New and Upcoming Retellings

It's been ages since I last did a New and Upcoming Retellings post, which means there are LOTS of retellings that have come out and that are announced. Here's what I've been able to gather. I'd love to hear about any that you have heard about! See my previous retellings posts and my master list of classic retellings and fairy tale retellings. (My thanks to Bonnie at A Backwards Story for blogging about many of the fairy tale retellings coming out.  She's got some fabulous lists and reviews of fairy tale retellings on her site.  Check it out!)

Already released:

Gorgeous by Paul Rednick, released April 2013, a contemporary retelling of Cinderella


A Midsummer Night's Scream by R.L. Stine, released July 2013, a retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare


Gris Grimly's Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, illustrated by Gris Grimly, released August 2013, creepily retells Frankenstein by Mary Shelley


Will in Scarlet by Matthew Cody, released October 2013, retelling Robin Hood


Roses by G.R. Mannering, released November 2013, retelling Beauty and the Beast


Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, released January 2014, retelling Beauty and the Beast (and apparently some Greek mythology too)


Splintered by A.G. Howard came out over a year ago, but the sequel Unhinged released in January 2014 and the third title, Ensnared, is coming in January 2015, all of them retelling Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll


Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes came out in January 2013, retelling Macbeth by Shakespeare.  Anyone But You published on January 2014 retelling Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (I mentioned their Tempestuous in a previous New and Upcoming Retellings post)


Such Sweet Sorrow by Jenny Trout, released February 2014, retelling Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare (and, apparently, Hamlet by Shakespeare)


The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman, released February 2014, retelling Snow White and various other fairy tales


While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell, released February 2014, retelling Sleeping Beauty


Wayfarer by Lili St. Crow, released March 2014, retelling Cinderella


The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson, released March 2014, retelling Tam Lin


A Phantom Enchantment by Eve Marie Mont, released March 2014, retelling The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux


Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige, released April 2014, retelling The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum


Second Star by Alyssa Scheinmel, released May 2014, retelling Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie


Cinderella's Dress by Shonna Slayton, released June 2014, retelling Cinderella


The Stepsister's Tale by Tracey Barrett, released June 2014, retelling Cinderella

Not Yet Released:

Wild by Alex Mallory, coming July 2014, retelling Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs


Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen, coming July 2014, retelling Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie


Frostborn by Lou Anders, first in a new series called Thrones and Bones, coming August 2014, based on Norse mythology and folklore


Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth, finally coming to the US in September 2014, retelling Rapunzel


Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer, coming September 2014, retelling Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath


Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire, coming September 2014 (I think?), featuring Baba Yaga of Russian folklore fame


Stray by Elissa Sussmann, coming October 2014, more of a fairy-tale-esque story featuring fairy godmothers


Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis, coming October 2014, retelling Snow White


Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios, coming October 2014, inspired by The Arabian Nights


Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay, coming December 2014, retelling Sleeping Beauty


Crown Of Ice by Vicki Weavil, coming December 2014, retelling The Snow Queen


Fairest by Marissa Meyer, coming January 2015, retelling Snow White (the queen's backstory anyway)

Love, Lucy by April Lindner, coming January 2015, retelling A Room with a View by E.M. Forster


Dearest by Alethea Kontis, coming February 2015, retelling The Wild Swans and Goose Girl

Any you can think of I missed? What are you most excited for?

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

Classic Double Challenge Link-Up for June and July

Sign up for the Classic Double Challenge.

Link up with any reviews/thought posts you've done or will do in June or July (or really any time, it doesn't matter)! I posted my review of Becky Thatcher and Tom Sawyer in May, but haven't done any challenge reading since (though, I've just started Second Star, a retelling of Peter Pan, and I might just have to read the original).  Anybody out there still working on this challenge still?  Sorry I'm such a slacker at posting pretty much anything :)

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

Lord of the Rings Read-Along, Part 4

Questions found at Jenni Elyse's blog. 
Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

1. Has your favorite character changed in The Two Towers? If yes, why?
I still love Aragorn, but I have to admit after the second half of the book, Sam has my heart.  He is just such a positive person!  It's fabulous to have someone going into the very heart of darkness and still be thinking about what comes after.

2. Which do you like more, The Fellowship of the Ring or The Two Towers? Why?
I like Fellowship, just because we are introduced to everybody and Two Towers was much more of a war book, with the giant battle at Helm's Deep.  But I do love the new characters from Two Towers...so not really one or the other, but both?

