Listless Monday, Retellings and Such Like

Listless Monday was inspired by both Amanda at A Bookshelf Monstrosity's feature Books by Theme and Court at Once Upon a Bookshelf's Listed feature.  Be sure to check out their lists!

I know you might be getting sick of hearing about it, but I created a list of books that will fit into the challenge I'm hosting, Classic Double Challenge, and I finally got the list set up with links!  So, here is a collection of retellings, sequels, prequels, tie-ins, and other generally "inspired by" books (with the originals, as best I could tell).  This list is anything but comprehensive, since the more popular works (notably Jane Austen and Shakespeare) have so many spin offs and such that I couldn't list them all if a wanted.  Thus, a sprinkling of them, plucked from my random knowledge (and with many thanks to those with suggestions, notably Melissa of Life: Merging).  Feel free to offer suggestions of some of your favorites!

Associated with a specific book/play/work

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
You Don't Know About Me by Brian Meehle

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
Splintered by A.G. Howard
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten by Gretchen McNeil
I Know What You Did Last Wednesday by Anthony Horowitz

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
What Happened to Anna K. by Irina Reyn

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe
Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey

Beowulf by Anonymous
Beowulf by Gareth Hinds (graphic novel!)
The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse

Carmen by Prosper Mérimée
Carmen by Walter Dean Myers
The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant
When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Marly's Ghost by David Levithan and Brian Selznick

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook

Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
At Face Value by Emily Franklin
Flawless by Lara Chapman
Undercover by Beth Kephart

Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
The Last Summer Of The Death Warriors by Francisco X. Stork
 
Dracula by Bram Stoker
iDrakula by Bekka Black
Bloodline by Kate Cary
Dracula in Love by Karen Essex

Emma by Jane Austen
The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous
Gil Marsh by A.C.E. Bauer

Faust by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
On the Devil's Court by Carl Deuker

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Mister Creecher by Chris Priestley
The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series by Kenneth Oppel
Henry Franks by Peter Adam Salomon
Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Jake, Reinvented by Gordon Korman

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
Ophelia by Lisa Klein
Dating Hamlet by Lisa Fiedler
The Dead Father's Club by Matt Haig
Hamlet by John Marsden
Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde (and The Merry Wives of Windsor)
Something Rotten by Alan Gratz
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (and various other Shakespeare plays)

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Howards End by E.M. Forster
On Beauty by Zadie Smith

The Iliad by Homer
Troy High by Shana Norris
Troy by Adele Geras
Nobody’s Princess by Esther Friesner
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Jane by April Lindner
A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont
The Eyre Affaire by Jasper Fforde
The Flight of Gemma Hardy: A Novel by Margot Livesey
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
Jane Slayre by Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin
Ironskin by Tina Connolly

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

King Lear by William Shakespeare
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Little Women and Me by Lauren Baratz-Logstedt
The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly
The Lost summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O’Connor McNees
March by Geraldine Brooks
The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick

Lysistrata by Aristophanes
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney
Lady Macbeth's Daughter by Lisa Klein

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Trouble with Flirting by Clare LaZebnik

The Masque of The Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Shylock's Daughter by Mijam Pressler

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
The Loser's Guide to Life and Love by A.E. Cannon
A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L.Stine

Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Moby Clique by Cara Lockwood

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
The Hours by Michael Cunningham

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange
Northanger Alibi by Jenni James

The Odyssey by Homer
The Odyssey by Garth Hinds
Ithaka by Adele Geras
King of Ithaka by Tracey Barrett
Stickman Odyssey by Christopher Ford
Ulysses by James Joyce
Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia Mccall
The Odyssey by Gillian cross

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Othello by William Shakespeare
Othello by Julius Lester
I, Iago by Nicole Galland

Paradise Lost by John Milton
The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Persuasion by Jane Austen
Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange
Captain Wentworth's Persuasion by Regina Jeffers
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Persuaded by Jenni James

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
The Child Thief by Brom
Another Pan by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
Peter and the Starcatchers series by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire
How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith
Pies and Prejudice by Heather Vogel Frederick
Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard
Dear Mr. Darcy by Amanda Grange 
Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance
+a million other sequels and spin-offs

