Books I Read in 2013

I keep track of the books I've read on a calendar. I've been doing this since high school and it's a pretty decent system, except when I accidentally go weeks without writing something down and then I have to guess when it actually was that I read it. So some of the dates are probably off. Still, it allows me to keep track of when I read what. And that's really all I need. For 2014, I might switch over to keeping track of things on GoodReads, which I recent realized lets you keep track of what date you finished a book. So maybe this year, I'll actually use my calendar for keeping track of upcoming events (and drooling over how gorgeous Paris is). So here is the list of books I read this year, with my top 10 in bold.

1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (January 4th)
2. A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry (January 8th)
3. Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes (February 4th)
4. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (February 19th)
5. Just One Day by Gayle Forman (February 22nd)
6. The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne (February 28th)
7. Broken at Love by Lyla Payne (March 18th)
8. Altered by Jennfer Rush (March 18th)
9. Written in Red by Anne Bishop (April 22nd)
10. Asunder by Jodi Meadows (May 8th)
11. Poison by Bridget Zinn (May 17th)
12. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (May 20th)
13. The Elite by Kiera Cass (May 29th)
14. The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter (May 31st)
15. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith (June 1st)
16. When Calls the Heart by Janette Oke (June 3rd)
17. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (June 10th)
18. The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar (June 14th)
19. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas (June 16th)
20. The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas (June 16th)
21. The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas (June 17th)
22. The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas (June 18th)
23. Shadows on the Moon by Zoë Marriott (June 20th)
24. Free Four by Veronica Roth (June 21st)
25. Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer (June 24th)
26. The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan (June 26th)
27. Born of Illusion by Teri Brown (June 27th)
28. Revel by Maurissa Guibord (June 28th)
29. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (July 1st)
30. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen (July 14th)
31. The First Star to Fall by Diana Peterfreund (August 8th)
32. Guns for the Dead by Melissa Marr (August 12th)
33. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (August 19th)
34. Gravity by Melissa West (August 22nd)
35. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (September 2nd)
36. The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell (September 10th)
37. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon (September 12th)
38. Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon (September 16th)
39. If You Were Mine by Sara Farizan (September 26th)
40. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (September 29th)
41. Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce (October 8th)
42. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (October 16th)
43. Huntress by Malinda Lo (October 21st)
44. Antigoddess by Kendara Blake (November 4th)
45. The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell (November 21st)
46. Just One Year by Gayle Forman (December 4th)
47. You Knew Me When by Emily Liebert (December 27th)

I would say that 2013 saw a major change in the kinds of books that I enjoy. I read outside of my comfort zone a lot, especially towards the end of the year. I read more adult books than usual, and that will probably continue in to the coming years. I read more books that weren't about straight white girls, and I enjoyed them immensely, so I intend to read even more of those as well. One big thing about my changing tastes, is that it means I was disappointed by a lot of books. I read books that had been sitting on my to-be-read list for years, only to discover that they weren't really holding my interests. I read a lot of sequels that I didn't enjoy as much as the first book, and I think that has more to do with me than it does the quality of those books. It happens.

Some things didn't change. I think that a maximum of four of the books I read had exclusively male protagonists. I tend to read mostly books about women characters and I tend to read mostly books by women authors (as far as I can tell, only 2 of the books I read this year were written by men). I still read mostly fantasy books, followed by realistic fiction. In 2014, I intend to try and throw a little science fiction into the mix, since I've been enjoy a lot of sci-fi television. I'm hoping to read a little more this year, with a goal of at least 60 books in 2014. It shouldn't be too hard, my list of titles I want to read is already more than twice that number.

What are your reading goals for 2014.

Things I Loved in November 2013

I'm having a very hard time accepting the fact that it's December. I feel like this year has just flown by so fast. I have made virtually no progress on my New Year's Resolutions, which is disappointing. But I have managed to start graduate school, which means that this year is automatically more successful that 2012. At least I have that. Hopefully, December is fairly kind to me (and limited in the snow department until I'm done with classes for the semester). I'll probably be spending the month with family and watching my bank account drain as I attempt to buy everyone's Christmas presents. But this post is about November, not December. November was fairly low-key to me. I spent a lot of time on the computer (just like every other month, really), but I did manage to get up to Buffalo to visit my two best friends. I also had some great discoveries!

