Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the fantastic people over at The Broke and The Bookish! Covers link to Goodreads.
Today's topic is Fairy Tale Retellings! Along with the rest of the YA-readership and -writership, I am in LOVE with retellings. There's something comforting about having characters you (kinda) know from fairy tales popping up in your books, but then there's also the suspense of seeing how the author is going to twist it all. IT'S SPLENDID.
Here are my top ten retellings that I'm hoping to read sometime soon! Tell me which ones I should bump up to the top of my TBR.
1. The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman and Chris RidellI've never read any Neil Gaiman and this one just looks so magical. It's a combination of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, which sounds like perfection!
2. Winter by Marissa Meyer
OBVIOUSLY this has to be on the list. I am dying to know how this series finishes and also really really want to fully meet Winter. I know we've technically been introduced to her already but I don't feel like I've fully understood her character yet. *flails around because NOVEMBER*
3. Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
So I kind of just fell in love with this cover. This is most definitely on my TBR solely because of cover love. It made me think of old Europe and magic, and it wasn't until after I had added it to my TBR that I realized it was a Rapunzel retelling. It's both (French) historical fiction AND a retelling. And has a gorgeous cover. Triple check marks!
4. Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen
Another cover love addition. This one is a middle grade retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but I've heard it's not what you'd expect. It's apparently much darker, and there is more than one Beast. Mysteries abound! I'm very excited to read this one.
5. Valiant by Sarah McGuire
Does anyone actually remember the fairy tale of the Valiant Little Tailor? I think I vaguely do. Anyway that's what Valiant is a retelling of. It looks like a cute middle grade, and the protagonist is a girl. It hope it's good! (Also - cover love strikes again?)
6. Mirrored by Alex FlinnThis one is a modern retelling of Snow White. (I'm seeing lots of Snow Whites on this list!) I don't really know much about it other than that. It comes out this September.
7. A Thousand Nights by E. K. JohnstonIf I said anything before about cover love, ignore it. THIS IS WHAT TRUE LOVE FEELS LIKE. I mean, look at that script! *collapses from the sheer beauty* Also, I've never read a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights, but I loved the stories as a kid, so I'm so ready for this.
8. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
More A Thousand and One Nights retellings! These seem really popular lately, which I am TOTALLY cool with. I've also heard nothing but excellence about this one so I am dying to read it.
9. Dorothy must Die by Danielle PaigeDoes The Wizard of Oz count as a fairy tale? IT DOES NOW, because I said so. Everyone says this book is magical and dark and creepy and just wonderful, so I've got to read it, right?
10. Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum
I am also saying that Peter Pan also counts as a fairy tale, because. Ever since I read Peter and the Starcatchers as a kid, I have had a soft spot for Peter Pan retellings. Will I like this one? I hope so.
NOTE: I had previously put Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher as #10 on this list, which is NOT a Peter Pan retelling, as far as I can tell. The confusion is forgiveable, I hope, since both Never Nevers are being released under a year of each other (the Hoover and Fisher was out last January, and the Shrum is out this September). Why do publishers do this? So confusing.
Which of these books have you read? Which should I read? Which are also on your list? Tell me ALL in the comments!
YES to Winter! And I love that this topic made Bitter Greens go up on my radar because it looks pretty fascinating. I love that it is a retelling and historical fiction, too. :D
ReplyDeleteBitter Greens has been on my TBR forever! I can't wait to read it. :-)
DeleteI actually haven't read any but a lot of these are on my TBR as well! Bitter Greens, A Thousand Nights, Never Never, The Wrath and the Dawn, Valiant, and of course Winter!!! Retellings are the best and I especially love fairy tale ones :) A few of my favorite retellings: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Ella Enchanted, Cruel Beauty, Cinder, Stitching Snow, Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel, For Darkness Shows The Stars, Entwined, The Sweetest Spell.
ReplyDeleteOh I just read ACOTAR and loved it! Ella Enchanted was my childhood :-) And obviously Cinder is perfection <3
DeleteThe rest you mention I haven't read. I'm going to put them on my TBR for sure, though!
Wasn't it fab? So dark and sexy and magical! I reread Ella Enchanted this summer for the first time in years and I loved it even more. Yay! I love giving book recs, couldn't help myself :)
DeleteWait... Never Never is a Peter pan retelling?! I had no idea, now I'm really interested to see how Hoover would pull that off! Peter Pan is my favorite story of all time so I am always hesitant to pick up retellings, but I loved Peter and the Starcatchers too!
ReplyDeleteMallory @ The Local Muse
So..... actually I have no idea where I got the idea that Never Never is a Peter Pan thing. I think I saw it on PaperFury once? *shrugs* Now that I've looked into it, I DONT think it's Peter Pan. But I could have sworn I saw it was! GAH.
DeleteUPDATE! There are two Never Nevers! The correct one I meant to put on this list is by Briana Shrum and is out this September. Sorry for the confusion!
DeleteWhat a good list! I added Bitter Greens to my TBR, it sounds very, very interesting. I'm loving this week's TTT!
ReplyDeleteHere's mine
It's killing our TBR's, isn't it? :-)
DeleteDorothy Must Die was on my list! You've got a few that are on my TBR list as well. Great list!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my Top 10
I'm so excited to read Dorothy Must Die - I've heard such excellence about it!
DeleteBased just off the covers alone, I would read all of these.
ReplyDeleteThe covers are TO DIE FOR
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