Merry Wanderer of the Night:
fairy tale

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a book that has been on my radar since April, when Marissa participated in Fairy Tale Fortnight (linked for any of you who missed it). And I'll be honest, I spent a long time going back and forth on where or not I was really interested in this one. I was always interested, because it's a fairy tale retelling, and that always grabs by attention. But this is a futuristic Cinderella, a Cinderella who is a cyborg. I haven't read a lot of science fiction, and I'm always a little bit wary of it. So I went back and forth between — Ya, I'm excited (shrug, I guess) and Yes! Of course I'm excited!

And then I read the book.

No more debates for me! This book was so amazing. It freaking rocked my face! Meyer manages to take the Cinderella story and turn it into something new and unique and futuristic and different while still keeping that magical feel of a fairy tale.

Cinder is a great character. She's confused about her role in the world, because according to the rules and laws of their world, being a cyborg makes her somewhere between a second class citizen and a possession. So she knows that, according to the laws & prejudices of her world, she is less than human. But other than the metal in her hand and leg and a few 'upgrades' here and there, she feels human. And how do you reconcile something like that?! Feeling like a person but being treated as a machine. My heart so went out to Cinder, because that would be so hard!

I was also really excited, because we get to see some chapters narrated by Prince Kai. It made him more real to me, made him a much stronger character, and it gave me a reason to root for him. Kai is in a terrible position because of the story's villain — the proverbial rock and a hard place — and no matter what decision he makes, it's going to end badly. And we get to see him struggle over that. He desperately wants to do right by his people, but how can you really do right, when no matter what choice you make, bad things will follow. There is bad, and then less bad, but that might lead to worse. Hearing Kai's narration takes him from Love Interest to Real Character. I love seeing a love interest who is developed beyond why they are, or should be, in love with the main character.

The villains of this story are the Lunar's — The Moon People. And boy — are they a villain worth reading about. Creepy, bad nasties. And that's all I'm going to say about that. (Mostly, because in early January, I'm part of the Cinder blog tour and Marissa is going to give me a whole post about them to share:) )

I will say that the story was, to me, more than a little predictable. I had most of the major plot points figured out rather early on in the story, and only some of those were because it is a retelling. I've mentioned this before, but I am very forgiving of predictability in my fairy tale retellings. Very forgiving. So being able to predict parts of the story didn't bother me at all. Because watching the characters get their on their own, being there as they learned their secrets made it so worth while. Meyer is a talented writer. She's created characters I adore and want to get to know better and she placed them in this situation where they have to act and become strong or do nothing, and then she lets them choose! There were honestly moments when I felt like they were real people making their own decisions.

This is a book that has something for everyone. The threads of the original fairy tale are woven so perfectly into the story that you can feel the fairy tale but it isn't as blatant as other retellings. It is part fantasy, part science fiction, full or magic and mystery and I am so in love with this book. I'm probably not doing the book justice, but believe me when I say it is awesome. I am already eager for the remaining books in the series. I can't wait to see the end of Cinder's story, as well as meet the new fairy tale characters and watch their stories intertwine. Meyer is definitely an author I'm going to keep my eye on, and I highly suggest you do the same. If you haven't read this one yet, I highly recommend you work on remedying that as soon as possible. This is a story it would be a shame to miss.

Today on the blog, I have Asheley from Into the Hall of Books. Asheley is seriously one of my favorite people right now and I absolutely love chatting with her on Twitter and her blog makes me happy. For realz guys, if you don't know her, you definitely should. I was absolutely thrilled when Asheley agreed to write this guest post for me. I LOVED it and you totally will too!:)

Why I (am learning to) Love Contemporary
I shrugged off the YA Contemporary genre for years... both young adult and adult fiction. Why? Because I have a mortgage. I have bills and children and friends that have crumbling marriages.
Also, I've been through high school and never cared to read about backstabbing, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, rape, or any of those other awful things that I remember about my younger days. After all, who wants to revisit high school? Not me.
When I graduated, I wanted to try and walk away from that stuff forever. I never imagined that I would want to voluntarily read about it.
More importantly, I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS and A SON. When I think about some of the subject matter of the YA Contemps, I absolutely panic and freak out for their future. I don't want to go there. (But I need to get over that.)
A few things have happened recently that have caused me to rethink my "No-Contemp" personal policy!

• I realized that John Green writes contemporary. As I am one of his biggest fans, I stand in violation of my "no-contemp" rule!
• I traded recommendations with Ashley and read my first verse novel, which also happened to be contemporary: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder. And I fell in love... beautiful, twirling, dancing-on-clouds love...
• I started actually reading the blogposts/reviews of trusted bloggers who love the contemps and you know what? Some of their recommendations kinda-sorta interested me a little bit.
• I realized that as a reader of plenty of adult fiction, I already do read some contemporary.
• Not all contemporary is sad or hard-to-read, right?

Hatter by Daniel Coleman is a companion novel to Jabberwocky (which I reviewed earlier this year) . Hatter is set in the same whimsical world as Jabberwocky but it extends that world beyond just the Jabberwock poem to include and create Coleman's version of Wonderland, taken from Lewis Carroll.

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with retellings, one that is far too large and would completely take over this post if I tried to discuss it. But, the short version, is that while I absolutely love and adore fairy tale retellings, I completely avoid retellings of books. But the Alice in Wonderland stories kind of fall right in the middle for me. They are a book, but the stories of Wonderland feel very fairy tale-ish, so I'm a bit torn. The main reason I decided to read this book is because of how much I enjoy Jabberwocky.

I'll be honest and admit that I didn't love Hatter the same way I did Jabberwocky, but that doesn't surprise me... I've never actually read anything other than Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll and my experiences with Alice are solely based on the Disney version of the story. And we all know their reputation for sticking close to the original... ..

Anyway, Hatter is the story of Hatta, who is trying to understand his position in the world. He knows he views the world differently from everyone else and he honestly fears the insanity (or outsanity) that is lurking just within his mind. He views the world in colors, vivid, vibrant colors and his clothing reflects that. It's really interesting reading from his perspective, because the colors are tied to emotions, both his and others, and people give off colors that are reflective of their personalities. It fascinated me, and Hatta was such a quirky and interesting character to follow. The other narrator, Chism, was also interesting to read about, but for different reasons. Chism is colorblind, a soldier and full of rage and bitterness. He's a loner who wants nothing more than to continue as an elite — protecting the order of life (the circle and sword) and doing his duty. But when what he views as his responsibility seriously backfires, he ends up putting himself in a lot of danger, and also being the spark that starts the fire.

I don't know that I can put my finger on it exactly, but no matter how much I enjoyed reading the story, and enjoyed the characters, I felt a small level of disconnect from the story. Hatta was just a little too abstract and hard to follow at times and Chism was just a little too bitter and aloof. I saw where Coleman was going with that, and I understand why it was written that way, but it was just a little... too.

I do also wish that we had gotten to see more of The Queen of Hearts, got to experience more from her and what ultimately made her decide to be that person. We get to see a little bit of how she goes from a 'normal' person and becomes the violent queen, but I would have liked more. But, that's also mostly, because she was one of my favorite parts of the cartoon. (how morbid & violent is that... The young kid loving the crazy face screaming Off with his head!: P)

But overall, I really enjoyed this book. I had hoped to enjoy it, but wasn't sure what to expect given my thoughts on retellings and the fact that I know very little of the real Wonderland. But I'm happy to say that the book more than lived up to my expectations, and I'm even hoping that Coleman plans to write more Wonderland stories, because I will read them all.:) Maybe it will even be the motivation I need to finally read the originals.:)

Today's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish is a freebie — Choose your own adventure style. I was trying to decide if I wanted to participate this week (2 in a row, what?!) but wasn't sure what to go with. And then it hit me — Top Ten Authors I will read everything they will ever publish, even if everything I read from this point on sucks. But then I thought, this is really a list of authors who should be glad I only think about becoming a stalker... Ahem. So, my list of authors who will never escape their Ashley readership:

1. Mary Higgins Clark — MHC gets the top spot on this list because jr. high Ashley was obsessed with the Queen of Suspense. Like, seriously, obsessed. My mom handed me Pretend You Don't See Her at age 11/12 to shut me up about not having anything to read & I was hooked. I read everything she had ever published. I now own almost all of her (suspense) books and I've read all but her 3 newest (I think). I haven't been as impressed with the more recent releases I have read, which is part of why I've been slow getting to these others, but I will read every suspense novel she releases. Childhood obsessions tend to be like that.