This fruit dip recipe

I made three different things for Thanksgiving dinner, but this fruit dip was definitely the biggest hit. Even my cousins children (who are always picky eaters) devoured it. It's also incredibly easy to make, all you do is measure out three ingredients and mix them together with a spoon. In addition to the apples recommended at the source, I put out strawberries and bananas for everyone to dip into it as well. Personally, I though the bananas went best with it, but I had multiple servings of each fruit.

The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

This is the second book in Mitchell's The Vespertine trilogy. I thought the first book was great, but this one is my favorite so far. It focuses on a characters introduced in the first book, as she recovers from tragedy and moves to a frontier town in Oklahoma to help her aunt. Much like the first book, it contains magic and romance, but I especially loved watching the main character develop. If you like historical fiction and fantasy, you should definitely check it out.

Big Time Rush

I have no shame in admitting that I love a good boy band. And Big Time Rush is definitely my favorite. There music is so much fun. I've been listening to in the car lately, and it's a great way to beat the freezing cold early mornings when I drive to work. And the freezing cold darkness when I leave work at night.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Agents of SHIELD premiered to huge numbers a few months ago, but had a bit of a hard time finding its footing. I've been watching since the premiere, and it definitely gets better with each episode. After episode 6, things start to get really good. At this point, I've completely fallen in love with this show, and I spent a lot of time talking to friends about it. In fact, my interest may have reached the point where fan fiction is involved.

Haven

I was fully prepared to rant to you about how much I love AoS, and leave it at that. But about 10 days ago, a friend finally talked me into checking out Haven, which airs on SyFy here in the US. I marathoned all 50 of the currently aired episodes in 8 days, and now I'm anxiously awaiting the start of it's two-part season finale. It's a great fantasy show, and I love all of the characters so much. You should definitely give this show a try, seasons 1-3 are currently up on Netflix. You won't regret it.

Xhilariation Gloves

Like I said earlier, I flew up to Buffalo to visit friends earlier this month. And, in general, Buffalo is really cold. So the night before I left, I ducked into Target and bought a pair of cheap gloves. These aren't incredibly warm, but they do really well for their $3 price tag. And they have the special tips that allow you to use your phone/iPod without taking them off. And they're small enough that my tiny hands actually fit into them properly. All in all, a very useful purchase.

REN ClearCalm3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

I have really oily skin, which is naturally prone to acne. And ever since I started using this cleanser, my skin has been the best its ever been (aside from when I was taking pills for acne... maybe). I'm so happy with this product (and all of the REN skincare items I've tried). I did go through my first bottle of it very quick, though, so I'm trying to be a little more careful with the second.

Things I Loved in October 2013

October was good to me. I got a lot of mileage out of minimal spending, which is always a good thing. I spent a lot of evenings plopped in front of my tv, fall 2013 seems to have a lot of good shows. My weekly cooking ventures went better than I anticipated. They opened a Target in my town, which did not disappoint when I went to check it out a couple of weeks ago. Work is going well, school is going well, and I planned a trip to visit friends from college in a couple of weeks. So here are some of the (many) things I enjoyed this month!

This Simple Chicken & Dumplings Recipe
Cooking makes me nervous. I'm always afraid I'm going to screw things up horribly. And I was extra terrified while making this recipe, because I was expecting there to be more liquid in it than ended up in my pot. But everything turned out fine, and both of my parents enjoyed this as much as I did. I substituted cream of chicken soup for the creamy chicken mushroom soup, and corn and green beans for the peas and carrots (my mother hates peas and I hate carrots), and it was fantastic. It tasted so much like the chicken and dumpling meal sets my father used to get from the grocery store. And I'm sure it was a lot healthier.

