The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron

Hello out there! Salutations! Greetings! And so forth.

It's certainly been awhile, but I hope that hasn't stopped you from enjoying an array of baked goods and fine reading material. I've been adjusting to life as a new mother (which I love!), which is why I never talked about The Book of Three, and I've only just now finished reading the sequel, The Black Cauldron. I've also been reading quite a few children's books as my goodreads profile will attest to.

But let's talk about the first two books in Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. I first read them years ago, and it's been fun to go back and revisit them. I didn't realize how much I'd forgotten or remembered incorrectly as the Disney movie was fresher in my mind than the source material.

Speaking of which, if you haven't seen Disney's The Black Cauldron, I wouldn't bother. Well, you can if you're really curious. It's not one of Disney's successes. It's not even one of those that failed at the box office, but then you watch it a few years later, fall deeply in love with it, and can't imagine why nobody likes it. (For example, I'm a huge fan of Treasure Planet and think it deserves more love than it gets. Anyone else out there with me?) The Black Cauldron, unfortunately, falls short. Perhaps there's some cult following of it somewhere, but I have yet to meet a person who talks about it being one of Disney's greats.



There are a few problems with the film as I recall. However, I think the thing that bothered me the most was some of the voice acting. Okay, mostly just Taran. I can't stand him. To be fair, he definitely has his flaws in the book, which is intentional. One of the great things about these first two books (the film was based on both) is the character development of Taran in particular. He's kind of arrogant with delusions of grandeur, but he has some humbling experiences and meets characters that help him learn what it means to be a true leader and hero.

There's much more depth in the books than the movie managed to portray. It's not an easy thing making a book into a movie, and now that these books are fresh in my mind, I would say that this story could be potentially difficult. It's not that it wouldn't make a great film. It's more that there are many elements, locations, and characters to deal with. For the time limit they were allowed and the number of plot elements in the story, it must have been a difficult task indeed.

The books themselves are worth a read. The characters are unique and memorable and learn valuable lessons on their journeys. I enjoy each of the main characters and could take time talking about each one as they truly each have something that sets them apart. It's a great introduction to the fantasy genre and would make a good starting point to transition over to something like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

My favorite bit of these books was the quote I shared recently on Facebook from a character who you will not see in the film--"Is there not glory enough in living the days given to us? You should know there is adventure in simply being among those we love and the things we love, and beauty, too."

If Netflix ever wants to turn  the books into a series, I would give it a go. For now, if you're a  fantasy fan, I would definitely give these a go.

Also, now I kind of do feel like I need to watch the Disney film again just to see if it's as bad as I remember...

The Little Selkie

Title: The Little Selkie

Rating: 3/5

Author: K.M. Shea

Pages: 318

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Dylan is a selkie which means she has the ability to change from a human form to a sea lion form as long as her sea lion pelt remains safe and undamaged. She also has a special connection to the ocean and a duty to protect it. When the waters are tormented by a wicked sea witch, Dylan brashly races onto land to confront her. Too late she realizes the severity of her mistake.

The selkie is captured and her pelt stolen from her. She’s certain the sea witch will force Dylan to use her special powers to help aid her in her wicked plans. But Dylan’s powers only work through her ability to sing. When Dylan stumbles upon a passing enchantress, she begs her to seal her voice. Now, unable to speak and fearing that she may never retrieve her pelt, Dylan must discover the sea witch’s plot and do whatever she can to thwart it before it’s too late.

My Reaction:

Recently, I saw a book list full of books with strong female characters, so I know that’s something some readers are looking for. If that’s you, than K.M. Shea may be the author for you. One of the positive things about both of her books that I’ve read so far are female protagonists who get the job done!

Aside from that, The Little Selkie was another enjoyable read. However, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as Beauty and the Beast. I appreciated the fact that she was a selkie instead of a mermaid. It changed the dynamic of the story a little bit as her motivations are different than say Disney’s version of the tale. Also, there’s no turning into sea foam involved, so that’s a plus for Dylan. I kind of would have liked a just a little more information on selkies. I mean, you can figure out the concept, but I found myself wondering if they spent more time in seal bodies versus their human forms since Dylan thinks of things like all her sister’s books or sleeping on straw mattresses which didn’t really match what I was picturing in my head (waterproof books, perhaps?). But, you’ll understand the important bit—a destroyed pelt equals bad news for a selkie.

Also, I will admit that I googled “selkie” because I wasn’t sure what it was as opposed to a mermaid. See? Reading is good for you. You learn stuff.

You may notice that this book as well as Beauty and the Beast are part of the series, but fear not. You don’t have to read them in order. In fact, you could just read one book out of the series and still be fine. From what I’ve seen, they are stand alone books that may make subtle references to each other just to let you know that they are in the same universe.

Oh! I nearly forgot to mention that there is still a love story in there. Don't worry about that :)

Reader’s Guidance:

I can’t think of anything.