2. Melina Marchetta — Alright, come on. Are you really going to make me explain this one again? Like, seriously?! Not like I don't talk about her enough. Jellicoe Road blew my freaking mind. Seriously guys. And everything I've read by her since then just hits me in that absolutely perfect way. Sigh.

3. Lisa Schroeder — I've read 4 out of 5 of Lisa's published works and I have yet to be disappointed. As far as I am concerned, this woman can do no wrong. As far as verse novels go — Genius, thy name is Lisa.

4. Laurie Halse Anderson/ Gayle Forman — I know! Cheater face, right?! But I'm listing them together because I feel very similarly about them — the books I've read of theirs have been life-changing good. So good, I want to put copies of every book into every single person's hand & make them read it. But they do have books in their back list that are either genres or story lines I'm not at all interested in (travel-logish, something & save the animals... Umm... Sorry. But, I... no.) But I will absolutely read anything these two women right in Contemporary YA (and Historical Fiction for LHA) Both of these women truly understand what it means to write.

5. Marcus Zusak — The Book Thief is one of those books that hits you. Hard. I don't remember loving it as much as I'd expected to once I finished the book, but as time passes, I find myself loving it more and more. I was also amazed by I Am the Messenger and I can't wait to read more of his back list. LOVE.

6. Kirsten Hubbard — Her debut, Like Mandarin was one of the best books I've read in a long time. (Umm... Hooray for Contemp YA that isn't centered around a love story!!) It isn't as well known as it should be and I so wish more people would learn of this amazing book & love her. Her next book, Wanderlove releases in 2012, & seriously guys — I joined Netgalley to read this book, something I've been putting off since I very first started blogging. So... Ya.

7. Zoe Marriott — I've read her two US releases and have a UK edition of Shadows on the Moon just calling to me and man, is this woman amazing! I freaking love her writing. She is very deserving of her place on this list. She writes fairy tale retellings and fantasy, and something about her writing just speaks to me and demands to be loved. Also, she is the only author on this list who writes Fantasy w/ no Contemp at all. (says a lot there, don't ya think?)

8. Stephanie Kuehnert — I've only read Ballads of Suburbia, but that doesn't matter. I know it's only one book, but I will read anything this woman writes because this book hit me that hard. So, you know... You should probably go read it. I own I Wanna be Your Joey Ramone and every time I see it on my shelf, my fingers twitch a little, just dying to pick it up.

9. Sharon Creech — Another childhood favorite. Sharon Creech has quite a few books on my childhood favorites list, as well as several others that are also on my all-time favorites list. I just love her writing and her characters and her stories and... well, just everything. She has a few books that I didn't love quite as much, but overall, I genuinely love her.

10. Khaled Hossieni — This man's books hurt. But oh my goodness. It is so worth it. The experience of these books is something that I can't imagine missing. He is a powerful writer and while his books are adult and are books that I can't recommend to everyone (because they are intense and can be graphic, although never gratuitous) they are also amazing and phenomenal and insanely emotional. I will read anything he ever writes and be grateful that I can.

Honorable Mention — Ellen Hopkins — I love Ellen's writing. She is a phenomenal poet and her stories are so strong and so amazing. Even when I read them and feel like her agenda is oozing from the pages (something that is normally very off-putting to me) I still find myself so wrapped up in the story that I overlook it and love it anyway. The reason that she isn't on my list is because, while she should probably be grateful I'm not a stalker, I already know that I won't be reading everything she writes. I'm a little iffy on her adult book coming out, Triangles, but she has one book that I didn't like for various reasons and a companion novel will be released soon, that I won't be reading and I will avoid any future novels with those characters. So, she's very close.:) LOVE her.

There are so many authors who easily could have made this list. I'm sitting here thinking Oh Ya! Oh YA!! OH! YA!... And, things of that nature. And kinda wishing this had been more than 10 people long. Because there are so many authors whom I just adore! You have any authors you will read until the day you die and/or dream about stalking for their used coffee cups at night?

(Also, let it be known that I am very aware this is not my best written post ever. I repeat my self a lot and there are probably sentences that make very little sense. But, in my defense, I was exhausted as I wrote this, and come on — be serious... It's a post whose sole purpose is for me to ramble and gush and squee about my favorite authors. Umm, duh...)

Hey everyone! I have Carlyle here with us today as a guest!! Carlyle does like to be secretive, so we have an avatar, not a picture, but let's still make Carlyle feel welcome! Lots of comment love!:) (Note, I did change some of the links in this post. Anything in () is mine. I changed any url left into a link)

My favorite Childhood book of all Time.

Introducing: Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick

I read Jock of the Bushveld when I was about nine. This book has stayed with me thought out my life. This is the tale of Jock and his owner. It rings so true to man's best friend analogy. Jock saves his owners life, guides him though the danger of the South Africa wilderness. Comes up against a lion, and many more. In this book I found love, adventure, comedy, heartache, friendship and adventure. To date one of the best books I had ever read. This book is significant to me because I have walked where Jock and Sir Patrick once walked. I have smelt and breathed in the air of the bushveld that brought about the writer in me. Jock of the Bushveld is a legend in South Africa for his courage, loyalty and bravery. (in my blog to read the original tale!)

Jock of the Bushveld is set in the 1880s of Southern Africa, a tale of the wilderness years of the land as the discovery of diamonds and gold began to rapidly transform the political and economic dynamics of the Southern African landmass. It began as stories told to Fitzpatrick's own children of his adventures in the veld with his dog Jock and only later becoming the publication we know so well.

The most interesting part of Jock is the exploration of the open spaces of the veld of Southern Africa and its wildlife, which is done through the vehicle of the relationship between Fitzpatrick and Jock and their adventures together, mostly in the form of hunting wildlife. The particular atmosphere of both the highveld and the lowveld are so well conveyed. This is the treasure of the book and a profound impression of the land, this very land, in the blood of its people that is the core to understanding South Africans. The hunting episodes remind us of the wealth of the land (the author came to the land in search of gold and this remains a submerged vein to the story) both in its fauna and flora, amidst the collisions of its different peoples.

A true tale of friendship

This piece comes at the most appropriate time for me, as it is just been released on the big screen. Jock of the Bushveld is back as SA's first 3D animated film: (in my blog to watch the trailer.)

And as always the film only picks up on some of the aspects the book holds. After you have taken the kids to watch this film, get the book. It will soon become the kids favourite bed time story. Unlike many fairytales this book does not have a happy ending. But the lesson learnt and the story between man and dog will stay in your heart for all time.

You can read more about this amazing story on my blog, Carlyle on The Broken Series.

You can also find me on twitter @CarlyleL

I was born in Johannesburg South Africa during the terrible fashion decade of the 80's. My first poem was written in the heart of the bushveld wilderness amongst the Elephants, Giraffes and the roaring Lions that I could hear from our camp site at night. I was twelve when my pen hit a random piece of paper and my best poem was written. It is to the majestic environment of the bushveld that I owe the fire to my writing experience. As a teenager I moved onto lyric writing. I started writing my first Novel almost 18 months ago. Received a certificate from the Writing School of SA collage in 2010.My first Novel is due in 2012. I am a amateur writer, blogger and a new Author. I am a mother of two, a wife, a marketing consultant during the day, a reader at night and in my mind I am writing all the time.

I have total confidence that you will love Jock of The Bushveld as much as I did, and still do.

Thank you so much Carlyle for joining us today for Memory Monday! This sounds like such a sweet story!:) I'll have to look it up!

Top Ten Tuesday is one of my favorite memes/features. It's hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I don't participate all that often, but sometimes the topic just speaks to me, and I just have to participate. Getting some attention on 10 of my favorite books that I don't think enough people read isn't something I can pass up.:)

So here are my Top Ten AWESOME books that I think more people need to know about:

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder — While I do prefer Lisa's The Day Before, it's been getting a lot of attention lately. Lisa is one of my very favorite verse writers. She's incredible, and I don't think enough people have read her.