CrockPot Caramel Apple Cider
The only thing I ever really get from Starbucks is their Caramel Apple Spice, and for some reason it's not on the menu this year (I've been told multiple times that they have all the ingredients in stock, so I can order it regardless, but that still makes me nervous). So I've been looking for a good replacement recipe. This one is delicious, if not exactly the same. The cinnamon taste is much stronger and the caramel taste is much weaker, but I still loved it. And I figure that, with a little experimentation, I can get closer to my preferred taste. I made this for my parents last week, and my mother has now decided that I'll be making it for our extended family on Thanksgiving. So I'd definitely call it a hit.


Atlas Genius

A couple of weekends ago, I went to an Atlas Genius concert with my friend Katie. We saw them open for Imagine Dragons a few months prior and thought they were fantastic. And it turns out their headlining show was even better. So you should take a listen to their songs on youtube and maybe pick up their album.

Bad for Me by Megan & Liz

You might remember this song from the Macy's commercial that aired last year. I thought it was really catchy at the time but didn't end up downloading it until I saw it in another commercial recently, this time for Audi. I had it stuck in my head for days after I downloaded it and it's an excellent addition to my workout playlist. Watch the video for it here.



Never Mind the Buzzcocks

I wish I could say that my favorite British TV show was something critically acclaimed or classy or cult. But it's not. It's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, a music-themed quiz show. The show is currently in it's 27th season, and I've seen all the episodes starting with season 19. It's hilarious and fun, and I say this despite the fact that I have no idea who the celebrity guests are half the time, much less what the answers to most of the questions at home. I can tell you, that I would do horribly on this show because I have never been able to correctly guess any of the songs from the Intros Round. Still, I find myself watching it on YouTube every week.


Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

Unsurprisingly, my favorite book this month was Tamora Pierce's Battle Magic. Like I've said, Pierce has been my favorite author for over a decade, and I anxiously await each of her new releases. This book was set in her Emelan universe and follows the story of Rosethorn, Briar, and Evvy, who we've seen in her previous books. It follows the trio on the tail end of their world travels, in the lands of Gyonxe and Yanjing, where they get caught in the middle of a brewing war. I really liked getting to see Rosethorn's point of view this time around, as we've never gotten to see things through her eyes. It was yet another wonderful, wonderful story from Tamora Pierce, and I cannot recommend her books highly enough.




Lucky Brand Unitas Lace Front Booties

I bought my first real pair of heels during my Junior year of college. They were a simple pair of black oxford booties with a 2.5 inch heels. I wore them on my first date (with jeans and an argyle sweater, in case you were wondering) and they were my go to shoe for my first year of post-college employment (when you wear a 28" inseam, most of the time you need a pair of heels with even the petite leg work pants). But with plenty of tears in the leather and heel so worn down I could feel the unevenness when I stood in them, it was definitely time to replace them. So when a coupon arrived for 25% off any Lord & Taylor purchase, I decided to finally get new pair of black suede booties I have eyeing. These are so comfortable, they don't rub anywhere. The heel is a bit higher than my old pair (3.25 inches), but still easy to walk in. I don't think I could go much higher than this, though. They also come in oliver suede and brown leather.

TopShop Lips in Beguiled & Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate in 107

Now that it finally feels like autumn, I've been breaking out my autumn colored lipsticks. Both of these are gorgeous burgundy colors. Beguiled is just a tag more purple and 107 is a bit more red. It spent a lot of time tracking down 107 (I ended up buying mine in London, while I was on vacation, but Walgreens seems to have it), and it was definitely worth the effort. I already know I love the TopShop lipsticks, but I can't wait to try out more of Rimmel's Lasting Finish line.

Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo & Conditioner

I bought these in travel size for my vacation in August and I absolutely loved them. They leave my hair feeling so soft. They manage to tone down my frizz while still giving my hair volume. Also, it leaves me hair feeling so clean. I switched back to my old favorite shampoo and conditioner a few weeks ago, and it doesn't even compare to this. I'll definitely switch back to Living Proof, maybe even before my current bottles run out. I'm definitely looking forward to trying more of their products.

