This is one of my favorite months of the year. Why, you ask? The list is long, but includes watermelon for every meal, wearing full-out red white and blue to celebrate the birth of our country, and lots of beach days. My bestie and I have a new tradition where she comes to visit me for the Fourth because I absolutely refuse to leave my (historic) hometown for the most important holiday of the year. I am so excited because not only is Allie coming again this year, she's also bringing along her twin sister! There is nothing better than when the three of us get together. We have so much fun planned for their trip this year!
At last year's fireworks display!
I know that I've already established my summer reading list, but that can't stop me from wanting to put these on my library list! Below you'll find some of my picks for this month.
Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N. Holmberg // This is a new release from the author of one of my favorite fantasy trilogies (you can read my review of the first one here). This one's about a woman with a talent for magical baking. I'm looking forward to revisiting Holmberg's sweet and simple writing style.
The Gallery by Laura Marx Fitzgerald // Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so I was immediately intrigued when I came across this historical fiction novel for middle grade readers. It's told from the perspective of a young girl who works as a maid in a grand house in the roaring '20's. There's a little bit of mystery and of course, I'm in love with the cover.
A Green and Ancient Light by Frederic S. Durbin // This fantasy novel was recently released, and what caught my eye was its allusion to Cinderella. You know I'm always up for a fairytale, so I'll be adding this to my library list.
The Ice Twins by S.K. Tremayne // Since I've been on a bit of a thriller kick lately, this one caught my eye. I'm really fascinated by the research on the link between twin siblings (may or may not have to do with the fact that my besties are twins), and this plays up that link to a whole new level. Definitely not one to read in the dark.
***
Sometimes, these currently coveting lists are not helpful in that they actually cause my reading list to grow when really it already contains more books than I could possibly read in my lifetime. The ultimate plight of bookworms, no?
I am so looking forward to this year and though I'm hoping that some things go exactly as planned (such as finishing grad school), I can't wait to see what surprises are in store.
This year I read a total of sixty-six books and 20, 552 pages. If you remember, I was focusing on quality over quantity, and though I actually ended up reading more books than I did in the past two years, many of my favorite reads from this year were children's books. Though my average rating for books is around 4 stars (hey, I know how to pick 'em!), I'm highlighting these ones in particular because they stood out above the rest. I'm not going to set any resolutions again this year (no resolutions worked out well for me in 2015), so I'm looking forward to picking up whatever strikes my fancy. Although, I would like to make some progress in reading the A Song of Ice and Fire Series, and as always, reading more classic literature is still on my to-do list.
Below you'll find my top ten picks from 2015:
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin // It's Game of Thrones. Need I say more? If you're a fan of the HBO series and are debating reading the books, go for it! I'm still in the middle of the second (taking my time), but I think having seen the show helps me to keep the characters straight in my head.
The Witch's Daughter (The Witch's Daughter #1) by Paula Brackston // I didn't realize that this was the start to a series until I went to prepare this post! I will certainly be reading the second installment (due in 2016), as this was the perfect mix of fantasy and historical fiction. Highly recommended for your October reading list. You can read my review here.
The Postmortal by Drew Magary // I plucked this from my boyfriend's shelves one day when I had nothing to read and couldn't put it down until I turned the last page. I don't normally delve into post-apocalyptic lit but this was worth taking the chance.
The Martian by Andy Weir // You might recognize this as the hit movie starring Matt Damon. I didn't expect to love this book but it's probably my top recommendation from this year because I think it appeals to all kinds of readers. The humor is what pulled me in but it was incredibly suspenseful as well.
The Glass Sentence (The Mapmaker's Trilogy #1) by S.E. Grove // I actually read and loved the first and second books in this series, which I stumbled across just by chance. It's become one of my all-time favorite fantasy series. Recommended for fans of Harry Potter.
Since just about half of the books that I read this year were children's novels, I thought I'd share my top three children's literature picks from this year as well!
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo // If you have not yet read this book, do yourself a favor and read it this year. It was beautiful and heartbreaking and uplifting and everything that you'd ever want from a book. I'll be re-reading it at least once this year.
The Mister Max Trilogy by Cynthia Voigt // If you have a middle grade reader in your life, this series would make a great gift! I thought that it was entirely unique from the typical formula for novels of this genre and fell in love with its quirky characters. You can read my review of the trilogy here.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate // Beautiful. Captivating. Incredible. I could go on and on about this book. Tears were shed (bewarned) and it's the one book that my students can't stop talking about this year.
***
Next week on the blog: a review of The Heretic Queen and the books I'm looking forward to reading in 2016!
Want more of my favorites? See my Top Ten of 2013 here and 2014 here.