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
New Girl by Paige Harbison
Thorn Abbey by Nancy Ohlin

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
West Side Story by Irving Shulman
Saving Juliet by Suzanne Selfors
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
Romiette and Julio by Sharon Draper
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Romeo’s Ex: Rosaline’s Story by Lisa Fiedler
When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
The Scarlet Letterman by Cara Lockwood
A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Humming Room by Ellen Potter

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler
Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland
The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love by Rosie Rushton
Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters
Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

Sherlock Holmes books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Sherlock Holmes: The Legend Begins by Andrew Lane

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mademoiselle Odile by James Reese

The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Ariel by Grace Tiffany
Tempestuous by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Map of Time by Felix Palma

Tristan and Isolt by Gottfried von Strassburg (or various other authors)
Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Tighter by Adele Griffin
The Turning by Francine Prose

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Illyria by Elizabeth Hand

Various Tales
Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt
Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The Wicked Years series by Gregory Maguire

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Catherine by April Lindner
Wuthering High by Cara Lockwood
The House of Dead Maids by Clare Dunkle

Significantly less easy to define and to find an "original" work are myths and legends, but there are so many different iterations I'm sure you could find at least two versions.

Myths/Legends:

Robin Hood 
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughan
The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig 
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George 
Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody
+a billion more

Arthurian Legends
Le Morte D'Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory
The Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandel
Avalon High by Meg Cabot
The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Pendragon series by D.J. MacHale
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
+a billion more!

One Thousand and One Nights 
Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt 

Cupid and Psyche
Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire by Julius Lester
Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Persephone
Abandon by Meg Cabot
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Into the Dark by Bree Despain 

Minotaur
Lost in the Labyrinth by Patrice Kindl
Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

Medusa
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
 
Orpheus and Eurydice
All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry

Pandora
Doomed by Tracy Deebs

The Furies
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Furious by Jill Wolfson
Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

General Mythology
Antigoddess by Kendare Blake (Greek)
The Chaos of Stars by Kirsten White (Egyptian)
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (Greek)
Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan (Greek/Roman)
The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan (Egyptian)
Loki's Wolves (Blackwell Pages series) by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr (Norse)
Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs 
Soonchild by Russell Hoban (Innuit)

Mother Goose Rhymes
Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes edited by Georgia McBride and Michelle Zink

For more mythological-based books, check out my Listless Monday list on Mythology.
 
(If you're interested in fairy tale retellings, which are their own giant list, I've compiled quite a few at this Listless Monday list).

I know there are probably hundreds more to add - any suggestions?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Holiday Swap Happiness

I was most pleased to see this lovely arrive last week. It certainly made a drudging week much better! Thanks very much to my "Secret" Santa, Janel of Biblophibian.

Cute little package

I loved these wrappings!

But I loved what was inside more: a favorite book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, along with some chocolate!  Thank you again, Janel, it was just what I needed :)

And thanks to the organizers of this delightful Book Blogger Holiday Swap!

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (for Challenges)

(That's right - Christmas and Reading Challenges, they go together :)  I'd decided to cut back on the challenges I joined this year, but I think I ended up with the same number.  Most of them are different ones, though, which makes it extra fun!  Here they are and hope you find something you might want to join:

First up is my own challenge, new this year.  The Classic Double Challenge, wherein you read an older classic book and pair it with a newer retelling, sequel, or otherwise related book.  Check out my Classic Double sign-up page for more info or to join in.  I've also got a list of possibe pairs if you want to get some ideas.  I've decided to try Super Size level, which is 4 pairs of books.  I might even try to squeeze in another pair too, if I'm feeling crazy.  Here are my tentative choices:

1. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
2. New Girl by Paige Harbison

3. Persuasion by Jane Austen
4. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

5. The Frog King or Iron Heinrich
6. In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

7. FAILED!  I only managed to read three pairs this year! :(
8.

And maybe something undecided which may or may not relate to Cyrano de Bergerac, Shakespeare, or ancient Greek mythology (keeping my options open, obviously).