And that's the cream of the crop from October. Hopefully I'll find just as much great stuff in November (and I'm looking to try out a bunch of great Thanksgiving recipes). What have you been loving this month?

Book List: My 5 Most Anticipated Releases for November & December

The list of books I'm anticipating for November and December is shorter than it was for September and October. And that's a good thing, considering the fact that my to-be-read list is piling up. I've only managed to get to one book from September/October list (and it will shock no one that is was Tamora Pierce's latest offering), but I'm going to get to them soon. I promise. Unless I get my hands on one of these books first, then who knows what will happen. This set of books includes another favorite author, and a few books that I've added to my list in an attempt to expand my horizons. The exciting news for you guys is that only one of these is a continuation of a series. So here we go:

Technically Cold Spell, which comes out November 5th, is the fourth book in Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retelling series. But as far as I can tell, while those books are connected in theme, they can each stand alone. Cold Spell is based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Snow Queen (Disney is releasing their adaptation of this story, Frozen, a few weeks after this books is released). One of the great things about the original fairy tale is that, unlike a lot of the most popular ones, it the female protagonist does most of the hero-ing. It's the story a girl rescuing her childhood friend, who has been taken by the titular Snow Queen. I'm very excited to see how this is adapted, because I can't recall coming across any other versions of it, despite my many ventures in the fractured fairy tale genre.

As I've previously mentioned, it doesn't make much for a book to turn me into a sobbing mess. And there are few themes that turn me into an emotional wreck as much as cancer stories. Therefore, I'll probable save The F- It List by Julie Halpern for a day when I don't have to worry about getting hysterical at my work desk. Coming out November 12th, it's the story of two estranged friends who, after one of them is diagnosed with cancer, come to together to complete her bucket list. I love stories that are mainly about friendship, so I might even risk the tears at work for this one.

Generally speaking, I'm not much of a science fiction reader. I've always stuck mostly to fantasy books, with a decent amount of realistic fiction as well. In the last couple of months, I've made it a goal of mine to broaden my reading horizons, both in terms of types of characters and genres. And science fiction seems like a promising way to do this (as opposed to the horror genre, which I will probably never be able to read. I'm a huge scaredy cat). December 10th is the release date for Amie Kaufman's These Broken Stars, which tells the story of two people from different walks of life who's spaceship crash lands on another planet. Together, they try to find a way off the planet but even if they do, they won't be the same people who landed there.

December 10th is also the release date for Tammer Stein's Spoils. Leni's family one the lottery when she was a child, and managed to go blow through all that money before she turned 18. Now all that remains in the large trust fund she'll inherit on her upcoming birthday. But before she can give that money to her parents, Leni's sister lets her in on a big secret that could destroy the whole family. Leni needs to fix things, but she's not sure how. I'm really excited for the family aspect of this book. A lot YA books downplay the importance of family, so I'm glad to see one where the major focus is on family.

Finally, December 31st sees the release of Taste of Darkness, the final book in Maria V. Snyder's Healer trilogy. In the few years since I started reading Snyder's books, she's become one of my favorite authors. She comes through on my favorite story elements of richly developed fantasy worlds and well-developed female characters. If you're a fan of Tamora Pierce, you should definitely check out her books. You won't be disappointed.

And that's it. Those are my most anticipated books for the rest of the year. I can't believe we're so close to the end of the year. I did not put a big enough dent in my reading list and there are so many exciting books coming out next year. I'm really looking forward to it. So tell me, what are you hoping to read between now and the end of the year?

Book List: Adult Department

When it comes to my reading choices, I'm guilty of sticking mostly to young adult books. They're such great reads and they don't deserve the bad rap they sometimes get. Still, I could benefit from expanding my reading choices. And I have been. This year the number of adult books I've read has increased greatly, and things have been a bit more varied that what I read from young adult (look, there's even a non-fiction book). And I've loved nearly all of the ones I've read, which is probably a sign that there's a lot out there for me to enjoy. These are some of my favorites:

click to enlarge

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep
Daughter of Troy by Sarah B. Franklin
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Greedy Bastard Diary: A Comic Tour of America by Eric Idle
Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers
Enchantment Place edited by Denise Little
Graveminder by Melissa Marr
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Stray by Rachel Vincent

I'm trying to expand on the genres, departments, and characters that I read. I think I've been stuck in a bit of a rut for the last couple of years. So let me know what you're currently reading, I'd love to check it out.