September is a month for really good reading. Though it's a month of transitions (a new school year, a change in wardrobe, the setting of new routines), I always feel like September is the start of a reading season full of potential. I tend to set aside books for September and October because I want the weather outside to fit the mood of the book. And while I can't claim that there's a crisp breeze outside (what with 90+ temperatures this week), I am anxiously awaiting that first hint of fall so that I can dive into darker and spookier reads. I'm also nearing the end of my towering pile of ARCs coming out this season, so I'm back to being able to dictate my own list and read books on a whim rather than have deadlines for publishers -- I love getting sneak peeks at new releases but I'm rather excited for the books I have waiting on my shelves!
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas // This is one that I've seen all over Instagram lately. The latest book in this series just came out (the fourth installment) and there's been an explosion of people talking about it, so I'm finally feeling like maybe I should check out what all the fuss is about. I'll start with Throne of Glass, which is the first in the series. This series is high fantasy, so I'm expecting it to be pretty intense and darker than my typical picks.
The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick // This is one that I just spotted this morning and it's definitely going on my to-read list for this fall. A seaside New England town, a touch of magic, and an old mystery. It just came out on the first of the month so it might be easy to spot in your local bookstore!
Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prunes // This is a new version of Cinderella and it looks really good. I'm a sucker for retellings and I'm completely intrigued by the premise of this one. It's young adult (I'm trying to read more of those) and it's out mid-September, so keep an eye out!
Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling // Not exactly a "fall" book, but I loved Mindy's first book of short essays and I'm definitely going to put this on my wish list when it comes out on September 15th. She has such a good sense of humor and while I disliked her character on The Office, The Mindy Project is one of my favorite TV shows.
What are you looking forward to reading this month?
In my junior year of college, a professor asked us to raise our hands if we considered ourselves to be readers. (My hand shot up faster than Hermione's in potions class-- no surprise there.) But then she asked us if we also considered ourselves to be writers. My hand wavered and then slowly made its way back down to my lap. I used to, I thought to myself. When I was younger I would spend whole afternoons crafting stories; I entered poetry contests and wanted desperately to be a writer when I grew up. The professor looked around and shook her head as the hands continued to fall. "If you're a reader, you're a writer," she said with conviction. And I believed her, enough to chase that dream into being through senior year and my honors thesis. I fought hard for the chance to write my own manuscript. At the end of two semesters of championing my idea, I found two professors willing to bet on me. I had the forms signed and in hand: three credits of my last semester, dedicated strictly to writing (and finishing) a book.
And then spring semester began, and I thought, Wait, I have to actually write a book?!? For the next few weeks, as I struggled to find my footing (and even more, to sit and write distraction-free), I pretty much stayed in that panicked mindset.
But then things changed. My characters became their own people. I spent months debating their names and defining characteristics, but ultimately, they came alive all on their own. At a certain point, all I had to do was wait for the words to come. No thinking, no worrying, just acting as the vessel for this world I had created to construct itself on the page. It felt like this place had already existed, and I had just happened upon it with the simple purpose of describing what I saw there.
I came to believe in my ability to write a good story. That doesn't mean that I don't expect criticism, or that I don't fear my readers not liking it, but it does mean that I'm proud of my work. I could have cried at that moment when I finally held it, printed and bound, with the knowledge that I actually wrote this.
The book is titled Beatrice and The Book, and it's a fantasy children's novel for readers age 8-12. I wrote it with an educational purpose in mind-- for it to serve as a resource for conversations about empathy and individual differences. It's inspired by the fairytales that permeated my childhood bookshelf. It's full of classic fairytale elements, but my characters were crafted with a more modern audience in mind, meaning I've abandoned that classic assumption that female characters should be damsels in distress. In this, Beatrice is just as (if not more) powerful than she (or anyone else) could have predicted.
I learned some valuable lessons in the time it took to write this book: about self-discipline, about self-confidence, and about what it takes to actually write a book. I'm not sure whether I'll pursue publication, or whether I'll write another one, but I sure came away with a renewed sense of admiration for those who make writing their life. It's demanding, a little lonely, and a whole lot of hours spent hoping that someone might like what you've created. It was absolutely worth the effort though, because I think, through this process, that I became both a better writer and a better reader.
While reading this book, I thought to myself that it was going to be rather difficult to describe it to my readers in a simple but effective way. When I finished reading the story (which had me in total thrall, by the way), I read through the author's comments at the end. In her comments, Cokal described her own story as "a fairytale about syphilis." And I think that's a pretty fair description. But let me also say this: The Kingdom of Little Wounds may just be the best book I've read this year, and I almost didn't even read it. I took it off the shelf in the library on whim, because of the first sentence:
"It is while I stitch together the Queen's gown, on the night her eldest daughter is to die, that I first sense an easy power."