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert — It's not often that a writer can make a solid & life long fan of me in just one book, but this book did that and more. It's such a strong and powerful book. The book itself is marvelous, but the addition of the individual character Ballads — absolutely stunning. (My review)

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick — I don't really know how many people are aware of this book, but I can tell you right now that it's not enough. This is one of the most phenomenally written books I've ever read. The relationship between the main character and his four year old brother just touched my heart. I love the strength of family here. I probably won't recommend this one to moms... Something about reading four year old with cancer is harder for moms with young kids (my sister avoids them like the plague) but for everyone else — This book is amazing.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta — Well, Melina Marchetta in general actually. Her better known book, Jellicoe Road is one of my favorite books of all time. And, given that it won a Printz award, I'm surprised it's not better known. But, given that Saving Francesca isn't as well know, it's my 'official' pick for Ms. Marchetta. But really, if I could get every person on the planet to read a Marchetta book, I'm pretty sure I could die happy. She's... She's... Well, words just can't describe her. I LOVE her books. So go read it. (Here is my review if you need more convincing.)

Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott — This could just as easily have been The Swan Kingdom (my review) , because both are legitimately amazing novels, but I think I like Daughter just a teensy bit more. But Zoe is another of those writers that I just gush over. And guess what, she's not contemporary! Gasp, I know! She writes fantasy! The Swan Kingdom is a fairy tale retelling, but Daughter is straight up fantasy, and boy does it rock my socks off! So, you should go read it!!

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson — Laurie is incredibly well known for her amazing novel, Speak and I feel that sometimes, her other books get lost in its wake. But if I'm being honest, I think that Twisted is even better than Speak. There is no argument on the importance of Speak and the fact that it's amazing, powerful and important. But Twisted is all of those things too, but somehow, just a little bit stronger. It is also one of the absolute best male pov characters I have ever read from a female author.

Wise Child by Monica Furlong — I don't know that I've ever talked to another person who has read this book (other than my sister, who I stole it from as a kid) but it's a great book. It's fantasy, but it's not heavy or intense like much fantasy tends to be. As I've mentioned before, I did not like fantasy when I was a kid and if I knew a book was fantasy, I usually wouldn't even start it. But I loved this book. I've read it numerous times and love it just as much every time.

The Novels of a Kingdom by Cynthia Voigt — Best known for her brilliant Tillerman Saga, Cynthia Voigt also wrote a series of novels set within the same kingdom, each about two generations apart. And again, I don't know very many people who have read them. But they are phenomenal! Strong characters, believable interactions and wonderful plot lines. There are 4 novels, Jackaroo, On Fortune's Wheel, The Wings of a Falcon and Elske. Each is its own story, but there are subtle traces that carry over from one to the next. I loved finding each of these connections and am definitely due for a reread of these four soon.

Tenderness by Robert Cormier — This is such a strange and interesting book that left me incredibly conflicted. The bad guy here is also the main character and he is very, very bad. He rapes and murders women and his manipulation of the system made my stomach turn. But somehow, I also liked him. It shocked me immensely, but I was left very conflicted by the end. (My review)

You Don't Know Me by David Klass — This is another book I haven't heard anything from anyone else about. I bought it on impulse at the library during my internship, because it looked barely used, I didn't have hardly any of my own books with me, and it was only like 50 cents. And it's probably one of the best impulse buys ever. It's a very well written book, one that definitely touched me and one that I want to read again soon. Give this one a chance. It is so worth it.

There you have it. My top ten, today at least. I thought about, and almost included an honorable mention list for the titles I couldn't include, but when that became longer than my actual list, I figured I had to stop.

Have you read any of my ten? Link me to yours so I can come check 'em out! I'm always looking for new hidden gems to read and love!

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce is a companion novel to last years Sisters Red which I absolutely adored (read my review of SR) . I had incredibly high hopes for Sweetly because of how much I loved SR and while I did really enjoy Sweetly, I liked Sisters Red better.

But, I don't like reviews that compare one book to another, rather than judging or whatever on their own merit, so that is all I'm going to say on that subject.

There was a lot I really liked about this book. The characters were very real to me, and my heart went out to these two siblings even while I thought their relationship was perhaps a bit... unhealthy. That much co-dependence on another person is never really a great idea. But I also, in a way, understood it. Gretchen and Ansel have been blamed their whole lives for the disappearance/death of Gretchen's twin sister. They were chased through the woods by some wicked bad nasty & when they emerged from the trees, the three had become two and nothing would ever be the same.

Gretchen is terrified of the woods and she has never gotten over the loss of her twin. None of them have. They won't even speak her name. Older now, Gretchen and Ansel are kicked out of the house and start to drive. They have a semi-destination in mind, but ultimately decide to stop and stay where their car broke down, at least for a little while. And here starts the mystery.

If you've read the synopsis, you know it involves Sophia, who owns a candy shop and something mysterious and a town who hates Sophia. You have to try and figure out all of the mysteries surrounding the dying town, Sophia, the witches in the woods (that chased the three kids years ago) and more.

Although Pearce's version of Hansel and Gretel is very unique and original, I found it to be predictable. I had all of the big reveals figured out early on in the story and I can't think of much, if anything, that surprised me while I was reading. However, as I have mentioned before (my Fairy Tale Fortnight post) , I am very forgiving of predictable fairy tale retellings. I don't care if it's the most original retelling I've read, using almost nothing from the original, or if it follows the outline perfectly, merely adding extra detail. If I know a book is a fairy tale retelling, I find I am hugely forgiving. So the predictability here didn't bother me at all.

Even with a fairly predictable plot, Pearce still managed to create characters that I cared about, characters that I felt had a lot to offer and the characters themselves were developed and unique. I enjoyed reading about each of them and I loved watching them learn and grow and change.

It's a very well written book, one that, although didn't quite live up to my expectations, I am very glad to have read and think it's a good follow-up to Sisters Red. I am very excited for the third fairy tale companion, which I believe Pearce said will be a retelling of The Little Mermaid. I'm SO stoked!:)

Also, if nothing else, this book will also make you crave skittles. (I'm not lying either... I had to go buy a bag after reading this book and I craved them for days.)

*Disclaimer: Borrowed a copy through Around the World Tours.

So, I'm actually doing a winners post!! I know, right?! I'm terrible at actually getting these things up.: P

First, I had a giveaway from Jill Alexander for a signed copy of her book The Sweetheart of Prosper County. I read and (mostly) enjoyed Paradise, so I'm jealous of this winner! And — it is:

MARY!!
I've already heard back from Mary and will get her book mailed as soon as I hear back from the read-a-thon winners! (So be fast peeps!)

Alright — So... This contest was WAY harder to judge than I thought! I thought I was being all awesome, deciding to pick my favorite recommendation as a winner, but it was hard!! Like, really hard!! So... I'm really sorry if I didn't pick you. There were just WAY too many!

Also, I think random.org is MAGICAL!! I SWEAR!! Because while I was struggling to pick one favorite, random.org picked the recommendation that had my favorite line. That's pretty awesome!

So — The random winner is: UPDATED

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books actually already owns each of the books I was offering, so the new random winner is:

Raelena @ Through the Haze She has been emailed!:)

My favorite rec winner is:

Momo @ Books Over Boys
Why did I pick this one? Because Momo took two books that I didn't previously have any interest in reading and made me WANT to read them. Which is unusual for me. And, really, isn't that the point of a book recommendation?! To match a reader with something they might have overlooked? So, yay for Momo! I'll have to see about finding copies soon!:)
Rather than put full recommendations in this post, I do want to give a shout-out to some of my favorites by including my favorite lines from their recs so here are my top favorite lines: All names will link to their posts.

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books said of The Near Witch:

It's like a bedtime story come to life... Ya'll know how I feel about fairy tales, yes?

Usagi @ Birth of a New Witch said of Wasteland:

I emotionally connected with the characters and I’m sure you will, too. And I have the heart of a Vulcan. Or maybe no heart at all, I’m not sure. But I felt like I had one while reading this book. Hahaha! This seriously had me laughing. And it made me want to give Francesca Lia Block another try even though I was so not impressed with the one I've read.