Similar Books:

I feel like I’ve run out of fairy tale books to tell you! Here’s an idea: what are your favorite fairy tale related books out there?

Next Book:

So, I started reading another fairy tale, but then thought, “Maybe I need to shake this up and come back to this one.” But the first few pages seem interesting, so I may just keep reading it anyway. It’s called Goldheart by Kenley Davidson, and it’s a retelling of Rumplestiltskin. I was a little hesitant to start reading a retelling of that particular story as I read Rump last year and absolutely loved it! Based on the first little bit though, I think they’re going to be totally different in both style and twist on the original tale.

The other books I’ve been thinking of are The Prydain Chronicles. You may not know that name, but perhaps you’ve heard of The Black Cauldron, which is one of the books in the series (and not one of Disney’s finest adaptations into film). I read the series some years ago now. I was talking to my husband about Disney’s take on the book and found that I couldn’t remember much about the series as a whole except that I liked it. It’s sitting on my shelf ever so patiently waiting to be read again.

Basically, I’m claiming to be reading two books now, though in all honesty I probably won’t read them simultaneously. I don’t think I’ve ever been successful with that. Usually one book falls by the wayside. Well, I’ve committed now. You’ll be expecting reviews on both. Let’s do this.

Also, does anyone else feel in need of another baking post? Perhaps I need to bake something… I

mean, I bake usually once a week at least, but I should maybe document it. Ha!

Ogre Enchanted

Title: Ogre Enchanted

Rating: 4/5

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Pages: 352

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

If you’re familiar with the story of Ella Enchanted, then you know that some interactions with fairies are more trouble than they’re worth, especially if that fairy is Lucinda.

Well, Lucinda makes another appearance in this story to ruin someone else’s life. This time, she isn’t blessing someone with the gift of obedience. Instead, she curses a young healer named Evie, turning her into an ogre, all because she turned down a marriage proposal! Now Evie only has a limited amount of time to break the curse, and there’s only one way to do that. Someone must propose to her and she must accept—not the easiest task for a smelly ogre who finds it very tempting to eat a human being despite the fact that she used to be one.

Set in the same world as Levine’s award winning Ella Enchanted, this book is a good stand alone story reminiscent of the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.

My Reaction:

I’m pretty sure I said it before, but I’ll say it again—I always enjoy a good Gail Carson Levine book. This story is such a great addition to her collection of books. If you know someone who is a fan of fairytale type stories, just buy them a ton of Levine’s books.

What’s great about Levine’s stories is that even if they have similarities to stories we’re familiar with they’re so uniquely their own. They are original with great characters. I had a fair idea of how the story would end after only a few pages, but really just one main plot point. Everything surrounding it and leading up to it wasn’t entirely predictable.

Evie is a strong, courageous character that learns a lot in the process of her journey. Sometimes people, or ogres, aren’t all that they seem. Maybe we can lift the lives of others even if our own circumstances are less than favorable.

Ogre Enchanted is a great read especially if you’re already a fan of Levine’s books.

Reader’s Guidance:

Well, there is a part where Evie kills a band of ogres and their heads are later left on display outside of a city. That’s probably the most violent event in the story.

Similar Books:

Ella Enchanted or anything else by Gail Carson Levine

Books by Cameron Dokey—she’s done a good handful of fairytale retellings

Books by Liesl Shurtliff like Rump

Epilogue:

I hope you all are enjoying this holiday season. I know I've been enjoying some good baking. We made up some goodies to take to some of our neighbors, and of course we saved a few for ourselves. So, basically a sugar cookie has been part of my dinner every night this week. And they are delicious! Also, some are in nerdy shapes like Yoda and Mickey Mouse. We couldn't help ourselves. I'm a bit of a cookie cutter fanatic, so we had a good amount to choose from besides the traditional Christmas shapes.

I also tried a couple things I've never done before like fudge (super easy by the way) and Mexican wedding cookies. Nom nom nom! I love baking! What are you guys enjoying as part of your Christmas celebrations? What are some cool traditions you have? I should start a book related tradition. It seems fitting especially when I know that there are some book traditions out there for this time of year. 

It's hard to believe that 2018 is almost over! Stay tuned for a post on my top picks out of the books I read this year!

My attempts to make a storm trooper cookie.

East

Title: East

Rating: 5/5

Author: Edith Pattou

Pages: 507

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

There is an old superstition that children will inherit specific traits based on which direction their mother is facing when they are born. For Rose’s very superstitious mother, the last thing she wants is a north-born child, who would be filled with a need for adventure and wanderlust. Not only that, but when her mother is told that if she has a north-born child that child will surely be lost to her under an avalanche of ice and snow, she’ll do anything to ensure that none of her children are born in that fateful direction.