3. Do you think Frodo and Sam should have killed Gollum?
No, I think not killing is always the best choice for anybody :)  And he definitely does play an important role, albeit not always a nice one.  Plus, it kind of doesn't fit their personalities.  Even though Sam talks big about hating him, he is much gentler than that.  (Although, after the end of TTT, he's pretty keen on getting Gollum.)

4. What do you think about Book Faramir vs. Movie Faramir?
Bah.  When I first saw Two Towers in the theater and Faramir says "the ring will go to Gondor" I was like WHAT????!?!?!? There has never seemed to me a good reason for that change, other than they got to throw in another super violent fight at Osgiliath.  I absolutely think Faramir is a unique character and changing his reaction to the ring and the choices he makes totally ruined it for me.  I can now enjoy the movie more, but it still upsets me.

5. Why do you think Frodo trusts Gollum?
I wouldn't say it's entirely trust, but I think Frodo feels a sort of kinship with him, as a ring bearer and definitely feels pity for one so twisted by its power.  I think he is able to see that he himself might have ended up like that if he had the ring for so long too.  Also, the promises that he extracts are ones that pretty much have to be honored by Gollum, even if he can sneak around it a bit.  Plus, he remembers that Gandalf thought Gollum still had a part to play in the ring's journey.

6. If you were in Sam’s place, would you have made the same choices if you thought Frodo was dead?
I probably would have taken the ring and made a run for it.  I doubt I would have gone back to Frodo, unless I knew he wasn't dead.  (Though, I'm with Kami, let's not leave him lying around in the open.) I think Sam had never been in a situation where he had to take charge and it was super hard for him!

7. Frodo is very blessed to have Sam with him on his quest. He is a great support and companion, and Frodo even admits he wouldn’t have made it far without Sam. If you could choose one person to take on a epic quest with you, who would it be and why? (Choose anyone! They can be fictional, family, role model, etc.)
Well, I'd probably want my husband, because I depend on him so much.  I know it's kind of cheesy, but he's pretty handy in a pinch and also happens to have a pretty positive attitude, so he might make things look less bleak.  Plus, if I've got to hike around in the wild for months, I'd rather spend that time with someone I get along with pretty well :)
Bonus choice: Aragorn.  He'd make sure we had enough to eat and he'd probably know where he's going.

8. On the flip side, do you think Frodo should have had a different member of the fellowship with him instead of Sam?
No.  I think Aragorn might have been more handy, but I definitely think Sam was the one that Frodo really needed.  His outlook, support, and friendship are really what Frodo needs, more than a guard and a fighter.

9. How has the ring affected Frodo so far in the story?
I don't think we've seen it as much in the second book.  It shows a lot more in the movie, but I think it's been kind of slow in the book.  It does talk about how he feels weighed down, heavy, and pretty much makes him tired and unable to sleep.  I think that's part of it's menace is that it kind of slowly and subtly runs you down until you don't even notice it's changing you. 

10. What was your favorite moment in Book 4?
When Sam stabs Shelob.  Just doesn't get any awesomer than this tiny hobbit fighting to the bitter end against this enormous spider.  He definitely doesn't back down, even though he thinks he's going to die.  And even though I find spiders incredibly terrifying.  (Side note, I was reading this part of the book outside on my hammock and guess what I saw crawling right next to me?  Yeah, a spider.  I pretty much shrieked and fell out.  Definitely not what I wanted to see while reading about an enormous spider.)

Can't wait to get to the last book!  Ah, I love rereading this series.  Thanks, Kami and Jenni Elyse!

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

Lord of the Rings Read-Along, Part 3

Questions found at Kami's Library Thoughts.  See Part 1 and Part 2.

1. Do you like how the book is split? Book 3 is all about Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, and book 4 is all about Frodo and Sam.
You know, I think I might have liked it more if they were interspersed.  I like the suspense that creates, but if one of the narratives was more boring, I might not have liked it.  I think it's ok and I can see why Tolkien did it, but it might have made the whole thing more fast-paced if they weren't separated.

2. What differences between the book and movie do you like?
I love to see more of Eowyn.  I think Tolkien does imply a lot about her from the very brief passages we get about her, and I love how the movie expanded on that.  I like how the book spent much less time with all the gory fighting in Helm's Deep and more time with the Ents.  I love Ents!  One thing I absolutely adore about the movies is the music.  Oh, my goodness, the music for the riders of Rohan is one of my favorites. 

