Retellings

A Curse Dark as Gold

I'll admit it, I'm not drawn to fairy tale retellings and I don't usually seek them out. I'm not sure why because when I discover one accidentally, I'm usually not disappointed. For example, Plain Kate by Erin Bow is based on Russian folklore and was an excellent read. And the fact is this corner of the MG/YA market is quite popular. Have you noticed the stream of Snow Whites and Red Riding Hoods at the movies lately?

On a recent trip to my local library, Elizabeth Bunce's, A Curse Dark as Gold kind of presented itself to me. As I was searching the shelves for something to read, I picked up Starcrossed, another of Bunce's books. The jacket read, "...author of  ACDasG, winner of the ALA Morris Debut YA award." This piqued my curiosity, and as luck would have it, Curse sat on the shelf, tucked up tight against the other book. I read the jacket and was intrigued that it was a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Though I've always found Rumplestiltskin rather creepy, it's one of my favorites because of how the miller's daughter finally outwits him. If you're not familiar with the tale click here to read more.

Bunce's excellent storytelling and likable main character drew me right in. Charlotte is strong, courageous, and determined to keep her family's mill running despite problems that arise, both the seemingly ordinary and the unexplainable, which have plagued the Millers for generations. The mystery is slowly revealed throughout the novel and revolves around a curse which Charlotte denies at first, but eventually must face and overcome. I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling and would recommend it to anyone who loves YA historical fantasy.

Below are other novels based on  fairy tales, mythology or folklore.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu (based on the Snow Queen)
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (inspired by the Greek myth Theseus - click link for an interview with Collins about her inspiration for the trilogy)
Beastly by Alex Flinn
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Myer: Cinder (Cinderella), Scarlet (Red Riding Hood), Cress (Rapunzel), and Winter (Snow White)

I've heard good things about Cinder and recently reserved it at my library. Can't wait to read it!

What do you think about fairy tale/folklore retellings? Not original enough or entertaining? What are some of your favorites? I'd love to add them to my TBR list.

I Made It: My Ode to May

I made it to the other side of May.
I'm lighter, brighter, and almost, but not quite, carefree.
I'm not going to lie to you, folks - it was not an easy month.
It was full of very high highs, of the most memorable moments.
And it contained an extremely low, low. One that made me stare fear in the face and almost took my breath away. I wish I could share it here. But to put it into words for all to see...I'm not ready for that. I'll just say that I came close to losing someone I love. But thankfully, I didn't.

May, I love you.
I wish that I could slow down and cherish every one of your days, but you always seem to pass in the blink of an eye.
My boy graduated from high school and is on the brink of his next great adventure: college.
I tearfully watched my youngest as she joyfully received her First Communion (and her 2nd and 3rd, etc. with just as much joy).
I noticed how the showers you brought deepened the green grass of my lawn.
And how you dressed my shrubs with beautiful fuschia and purple flowers.
The warmth of the sun and the gentle breezes blowing through my open windows comforted me on some of my darker days.

The end of May is now in sight; it's Memorial Day weekend. Three days of no committments, nowhere I have to go,
The fear lingers a bit, but it won't consume me.
I shared many happy moments with family and friends, some of whom  I haven't seen in quite some time. And I have a deeper appreciation for the free time that I now have. I plan to not waste it, but to use it wisely.

Thank You, Nathan Bransford

Do you ever feel like you're letting everyone down - your family, your friends, the writing communtiy, yourself -when you stop writing? I do.

Today's post by Nathan Bransford couldn't have been written at a better time. Sometimes I feel like my writing life - my me time, my novel, the friends I've made through blogging - are slipping away. I am in the midst of the most hectic month this year with proms/dances, awards ceremonies, my daughter's First Communion, birthday parties (3 [make that 4 since I began writing this post]), graduations, the science fair, along with spring sports. When there is down time, I sleep, snatch a few moments to read, or watch something that requires little concentration (I've become a big fan of HGTV and Storage Wars on A&E. Who knew?)

I'm a firm believer in what Nathan wrote in his post:

Life comes before writing every single time. Do what you need to do.

My new mantra.

I know I didn't need it, but thank you, Nathan, for the permission to put my writing on hold.  I can see the end of the madness; it's within sight.

Looking forward to a productive June, July, and August!

Blog Hold

So, you may have noticed I've been scarce lately. My life has been happening away from the computer for the last few months. That's a good thing. Big things are happening in my family. I've mentioned my oldest who has finally heard back from all colleges about acceptances and financial aid. I'm so proud of him and I couldn't be happier about the school he will be attending for the next four years. At the same time, I'm going to have get used to my first born leaving home and living hundreds of miles away. The lump is already hardening in my throat.

But I didn't start this post to focus on what's going on in my life. I suppose I just wanted to touch base with you all. See, I have this niggling voice in the back of my brain. It whispers, "They'll forget about you. They don't care if you post or not. They'll move on without you." I know this isn't true or at least I hope it isn't. But I guess I'm just insecure about being forgotten, ignored, or scrolled over (that's gotta hurt. kind of like a steamroller). Because no matter how much I claim that I'm fine, I like being accepted into group of like minded peers, being validated by others who write.

And so I feel I can tell you that I still feel like a writer, even though I haven't been writing.
What I have been doing in the midst of everything is reading (albeit a lot slower), thinking, rereading an old draft, and planning on which direction I need to take.