When her final child, Rose, is born in a rush, her mother is so distraught in finding that she’s a north-born that she convinces herself that she was actually facing east. Rose believed the lie all her life until one fateful evening when a great, white bear appears on their doorstep demanding that Rose come with him. In return, her ailing family would be blessed with much needed health and prosperity. Realizing that she was always destined for something like this, Rose accepts the bear’s offer. She is taken to a mysterious castle where she soon discovers that there’s more to her circumstances than meet the eye. When she makes a terrible mistake, she is forced with the most difficult decision of her life—return to the love and safety of her family or embark on a perilous journey to undo her wrongs and save the very creature that stole her away from her family in the first place.

My Reaction:

I always think twice before I give a book a 5/5 rating, but when I finished this book I couldn’t think of single thing wrong with it! Therefore, it earns a 5/5.

This book is based off of a fairytale called East of the Sun and West of the Moon, a fairytale I had never heard of before. However, it did remind me of other classic tales—Beauty and the Beast and Cupid and Psyche in particular. It also jogged my memory of a movie my sister used to like when we were kids. If I’m not mistaken, the movie is The Polar Bear King which is based off of the same fairytale. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale, so it really comes as no surprise to me that I would enjoy a book with similar themes (I’m not saying all Beauty and the Beast stories would earn a 5/5… I’ve read a couple that didn’t quite make the cut for me.). Part of what I enjoyed about it was how Edith Pattou incorporated some real history and landscape details. She clearly did her research as she developed this story.

The book is told from multiple points of view, which I know bothers some readers. Pattou pulls it off well, and it gives us glimpses of all aspects of the story. The readers get a more in depth tale through these different characters. I’d say the book is still predominately told by Rose, and I think that’s why the different perspectives work so well—there’s one leading voice that solidifies the story and keeps the reader on track. It also makes it a little bit quicker of a read, so don’t be daunted by 500+ pages.

This is a great take on a little known fairytale full of adventure, superstition, making amends, and the importance of love and family. I thoroughly enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down. I read it during every free moment!

Reader’s Guidance:

This book involves trolls who capture humans to use as slaves. Rose sees a troll kill a human. She also discovers that when humans outlive their usefulness they are left in a frozen wasteland to freeze to death. Neither of these situations was super graphic. I didn’t find the telling of them bothersome.

Similar Books:

Beauty by Robin McKinley – A retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is worth the read!

Next Book:

Gail Carson Levine recently released a new book, and I love me a good Gail Carson Levine book! Set in the same world as her award winning Ella Enchanted comes her brand new story, Ogre Enchanted!

The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre

Title: The Lost Kingdom of Bamarre

Rating: 4/5

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Pages: 385

Genre: Children’s Fantasy

Synopsis:

Peregrine has always strived to make her parents proud by being the best Lakti she can be. She trains hard, is one of the fastest runners around, and is full of bravery—the complete opposite of the Bamarre servants in the castle who everyone knows are weak and cowardly. But there’s only one problem with all of her efforts—Peregrine isn’t a Lakti but a Bamarre. With this new knowledge, Peregrine has a difficult choice to make—she can keep it all a secret and let things continue as normal, or she can complete a daunting task given to her by the fairy Halina to free her people from oppression.

My Reaction:

If you’ve ever read and enjoyed any other of Gail Carson’s Levine’s books, you’ll enjoy this one as well. If you haven’t read anything by Gail Carson Levine, you should!

On the back cover, the book is described as “a compelling and thought-provoking fantasy,” and I think I have to agree with that statement. It’s thought provoking in that it deals a lot with prejudice and overcoming certain mindsets. I kept thinking as I read this story that this is such a good book for some of the things you can see in the world right now.

Peregrine is an amazing heroine. She’s strong, bold, speaks her mind, can get herself out of tricky situations, but it takes a major eye opening moment—the revelation that she’s actually a Bamarre and not a Lakti—for her to recognize her own prejudice and the prejudices of others. What gives this story a bit of a heart-wrenching element is that she also has to come face to face with the mindsets and prejudices of her own parents, both adopted and biological. The stark contrast between her adoptive father’s reactions versus her adoptive mother’s reactions are fascinating in that we can see two possible outcomes from people with similar backgrounds and beliefs. Through her parents we can see two sides of the coin—the ill effects of prejudice versus the benefits of overcoming prejudice.

The other thing that is so great about Peregrine is that even she has her weaknesses to overcome. She gains wisdom through her experiences and can then be hugely influential in aiding an oppressed people.

Reader’s Guidance:

There are elements of war and oppression in this story. There are a couple of deaths mentioned, mostly by way of stabbing. There’s some slapping of inferiors that happens. There’s also one scene where a man is flogged.

Similar Books:

The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Next Book:

One book I’ve been meaning to read for awhile now is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. I know some people who are a fan of the TV miniseries from the 80’s. I’ve never seen it myself, but it’s gotten me interested in the story itself. I know there’s quite a few books in the series, but for now we’ll just worry about book one.

Happy reading!

Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk

Hello, and welcome to another episode of "Listen to Me Talk About how Awesome Liesl Shurtliff is."

