and receive reassurance from a wide range of characters. Yes, a patriarchal society chose its canon of fairy tales, but many of them are—despite their problems—wonderful stories, and, too, there exists beyond the (popularly) known canon even more stories, some of them wilder, stranger. Some have deeply feminist themes. I believe there are responsible ways to share fairy tales—by sharing a diverse range of them, by talking critically about the ways in which gender, class, violence, love, et cetera is depicted in them—and I think it’s worth doing that work to do so. The stories make us, but we make the stories. We can make the stories. We can reclaim the old stories. We can make new ones. We can disrupt the gender roles, we can normalize new kinds of love stories, we can imagine new kinds of ways of being happy.

In other words, if fairy tales are stories that can be enjoyed and shared among a diverse audience for many reasons, then isn’t there room for many tellings?

Cinderfella (1960) (photo: alchetron.com)

Since I started this by talking about Cinderella, I’ll continue discussing that. There have been many films based on Cinderella made for many reasons. I’m going to highlight a few:

The Glass Slipper (1955) was made as a vehicle for star Leslie Caron who had a background as a ballerina. It features a score from Bronislaw Kaper and three ballets choreographed by Roland Petit.

Cinderfella (1960) retold a gender reversed Cinderella for the purpose of highlighting the comedy of star Jerry Lewis.

The Slipper and the Rose (1976) was a high profile musical adaption of Cinderella starring Richard Chamberlin and featuring the songs of the Sherman Brothers.

Ever After (1998) is often seen as a modernist, post-feminist reinterpretation of the story with the magical elements removed. It’s set in Renaissance-era France.

Cinderella(2015) is a live action adaptation of Disney’s 1950 animated film.

The target audiences for these films were largely different: fans of Jerry Lewis’ comedy might not also like Leslie Caron’s dance heavy adaptation or the Sherman Brother’s tunes in The Slipper and the Rose. Similarly, fans of Ever After might not take to the magic in the 2015 Disney film.  All of these films purposed the story for their own target audience.

Ever After (1998) (Photo: bustle.com)

In literature, Cinderella has been retold or recalled in worlds that range from Gregory Maguire’s Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister to Carolyn Turgeon’s  Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story to Stephen King’s Carrie (I explain a bit about this here)! All of these books have different tones, aim to do different things and use the conventions of different genres. Marissa Meyer’s Cinder uses sci-fi tropes and conventions and makes her Cinder a futuristic cyborg. In Bound, Donna Jo Napoli roots her retelling in historical fiction and Chinese Cinderella tales. In Ash, Melinda Lo writes a LGBT friendly retelling. Yes all off these authors retell the Cinderella story we all know. But more than that, they use the story to highlight different ideas. They bring originality to it, in turning it around and looking at it from different angles.

I consider fairy tales to be powerful narratives precisely because they are open to so many interpretations. So maybe, when one is announced, we can be welcoming rather than roll our eyes. What matters is the execution, not the source material.

Top Ten Tuesday: Holiday Season Reads

For That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday:

December 3: Holiday Reads (Books you love reading during the holiday season.)

I tweaked this topic a little to make it about books set during the holiday season.

1.One Day In December by Josie Silver–  Laurie sees a man on a bus one day in December. There are lightening strikes and cupids arrows but they are too stunned to get on/off the bus in time to meet.  Laurie is convinced that he’s The One That Got Away, but what can she do? She doesn’t even know his name. A year later, she meets him at a New Year’s Eve party. Her best friend, Sarah introduces him as her new boyfriend, Jack. Oops! Laurie tries to move on with her life, and Jack makes a real go of his relationship with Sarah, but whatever was between them doesn’t seem to be going away. We check in with these characters over the next decade as love and friendship tears them apart and brings them together again. It’s not a deep book but it’s a sweet one that leaves you in a good mood.