Jenna @ Jenna's Blog said of The Book Thief, regarding Death (the narrator):

Any author who can make me feel emotion for a personified abstract noun writes extremely well. Umm. This is truth. Plus I also just really love that book!

Zoe @ A Corner of My Bookshelf said of One Night that Changes Everything:
It was a quick, fun read that was cute and catchy. (Kinda like a Disney movie, but who's asking anyway;) ) Because who doesn't love Disney movies!?: P

Rachel @ Endless Reading said of Les Miserables and The Counte of Monte Cristo:
Les Mis is all about redemption and love and war. Just phenomenal. Monte Cristo is about betrayal and revenge being best served cold. These are two of my very favorite classics and I love that her recs for them are short, to the point and definitely peak my interest.

There were SO many more that I could have chosen quotes from and tons that came close to be favorites! I have tons of new books to add to my tbr now! Thank you to everyone who participated!!: D

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu is a book I have book looking forward to for months. It's a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. It's one of my very favorites and I don't think it gets enough love among retellings. So when I started seeing this one pop up I started to get a little giddy. (Awesome books do that to you to, be honest here...) I posted a sneak peek on Tuesday and other bloggers have also had excerpts and illustrations going up. (Including Misty at The Book Rat!)

Breadcrumbs is a retelling of The Snow Queen, but there is so much more to it that that. Ursu incorporates snippets, parts and pieces from many different stories and it made the book lover inside me jump up and dance. Our main character, Hazel has a vivid imagination and together with her best friend, Jack, they act out and live out their imaginings frequently. Hazel is told, over and over that she needs to tone down the imagination and return to reality but she is so caught up in magic and wonderings that she can't really be bothered by reality. Anything is possible in your imagination and in stories, the good guys always win, pain is temporary and it doesn't matter that your dad left your family, or his mom can't seem to find her way up and out of her sad.

Jack is who Hazel can always count on and no matter what else is wrong in her life, Hazel has a place to belong with Jack. And things have certainly started to change. Hazel's dad walked away from the family, which means that her mom no longer has the money to send her to the (very unstructured, 'liberal') private school she was attending, and now she must attend public school. It's hard for her because everything is different. What was celebrated before as creativity and a unique way of looking at the world is viewed as disobedience, defiance and distractedness. She also has a hard time making new friends, but she doesn't mind too much, because Jack is there. Yes, Jack's other friends are rude to Hazel and he has to split his time between both of them, but it's what makes life bearable.

Until it all changes. After an accident at recess, Jack no longer has time for Hazel, is rude to her and brushes her off until he disappears altogether. And Hazel sets out to find him.

She walks into the woods where Jack disappeared with the white witch and enters a magical forest where fairy tales are real, where they are happening and where nothing is as it seems. Normal rules do not apply in the forest and Hazel must learn the rules of the wood if she is going to save Jack. She learns a lot about herself on the way and she spends a lot of time worrying about what is going to happen with Jack but she presses on, refuses to give up and with the fierce loyalty and determination that marks her character she pushes through the forest.

The time Hazel spends in the forest is my favorite part of the book. I've been a fan of fairy tales since I was very young and I'm familiar with a lot of the original tales. I read both Grimm's and Anderson's complete fairy tales when I was around 12 and I've revisited the books several times since then. Seeing some of these characters come to life was so exciting to me. And, knowing the stories as I do gave me an advantage. Hazel knows many of the stories too, but it takes her a little longer to really grasp what is happening in her world. She's lonely, scared, tired and afraid and overwhelmed by everything that is happening. But she's strong, she learns and adapts and no matter what happens, she keeps moving, knowing that she must save Jack.

I do wish that we had been given more from the characters. It's my only complaint with the book. We are told many times that Jack is going through a tough time at home because of his mom's depression and we are told that Hazel's life is also rough because of her dad and the changes it's made in other areas of her life, like the new school. And, we see it sometimes, there are moments when it's definitely there, but I didn't feel like it was enough. I was never really sure I believed that these two were hurting as much as I was supposed to, never really sure I believed that what Jack was going through was enough to make him give up everything to the ice. It felt too... disconnected for that. It felt like the characters spent so much time not talking or thinking about the issues that were weighing down on them that they never felt that big. I knew they were that big, knew they were really hurting these two kids, but I never really felt it, not the way I think I was supposed to.

But that one thing aside, this was a completely lovely book. I loved Hazel's character, really felt for her throughout most of the story and really wanted her to do well. Jack was also such a great kid! He does his best to make sure that there is balance in his life between his friends, making time for Hazel and the boys he hung out with before (until the enchantment and all that kicks in) and he struggles to accept, understand and deal with the problems with his mom. He tries so hard and when the Snow Queen offers him a chance to leave it all, offers him an out, you can just feel his relief that he isn't going to have to struggle or suffer anymore. Not feeling anything is better than feeling everything too much.

The forest in this story hold an insane amount of potential. As she is in the woods, Hazel meets a boy a few years older than her named Ben. He helps her and offers her some advice on how to best navigate the woods. And one of the things he tells her is that the woods do funny things to people. Once in the woods, people change and the woods lead them to do things they wouldn't normally do. There is so much potential here, such an unlimited amount of story to be told and I for one am hoping that Ursu returns to these forests in the future. It doesn't have to be Hazel or Jack's story anymore but there is so much story waiting in those woods that I would love to be a part of. And I loved the way Ursu used that subtle magic to show us that there is more to stories than just words on a page. Stories are so much more than that, they go so much deeper. No, you aren't going to walk into a fairy land if you step into the woods near your home, but the truth that stories run far deeper than the page they are written on is a good one to learn.

I also loved the illustrations in the book, but sadly most of them were missing. You just see the big white section telling you the art is yet to come.: ( But there are a few images in the ARC and I've also seen several by following the sneak peeks that bloggers are posting. This is definitely a book I intend to buy after it's release, both because I loved the story and really want to have a finished copy to return to, but also so I can stare at all the pretty pictures.:)

This is a beautiful story. Although I do still love them, I often find that I have a harder time getting pulled into the magical feeling in a modern fairy tale. The modern setting makes it much harder for me to pull out that feeling of a fairy tale. But the way that Ursu crafted this story, especially once Hazel gets into the woods (see, those woods again. I'm telling you, I'm hooked!!) brought out the best of both worlds. I enjoyed the modern setting but I was also able to pull out the feeling you have when you read a fairy tale retelling that just gets it. I'm telling you folks, this is a book to read. I think it's one that will appeal to younger kids looking for something a little longer than most MG (the MCs are in 5th grade) but it will also attract YA readers as well as anyone who loves fairy tales. It's one I already can't wait to read again.

*Disclaimer: I received a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review from Walden Pond Press.

I don't know if you've picked up on this or not yet, but Ashley loves fairy tales and fairy tale retellings. (Right, like Fairy Tale Fortnight wasn't a dead giveaway.) Anyway, I get really excited anytime I hear about a new fairy tale I get really excited. Especially when it's a retelling of a lesser known tale.

So I'm sure you can imagine my delight when I began hearing about Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, which is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, one of my favorite fairy tales that definitely doesn't get enough love.

And then, I had to do a little happy dance around my room because after I mentioned how excited I was for this title on Twitter, the publicist asked it I would be interested in being part of a blog tour that offered exclusive excerpts and illustrations.

And, as if that wasn't great enough, they also sent me a copy to review, so look for that review soon!

Anyway, I'm sure you are tired of listening to me ramble. (Get to the good stuff lady!!) Alright! So — Here is an awesome sneak peek into Anne Ursu's Breadcrumbs!!

A folded-up note landed on Hazel’s lap. Her name was written on the front in boyish print. She unfolded it and beheld the words It’s your fault.

Hazel turned in her seat and glared at the boys in the back. Tyler mouthed your fault. Bobby glared at her. “Crazy Hazy,” he hissed.

In one motion Hazel stood up, grabbed the hard pencil case from her desk, and hurled it at Tyler. There were some yelps, some gasps, and then absolute quiet. Even Mrs. Jacobs had been shocked into stillness. The pencil case ricocheted off Tyler’s face and clattered on the desk. Pencils rolled everywhere. They were the only movement in the room. Hazel stood there, looking at the frozen tableau of her class, at the shocked faces of the other kids, at Tyler who was clutching his face, at Mrs. Jacobs who seemed to have short-circuited, and decided she was not sorry. Not in the least bit. She gave the room one last look, turned, and stomped out.