Seriously, have you guys read any of these Liesl Shurtliff books yet? If not, what's wrong with you? Just kidding, we can still be friends.

I don't know if you've noticed yet, but I'm a big fan of fairy tales and the retelling thereof. Sometimes it works out great. Sometimes not so great. But all of these books by Liesl Shurtliff fit into the great category. I love seeing how she's re-imagined these stories in a way I haven't seen before. She has good, solid writing that makes this world easy to delve into and imagine. They're fun, touching, adventurous, and there's always something I feel that I take away from the book. Plus, I enjoy how her books have all been connected by the same universe.

Basically, if you are a fan of fairy tales and their retold versions, you must pick up Shurtliff's books!

Title: Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk
Rating: 5/5
Author: Liesl Shurtliff
Pages: 294
Genre: Children's/Fantasy/Fairy Tale

Synopsis:

You know the story--a young lad, giants, and a beanstalk leading up to the sky. Need I say more?

Well, perhaps the story you always knew to be true isn't exactly the truth. Maybe not all giants are bad. Maybe they don't really want to grind our bones to make their bread. They do, however, come down and steal all the crops and villagers...but maybe there's a reason for that, and maybe there's just one lad who can figure it out and save the day.

Jack has always longed for greater adventure than his simple farm life can give him, and he gets the perfect opportunity when the giants appear and raid his village, kidnapping his father in the process.

Can Jack save his father before it's too late?

My Reaction:

In case you didn't get enough of my reaction above, let me restate that this is a great book! I will admit that I like Rump and Red slightly more, but it still earned a 5/5. Like I said, it's adventurous and fun, and I love the messages that some things are worth more than wealth and that we are capable of accomplishing great things even when it seems like we can't.

Reader's Guidance:

Jack gets into a fist fight with another boy. That's about as violent as it gets. I didn't find anything concerning.

Similar Books:

Liesl Shurtliff's newest book Grump: A (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs comes out next month! I'm pretty sure it's going to be another winner. Pre-order it here.

Next Book: 

When I was at the library to pick up Jack, I happened to turn Because of Winn Dixie or The Tale of Desperaux. It's been a while since I've read one of her books, and there are some I haven't had the chance to read yet. That means that next up is her book Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures. From what I can gather so far, it's about a girl, who is a natural born cynic, and a very extraordinary squirrel, who also happened to get sucked up by a vacuum... Don't worry! He lives!
around, and on the opposite shelf I spotted one of my favorite children's authors, Kate DiCamillo. You may know her as the writer of

Pick up a copy and read along! See you  next time!

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood

It's official. Liesl Shurtliff has made it onto my list of favorite others. If you haven't read one of her books yet, please do. In fact, she has a new one coming out next month. You can start there if you want. I recommend you start with Rump though.

Is it silly of me that I was actually getting a little anxious when I started to read Red? Rump was so good, and I wanted Red to be equally good, so I was afraid that my high expectations were setting things up for failure. Eventually I got over that I realized that Red is truly a wonderful book that is indeed equal to Rump. Thanks, Liesl Shurtliff, for crafting such wonderful stories!

On to the facts!

Title: Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood

Rating: 5/5

Author: Liesl Shurtliff

Pages: 247

Genre: Children's/Fantasy/Fairy Tale

Synopsis:

After the events of Rump, things are pretty quiet on The Mountain. Most people have gone, but Red is more than content to stay where she is with her family. When her granny gets sick and may be dying, Red is willing to do anything to save her, even if it means meddling with the thing she fears most--magic.

My Reaction:

Clearly you already saw some of my reaction up above, but let me stress why this story is so great.

Firstly, I didn't expect this story to be touching in anyway. But let me tell you, by the time I was down to the last handful of pages, I had a tear in my eye, maybe even two. It may not affect everyone the same way it did me, but aside from adventure and magic and all of that good stuff, at the heart of this story is really a discussion of death. I feel like this was such a great avenue to bring up the topic in a way that a child could relate too without being freaked out, but also it was something I could relate to and reflect on.

One of my favorite lines of the book was, "Life is like a story. It doesn't mean anything if it doesn't end." It was one of things that made you want to appreciate life and the time we are given, not just our own lives, but to value the lives of those we care most about.

Aside from that and other themes such as the fact that it's okay to make mistakes, Shurtliff once again has created great, memorable characters. One of the key characters is Goldie (as in Goldilocks and the Three Bears). The thing I loved about her characer is that I found he just as annoying as Red did, but then also came to love her. She made me smile and laugh, and she was a great addition to the story. 

Like Rump, Shurtliff has taken characters we are familiar with and made them completely their own. I wasn't expecting some of the choices she made, which made the adventure all the more excited. This book is another winner!

Reader's Guidance:

If you're comfortable with Disney's animated movies, you'll be comfortable with this. 