Booklist: Ten Years or Older

I've mentioned before that I keep a long, running list of all the books I'd like to read. Generally, any additions I make to the list are upcoming or recent releases. But there are plenty of gems out there that were released years ago, and I would benefit from looking at those more. If you fall into the same habits as I do, you probably will too. So here are my favorite books that were published at least 10 years ago. Some I read around the time they were released (I was 13 ten years ago, FYI), and others I've stumbled across more recently. I tried to stick to books and authors that I feel are lesser known, with a couple of exceptions. After all, the first Harry Potter book was originally published 16 years ago (15 in the USA), and I don't think you need me to recommend that to you.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

After the Dancing Days by Margaret I. Rostkowski

The Only Alien on the Planet by Kristen D. Randle (deals with abuse)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan

Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister When Crazy by Sonya Sones (deals with mental illness)

The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling

Old Magic by Marianne Curley

Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

Never After by Rebecca Lickiss

Things I Loved in September 2013

I can't believe that there are only 3 months left in the year. I have not made nearly enough progress on my New Years Resolutions for it the be the beginning of October already. Unfortunately, my calendar is not lying to me, so here are some of the things I enjoyed this month:

This Fried Rice Recipe

I am in grad school, and I live with my parents in order to save money. I live rent free, but part of the deal is that I have to cook dinner once a week. This recipe is the only one to make multiple appearances on my dinner menu (I think I've actually made it 4 times). When I make it with the chicken, as in the recipe, I buy a pre-cooked rotisserie, shred it, and use that. However, I think I like it even better when I don't use chicken and just include more veggies (personally, I use a frozen carrot, pea, corn, and green bean medley). What's even better, is that it's a big enough recipe to leave me with leftovers for lunch the next day, saving me from yet another sandwich. I wish I'd known this recipe when I was in college, because it's easy, delicious, and still a lot healthier than most of what I was eating back then.

People and Things

Jack's Mannequin put out fantastic seasonal albums. Everything In Transit is perfect for driving with the windows down in the summer, The Glass Passenger is perfect for fall, and People and Things is my go to album for autumn. Andrew McMahon is my favorite musician, and this album, which was released 2 years ago, is full of beautiful songs. I love singing along to it as I drive to and from work/school. My favorite tracks are "Television," "Amy, I," and "Platform Fire."Also, check out the short films created for each song on youtube.

Sleepy Hollow

Fall tv shows are starting up again and, after three episode, I am in love with Sleepy Hollow. As I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for retellings of famous story, and this is shaping up to be an excellent take on the headless horseman story. It has an eerie but gorgeous setting, complete with an interesting apocalyptic mythology and creepy creatures (which are amazing quality for a tv show). Normally, I shy away from all things horror, but Sleepy Hollow has the perfect amount of scary to keep me on edge without keeping from sleep afterwards. And the best part? That would have to be protagonist Abbie Mills. She's a competent police officer, confronted with the existence of the supernatural (and not for the first time). Abbie is complex, a compelling mixture of strength and vulnerability that you don't get to see in a lot of ladies on tv. I'm excited to watch see more of her, especially in terms of her past relationship with father-figure Sheriff Corbin, and in future interactions with her sister, Jenny.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight is the second book in Maas's Throne of Glass series. It tells the story of Celaena Sardothien, an assassin in a realm where the king has completely done away with magic. Celaena spent a year as a slave in a mine, which she had been sent to for an unsuccessful murder attempt. I can't tell you much more than that without giving away the plot of the first book, but I'll tell you a few of the elements I enjoyed. The world Maas has created is very vivid, and the circumstances regarding the disappearance of magic are revealed in an intriguing way. Celaena is a well developed protagonist, with realistic skills and faults. She has a grim job, but certainly enjoys the finer things in life. Her job as an assassin doesn't bog her down in darkness, although she has her own demons. She has loved and lost, and that has a huge impact on her mindset and actions in the books. The romance angle within the books is handled very well, with no one shaming Celaena for her past relationships. There is a love triangle, which I normally hate, but it's executed well, in a way that doesn't hurt the characterization of any of its participants. I will now be anxiously awaiting the third book in the series.