She looked into Mr. Williams’s room to see Jack’s desk was still empty. Mr. Williams had returned, though. Hazel could not believe he had not stopped into her classroom to give them an update. Hazel wanted to run in and ask him, but the sound of clanky footsteps from the room behind her indicated Mrs. Jacobs had regained function, so Hazel sprung off on her heel and ran down three flights of stairs into the girls’ locker room where a bunch of surprised looking fourth graders were changing into their gym clothes. Hazel straightened purposefully and gave them the sort of look fifth graders give fourth graders to keep them in line, then walked into one of the bathroom stalls and curled up in a ball on the toilet, where she sat until the end of the school day. And if anyone saw her, they would think that this was the way she was supposed to be, that it was perfectly normal to be a thing created out of the lack of something else.

Hey everyone!

I know I have been a terribly absent blogger this last year. I have lots of reasons and excuses, but for right now, I'm just going to say sorry, and especially apologize for how long it's taken me to draw the FTF giveaway winners.

All the authors have been emailed, the winners all drawn (although I didn't actually send out emails to the winners of the giveaways. I have all the needed contact info and it went directly to the authors/publishers.) But, I will hopefully be able to get the actual winner's emailed shortly as well.

Sorry again for the delay, and Happy Reading to everyone!:)

Everyone, help me welcome Sierra to the blog today! She has an absolutely wonderful memory to share with everyone today! Help me make her feel welcome!

My name is Sierra, and I blog on Yearning_To_Read. I've been blogging for almost a year now; I started Yearning To Read back in June 2010. It has been an amazing experience, and I feel so priveleged to be a part of a project like this. My blog first started out as a way to review good books (okay, and some bad, too) and have fun with it. Now it has turned into much more: I write about vintage books that I buy, poems, and quotes that I love; and in January I added something new: giveaways, so far my favorite aspect of blogging. I love giving books: What a great way to do it!

About me: I'm a 17-year-old senior in highschool and I've been homeschooled since preschool. I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE. It has allowed me to study everything that I would study in a public school, but it also gives me a greater freedom to focus on what I love: literature, writing, foreign language, and Photography. It has been a journey, full of adventures. AND... my mom is the best teacher.:) I live in San Diego, CA, which is one of the best places to live. Someday I hope to travel to new ends of the world, but I want to always have a home to come back to in San Diego. I've beed a reading maniac since I was 7, and I've been writing novels (yes, novels) since I was 8. Not that they were any good, of course, but it's the thought that counts, right? I still write all the time... the stories come and come and come relentlessly. I hope to someday be a published author. It's been my goal for 9 years and counting — I'd say that's pretty promising!

And now, for my memory.

It was Easter Sunday, 2008, after church. It's funny, how some days start as one thing, with you having a goal for the day, an idea of what it's going to look like. And then, it all changes. Drastically. Funny what books can do to you in a day.

The day before, I had picked up Inkheart. I'd bought it a while before, with its published companion Inkspell. I'd heard it was good from a friend; the movie was coming out; I had a giftcard. How could I lose?
But anyway, back to the story:

I remember lunch at our house, with our friends. I brought Inkheart to the table with me and had it under my leg. (This is the first time I remember doing this.) Between bites, I'd reach down and feel the cover, the grooves and bumps on it which were (and still are) Meggie's fingers, the gold coins from Treasure Island, the lizzard from the desert, the castle from the fairytales. I wanted to read it; I wanted to be captured in the story and transported.
After lunch, I helped clean up a bit, but I was itching. Itching for the story beyond the covers. The second I was free, I ran upstairs and into my room, where I stayed. I opened the book. And read.

For 6 hours.

Now, let's get something straight here: I'm not a fast reader. I got a total of about 250 pages done in those six hours. I took two breaks. But the rest of the time, I was hooked. I remember it vividly, the first time I read that journey and was immersed. I remember starting by sitting on my bed; that soon got stuffy and uncomfortable, after so much food. Then I sat between my desk and my footboard, legs up, book on my knees. That, too, eventually became uncomfortable. My legs cramped and it was getting hot in the room. (Or was that Dustfinger's fire, leaping out of the pages to catch me?) Then I went outside to the patio, where I read some more. I sat on a reclining chair and my body soaked up the spring sunshine and fresh air — and all the while my mind was soaking up the intense story that isInkheart. My mind was lost in a fantastic world that becomes a part of the reader.

I finished Inkheart two days later. Then, I started Inkspell.

In no way was I prepared for what lay on those pages, in that ink. I'd experienced a ride with Inkheart — but with Inkspell... I don't know. Something was different. Mentally, emotionally. It played with my emotions like Dustfinger plays with his fire, like Mo plays with his words.
In the end... let's just say that not very many other books make me sob. (I am a usual crier, yes, but not a usual sobber.) If a book gets me so emotionally that I cry really hard, it usually ends up on my favorites shelf. It means more to me than most books because it moved me more. It was just so when I finished Inkspell. I was sitting on the couch (I think it was the Thursday after Easter Sunday) and my sister was sitting across from me, reading one of the Madeleine L'Engle books. And as I lay there, reading the last few chapters, sniffling and wiping tears away and burying my head in my arms, she kept staring at me strangely, wondering what the heck could have changed my emotions so drastically.

(Are you wanting to know as well? I advise you read the book. 'Twill be worth it, I promise.)

And that is my memory. My vivid, lovely memory. I remember all the emotions, the sights and smells. In fact, the smell of the Inkbooks are still some of my favorites to date. Oh, and did I read Inkdeath ? Yes, yes I did. I remember longing for it, and when it came in the mail I was proud to know that I was one of the first people to ever hold it in my hands. And I LOVED the book.

This memory is particularly special to me, for a few reasons. Not only were these some of the very first books that I became emotionally attached to, but they were also some of the first fantasy books I'd ever read. They got me hooked on the genre, and they are still an example of what great fantasy is. Since that week I've read Inkheart 3 times total, Inkspell twice total (and the end several times — it makes me cry every single time), and Inkdeath once. Each time I read the first two, those memories come back, swiftly and vividly. It's strange — the books that talk about books catching memories between their pages are the books that have caught the most memories for me.

And they are memories I will always cherish and will never forget.

Thank you so much Sierra, for sharing your memories with us! This sounds like an incredibly important read for you. I remember these life changing reading experiences in my own life, and am so happy that you shared yours with us!

Readers, remember that if you would like to be a Memory Monday guest, in my blog for more information!

In most Memory Monday posts, I talk about a specific book or series that I remember strongly from childhood, although there have been a few posts devoted to authors as well. Today, I wanted to do something a little different.

I hope you've noticed that starting today, Jacinda at The Reading Housewives and I are hosting a summer long challenge devoted to reading books from the Newbery and Printz award lists. If you come back later today, I will have a post talking about what you can expect from me throughout the next three months in relation to the challenge, but I thought I'd also use my Memory Monday post to give some more love to the Newbery List.

The Newbery Award has been around since 1922, but I wasn't really aware of it until I was in college. Not specifically anyway. I had a vague idea of what it was, but nothing more than that. Then, I started noticing that an awful lot of the books I had read and loved as a kid had received either a Newbery Medal, or the Honor. It started me to thinking more about the Award and what it means to reading, and I pulled a complete list from ALA's website. I started going through the list, marking off those books I had previously read, looking up some of the books I hadn't and I decided that there was a lot of good to be discovered on this list and that I was going to read it. ALL.

So, here is a list of the Newbery books I especially loved as a kid (probably not complete, but forgive me... It's been a long time since I've read some of these) Seeing a book on this list does not count as their 'official' Memory Monday post. Some of these books or authors have already been spotlighted, some have plans for a spotlight in the future, and some, well, who knows.

* The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder — Oh man oh man oh man. My parents gave my older sister a boxed set of all nine Little House books for Christmas when I was around 7 or 8 and she wasn't terribly interested in them. But I ate them up. I devoured those books, and I wanted to be Laura. I used to play prairie in my backyard. Five of the nine books in this series were awarded honors in the 1930s & 40s.

* Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech — I read this book in (I think) 5th grade and I couldn't keep my excitement about it to myself. I went and asked my teacher for special permission to do an extra book report, complete with a diorama art project because I wanted everyone to know how wonderful this book really was. It also inspired a Sharon Creech binge and I've loved her ever since.

* The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley — I know I've mentioned these books before, but these books are the reason that I was willing to give the entire fantasy genre another chance. My friend bribed me to read them in 8th grade and I was completely blown away.

* Dicey's Song and A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt — These are books 2 and 3 in the Tillerman Sage and oh my goodness are these books powerful reads. The whole series is full of wonderfully real characters, full of pain and sorrow, hope, truth and trust. I've never met anyone else like Dicey, either in fiction or real life. She is one of the most fully drawn characters I think I've ever come across and every story that connects to theirs is powerful. These are the only two that made it on the list (a Medal and an honor, respectively but I believe that all of them easily deserved it)

* Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright — I never should have read this book, and it most certainly isn't a book I would have picked up on my own at that age. But, I had tried to buy a book through one of those Scholastic book orders and they ran out of the book that I had ordered. Rather than send us a refund, the book order sent replacement books they thought we would like. How they went from a book about the sinking of the Titanic (I was crazy obsessed) to a book about a girl on a farm, holding a pig on the cover is completely beyond me, but I read it, because I owned it, and figured, Might as well. But I didn't really expect much from it. But I read it over and over and although I still have that same copy, it's obvious looking at the book that it has been very well loved.

* Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine — This is one of the first books that introduced me to fairy tale retellings. This wasn't my fairy tale retelling, but it was incredibly influential in sparking my deep love for the genre, and it was (I think) the first I had read that took some serious liberties with the story, and deviated in an obvious and blatant way from the original. And I loved every second of it.

* Charlotte's Web by E.B. White — I shouldn't like this book. I'm not an animal person. Even as a kid, I never really wanted a pet and even when I was excited about an animal, the novelty worse off with astonishing speed and I was done. I also don't normally like reading books narrated by animals, especially when those animals think/talk/act like people do. But this book was wonderful. I read it over and over again and was just thrilled anew every time I read about the wonderful words in Charlotte's almost magical web.

So, these are some of my very favorite Newbery reads from childhood, and each of these was a large part of why I decided to read the list in its entirety. Do you have any old (or new) favorites from the list? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

Hey everyone! Help me welcome Maureen McGowan today! She's the author of the Twisted Fairy Tale series, which so far includes Cinderella, Ninja Warrior (read my review here!) and Sleeping Beauty, Vampire Slayer (read Misty of The Book Rat's review here) . She also participated a little during Fairy Tale Fortnight (you can read that here) and it's great to have her back!

Hi Ashley and thank you so much for inviting me to guest post on your blog.

While I’ve always loved the romantic aspects of traditional fairy tales, I wanted to write stories in which the heroines were strong and capable—not waiting around for a prince to save them.

One of my aims in writing Cinderella: Ninja Warrior and Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer was to “fix” some of the story elements that bothered me in the traditional versions of these classic tales. Both of my stories include the tried and true fairy tale themes of finding true love and good triumphing over evil, but there are twists, too.

The traditional Cinderella character was too much of a victim for my taste, and I never liked the idea that the prince needed a shoe to recognize her the day after supposedly falling in love. Plus, he falls in love at first sight—presumably because of her beauty— but then doesn’t recognize her the next day when she’s out of her fancy dress? What kind of message does any of that send to modern young readers about love or self-worth?

Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer probably has fewer similarities to the traditional tale. (There were no vampires in the original? An oversight, I’m sure.) When I first started the book, I thought it was about prejudice—humans’ misconceptions about vampires and vice versa. But as soon as I started writing, it became more of a child of divorce story. Sleeping Beauty has to learn that her parents’ and kingdom’s problems aren’t her fault— even if she’s cursed. This theme popped out at me as soon as I started thinking about how parents might react if they knew their daughter carried a curse. And what it would feel like to grow up with this huge weight hanging over you.

But, although I think the stories do have positive messages for girls and an overall theme of empowerment, they are by no means “issue books”. They’re meant to be fun, fast — paced, exciting and most of all—entertaining.

When I began to explore adding reader interaction to updated fairy tales, I had no idea how to pull it off, but I knew what I didn’t want to do: I didn’t want to include “wrong” paths or unhappy endings. (Even thought I know this has disappointed a few readers.)

Fairy tales by their nature promise happy endings—and pretty specific happy endings in some cases—so, I decided that each book in the series should have a single ending. As I started to write, I did look at a few choose-your-own-adventure stories, hoping for hints or clues as to how to structure my books, but I didn’t like the “bad choice—you die!” aspects of some of those “old school” stories.

The way I see things, each day we face choices, and the alternatives aren’t necessarily right or wrong—just different. Smart heroines (and smart readers) will make smart choices, so I wanted to present reasonable alternatives at each decision point without making it obvious which choice was better. Also, a capable heroine—even if she makes a mistake—should be able to face whatever challenges her chosen path places in her way.

When I decided on the structure, I didn’t realize what a difficult path I was laying out for myself! My choice created challenges for me—almost as tough as those facing Cinderella in her magic competition, or Lucette when she’s the only one awake and facing vampires in the night.

There were times while writing these books when my head was spinning so badly I didn't know which end was up!

But ultimately, I had as much fun writing them as I hope readers will have reading them.

Cinderella, Ninja Warrior by Maureen McGowan has got to be one of the most unique fairy tale retellings I have ever read. McGowan has taken the traditional Cinderella story and turned it completely on it's head. Gone is the soft and sweet Cinderella, accepting of her fate and willing to follow her step-mother's commands. In her place is a feisty and fierce fighter, just waiting for her chance to break free of the magical shackles her awful step-mother has placed around her.

When no one is around, Cinderella practices trying to harness and control the magic running through her veins — a gift from the mother she's never known, who was a very powerful (good) wizard as well as honing her instincts, reflexes and ninja moves. Being locked in her tiny cellar room anytime she's not being forced to do her step-mother's bidding gives her the privacy she needs to practice unnoticed (although there's not a lot of time, and she always waits until her step-family is either sleeping or gone) and she waits for the day her skills will be enough to free her from her step-mother's black magic bonds.

It was a refreshing change to have a Cinderella character who is not only tired of living under the tyranny of her step-mother, but actively trying to do something about it. Not only that, but she kicks some serious trash. I really liked Cinderella's character. She hasn't let life with her horrid step-family destroy her spirit and she's just biding her time, waiting for her step-mother to make some sort of mistake or slip-up that will allow her to gain her freedom.

Although there is much unique about the story line and the character of Cinderella, what really makes this book different from any other fairy tale I've ever read is the 'Chose Your Own Adventure' element. At three different places in the story, you are given two options, and it is up to you to decide what Cinderella shall chose. This gives you 8 different options for how the story will play out, although there is only one ultimate ending.

I read the book, making one set of choices and then went and read the sections I have skipped the first time to see how the story might have been different. I loved that each section was completely different. The different choices for Cinderella took her on a completely different path. Choice A and Choice B never felt like mirror images or parallels. They were entirely unique which I admit is something I was worried about.

Although there is a lot that I liked about this book, and my overall feelings for it are positive, I'm not entirely sure I loved this one. There were times it felt almost awkward to me, and not in an intentional way. There were times where the book just didn't flow smoothly and although I know it's incredibly important to her and she desperately needs to improve her skills, I got a little tired of listening to her think about becoming a ninja warrior and training to become a better ninja warrior, and honing her ninja warrior skills, then worrying about not being able to fully use her magic without a proper want, (even though everyone knows that it takes far more skill to direct your magic without one, and she's doing very well, considering she's never had formal training) and then it's back to thinking about being a ninja warrior. I never knew how stilted and awkward the phrase ninja warrior could sound before reading this book.

While this isn't a book that I'd consider a favorite, it was a great read. I truly enjoyed Cinderella's adventures and watching her befriend Ty, the royal messenger who comes to deliver the invites to the ball. They meet up fairly often (especially considering Cinderella's previous confinement) and they were such fun to watch get to know each other. And I loved that it wasn't the 'love at first site' that is so rampant in books today.