Next up is another new challenge, the Dusty Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Books: A True Story.  I have a hugely embarrassing number of TBR books and other languishing books that have been waiting so patiently for me to read.  This will give me the impetus to pick them up (I hope).  I'm doing the Dust Bunny level (5-10 books) and hoping I'll get more than that.  Here are just a few of the many needing reading:

1. Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (2+ years)
2. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (2+ years)
3. Rampant by Diana Peterfreund (2+ years)
4. The Brontes: A Life in Letters by Juliet Barker (um, maybe a decade?)
5. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (2+ years)
6. EPIC FAIL!!!! I didn't manage to read ANY books for this challenge :(

My next challenge is the only repeat for me, the Debut Author Challenge, hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.  I really enjoyed the emphasis this places on reading books by debut authors (something I totally wouldn't have done before I started blogging).  The challenge is to read 12 books by debut authors.  Here are some of my options:

1. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
2. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
4. Variant by Robison Wells
5. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
6. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
7. Tempest by Julie Cross
8. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
9. Insignia by S.J. Kincaid 
10. Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin
11. Starters by Lissa Price 
12. The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann 
13. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
14. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
15. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu 
16. False Memory by Dan Krokos 
17. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
18. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

WIN!  I completed and surpassed the goal of 12 debuts this year!  Yeah!

And lastly, I figured I would be reading as many dystopian/post-apoc/futuristic books as I could get my hands on, so why not join a challenge?  The Dystopia Challenge, hosted by Bookish Ardour looked like a good one (there are several) and I'm going for Contagion level (15 books) and hoping to get about 20 read.  I'm pretty excited to have an excuse to read more in these genres.  (See all the reviews here.) Here are some possibilities:

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
2. Legend by Marie Lu
3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
4. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
5. The Death Cure by James Dashner
6. Fever by Lauren DeStefano
7. Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien
8. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
9. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
10. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
11. The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi
12. Partials by Dan Wells
13. The Weepers: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
14. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu
15. Starters by Lissa Price
16. After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
17. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
18. UnWholly by Neal Shusterman
19. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin
20. Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin
21. Rebel Heart by Moira Young 
22. Son by Lois Lowry

WIN!  I completed the contagion level of 15 books and even met my goal for 20!

What is your favorite reading challenge?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Eona by Alison Goodman

Eona by Alison Goodman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication date: April 2011
ISBN: 9780670063116
Source: Purchased

*Some spoilers for the first book, Eon, are inevitable - read at your own risk!*

Eona is no longer the girl masquerading as a boy, she is the first female dragoneye in centuries and she is powerful. But after witnessing the murder of all the other dragoneyes, she is overwhelmed with all she is responsible for and unable to draw on that power fully. She and her friends are on the run from the evil Lord Sethon and must find the black folio before it falls into the wrong hands. In addition to all of these things, Eona also must choose between two very different kinds of love. Will all of these things pull her apart or simply make her stronger?

Things I Liked:
This book was just as fascinating and action-packed as the first one.  The world Goodman has created is so vivid, colorful, and real that you feel like you are living in it.  The history and the dragons and the dragonlore are just beautifully rendered.  Not to mention the twisting story filled with hints and surprises that will keep you reading just to know where Eona will end up.  I love this book with its gorgeous Asian-inspired culture and heroine who is battling with herself, her motives, and what is right vs what she wants.  Some of the secondary characters are really well-drawn, particularly Kygo and Ido.  An excellent sequel and everything I hoped it would be.

Things I Didn't Like:
It did seem to drag on just a bit too long.  I felt like, while there was a lot of action, there could have been a few things cut to keep us moving the story along.  And I got mad at Eona again, for doing things that you really wished she'd think through and just not seeing what was plain to see.  Just as frustrating and fascinating as last time. 

Read-alikes:
Read Eon: Dragoneye Reborn first
Reminds me of Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
I was too involved in reading to notice, but there were probably at least a few

mrg-factor: XX
some innuendo and it has some sensual parts, nothing explicit

v-factor: ->->->
lots of fighting, lots of action, plenty of description

Overall rating: *****

I've seen mixed reviews of this one - what are your feelings?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: October 2011
ISBN: 9780062027870
Source: ARC provided by publisher

When Megan moves to Ireland, all she wants is to fit in for a change. But when the mysterious Adam DeRis catches her eye, she begins to want him too.  But their relationship is going to be anything but normal.  Can their love survive the forces of nature that are trying to separate them?