3. What differences between the book and movie do you dislike?
I think I was annoyed, as I kind of mentioned, about how much the emphasis in the movie was on Helm's Deep and the absolute bloodbath that was.  We haven't gotten to the second part of this book, but FARAMIR!!!!! I believe I mentioned this already :)

4. Why do you think Grima Wormtongue threw the Palantir out the window?
I think he had no idea what it was.  I think he was realizing just what an awful situation he got himself into and, as Gandalf (I think it was him) said, he couldn't decide if he hated Saruman or Eomer more.  Definitely didn't know how much it meant to Saruman :)

5. Have you noticed any differences in character from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White?
Absolutely.  I think Jenni Elyse said it best, he has a lot more confidence in his decisions.  He doesn't hesitate as much and he has a lot more power.  When he faces off with Saruman, he knows that he is stronger and he easily takes his staff. 

6. What was your favorite moment or scene in the book?
I loved when the Ents got all hot and bothered and destroyed Isengard.  I think it's awesome how powerful nature can be and they signify that for me. 

7. Magic always has to have constraints. If it didn't, we'd want all the problems to be solved with magic. There is some powerful magic in Lord of the Rings. How do you think it works? What are the constraints? Why doesn't Gandalf just transport the ring to the Mount Doom or wipe out the armies with magic?
One of the things I love about Lord of the Rings is that obviously, there's magic, but it is actually really subtle.  When you try to think of magic things, it's only stuff like magic rings and making fire and elves being elvish.  I thought the part where Théoden "wakes up" was much more subtle in the book - the movie tends to make the magic more obvious.  There was no mystical fight with Saruman, instead Gandalf's words had power.  Perhaps that's how the magic works.  Words do seem to have power in the books.  I think the magic is very subtle and it isn't meant to be more potent than what regular people (or hobbits) can accomplish on their own steam. 

8. I feel like Tolkien wasn't a fan of technology or machinery. Did you pick up on any of that?
Yes!  This might be because I read some of what Tolkien thought about the prevalence of factories and technology going on in England at the time.  I think the contrast between Treebeard and Saruman is the most obvious example.  Essentially, nature and trees are the good guys, whereas Saruman "has a mind of metal and wheels" (I think that's the quote - too lazy to look it up :).  His machinery and smokes and all going on in Isengard are the epitome of what's wrong in Middle Earth - at least to Treebeard.  We'll definitely see more of this when they get back to the Shire.

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

Lord of the Rings Read-Along, Part 2

Part 1 thoughts.

Discussion post found at Jenni Elyse's blog.

Questions

1. Even if you’ve read the books before (or you’ve seen the movies), were you surprised by who Elrond picked for the fellowship?
Nah, I was kind of into the vibe that those who were sent or came to Rivendell at that time were "meant" to go on the quest.  Like they had a calling or something.  I guess I never questioned that kind of thing.

2. How do you feel about Gandalf’s fate in Moria?
I probably cried a bunch the first time I read it, but it's pretty awesome to have him reborn (or whatever it was) into a more powerful wizard and show up and surprise everyone. :)

3. What do you think you would see in Galadriel’s mirror?
Huh, probably stuff I wouldn't want to know like when and how I'd die or something.

4. If you could have any of the gifts the elves from Lothlórien gave to the fellowship, which one would you choose and why?
I do love Sam's gift (it's more than just dirt :), though I think I'll take the vial she gives Frodo.  It comes in pretty handy for him and I'm sure I could find a use for it.

5. Do you think Boromir had any logic in his thinking about using the ring to fight Sauron?
Yes.  I think that he was thinking about saving his kingdom and continuing to protect everyone beyond his land.  But he was also having a classic reaction to the ring - desire it for good purposes and that will eventually lead to corruption ("the very desire of it corrupts the heart" - one of my favorite quotes from the book.) Both Gandalf and Galadriel mention they would take it to do good, but it would eventually lead to becoming a corrupt tyrant of sorts.

6. Do you think Frodo was rash for leaving the fellowship behind?
Yes and no.  I can see his way of thinking, since the ring was already making members of the company a bit crazy, he was smart to try and escape from them.  The other hobbits he was trying to protect and I can see that too.  Still, it was really kind of stupid since he has no clue how to get to Mordor and very little ability to protect himself.

7. Do you have a hard time following the action? Do the movies, if you’ve seen them, make it easier to envision the events taking place?
I don't have a hard time following the action at all.  I love all the descriptions and the excitement (when it happens).  I do also think that the movie helped me see the places a bit better.  I love having those gorgeous movie sets to imagine.  Can't wait for Rohan!