Similar Books:

Aside from Liesl Shurtliff's other books, if you fancy Red you'll may also fancy books by Gail Carson Levine, Shannon Hale, Cameron Dokey, or a few by Robin McKinley. All of these authors have either retold fairy tales or have written books that have the fairy tale feel.

Next Book:

I went to the library today and came out with not one but three books. I almost grabbed more, but I restrained myself. I'm going to start with the first on the stack which is none other than Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff. I can't help it. I just loved the last two! Please pick up a copy and read along!

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Before I jump into my review of L. Frank Baum's book, I just wanted to say thanks for the response to last week's post! I got some feedback on the blog and on Facebook, and mostly I'm really pleased that multiple people agreed with me on Stardust. You guys had some good ones too! I'll admit, I didn't even know one of them was a book (but now that you've said the movie is way better perhaps I won't bother with the book...)! Here are some of the titles that you guys said had a better movie rendition:

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

I can concur that those are all good movies. I've only read one of those books and few pages of a couple of the other ones. The Prestige is the one I didn't know was based off of a book. So, feel free to take a read and watch the movies and let us know what one you think is better. Also, if there are any other movies you think were better than their book counterparts, please share! I feel like there may need to be a "Times the Movie was Better than the Book Part 2" post! I've already thought of another movie I enjoyed much more than the book.

But, for now, let's put that on the shelf and talk about this great story about good ol' Santa Claus (which, as you may recall, was also turned into an animated holiday special).

Title: The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

Rating: 4/5
Author: L. Frank Baum
Pages: 166
Genre: Children's Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Do you really need a synopsis? The title seems pretty self explanatory. Basically, this is a story of how Santa Claus became Santa Claus. There are other such stories, but I don't know if any others having Santa being adopted by a wood nymph when he was a baby. Perhaps I ought to just skip to my reaction.

My Reaction:

I actually found this to be quite an enjoyable story. I've never had the chance to read Baum's books about Oz, but after reading this story, I imagine they must be an enjoyable read also. I liked his style of writing for one thing.

As mentioned above, this story does include creatures like wood nymphs and fairies, and other immortal beings, but it also includes creatures of Baum's own design. So there are definitely elements to this version of the Santa Claus story that are quite different and a bit in the realm of fantasy. If you're thinking, "Blech! I can't stand fantasy books!" you should still give it a go if you're interested. It's not what I would call heavy fantasy but works well as children's fantasy.

The thing I liked most about this book is the love that Santa Claus has for the children of the world. He is filled with so much joy and happiness because he spends so much time thinking of the welfare of others. The way that Baum presents it, it warmed my heart and made me want to do something nice for someone else.

"In all this world there is nothing so beautiful as a happy child," says good old Santa Claus; and if he had his way the children would all be beautiful, for all would be happy.

Doesn't that just kind of make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?

There are also elements of good triumphing over evil and this idea of the power of happily doing good for others. Santa Claus is described as conquering the hearts of all "through very goodness." There were just parts of this story that rang true to me, and then there were just the fun, imaginative portions of it that made it such a good story for readers of all ages (Amazon says this book is for ages 2-99).

This was a winner in my book, so if you need another book for the Christmas season, you may consider adding this one to your collection.

Reader Guidance:

Nothing to fear as far as I'm concerned.

Similar Books:

You know, I haven't read many holiday related books, so I can't really think of something. The only well know Christmastime book I've read is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Go read that one. It's small :)

Next Book:

I daresay this has been the last book review of 2017. At this point, I haven't picked the next book. Feel free to give me any suggestions! I'll be sure to write a quick post next week to let you know what the next book will be! If I can get my hands on another Liesl Shurtliff book, it may just be one of those!

Until next time, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

First and foremost, I have to give a shout out to one of the biggest supporters of my reading habits. That’s you, Mom. She is the sweetest, and she sent me Rump on my kindle just for the heck of it, because she thought I would like it! What made that so fateful was the fact that someone had told me about this book months ago, and I had added it to my “To Read” shelf on Good Reads which my Mom knew nothing about. Thanks to my mom, I had the opportunity to read a truly wonderful story. Thanks, Mom. You always have supported my love of reading!

Now let’s talk about Rumpelstiltskin!

Title: Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin

Rating: 5/5

Author: LieslShurtliff

Pages: 274

Genre: Children’s fiction/Fantasy/Fairy Tale

 Synopsis:

Most of us are familiar with the story of Rumpelstiltskin—little guy, spins straw into gold, likes babies—but we only ever hear about the story from the miller’s daughter’s perspective. Have any of you stopped to wonder just where Rumpelstiltskin came from, why he wanted to help the miller’s daughter, or why he wanted her unborn child in the first place?

Well, look no further! All of the answers to those questions and more are contained in Liesl Shurtliff’s book. It turns out that Rump (as most people know him) is just an average guy. Almost…

All he wants is to have enough food for him and his gran and for those pesky bullies at the mine to give him a break. But more than all of that, he longs to discover the secret of his name and fulfill his destiny, whatever that is. Names have power, so why would his mother have given him one like Rump?