Things I Liked:
I really liked the Irish setting and the paranormal aspect was unique enough to keep me reading.  I was especially interested in the powers they manifested, though I kept thinking of Captain Planet :)  It was fun to learn about the ancient societies and the complicated history Fallon had imagined around these characters.  I think the mythos and intricacies of the paranormal powers were the most interesting part of the book and made the read enjoyable (and fast). 

Things I Didn't Like:
I have to admit, I was rather disappointed in the plot.  The book felt like every other paranormal romance I've read - especially at the beginning with the aloof guy suddenly interested in the new girl and their insta-love.  While there was some effort made to explain their immediate attraction, I was still disappointed in the explanation.  Megan displayed some good sentiments and didn't act like a moron for much of the book, but her desire to sacrifice all for the love of her life (who she's known for a few months at most) was a little annoying.  I guess I'm becoming too skeptical to enjoy these paranormals much anymore. 

Read-alikes:
Twilight fans will enjoy it, most likely
Hush, Hush books by Becca Fitzpatrick
Reminded me of Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@ 
mostly religious exclamations

mrg-factor: X 
just kissing and some talk

v-factor: -> 
some fighting

Overall rating: ***

What makes a paranormal book stand out to you in the overcrowded market?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Top Ten Tuesday: Childhood Faves

This week's Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is childhood favorites.  You know, I'm not sure I can even pick just ten books that were my favorites as a child.  But, I'm going to try (and cheat to include series):

The Berenstain Bears by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Seriously, I collected these.  They may not be the best written (or most exciting by any means), but for some reason, I really liked this series of books about a family of bears.

Best Friends for Frances by Russell Hobar 
I think this one stands out because my family had the audio version on record (oh, that dates me) of the story.  Frances is still a family favorite, though I can't recite the audio version word for word as my sister still can.

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
The silly antics and mishaps of these amphibious friends were so entertaining.  I still get a kick out of them today.  (Added bonus, we had a few of these on record as well - my first introduction to the world of audiobooks :)

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare  
I remember thinking that THIS had to be the best book ever written!  I was over the moon when my 5th grade teacher was giving away some books and this happened to be one of them.  I snatched it up like it was candy, and I still have that well-loved copy.

Enchantress of Crumbledown by Donald Marshall 
This is a book I got for Christmas one year, and you've probably never heard of it, since it is from an LDS publisher (Deseret Book) and I believe is now out of print.  For some reason, the story of children who ran away and stayed with an eccentric old lady made me long to run away.  Which, you know, I did on multiple occasions (mind you, it was usually to the backyard or the nearby park for a few hours). 

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner  
Speaking of running away, I think this got me started on the idea.  Plus, my grandma had an old abandoned railroad car in her yard.  Never mind it was infested with rodents and other unsavory creatures, it was magical.

Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene  
I would not be the avid reader I am without this never-ending supply of cookie cutter mysteries.  I don't think I was ever clever enough to figure out the mystery before Nancy, but I devoured these every week from the library.

The Babysitter's Club by Ann M. Martin 
I'll be honest, I wanted to be Mary Ann and have Logan as my boyfriend.  But I was probably more like Kristy.

Sweet Valley Twins by Francine Pascal  
Rounding out my childhood series obsessions is this delight.  I loved the twins and so wanted to be as stylish and grown up as they seemed.  Plus, the drama!

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell  
This one was a little later, about 7th grade, but this is the first book I became seriously obsessed with and had to check out every book about it (and its movie) that I could find.  My dad visited Georgia and went to a museum for me and took photos of memorabilia.  I even got a collector's spoon and coasters.  A little bit crazy, I am, about my reading.

What were your childhood favorites?

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Listless Monday, Thieves Edition

Listless Monday was inspired by both Amanda at A Bookshelf Monstrosity's feature Books by Theme and Court at Once Upon a Bookshelf's Listed feature.  Be sure to check out their lists!

I enjoyed Angie's favorite list of thieves, as well as Julie's favorite thieves and realized there are quite a few more literary thieves out there than I first thought.  I think for me, I love the thieves, but don't want to love them (after all, it isn't exactly a respectable career choice).  We find them charming and we just can't help loving them, but in real life?  No one loves a thief.  Anywho, here's a list of books/series that star or prominently feature a thief, reformed or otherwise.

