Fairy Tale Fortnight: Week One

Starting last Sunday, Fairy Tale Fortnight took off. The event, hosted by Misty at The Book Rat and Ashley at Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing, focuses on the awesomeness of fairy tales and the books based on them. There have been some great postzs interviews and general amazing things happening on their blogs. If you haven't been there yet, get thee self to a web browser and check it out!

In honor of FTF I made a trip to the library and picked up some books to be read while FTF was running. (It was an awesome plan, and sadly it went downhill when books I'd been dying to read came in for me... I have no self-control :)) These are the ones I've read through this week with some quick comments

The Poison Apples by Lily Archer

With a base in Snow White, The Poison Apples covers a topic I'm well-versed in--evil stepmothers :) And it takes place in a boarding school? Who doesn't love boarding schools? Deals with fitting in, divorce and learning to make peace with the past.  This isn't a fairy-tale retelling so much as a clever play of words, but I'll take it.

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

The 12 Dancing Princesses! LOVED this book and George is on my library list for my next trip. This book has a beautiful setting, a great set of characters with the most awesome names ever and it still has enough of the original tale that made it just right! A great quick read.

In between this two books (And my other lovelies I couldn't resist) I've been read this great old book called "The World's Best Fairy Tales." I should have taken a picture of it, but I'll show it to you later. It's full of all of the tales that I know and love and some new ones. Yay for FTF!

In My Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren (And it's her birthday! Happy Birthday!)

Bought:

 

The Iron King (Harlequin Teen) by Julie Kagawa

Charmed Thirds: A Jessica Darling Novel by Megan McCafferty

Ladies and gentlemen, I paid a grand total of $1.10 for both of these. The sales god was smiling upon that day.

Library:

  

Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy) by Lauren DeStefano

Hex Hall  and Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Best library trip ever. Not that I made a trip to the library. I have a personal librarian. He delivers :)

Review: If I Stay

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Published by Dutton on April 6, 2010


Goodreads Summary: 


In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My thoughts: One word: Heartbreaking. Oh my word.  Mia has everything--a wonderful family, a caring boyfriend and a talent and passion for the cello. A tragic car accident and it may all be lost. Forman creates a beautiful life and breaks it into a million pieces. And you, as the reader, must watch Mia as she tries to put together the pieces and make the hardest choice in her life.


Not going to lie, I bawled while reading this book. In public. Such a blunt look on life, but wonderfully told. This novel leaves you questioning the choices you would make, and what would make staying worth it. 


On a side note, the book is bit graphic. After reading the first few chapters, I realized at I had picked up this book from the library before, but stopped after reading the first three. 


This is an amazing book. I always seem to have a lost for words when describing the books I love the most. Read this one. It's worth the tears.

Review: Wicked Lovely

 Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Published by Harper Teen on May 1, 2008

Goodreads Summary:

All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends' obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see? 

My thoughts: Hm, truthfully, I could take it or leave it. I started it about three weeks ago and I had to force myself to finish it last night, when I was about 3/4 done. I wanted to love this book. Honestly. But the book just didn't cut if for me. I felt like the book was predictable--I figured out what was going to happen a few chapters in and the chapters between didn't change that outcome.

There is a great twist in the end that was a redeeming factor. I will eventually pick up the the second book in the series because of that aspect of the book. I also think the series has great world-building potential, but  there wasn't enough of a good plot to grab my attention.

Maybe I read this too soon after The Iron Fey series? Haughty prince? Chosen princess? Rings a bell :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Books into Movies

The Broke and The Bookish host Top Ten Tuesday! Head to their site to learn more!

This week's topic is the Top Ten books I'd like to see made into movies :)

(Even though the movies NEVER do the books justice. NEVER.)

  

The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

Would love to see a fairy movie. Pretty sure the only one on the market right now is Tinkerbell.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

What a story to tell--and I think it would translate well on the big screen.

The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi

This book is about Dante's 12 levels in Hell, secret societies and 12 challenges taken on by a Swiss Guard, a nun and a archeologist. I think it would make a great thriller.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

My favorite of Green's novels. It would make a nice college-type movie, along the lines of Accepted or Orange County

The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato

Italy. Art. Murders. Forbidden Love. All the makings of a great movie, right?

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

This book comes out in May--but what a great movie it would make. Gritty, Victorian England makes the perfect backdrop for this steampunk novel.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfied

This book would be the CREEPIEST movie ever. I'm sure it would be really good, but I would never watch it, so this is my other pick:

A Long, Long TIme Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka.

Now I am totally biased on this book because I would love to see Krakow (the setting) again, if only on the big screen. But if they could weave this two stories as well as Pasulka, it would be pure gold.

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Now I sure this movie would be made terrible--Disney Movie of the Month terrible. But I would still love to see it!

Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot.

Two words: Meg. Cabot.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

A trip across Europe? I'd watch it.