Really, this is one that you should pick up if you like fairy tales and are looking for something a little different from the norm.

Thought I'd mention that this is going to be part of a series. The stories are meant to be read alone, but all four books in the series have the same 'Chose Your Own Adventure' style and a unique twist on an old tale. The other book currently out is Sleeping Beauty, Vampire Slayer. Has anyone read that one? Let me know what you thought!

*Disclaimer — I received this book as part of a promotional book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Ever wonder about who Prince Charming really was? What his story actually is? In so many of the classic tales, we hear very little about who Prince Charming really is. We know the basics of their actions — fought his way through a massively huge hedge to kiss a sleeping princess, stumbled across a chick in a coffin & stole it, climbed up lots of hair, only to be tossed out of the tower, etc. but we really aren't given very much information about the actual prince. Fairy tales tend to focus on the evil and the maiden and the deeds of the prince, but very little else.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy is that story. Who are these princes? What are their names? Their personalities? Healy has taken those bare boned details and created a delightfully entertaining story about who these princes really are and what happens after the "happily ever after".

This is the perfect middle grade book and if I had read this when I was a kid, I would have inhaled it. Which is not to say that I didn't like it now. On the contrary! I found it to be perfectly entertaining. The story itself wasn't without it's flaws (mostly that some of the princes real personalities totally annoyed me...) but the book was just... so perfectly readable and entertaining.

Even when they drove me crazy, I loved seeing a real side to these heroes who had previously often been demoted to nothing but a kiss and a title. My favorite was Prince Liam and that's all I'm going to say because I think these are characters that are best discovered on your own. Each of the characters in this novel start in one place and end in another that demonstrates growth as a person, but doesn't take away from who they actually are. I love that. I love seeing characters learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others, sacrifice what they want for what's best for others and just become better people.

The princesses aren't exactly what they appear to be in the original tales either. They are also given their own unique personalities and attributes (some good, some most assuredly not...) The side characters were also a lot of fun. I loved Liam's little sister Lila, the bounty hunter, the Bandit King and his group of bandits and the Trolls. Oh my goodness, the Trolls! They might possibly be my favorite part of the story. Seriously.

The book is told by a narrator, talking directly to the reader, who already knows the whole story and sometimes gets ahead of him/herself. I'm not normally a fan of that body-less/nameless narrator talking at me from the pages, but in this story, it worked. I never felt annoyed or pulled out of the story because of the narrator and I actually loved his little hints and nudges and secrets that the heroes really should know, but didn't.

I am so not doing this book justice. This review is all over the place, for which I apologize, but there is just so much going on in this book and it's just so fun and funny and charming (ya, I said it. So what). But really. You need to go out and read this book. If you like fairy tales, read it. If you like the funny and absurdly ridiculous, read it. If you know a kid (boy or girl) who likes action and bumblers and heroes and fun and awesome princesses, then go buy it/read it/share it. It's a book that I think has something to offer to everyone. Not everyone is going to love it, but I'll wager most everyone will definitely enjoy it.

It's the beginning of a new series. But it ends well. There is no cliffhanger, no annoyance when you turn the last page. If you wanted this novel to be it, you could read this one as a stand alone and be happy. But let's be honest. It's me we are talking about. I'm for sure going to be eagerly anticipating the next installment of these heroes Princes. And, I fully intend to pass this book along to my little brothers who I definitely think will just love this one!

Oh ya. And also... The illustrations? Fabulous. Like, seriously. Ashley is in love.

Check out the awesome guest post from Christopher during Fairy Tale Fortnight!
And here is a link to an excerpt with illustrations I posted!

*Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the awesome folks at Walden Pond Press in exchange for an honest review. And it is.

Hello, lovelies! Hope you're having a great day — and for a lot of you, it's about to get better. Settle in for a really long list of winners from Fairy Tale Fortnight.

Disclaimer: All winners will be emailed, and will have 2 days (48 hours) to respond before a new winner will be picked. No exceptions — there are just too many giveaways, and too many sponsors waiting on shipping information for us to wait on responses.
All winners chosen with random.org, based on criteria in each individual giveaway.

Now, lets get to it, shall we?

Anahita's Woven Riddle 6 people guessed the correct country (Iran), but there's only 1 winner: Congratulations, Vickie Mae!

Nancy Werlin Prize Pack wins both Extraordinary and Impossible Casey! (The Bookish Type) whose fairy tale name would be Asparagus.

A True Princess/The Thirteenth Princess swag
Small Review!
Jadey!
Brenda Jean!

Acrostic Poem ~ Kids Prize Pack
Ems!

Congrats everyone! Remember, if we email you for your address and we don't hear back by Wednesday, a new winner will be chosen.

I don't participate in the meme over at The Broke and the Bookish very often — it's pretty sporadic. But every so often, the topic is such that I must share. Today's topic is the Top Ten Books that Came Recommended. Basically, those books I never would have read without someone pushing it into my hands and demanding that I 'go'. To be honest, most of the books I read, especially before I started blogging, are books that I found for myself. But, there definitely are some books out there that I wouldn't have read without that extra little push. So — here they are.

1) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta — Anyone who has followed me on Twitter for any length of time knows that I am almost obsessively in love with this book. It's one of those books that ruins you for anything else for a while, because nothing, and I mean nothing can match the brilliance that is this book. I read this book because it won the 2009 Printz Award. So, it's not really a recommendation, because it didn't come from a specific person, but I'm counting it, because I love it. With all my heart I love it, and I would never have known about it without that list.
(The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart gets an honorable mention for the exact same reason)

2) Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark — I've talked about this one before, but my mom handed me this book when I was 11/12 because I wouldn't stop whining about needing something to read. I devoured it and went right back to my mom begging for more. I was in love with MHC for years. I've read all but her newest couple releases, and there is still something comforting about going back and reading those old favorites again.

3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak — This is one that I probably would have picked up on my own without a recommendation, but it would have taken me a lot longer to learn about it, and to get it actually read. It was all over Goodreads for a long time, and it seemed like everyone I talked to on that site constantly raved about this book. I remember checking it out from the library at least three times, but never managing to get it read before it was came due again. I finally just sat down to read it, and it blew my mind away. I loved it. Thank you random Goodread friends.

4) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer — I don't care what all you haters say. In my experience, most of those who profess deep and undying hatred for this series were among the most ardent fans when it was 'cool' to like these books. This is not my normal read. When my friend recommended the book to me, I didn't even need to give her the 'look' before she was stumbling over her words, telling me why it wasn't as bad as it sounded. So, I read it. And I really enjoyed it. It's not some great piece of literary fiction. But it's never claimed to be. It's a teenage vampire love story for crying out loud! Read it to be entertained. Stephenie Meyer tells a great story, even if her characters would totally suck in real life. This is also the book that made me decide it was okay to give Paranormal fiction a chance. (still don't love it, but I enjoy it upon occasion)

5) The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley — This is another set I've mentioned before. I hated fantasy when I was younger. I thought I was 'above' the genre, and refused to read it. My friend in 8th grade bribed me to read these two books and I loved them. They changed the way I read.

6) Enchantment by Orson Scott Card — This is one of my older sister's very favorite books. (She actually talks about it in a guest post) It's a retelling of Sleeping Beauty set between ancient Ukranie/Russia and modern America. It's a powerful read and one that has become one of my favorite fairy tale retellings. It's amazing.

7) The Kite Runner- by Khaled Hosseini — This is another book that I saw mentioned on Goodreads all the time. Everyone who read it seemed moved by it, and I wanted to better understand what everyone was talking about. So I read it, and let me tell you — I didn't remember the last time that I had been so incredibly moved by a book. It broke my heart. And Hosseini's second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns just might be even better.

8) Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan — This is a series that was first recommended to my by my 15 year old brother. He loves this series, and has been trying to convince me to read it for a while now. Then, one of my groups on Goodreads read it as a group read, and I decided that I might as well read it. I wasn't expecting anything more than moderate enjoyment, but wow! I haven't been this caught up in a fantasy story like this in a long while. There were some inconsistencies and things in the story, but I was so caught up in the lives of these young characters that I didn't really care. It was such a fun read, and now I can't wait to continue the series!