That sentence got me, but despite my interest, I let this book sit on my shelf and almost returned it without reading it. I let it sit there because I'm not typically a fan of Young Adult fiction, but I am into fairytales, so I picked it up again one night and fell head-over-heels into this strange and dark fairytale. It's the story of three women who live in the Scandinavian city of Skyyggehavn: Ava, a needlewoman on the Queen's staff, Midi, a dark-skinned maid from a foreign land, and Queen Isabel. The tale is so complicated that it's hard to explain, but there are twists and turns, secrets, spies, poisons, and the supernatural. It's set in a time when power was negotiated through spymasters and the futures of kingdoms rested in the cribs of infantile princes and princesses. This particular royal family is one of the most unique that I've encountered; I loved the way that Cokal filled the roles of the King and Queen with these characters that are so incredibly flawed but are worshipped by a society in which their subjects care more about their bloodlines than their leadership. Ironically enough, it was their bloodline that became the fatal flaw of the family, and as the three women narrate their perspectives, they must each strive to survive the terrible power struggle that takes place in the castle that they call home.
This book is full of intrigue, of shame and dark secrets and of manipulation. It's a fantastic creation and a nod to the grim and violent tradition of classic fairytales. (Did I mention it all starts with the prick of a needle? -- I loved that detail.) I felt so many emotions while reading this book: indignation at the things these women had to endure, disgust for the social norms (and hygiene), pity for many, hatred for a choice few, and just plain old bafflement and admiration for these extremely well-made characters. I loved everything about it: the adoration for the royal family, the lurking villains behind the mask of the seemingly innocent, the reverence for and fear of the heavens, and the crippling superstitions and customs.
I couldn't find a single thing to criticize about the story itself, but I will say this: I have no idea who decided to market this book to a YA audience, but that was a very poorly made decision. This book is way beyond anything I would recommend to a typical YA audience (which starts at age 13). This is not for readers under the age of 16 (or maybe even older, in my opinion) because it deals with all sorts of violent, graphic, and revolting matters that I would not put in the hands of young teens. It's just too inappropriate.
I do have one last thing to say, and I think it's important because it has to do with the nature of loving a book. I think we get caught up in reading books that teach us something: strategies for being an effective human, manuals for raising the perfect child, memoirs of those who have gone out into the world and done great things. We get caught up in reading things that make us better people, but sometimes it's okay to read a book simply because you love it. Sometimes I get caught up in trying to pick books that I think you (my readers) will find interesting too, so when it comes to stories like this, I hesitate, because I wonder how many others will feel the same way. I love books about magic and princesses and gothic themes, and I know those aren't for everyone. This book didn't teach me anything, it didn't make me feel like I need to change the world, and it wasn't a story about people that I can relate to. I want to applaud Cokal for her imagination, research, and ability to put pen to paper in a way that had me captivated and sad to turn the final page. It's not a Pulitzer Prize-winning piece of fiction, sure, but it's an incredible story, and that makes it enough for me.
Remember how I mentioned recently that I am a lover of fairytales? Well, I mean that in a big way. Nothing captures my heart more than a classic tale of a princess and the triumph over evil forces. Sometime long, long ago, I drank the Disney juice, and I haven't been able to get enough of the fairytale culture since.
Us Disney superfans have something to celebrate this weekend: the arrival of the new Cinderella, starring Lily James and Richard Madden (hello, Robb Stark, you're looking well) as the handsome prince. The moment we first heard the announcement, I seriously considered buying a plane ticket to Chicago to celebrate the occasion with my equally-fairytale-obsessed besties, Allie & Sam.
You can watch the trailer below:
Simply magical, right??
I did quite a bit of reading about the origins of our favorite fairytales last summer for my honors project this year, and I love how the original tales (which came from oral traditions) have inspired and informed so much writing. I thought a booklist was in order, one that celebrates the original tale of Cinderella and the many, many works that it's inspired since its publication back in the 17th century.
Normally, when I curate a booklist, I stick to one main audience. Since fairytales are something that readers of all ages can enjoy, I thought I'd mix it up and include a few books for readers from preschool all the way through young adulthood. I know quite a few adults who really enjoy these kinds of stories from the YA genre, so if you're a little older than the target audience (like me), don't be afraid to dive in!
For Young Readers (Preschool & Elementary):
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal by Paul Fleischman // A collection of Cinderella traditions from around the globe. This book weaves together the unique tales from places as different as Zimbabwe and Ireland into a story that demonstrates the universality of the fairytale. For parents who want to share a more worldly view with their children!
Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson // A quirky fracturing of the original tale. Cinder Edna (Cinderella's neighbor) isn't lucky enough to be rescued by a godmother and a handsome prince, but she perseveres due to her own resilience and go-getter attitude. This one's for families who aren't fans of the "damsel in distress" formula. A feminist and funny take.