The answer to all his problems comes one night as he discovers his magical ability to spin straw into gold! But as we know from another version of Rumpelstiltskin (Once Upon a Time), all magic comes with a price. Instead of solving all of his problems, the number of problems increases until he’s buried so deep that no amount of gold will ever fix it.

My Reaction:

May I point out that another book has earned a 5/5 in my eyes? It’s not an easy thing to do, and I always hesitate a little because I don’t want to be throwing out 5’s willy nilly, but this was a truly great story that I’ll definitely read again at some future point.

One of the things that made me want to read this book is the pure fact that it’s a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I’ve never heard of someone doing a retelling of that story, and I was intrigued. What could Liesl Shurtliff have come up with?

It started out good and only got better from there. The story has characters or references to other stories we may know, but it is so completely its own thing. I am amazed that Shurtliff was able to take a short, to the point fairy tale and fill it out to create a whole book from Rump’s perspective. It was quite clever, and had some powerful messages at the end (not just the message to not be a dummy and promise your unborn child…)

This book has heart, humor, and adventure. As mentioned above, it has good lessons about overcoming trials, that being mean is a choice that we don’t have to choose, and what it really means to find your destiny. This is one of those books that is great for both young and old, especially lovers of fairy tales. If you’re one of those parents that likes to read books with your kids, this one is a sure bet!

Reader Guidance:

I’d say this book is safe for all audiences. It does have some bullying—they call Rump “Butt” or once threw poop in his face, etc. It also deals briefly with the death of loved ones. Food is hard to come by in Rump’s village, so there is also talk of being extremely hungry. Overall, the way it’s presented is suitable for readers of all ages.

Similar Books:

Liesl Shurtliff has two other books that seem to be similar in nature:

Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood

Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk

Next Book:

Being December and getting very close to Christmas, I thought the next book should be something Christmas themed. You may have never heard of my next choice, but here’s what gave me the idea.

Probably sparked by our watching of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, my husband asked me about the company that made all those well known, stop motion Christmas specials, and then proceeded to look up youtube videos on Rankin/Bass. One video that came up was someone’s list of what they considered to be some of the weirdest or worst Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. (I don’t know how Cricket on the Hearth wasn’t on his list except for maybe the fact that it’s traditional animation and not stop motion. Just saying.) One of the ones he mentioned was a story based off of an L. Frank Baum book (for those of you who don’t know, that is the author of The Wonderful Wizard of O). The book is called The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, and you better believe I’m going to read it! According to the cover, it's a Christmas classic! We'll shall see!

I actually have seen the stop motion version of this story, and I’m curious to see how it compares to the book. My favorite part of it is the scene a song the children sing after Santa has made his first toy. I’m sure my mom didn’t love it quite so much because for days after watching the show I inevitably go around singing, “I want to wake up to a big surprise! A wooden cat with yellow-green eyes!” Now that I’ve just watched this video, it’s my poor husband who gets to suffer with my random singing this year! Ha ha!

Check out the scene below! And get your own copy of the book to read along with me!

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: Jennifer Donnelly

Pages: 341

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Taking place somewhere between the wolf rescue scene and the "Something There" musical number, this story is almost like a book within a book, making the title, Lost in a Book, very fitting for this book (Heh heh, okay, I've said book enough times). Simply put, this story is a tale that takes place smack dab in the middle of Disney's Beauty and the Beast (more specifically, their live action version).

Belle's still having a hard time transitioning to her new life. Things are becoming more confusing than ever as she finds herself uncertain about the beast's character. At the same time her heart is torn between the love for her father and her new found love of the enchanted objects of the castle, what Belle could really use is an escape, one which she finds in the same place she always has--in the pages of a book.

When she stumbles across a magical book within the beast's library that literally sucks her in, it seems better than anything she could have ever hoped for. But is the book more than it seems and is it possible that she will get lost in its pages, unable to ever return home?

My Reaction:

It has just occurred to me that I'm very stingy with my 4 and 5 star ratings. I guess I need a little more wow factor to get me to commit to something higher. A five is like "I love this so much that I believe everyone in the world should read it else they will miss out on one of the greatest things of life ever!"

That doesn't necessarily mean this isn't a book worth reading.

I think the hardest trial of this book is that it takes place in an already well known and well loved story. That's risky. As a reader and huge fan of Disney's storytelling, it can be hard to accept something new into a beloved story or to keep yourself from comparing it to the movie. Not to mention that sometimes books based off movies aren't always the best in my experience. So I was a little leery when I started this book, but curious too. Also, the cover is one of the most beautiful book covers I've ever seen. I should give the book an extra point just for that!

I feel that Jennifer Donnelly put a lot of work into making sure all the beloved characters we already know were true to what Disney as already portrayed them as. She also did very well crafting her own characters and blending the two together. 