9) The Book by M. Clifford — This is a by-choice self-published novel (as in, the author didn't seek and doesn't want an actual publishing contract) that I would never have heard of without Lori from The Next Best Book Blog. She reviewed this book, a dystopian novel about a society where the government has taken complete control of the written word by making printed books illegal (environmental hazard/damage) and put all literature into one e-reader, called 'The Book'. The main character accidentally learns that they are really censoring the books, removing 'undesireable' words, phrases, or pages **cough**newHuckFinntranslation**cough**. This is an especially scary dystopian novel, because it could really happen. I won a copy on Lori's blog and read straight through this one. It would have been a shame to have missed this.

10) A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb — This is a book that I didn't expect to like. I had heard a lot of people on Goodreads talk about it, and grabbed it from the library on a whim. (this is something I do regularly. I have over 300 books sitting in my bedroom right now that I could/should be reading, but I will go to the library fairly often and just walk up and down the aisles, grabbing books that look interesting. Some I read right away, some I never read at all...) Anyway... I grabbed a copy of this and brought it home, but didn't expect much. A few days later, I was getting ready for bed and needed to pick out my book for the next day. (I was living in Arlington, VA at the time, and worked in DC). I had an hour+ commute to and from work, and a book was a must. So, I grabbed a few library books from the piles in my room and decided that I would read the first few pages and take whatever book grabbed my attention. I started with this book and told myself I'd stop after 3 6 10 20 one more chapter just one more okay, one more maybe two more just one more just till this part is over. And then, suddenly, the book was done, it was way later than I should have been going to bed, and I still didn't have anything to read on my commute. This one was awesome!

So, there you have it. Those are my top ten books I'm so glad you forced me to read. What are yours?! I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a comment, so I can come check out your top lists and add some more books to my insanely large tbr pile!

I know this is the third Memory Monday you've had to hear from me in a row. Last week was Fairy Tale Fortnight so I shared two fairy tale memories with you. This week, I wanted to share something a little more somber. Fairy Tale Fortnight had me so busy, that I haven't seen much on anyone's blog but mine and Misty's for the whole month of April, so I didn't see this earlier, but I stumbled across an event on JG's blog — The Introverted Reader that I wanted to take part in, and Memory Monday seemed like the perfect place to put it.

JG is hosting this Holocaust Remembrance Week. I wanted to share my first experience with the Holocaust in literature.

The first book I remember reading about the Holocaust is Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic. It is the story of a young Jewish girl, Hannah, who doesn't really understand the Holocaust, or her Jewish heritage in general. At Passover this year, when she leaves the table to open the door for the symbolic entry of the prophet Elijah, she finds herself looking out across wide fields, instead of the narrow hallway of her aunt's apartment building. She finds herself back in time, right before the Nazi's come to take her entire village to the concentration camps. Hannah, whose Jewish name is Chaya, is terrified. She learned about this in school, and she knows what's coming. But no one will listen to her. They brush it off as the residual effects of the fever that almost took her life. And so, Hannah lives in the camps, and she learns.

I read this book in 6th grade, and I've never forgotten it. It changed the way I viewed both books and the Holocaust. Hannah's story touched me. It made me want to learn more about this tragic time in history so that I would never forget what an important part of the history of our world it is. Hannah's story hurt my heart. Her descriptions of life in the camp are not overly graphic — I read this book in 6th grade and it was most definitely age appropriate but they are also far from sugar coated. She describes what life was like for these Jews and other "undesirables" in stark terms, making it very clear that to live was to feel pain, to breathe was to suffer. From the beginning, when the soldiers strip them naked after their showers and shave their heads to the very end when soldiers go about selecting Jews to die, simply because they are a little too full, my heart broke for these characters.

At 11 years old, I didn't have any previous frame of reference for this type of suffering and abuse and I cried. I cried while reading this book when people were in pain, but also when people showed their innate goodness, sharing bread when they are already starving, and burdens when they are already weak beyond endurance. I've read this book many times since that first read through in 6th grade, and it never fails to touch my heart. I've read many other books about the Holocaust since then, and all of them have their own power and ability to move me. But this is the one that I remember first, because it was my first.

This is a powerful story. One that I dare you to read and not be moved by.

Fairy Tale Fortnight is officially over! This is our final post, one last time to speak while you are all listening, and we wanted to take this opportunity to express our thanks. It's a bit bittersweet actually. It will be nice for us to have our days back in our control, rather than being consumed with magic and wishes, witches and trolls, but at the same time, we're sure going to miss it. It's been a huge part of these last couple months. We have had such an awesome turn out! There were so very many awesome people who expressed interest and made Fairy Tale Fortnight a part of their April.

This event has been a crazy awesome experience for me! I have had a blast spending so much time in this world of fairy tales and meeting, or getting to know better, so many awesome people! Whether it's my fairy tale soul twin (I'm looking at you, Bonnie) or my Fairy Tale Sister who seems to share my Fairy Tale brain wave length (cue Twilight Zone theme song, and enter Misty!) or bringing my Twitter friends into the Fairy Tale Fun (hello to Enna, Farah, Jayme, Lynn Marie, and Laura) But everyone who participated has made this event great! It really meant a lot that so many people were able to come together and share a love of fairy tales. I hope you all enjoyed this event as much as I did.

in my blog to fill out our survey for the event, and tell us what you thought!

And for all of you who participated, and all of you who read the posts and shared some fairy tale love, Misty and Ashley have one thing to say to you:

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you for joining us, for reading the posts, for writing your own posts, tweeting and spreading the word, putting our button on your sites, talking about it with your friends. Thanks to the authors who took time out of their busy schedules to answer emails and interview questions, write up guest posts and offer giveaway prizes, and generally make these two bloggers shake and shimmy squee. (be glad you couldn't see/hear it... it wasn't pretty) You are all wonderful people, truly amazing and this event would not have been this amazing without you. Again, thank you. Thank you, thank you, and we hope to see you all again next year.

What's that you say?! Next year? Yup! Fairy Tale Fortnight will return again next year. Tell all your friends.

Here is an alphabetical list of all the wonderful participants.
For links to each participants contribution, in my blog to be taken to the schedule

Alanna (giveaway [2], guest post [2]) Alex Flinn (author interview) Ammy Belle (guest post [2]) Andrea (photo guest post) Angelique (video clip) Bonnie (guest post, sent authors to us) Carolyn Turgeon (author interview, giveaway) Cindy Pon (author interview) CSI Librarian (guest post [2]) Curlypow (guest post) Danya (guest post) Diane Zahler (author interview, giveaway) Donna Jo Napoli (author interview, giveaway, video clip) Edie (giveaway) Elie (fill-in game) Elizabeth C. Bunce (author interview, giveaway) Emily (guest post [2]) Enna Isilee (giveaway, guest post [2]) Erika (guest post, video clip) Farrah (video clip) Heather Dixon (guest post) Her Royal Orangeness (guest post) Jaclyn Dolamore (author interview, giveaway, guest post, video clip) Janette Rallison (author interview, giveaway) Jayme (guest post, video clip) Jen (video clip) Jennifer (giveaway, guest post) Jessica Day George (author interview, giveaway, guest post, video hello) JG (fill-in game, giveaway) Khadija (fill-in game) Kristen (giveaway, guest post [2]) Kristen C (giveaway, guest post) Laura (guest post) Liz (video clip) Lynn Marie (video clip) Marissa Meyer (author interview, guest post) Maureen McGowan (fill-in game) Meghan Nuttall Sayres (giveaway) Mel U (guest post [2]) Mette Ivie Harrison (author interview, giveaway, guest post) Midnyte Reader (guest post) Miss Eliza (guest post) Nancy Werlin (giveaway) NoraBell (video clip) One A Day YA (video clip) Sara (guest post, video clip) (and her daughter) Katelin (video clip) Sarah Porter (author interview) Sierra (giveaway [2], guest post [2]) Sheila D (giveaway, guest post) Susan Fletcher (giveaway) Tia Nevitt (author interview) Titania (giveaway, guest post [2]) Tricia (guest post) Velvet (giveaway) Zoë Marriot (author interview, giveaway, guest post, video clip)