8. Who is your favorite and least favorite character in The Fellowship of the Ring?
Favorite is always going to be Aragorn.  He's just so fabulous! I do love Galadriel too, though she is kind of creepy cool.  And Sam, though I think he's the best in the next two books. And Gandalf (ok, ok that's only four favorites).  Least favorite is harder.  Boromir was kind of a jerk, and Legolas comes off that way as well (though, the movies made me love him more). 

9. What is your favorite and least favorite scene in The Fellowship of the Ring?
I do love the party at the beginning, but I'm really having a hard time picking a favorite.  I also really love both Rivendell and Lothlorien.  Too hard to pick.  I always found the barrow-wight scene to be the most creepy of all - even more disturbing than the black riders.

10. These books seem to be very male-centric. Does this bother you? Do you wish there were more important female characters? How do you think the book would’ve changed if one of the main characters were female?
I do sometimes get mad when I think how few female characters there are.  I used to be annoyed at the role they put on Arwen in the movies, but it makes sense to make a more visible female character.  I feel like there are important female characters, but they don't get nearly the page time as the males.  Still, Eowyn is coming and she is the best of all, I think. 

My baby decided to join in the read-along too:

 

On to the next book! What are your thoughts?

Short Stories I

I've been on kind of a short story kick for a while.  I avoided them for some time, but most of the time I like being able to devour these shorts in such a, well, short time.  Here are the ones I've read recently (and I'm being pretty loose in my use of the word recently, as some of these are from last year...).  Also, is anyone else so stingy that the thought of paying $3.00 or really anything for short stories is painful?  Let's just say, I prefer the free ones.  And those that aren't?  Thank you, library, for having them available.


Double Crossed by Ally Carter
Absolutely loved this.  I adore Ally Carter's series and seeing the two collide was so fun.  This was the perfect kind of story, too.  A short story should pretty much have an arc all its own and this one was wonderful.  It was perfect for devouring in one sitting and feeling satisfied.  Can't wait for more from this author!



Among the Nameless Stars by Diana Peterfreund
I enjoyed this short as well, though I think it left me a bit confused.  I liked seeing where Kai was when he left, but it didn't feel quite like a full story.  There was a lot of new stuff and not a lot of page time to explain it.  Still, I loved the book it went with enough to love this as well.



The New World by Patrick Ness
It has been ages since I finished the Chaos Walking trilogy, but this one has been sitting in my reader and I wanted to give it a try.  I felt like I was able to fall right back into Ness' world without any kind of refresher.  I loved seeing how Violet got there and what it must have been like.  Makes me want to do a reread.



The Spring Before I Met You AND The Summer Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan
I'm lumping these two together, since they are from the same series.  I liked them a lot, mostly because of Brennan's fabulous writing, though I also thought the idea of seeing our two main characters from the POV of an outsider was interesting.  Fun stories, though not necessarily in the content (both were a bit heavy). 


Neverfall by Brodi Ashton
I thought this was rather an essential story to read for the whole trilogy to make sense.  I read it right before the last book and I think it made Cole a lot easier to understand.  His motivations and a bit of his history.  A nice addition to the series.


Life Before Legend by Marie Lu
I think I would have liked this more if I'd read it closer to when I read the second book.  Or maybe even the first.  I have to admit I had forgotten a lot of the story.  Even now, trying to remember the last book in the series, I'm drawing a blank.  I know I liked it, but I seem to have forgotten why...


Roar and Liv AND Brooke by Veronica Rossi
These two were both wonderful looks at some of my favorite side characters (well, Brooke wasn't a favorite, but her story was still interesting).  I loved seeing more of Roar and Liv and what it must have been like for Roar to lose her.  They were both rather painful reads and I think they make sense when both of them are read close together.  We see a lot about Brooke and possibly some motivation for her actions.  Loved them!


UnStrung by Neal Shusterman
This one was definitely important for me to read before I got to the third book.  I think it makes that one seem less like it's out of the blue.  I'm still not sure how I feel about short stories that are kind of required to enjoy the series.  Still, this one was a full story and it was beautiful and heart-breaking.  Definitely vital for more understanding of UnSouled. 



Isolation by Dan Wells
This was an interesting short story about Heron and I found it both intriguing and a little bit hard to follow.  It jumps back and forth in time and I didn't like that sometimes.  But I thought the story definitely made Heron make a LOT more sense in learning more about her history.  Good to read before Ruins.


Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson
First, I felt this was just the right length for a short story.  Most of these have been, though some felt a little too short :)  I loved seeing more of our "heroes" and just what it must have been like in the aftermath of the first book.  I don't know if it's essential for the next one, but I sure liked getting more story in the meantime.

Any favorite short stories you have found?  What's your favorite kind of short story?

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

Classic Double Challenge: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain AND The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson

 

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Publisher:
Publication date: 1876
Pages: 209 (my kindle edition)
Source: Free e-book
For: Classic Double Challenge

The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher by Jessica Lawson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: July 2014
Pages: 224
Source: ARC from the author
For: Classic Double Challenge (and review)

Summary of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (TS) from goodreads:

From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A somber undercurrent flows through the high humor and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality—base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery.

Summary of The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher (BT) from goodreads:

In 1860, eleven-year-old Becky Thatcher is the new girl in town, determined to have adventures like she promised her brother Jon before he died. With her Mama frozen in grief and her Daddy busy as town judge, Becky spends much of her time on her own, getting into mischief. Before long, she joins the boys at school in a bet to steal from the Widow Douglas, and Becky convinces her new best friend, Amy Lawrence, to join her.

Becky decides that she and Amy need a bag of dirt from a bad man’s grave as protection for entering the Widow's house, so they sneak out to the cemetery at midnight, where they witness the thieving Pritchard brothers digging up a coffin. Determined to keep her family safe (and to avoid getting in trouble), Becky makes Amy promise not to tell anyone what they saw.

When their silence inadvertently results in the Widow Douglas being accused of the graverobbery, Becky concocts a plan to clear the Widow’s name. If she pulls it off, she might just get her Mama to notice her again and fulfill her promise to Jon in a most unexpected way . . . if that tattle-tale Tom Sawyer will quit following her around.

Things I Liked About TS:
It is nice to read classics now and again, because books are (mostly) not written like this anymore (ok, maybe just the books I usually read).  I love the language and the way stories are told, things are more implied it seems and there is more flowery description.  Tom was a fun character, I love his self-pitying feelings and his mischievous side and the way his mind worked.  There are a number of iconic scenes like the white washing of the fence and going to their own funerals that are just such great stories it's impossible not to smile about them. 

Things I Liked About BT:
I thought this was a really fun way to retell Tom Sawyer.  Lawson has kind of flipped the story on its head and imagined what it might be like to have Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) seeing real people and writing them into a story, but getting things all muddled up.  I love how Tom and Sid are pretty well switched up.  Even though this kind of bothered me at first, it was fairly humorous.  Also, I loved Becky.  She was a handful and her adventures, as a girl in that time, were so great.  She let us see just what girls could do and what they did even if they weren't supposed to.  And it was nice to see a friendship with Amy in the story too.  It was a clever plot and I liked it.

Things I Didn't Like About TS:
It did feel kind of disjointed, like the story was just a bunch of funny vignettes cobbled together with very little transition.  Don't get me wrong, I love the stories, but there wasn't much connecting them together except the same old Tom.  He doesn't change much over the course of the book either, just does a lot of funny kid things and stays pretty much the same.

Things I Didn't Like About BT:
At times it really stretched belief.  I mean, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is kind of a story that stretches believability, but Becky Thatcher made it even more of a stretch.  Her time in the cave with the bandits was just too much for me.  Also, I was a bit bothered at first, as I mentioned, with the mixing up of characters and story and details.  But, I ended up liking how Mark Twain would have seen and heard all of this and mixed it up for his own writing fun.  Great retelling!

Read-alikes:
Sometimes it reminded me (maybe because of the title) of The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS (for both):
s-factor: none

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: none

Overall rating: ****

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

Lord of the Rings Read-Along, Part 1

Check out the first discussion post at Kami's Library Thoughts.  Here are my answers to the questions (from Book 1, the first half of The Fellowship of the Ring).  

1. Is this your first time reading or a re-read? What do you think so far?

It's a reread for me, though it's probably been 10 years since my last time through. I'm enjoying remembering all the details I forgot after sort of replacing them with the movie. 

2. Jenni hates the songs, I love them. How do you feel about them?

Some I love and some are annoying. I like having a tune to some of them, which I can thank the movies for taking quite a few and putting them to music. The silly ones are somewhat annoying and can simply be skipped. 

3. The Hobbits live a simple and peaceful life. Tolkien considered himself a hobbit. How about you? Do you relate to the hobbits, or would you be another race?