There were somethings I wasn't sure about at first as far as writing style. I found myself thinking, "Yeah, I already know this. This feels slightly repetitious." However, that was only towards the beginning of the book and didn't last very long. Also I'm pretty sure I thought at one point, "Don't be an idiot, Belle." It's probably a good thing characters can't hear my thoughts...

What really pulled me in was the building up to the climax and the climax itself. It was pretty exciting, and although obviously I knew things were going to turn out, I wasn't sure exactly how it would. 

Overall, not a bad story. It was intriguing and also catered a bit to my nerdy side what with references to Shakespeare and Greek mythology. I also really enjoyed that the story is littered with "golden nuggets" as my tenth grade English teach called them. 

Here is one such gem:

"Home is all the people, all the places, and all the things that you love. You carry it wherever you go."

I really liked those moments and how, even though this isn't in itself a love story in and of itself necessarily, it still has some good commentary on love. It talks about how love takes courage and how love gives us power to do things we wouldn't normally do.  

Reader Guidance:

None that I can think of.

Similar Books:

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

This was the first book that came to mind, which I imagine some people might find strange since I'm not recommending another book based off a fairy tale. However, these stories actually have quite a lot in common--wishing to escape the current situation, finding another world that seems amazing, realizing that world actually kind of sucks, realizing how much you want your old situation back, and having to fight to fix everything. See, they're pretty much the same story!

Next Book:

Summerlost by Ally Condie. I learned about this book's existence through Good Reads. This is another one where I'm sucked in by the cover alone! So we'll give it a shot. But be warned! It sounds like it's meant to be a tear jerker about loss and friendship.

The Sandman and the War of Dreams

Okay guys, I have made a huge and somewhat devastating discovery. I was horribly misled. All this time I’ve been thinking I just needed to read four books to discover how the evil Pitch is defeated and how The Guardians books compare to the movie.

Alas! ‘Tis not so!

As I was getting closer and closer to the final pages of the book, I was starting to get worried. There were so few pages left and there was no clear, full resolution in sight. What was happening! And then, to top it all off, I get some cryptic message at the end of the book placed there specifically to tease me, telling me all about the magnificent climax that is clearly out of my reach—AND THEY DON’T EVEN TELL ME THE NAME OF THE CLIMATIC BOOK! I mean really. The audacity!!!!

Most likely, the final book was not completed and therefore didn’t have a name. After some expert Google searching, I’ve discovered that the final book is called Jack Frost: The End Becomes the Beginning. The saddest part of this whole ordeal is that the final book doesn’t come out until October 2018!

*exaggerated sigh*

So, I guess that means a whole year of waiting before I can finish my final remarks on this book series.

*even bigger exaggerated sigh*

Well, this isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened or the first time I’ve been forced to wait for a long time to find out the next portion of a story (Here’s looking at you BBC and the creators of Kingdom Hearts III. Why do you make me wait so long? I’ll get over it. And yes I realize those aren’t books, but they’re just different storytelling techniques. It counts!).

No more use in whining. Let’s get on with talking about the fourth (but certainly not last) book of The Guardians

The Sandman and the War of Dreams

Sequel to: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth’s Core, and Toothiana: Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: William Joyce

Pages: 222

Genre: Children’s Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:

 

When we last saw the guardians, things weren’t quite so hunky dory. Another faceoff against Pitch proved less than satisfactory as Pitch along with their beloved Katherine were mysteriously swept away by none other than Mother Nature!

Now the guardians are in a race to find Katherine before Pitch or Mother Nature does something dreadful and they lose her forever! At the same time, they have no idea where to look or what to expect. It will take another guardian to help them understand more of Pitch’s past and to help them rescue Katherine. Enter Sanderson Mansnoozie, or as you and I know him, the sandman!

But will his added power be enough to defeat Pitch once and for all, or will they once again be thwarted?

My Reaction:

Besides my reaction of utter betrayal as so obviously stated above, William Joyce continues to craft a brilliant, original, adventurous tale. In his defense, I'm pretty sure he never said anywhere that book four was the last book. Just from what I’d seen and heard, I was under the impression that it was the last book. So really the only person I have to blame is myself. Moving on.

I really enjoy that we keep getting more and more little insights to Pitch’s character. I am really curious to see how his part of the story will eventually wrap up. At the end of the last book, Katherine showed a bit of mercy towards this dark character as she saw him not just how he was at the moment, but also as the good man he had once been. This maybe was a bad move as she ended up in a not very nice predicament. However, I’m wondering if this will be one of those cases where a little bit of mercy or helping someone see the better version of themselves will be enough to make the bad guy see the error of his ways. There could still be a shred of good in him…possibly…even though he was consumed by darkness and nightmares and such…

Or, you know, he could always have a Darth Vader moment of clarity where he tosses The Emperor into a giant pit and redeems himself with his few remaining breaths (all metaphorically of course since this isn’t in fact Star Wars).

