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?

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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 :)

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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!

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