And sometimes when I'm feeling sorry for myself and feel like my writing/blogging life is on hold, I say these words to myself...

Write for Yourself
Blog for Yourself
Read for Yourself
Be Yourself...not what you think others expect.

I hope you are all well. Those of you participating in A-Z...well done! I'm enjoying your posts.

Book Review: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Every once in a while, a book comes along that is special. I'd even dare to call it perfect. I realize that this is highly subjective; that there will be someone who won't share the same opinion as me. But when you read such a book, it stays on your mind and you want to tell all you meet.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is such a book.

Though I don't usually post reviews, I wanted to share my enthusiasm for Monster, especially since I haven't seen many reviews of this book around the blogosphere. Trust me...this is a gem of a novel. One that I will buy in hardcover and be proud to add to my collection of favorites.

A Monster Calls is the extraordinary tale of Conor, a 13-year-old boy, dealing with a painful truth, as he tries to handle living with his mother who is undergoing cancer treatment. Now wait a minute. If you're thinking, "Yeah. This is not my kind of book. It will be too sad and depressing," may I suggest that you give this book a chance (and trust me, you'll only need the first chapter). Not only did I fall in love with Conor, but I was fascinated by the monster "that comes walking" to visit him.

Okay, that's all I'm going to give away about the story line. But let me share one more thought. Most of you have probably read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (and if you haven't, why not? this is one of the most amazing books ever written...ahem, but I digress. sorry for the opiniated aside) and most you remember how you felt when you finished that novel. When I first heard that The Book Thief was about a girl living in Nazi Germany who steals books, I put off reading it because I thought it would be too depressing and not really my kind of book (whatever "my kind of book" actually means). After many recommendations, I finally borrowed it from the library, became completely immersed in Liesel's story, smiled and cried as I read it,  hugged it tightly to my chest when I finished, and declared it one of my all time favorite books.

A Monster Calls is a very different story, but it had the same effect on me. In my humble opinion, every word is perfect, every illustration is perfect. Words that come to mind are powerful, haunting, and yes, sad.

But every word, every tear is worth it. Read it. You won't be sorry.

Walk Like A Zo-om-bie

It's not the B-side to the Bangles', "Walk Like an Egyptian." Though now that tune will be on replay in my head all day.

But if you find yourself feeling like the undead, or exhibiting 1 or more of the following zombie-like symptoms this morning...

1. eyes swollen shut and/or dark circles under your eyes
2. shuffling around the kitchen or workplace
3. uttering unintelligible moans that sound something like cooooffeeee
4. an unnatural craving for your neighor's, spouse's, workmate's brains

(scratch that last one. if you do have an appetite for innards then you may want to examine where you've been sleeping lately.)

...don't panic! The acopolypse isn't here just yet. It's only...

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!


Give yourself a couple of days to adjust and in no time you'll be back to feeling your normal early morning exhaustion.

But until then enjoy the extra hour of daylight today. Here in the northeast, the temps will be flirting with 70 degrees this afternoon. My advice on how to eliminate that zombie state of being is to get out there and bask in the beautiful sunshine, or if you're like me, open a window and take a nap.

How do you handle daylight savings time? Love it or hate it?

Mourning A Piece of My Childhood

Last week was long and exhausting: work, anxiety over college forms, and tackling projects around the house. But I was able to work through it with patience, diligence, perseverance, and even a few tears.

What I didn't expect to deal with last week was mourning the death of one of my first crushes...Davy Jones.

Over the past few days I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos of Davy which has brought back many memories of my adolescence. I  loved watching reruns of the Monkees during the 70s. Although the band was created for the television show, something I didn't know at the time, I instantly fell for the shorter Monkee with the dark, bowl cut hair, cute dimples, and British accent. Oh, that accent! I don't remember how old I was exactly when I discovered the Monkees, somewhere in the 10 to 12 range. I loved their zany antics and catchy songs. But the only one who set my heart a flutter was Davy.

What I'm going to write next will undoubtedly sound goofy to some, (though I suspect not to my female readers) but remember my age at the time.  Forget the boy (another Dave) in my 4th grade class who shot 'i love you' notes across the room with elastics to get my attention. He even had a similar hairstyle - bowl cut around the ears (it was the 70s, folks). Wasn't interested. Most of the boys I knew either acted weird, ignored me, or teased me. Alex liked to point out that I walked funny. Richie thought it was funny to ask me, "Why don't you ever talk? And what's on your forehead? (pimples)"

Watching Davy on that silly TV show stirred something inside me. Around this time I started taking tenative steps away from childhood and toward young adulthood, experiencing feelings that were both confusing and exciting at the same time. I began to think, Hey, maybe boys aren't that bad after all. Maybe kissing a boy wouldn't be that bad (if he looked like Davy). Maybe the Monkees will come to my town someday, like they sing in the opening song, and I'll get to meet him! Yes, I was a bit of a daydream believer.

Leif couldn't do it.
Donny didn't do it.
Shawn? Uh uh.

But Davy? He could and did.
Davy was cute, fun, had a smile that lit up the room, could sing, and did I  mention his accent?

Rest in peace, dear Davy. Thanks for the sweet memories.

Tell me about your first adolescent crush.