Cinderella by Barbara McClintock // A classic retelling with an added Parisian element and gorgeous, detailed illustrations. For fans of the original.
Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci // A childhood favorite of mine. A rather Tim Burton-esque fracture, with the same uplifting message: that kindness and virtue conquer all. Definitely one to add to your Halloween collection too!
Cinderella Stays Late by Joan Holub // The first in a series that takes place in Grimmlandia, this story sets Cinderella as a new girl at Grimm Academy. Her evil stepsisters tease & embarass her, but she ends up as the hero in the end. A great lesson on girl power & treating others well!
{Psst! Parents: it's up to you to make a judgment call when it comes to these categories! Some of these books are recommended for grades 7 and above. Personally, I know many middle-graders that are mature enough to read books way above their level, but if there's a question of appropriateness, I suggest checking out the recommended reading level first!}
Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell // A Kindle-only book that's set to be published in August, this unique retelling has been on my watch-list since January. In this, Cinderella is cast as a wildly talented inventor. For those who like the damsel-saves-herself type!
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine // A classic and perfect choice for girls' bookclubs! In this, Ella is fierce and fights against her curse of obedience, and instead of being rescued, it is she who rescues the prince.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer // A very unique take on the classical tale, with a Cinderella who's actually a cyborg, and a science-fiction future in which earth is in really, really big trouble.
Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George // A royal exchange program, a competition between a servant & princess for an eligible prince, and a fan base that loves this author's retellings (this is the second in her fairytale series). Definitely worth checking out!
Bound by Donna Jo Napoli // When I stumbled upon this retelling, I let out an "Ooooh." Now this looks like a fresh take to me. Take the story of Cinderella and mold Chinese culture around it. Xing Xing is bound as a servant to her stepmother and sister, whose feet are bound and whom Xing Xing must take care of. Throw in money troubles and a desperate search for a husband, and you have a new perspective that maintains the core values.
The Masked Slipper by Jessica Lorene // A setting in which the characters are aware that they're living in a fairytale? I'll take it. Nicolette is being forced to marry a not-so-prince-charming, and she's realized that somewhere along the line, her fairytale went awry.
There are so many amazing versions of this tale in picture-book and novel form, I could probably add forty more to this list and it would still barely make a dent in the number of available versions out there! I saw ones from every culture, every time period, and some great fractured perspectives as well! I could curate a whole library full of these books. Did one catch your eye? Do you have one to add to the list? Share your thoughts below!
I don't want to brag, but I have some really good picks for you guys today. From science fiction that's eerily realistic to a new novel from the master of fractured fairytales himself, September is going to be a good month for new reads. Many of the books that I'm listing here just came out in August, so while they may be hot commodities at your local library, the good news is that you'll probably be able to spot them as soon as you step into your favorite bookstore. Though I'm still catching up on all of the books that I purchased this summer, you can bet I'll be in the holds queue for a few of these books before the month is up.
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo In colonial Malaya (a former British colony that included Singapore), a young Chinese girl is given a proposal: to escape her family's poverty, she is offered the life of a ghost bride for a prominent family's recently deceased heir. In practicing this long-time tradition, the family believes she will placate the restless spirit of her dead husband. This story promises to be full of secrets, and although I've never really been interested in historical Chinese novels, this one looks too good to resist.
Lock In: A Novel by John Scalzi Fifteen years from today, there's a new virus ravaging the human population. A small percent of its victims are left "locked in," meaning that they are essentially trapped in their own, immovable bodies but are fully conscious. American scientists respond to the call, and with their new medical and scientific advances comes the opportunity to use their discoveries as weapons. I'm not a science fiction fan in general, but I feel like this is going to be one book that transcends the traditional genre boundaries.
The Illusion of Separateness by Simon Van Booy The story of a seemingly random group of characters and the invisible connections that exist between them, Van Booy supposedly brings to life the realization that small, selfless acts can make a difference in a big way. I've read reviews of this book that deem it "sheer poetry," and it seems like the type to give you chills as you read. When readers are so enamored that they can't resist calling the writing beautiful, that's what makes me really want to pick up a book.
Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire Gregory Maguire is known for taking a classic fairytale and giving it a twist that sheds a whole new light on the story. You may not know him by name, but he's responsible for the internationally-loved Wicked (which I've heard is the best Broadway musical ever). In this fairytale, meant for readers age 12 and up, Maguire drops the classic tale of the prince and the pauper in Tsarist Russia, and integrates beloved folklore characters such as Baba Yaga. Fairytales are one of my favorite genres, and I'll definitely be looking for this one at the library this fall.