Thieves Edition

Ancient Blades trilogy by David Chandler
The Blue Shoe: A Tale of Thievery, Villainy, Sorcery, and Shoes by Roderick Townley
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti (suggested by KT)
Heist Society and Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
The Keepers series by Lian Tanner
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (at least in the title :)
The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas (suggested by KT)
Montmorency series by Eleanor Updale
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (suggested by KT)
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima
The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu (suggested by KT)
Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce
StarCrossed and Liar's Moon by Elizabeth Bunce
Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott
Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett (at least in the title :)
The Time Travelers by Linda Buckley-Archer
The Westmark Trilogy by Lloyd Alexander

Any additions (or favorite thieves)?

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Retro Friday Review: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie of Angieville and "focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc."

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Publisher/Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date: 2003 (originally self-published 2001)
ISBN: 9780375826689
Source: Audiobook from library

Eragon is hunting in the woods one day when a blue stone appears in his path.  With no idea of its purpose or value, he takes it home where a dragon hatches from it.  Setting off a chain of events he little expects, Eragon and Saphira find themselves far from their home, without family, and training to become a dragon rider - a fierce warrior that will inspire the people suppressed by Galbatorix to battle his control.  But which side should he be on?

Things I Liked:
I listened to this one on audio, so I could have everything fresh in my mind when reading the last book.  The story is still just as exciting and intriguing as it was the first time.  I love how Eragon is a flawed and still struggling teen who isn't quite sure what to do and how to do it.  The high fantasy world Paolini created is full of depth and history and I'm excited to finally get to the end of the story!

Things I Didn't Like:
I was reminded again how ridiculously many adjectives and adverbs are used (an ironic sentence if ever there was one :).  It was almost overwhelming at times.  It does evoke some of the older epic fantasies such as Lord of the Rings, but also makes it feel a bit pretentious.  Also, I wasn't enthralled with the voices used by the narrator, Gerard Doyle, particularly Saphira's, but I think he did well considering the sheer number of characters.  I didn't much care for the growly deepness Saphira's voice.  But, I listened all the way through and I'm planning to listen to the next two as well.

Read-alikes:
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (plenty of similarities - see this article)
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
a few here and there

mrg-factor: none 

v-factor: ->->-> 
some rather gruesome descriptions of fighting/battle

Overall rating: **** 

Fan or not so much?

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Book Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity by Kim Harrington
Publisher: Point
Publication date: March 2011
ISBN: 9780545230506
Source: Library

 

Clarity and her family have always been the freaks in town - a family of psychics or other strange abilities.  Clare's ability lets her see things other people don't, just by touching objects.  But when a murder in town points to her brother as the main suspect, she must use her ability to find out the truth and protect him.  But will she be able to?

Things I Liked:
This was a fun, somewhat unusual paranormal story!  I was rather happy that the main focus of the book was not the romance (though I love a good romance).  Instead, the mystery takes the front seat of the book and that made it more enjoyable to me.  There was less focus on the hot boys and how much she'd like to kiss them (there was some kissing though).  I liked that Clarity and her family were open about their abilities and even made a living off of them.  It was nice not to have the whole secretive paranormal stuff.  All of this is to say that it was unique enough to keep me reading despite the general distaste I have for paranormal lately.  Also, the mystery, while not complex or terribly hard to figure out, was still intriguing.  True mystery fans will probably be bored, but those who like a little bit here and there will enjoy it. 

Things I Didn't Like:
I guess I don't have anything really specific that I didn't like, just that it didn't wow me much.  I think the characters are a bit flat and forgettable, despite some of their quirks.  While I liked Justin for being both vulnerable and sweet, he was a little annoying as well.  The mystery was, as I mentioned, rather simplistic but I was entertained while reading.

Read-alikes:
Paranormalcy and Supernaturally by Kiersten White
The Mark by Jen Nadol

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@
scattered throughout

mrg-factor: X
mentioned but not described

v-factor: ->->
some gruesome things

Overall rating: ***

What do you think of books that you wish you liked more, but just couldn't?

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