2. Winter by Ali Smith- This is the second in Ali Smith’s seasonal quartet. Art is meant to spend Christmas in Cornwall with his fiancee, Charlotte, and his mother, Sophie, at her home in Cornwall. But Art and Charlotte split up shortly before the holiday, and rather than explain things, Art hires, Lux, a young immigrant who looks like she needs the cash, to pretend to be Charlotte. When they arrive, Sophie seems unwell, and Lux convinces Art to call Sophie’s estranged sister, who comes at once to help. It’s a family story, yes. But it’s also a very contemporary story about the changing climate, both environmental and political. We travel back and forth in these character’s memories and ask how they- and we- got to their present circumstances.

3.Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire– This story is about a famous, magical nutcracker and the mysterious toy maker named Drosselmeier who carves him. It’s based on ETA Hoffman’s famous Christmas story, made famous by Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet. It’s essentially a story of a man who has been hurt and abused by life and other people. Yet he has something precious to share with his goddaughter one Christmas Eve, and he makes sure that he does that.

 

4. A Christmas Party by Georgette Heyer– Originally published in 1941 under the title Envious Casca, this book  introduces readers to the dysfunctional Herriard family, gathered at Uncle Nat’s country house for Christmas. When Nat is murdered in a room locked from the inside on Christmas Eve, police detectives descend on the family, and the secrets come flying out. It’s a darly comic British country house mystery that will make you feel grateful for your own family, whatever issues you might have with them.

 

5. Shakespeare’s Christmas by Charlaine Harris-While I’m not totally sold on Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampires series, I do like her Lily Bard novels. This is the third and I’d recommend at least reading the first in the series prior to this one, to learn about Lily’s backstory. In this book Lily returns to her native Bartley, Arkansas, to attend her sister, Verena’s, Christmas wedding. When Lily’s boyfriend, Jack (a fellow PI) arrives in town, it’s not just to accompany Lily to the wedding: it’s to follow up a lead about an eight year old kidnapping. Lily, bearing physical and psychological scars of her own, finds herself drawn into the case when she learns that Verena is marry a widower with an eight year old daughter, who bears a strong resemblance to the girl that Jack is searching for…

6. Take A Chance on Me by Jill Mansell– Cleo Quinn has bad luck when it comes to men. When her childhood nemesis, Johnny LaVenture returns to town, and starts teasing her as if he’s never left. Meanwhile, Cleo’s sister, Abbie, has an idyllic relationship with her husband, Tom. Until Tom starts acting strange. She’s determined to find out what’s happening, even if it means the end of their marriage. The various storylines converge one chaotic holiday season. It’s charming,  British, and fun. What more do you need to know?

7. Landline by Rainbow Rowell–  Georgie McCool and her husband Neal still love each other  and they both adore their two young daughters. But their marriage is on the rocks. They just can’t seem to make it work.  When Georgie, a sitcom writer, gets an important Christmas meeting with some studio executives, she expects Neal to by angry. But she’s still surprised when he takes the kids and goes to his parents in Omaha for Christmas. That night, Georgie manages to get a call through to Neal, but the Neal she’s speaking to is Neal from 15 years earlier, when they first started dating. Now Georgie feels like she’s got a chance to fix her marriage to Neal before it even starts. Should they have split up at that first pivotal moment? Or this this just another in a long line of the ups and downs that make up a marriage?

8. Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich– I actually think that I got tired of the Stephanie Plum books shortly after this one, but the series still felt funny and fresh in this short, in between the “official” series, novella. Stephanie Plum is behind on Christmas. She’s got no tree, no presents, and a strange man in her kitchen. Not to mention she’s searching for a bail jumper names Santa Claws, and a mob of manic elves is after her. Just a normal Christmas in Jersey for this bounty hunter extraordinaire. If this were any longer it would feel like too much but at 150 pages, it’s a light treat.

9. Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding- OK this may be cheating since it’s bookended by New Year’s Eve but the action of the novel takes place over the course of a year. But I suppose a few of the other books on the list aren’t strictly limited to the season. And I like the way that this book uses the New Year as a time for new beginnings, in narrative, and in life.