TopShop Lips in All About Me, Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera, Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

All About Me is a bright pink lipstick that adds the perfect pop of color for my work outfits. It goes on smooth and even, isn't too drying and lasts well on the lips. I usually touch it up once after lunch and again at the end of the work day, if I have plans for later. The Convertible Colors are hands down my favorite cream blushes (I own 4), as they aren't too shiny on my oily skin, are easy to blend, and last all day. Gerbera is a very subtle peachy color, which always pairs well with my beauty staple, the bold lip. Finally, I'm pretty sure that there's some sort of magic inside Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray (which I mentioned purchasing in my first ever blog post). My hair is thick, heavy, and prone to being dragged down by its own weight. This spray gives it so much volume, without sacrificing movement. It gives me perfect second day hair, reviving my curls which have usually been flattened by a good night's sleep. I know it's expensive, but I'm so in love with it that I won't be hesitating to repurchase it when my travel size bottle runs out.

Booklist: Books That Made Me Sob Like A Baby

In the interest of full disclosure, I'll tell you this: it does not take much to make me cry. I cried while watching a cartoon the other night. I have cried over commercials (not just the ASPCA ones). I have cried over multiple Taylor Swift songs. And, of the last 20 books I read, I've probably shed tears over more than half of them. So this is not a list of all the books that have made me cry, we do not have the time or the space for that. Plus, it's a common enough occurrence that I don't even remember all of them. What I am going to share with you is the eight biggest offenders. These are the books that I vividly recall turning into a blubbering mess over. One of these books made me cry so hard that  the man sitting across from me on a train became visibly uncomfortable. Another one made me audibly sob at my desk at work (thankfully no one was around at the time to see or hear me). And a third made me cry so hard that I woke my parents up in the middle of the night. So I won't tell you to enjoy these reads, but rather to let them torture you in the best way possible.

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Is there a particular book that made you cry more than any other? Let me know in the comments; I'm looking for some new books to read. Also, let me know what theme you'd like to see for next week's Booklist.

Booklist: Fractured Fairy Tales & Story Retellings

I am a sucker for story retellings and fractured fairy tales. They're some of my favorite stories to read, and I've devoured them like mad over the years. I love seeing all the different takes on the same situations. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is one of my favorite movies, and I also enjoyed movies like 10 Things I Hate About You, all the Disney Princess movies and even Troy (although they took a lot of liberties with the story in that one). I decided that, since I feel so familiar with the theme, it would be a good place to start off for a booklist. I've included 7 of my top picks, as well as a series that I love. They cover Classical mythology, Arthurian legend, classic books and some of my favorite fairy tales. I hope you enjoy!

left to right, top to bottom

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Greek Mythology/Trojan War/Patroclus)
Quicksilver by Stephanie Spinner (Greek Mythology/Hermes)
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell (Arthurian Legend/The Lady of Shalott)
Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein (Hamlet)
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson (Peter Pan)
East by Edith Pattou (East of the Sun and West of the Moon)
Swan Kingdom by Zoë Marriott (The Wild Swans)

left to right

The Once Upon a Time series of retellings is an amazing and comprehensive series consisting of 19 books covering nearly all the standard European fairy tales as well as Arabian Nights, The Ballad of Mulan, The Last of the Mohicans, The Magic Flute, and Anastasia. I've read all but one of them (it's currently on it's way to me from another library), and there's something for everyone.