Oh I love the hobbit habits! I'd love to live in the country and do quiet living. I think it sounds like the best way to exist, especially the part about just being so protected from the evils outside. I think I would enjoy that. It always breaks my heart when Frodo (or Sam?) talks about enduring anything so long as the shire is safe. Course, I also wouldn't mind being a gorgeous and graceful and powerful elf. Like Galadriel maybe :)

4. What are some differences between the movie and book that you like?

I do think the director was smart to cut lots of the details from the books.  Also the pacing would definitely have dragged in the movie. I forgot how long it took just for Frodo to leave, let alone make it to Rivendell!

5. What are some differences you hate?

Mostly the differences I hate are in later books. I think changing characters motivations and actions was the saddest (Faramir). I did miss the barrows too - that was such a creepy scene and would have been really great cinematically. Oh well :)

6. Why do you think the ring didn't work on Tom Bombadil?

I think it's because, as he said, he is Eldest. Meaning he's been around long enough to have predated the ring and Sauron.  Thus, his power is older I guess.  I also think that just like there people that weren't as drawn to taking the ring and seizing its power, if you perhaps don't feel drawn to its power at all, it would have no power over you. Just my thoughts :). 

7. How do you feel about Frodo selling Bag End, especially to the Sackville-Bagginses?

I had forgotten that, but I think he had to for the exit Frodo was trying to make. It does make you a bit sad, but I think it turns out well in the end :)

8. What do you think about Tolkien's writing style? 

It's definitely old-fashioned. He tends to the long winded and rambling descriptions of places and scenery.  I like that most of the time. It helps that I know what's going to happen so that I don't feel rushed for the story. Plus, who writes all those crazy songs in their books now? :)

9. Do you picture the actors from the movie in your head, or do you picture your own characters?

I wasn't much of a character picture-er kind of person, but I very much see the movie actors now. I'm always a little thrown though when I remember Frodo was a fat middle-aged hobbit and not young thin Elijah Wood :) 

10. Jenni wanted me to ask about Tom Bombadil. She hates him, I enjoy him. How do you feel about him?

I love Tom! I remember he was one of my favorites from before and I was mad he didn't make the movie (though it was better without him). He is so strange and unique and just one of those quirky characters that only Tolkien could have created. Plus he is this weird juxtaposition of silly and powerful. Just a very intriguing character to me. 

What are your thoughts?

Classic Double Challenge Link-Up for May

Sign up for the Classic Double Challenge.

Link up with any reviews/thought posts you've done or will do in May (or really any time, it doesn't matter)!  Still haven't reviewed Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher.  Must. Get. It. Done.  How's everyone else doing? Haven't seen many reviews...

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

Lord of the Rings Read-Along!

I'm just now getting my post up about this, but I'm super thrilled to be joining in Jenni Elyse and Kami's Lord of the Rings Read-Along!  It's definitely time for me to read this series again.  Here's the schedule, and drop on by Jenni Elyse or Kami's blogs to sign up.

Fellowship of the Ring (Book 1): May 1 to May 15

Fellowship of the Ring (Book 2): May 16 to May 31

The Two Towers (Book 3): June 1 to June 15

The Two Towers (Book 4): June 16 to June 30

The Return of the King (Book 5): July 1 to July 15

The Return of the King (Book 6): July 16 to July 31

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

Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge: Book Puzzles

Welcome reader-a-thon-ers!  I'm super excited to be hosting the Book Puzzle mini-challenge again.  Hopefully this will be a fun break from your reading that will let you exercise other parts of your brain!

For this challenge, you will be creating a Book Puzzle.  Essentially, this is a series of pictures, graphics, or photos that you put together that will describe a book title.  I have done an occasional game on the blog called Name That Book where I created book puzzles and let people guess the titles.  Here's an example from that first game:

This series of pictures illustrates the title Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.

Now it's your turn to create your own Book Puzzle (or you can create more than one - they are quite fun).  Once you've posted your puzzle on your blog or wherever, come back and leave me the direct link to your puzzle below.  And be sure to visit others' puzzles - it's lots of fun to guess!

[For more examples or some inspiration, take a look at last April's read-a-thon Book Puzzle participants, check out other episodes of Name That Book, check out Name That Book episodes from Stephanie Reads, or look at these awesome book puzzles created by Mrs. Stakey's 6th grade class.]

I'll be picking a winner (randomly of course, I'm not good at judging awesomeness) and the winner will get to choose any two books from the photo below.  Unfortunately, since my funds are a bit slim right now, I can only send it to US addresses (though international participants are still welcome to create Book Puzzles).  You have until the end of hour 8 to enter.  Now go forth and create!

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