In the process of putting this list together, I realized that I have read an even larger number of story retellings than I realized. I've always known that I've read a lot of them, but the list was even longer than I anticipated. In interest of keeping this blog post manageable, I didn't include them all. However, I did put together a list on goodreads of the 49 books of this type that I have read (and remembered enough to put on a list). This will be an even 50 once interlibrary loan delivers to me that Jack and the Beanstalk retelling.

Do you have any recommendations of fractured fairy tales that I should check out? Let me know in the comments! I hear Robin McKinley is fantastic, but I don't even know where to start. Also, what is your favorite fairy tale/folk tale?

Book List: My 5 Most Anticipated Releases for September & October

I love books. Which is a good thing, because I intend to be a children's and young adult librarian. So I read a lot. I keep a series of wishlists on Amazon that are filled with nothing but books. Currently there are 172 books on those lists, 44 of which have yet to be released. There are some really promising books coming out between now and the end of October, and I'm especially excited for 5 of them.

Tomorrow, September 17th, is the release date for Maggie Stiefvater's latest novel, The Dream Thieves. It's her 8th young adult novel and the second in her 4 book Raven Cycle. I really loved the first book in the series, The Raven Boys. I've read all of Maggie's books, and it's my favorite so far. The series is based around a girl named Blue and four boys who attend a nearby private school. The book itself is moody, full of magic and mythology, and all of the characters are intriguing.

September 24th is the release date for Tamora Pierce's Battle Magic. It follows her characters Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy, all of whom have appeared in previous books set in her Emelan universe. This novel sees the three mages working to prepare for an impending war. I'll be honest with you, Tamora Pierce is, hands down,  my favorite author of all time. I have read all of her books and loved every last one of them. Her world building is fantastic and easy to picture, with rich details and a great multi-cultural element. She writes so many wonderful characters and her female characters are especially believable, with their own unique set of strengths and faults. I guarantee I will have this book in my hands on release day, and I'll probably devour it quickly. Tamora Pierce is that good.

Gayle Forman's Just One Day was one of my favorite books I read in 2013 (although it was released in 2012), so I'm very much excited for it's companion novel, Just One Year, which releases October 10th. The first books tells the story of Allyson, an American teenager visiting Europe before starting college. While in England, she meets Willem, a Dutch actor. The two spend a whirlwind day in Paris, but when Allyson wakes up the next day, Willem is gone. The book covers the year following that day, and how it effects Allyson as she starts college. I loved both of the main characters, and found the side characters (most of which Allyson meets at college) brought a lot to the story. The sequel follows the same timespan as its predecessor, only told from Willem's point of view. I'm definitely curious to see what he was up to during that time frame, and I'm especially interested in seeing the people in his life, who we only got hints about in the first novel.

There's another sequel on my list (what can I say, I love a good series), and it's Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund. It's the sequel to For Darkness Show the Stars (a favorite read of 2012), which was inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, but set in a post-apocolyptic world. Across a Star Swept Sea is set in the same world as it's predecessor, and also at the same time, but in a different location that responded to the "Reduction" in a much different manner than the first book in the series. This book was inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, which I admittedly am not as familiar with as Jane Austen's work, but am looking forward to nonetheless. Also, Peterfreund released a short e-book prequel to this upcoming release and reading it last month has definitely whet my appetite and made me even more eager for this latest book

The final book on my list, Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow, is the only non-sequel book on my list. This comes out on October 29th. It takes place in a world where the dead are very much a threat to the safety of the living and are kept in check by women who magically knot cords and yarn to repel them. These women are called Binders. Otter, the book's protagonist, is the daughter of a very powerful Binder, and takes for granted that one day she will be one too. When her mother's power turns inward and becomes a danger to herself, Otter finds she must rise to the occasion and accept responsibility and a power she no longer wants. There's so much I find appealing about this book, but the two big things are mother-daughter relationships and the failure and danger of power. I'm definitely excited to check it out.

These are the books I'm most excited to check out for the rest of September and October, but there are still other releases that I'm anticipating. Let me know in the comments what books you're interested in reading soon!