Or maybe he just stays evil and is simply defeated after one epic, final battle.

I’ll let you know in October 2018.

The other character who is possibly my favorite and who I really want to see how his character continues to develop is Nightlight. Because of things that happen in the story that I will not reveal, we’re pretty much told that Nightlight cannot remain the same.

Overall, this book remains true to the themes of the series. It keeps up the same pace and action, and North is finally starting to seem more like Santa Claus. I’m satisfied.

P.S. I’m super stoked that come the next book we finally get to meet Jack Frost. He was my favorite in the movie, and I’ve been hoping this whole time that he would show up!

Reader Guidance:

The biggest thing of concern in this book is a moment when we learn more about Pitch back in the days before he became the Nightmare King, and in his anger and sorrow he beheads a group of dream pirates one by one with his sword. This is described in simple terms that aren’t super graphic—“...he drew his sword and cut the captain’s head from its body.”

Similar Books:

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Orbert Skye

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Next Book:

After my last post about fairy tales (specifically Beauty and the Beast), I received a surprise package on my doorstep. I was confused at first because I hadn't ordered anything. Suddenly I knew it could only have come from one source--my mom. Being the sweet and supportive mother that she is, she send me a copy of Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly, which is basically a story within the Beauty and the Beast story. It's a fairly new book, having been published in January of this year. So, this next book reading is dedicated to my lovely mother. Join me on this exciting adventure!

Toothiana Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies

I wasn’t sure I was going to get any reading done again this week. Unfortunately, my dog passed away on Monday. It was a devastating blow for me. She was a part of my family for many years, and it’s very hard to say goodbye to something that has meant so much to you for so long. As a few days passed, I began to reflect on reading and how I wanted to still update the blog and I started thinking of sad dog stories. Really only two came to mind—Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows—and while I wouldn’t mind writing a post at some point about the latter despite its heart wrenching ending, I decided now was not the time. So I raise a figurative toast to my beloved mini pin, Molly. She proved to be a good reading companion on more than one occasion. She was a good snuggler and would never say no to a comfy blanket.

So I read all of Toothiana Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies start to finish in a few hours yesterday. In case anyone else in the house was wondering where I disappeared to, I was hiding in my book cave, enjoying a good story.

Now, on to business!

Sequel to: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King and E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth’s Core

Rating: 4/5

Author: William Joyce

Pages: 226

Genre: Children’s Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:

At the ending of the last book, Pitch, the Nightmare King, was once again defeated, and there’s been no sign of him since. Is it possible he’s been defeated forever? HA! Fat chance!

He’s up to a new scheme, one that will make him more powerful than ever before! Even with the appearance of the great Toothiana (known to you and me as the tooth fairy) the guardians’ combined forces may not enough to defeat Pitch!

You’re in for a treat as we’re introduced to new threats, new characters, and new adventures!

My Reaction:

I enjoyed this book from the get go. I don’t know if it’s because I’d been away from the series for a couple of weeks, and it’s always nice to delve back into a good world with enjoyable characters, but I jumped right in and was almost immediately struck by the cleverness and humor of the writing, which is a great contrast to the adventure and danger.

Again, this book builds off of some of the same themes as the previous two books—the power of belief in particular. We see a deeper look into the character of Nightlight, an impish sort of boy who has been hugely influential in defeats of Pitch and the past and has been a very dear friend for Katherine. He becomes a little more introspective and begins to grow from a sort of Peter Pan like character to entering the first stages of growing up. He realizes at one point that “sorrow and fear that are triumphed over make a powerful weapon.” That realization really struck me—when we overcome trials, we are made stronger.

Toothiana is another great addition to the world of The Guardians. She has a tragic back story that kind of solidifies Nightlight’s realization. She makes it past that sorrow and dedicates her life to good and to bringing happiness to the lives of children.

I kind of hesitated between giving this book a 3.5 like the past books or a 4 and I finally opted for 4 out of 5. Unlike the other two books, this story leaves you with a cliffhanger that will force you to pick up the last book of the series!

Reader Guidance:

Nothing to worry about as far as I’m concerned.

Similar Books:

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Orbert Skye

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Next Book:

We've made it to the last book of the series! Join me in the epic finale in The Sandman and the War of Dreams!

Okay, guys. Here's an edit for you. The fourth book ISN'T the last book. I was horribly mistaken. Read all about it in my post about The Sandman and the War of Dreams.

E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core

Sequel to: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: William Joyce

Pages: 251

Genre: Children’s Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:

The last time we saw our heroes (or should I say guardians?), Pitch and his monstrous band of fearlings were successfully defeated and everything seemed on the mend. But the guardians’ success was only temporary. Pitch won’t be defeated so easily. Now he’s back with an even more dastardly plan, he’s stronger than ever!

With a seemingly unbeatable foe, the guardians have no other option than to seek help from E. Aster Bunnymund, the last of an ancient race of large rabbits who also happens to be a master in martial arts and chocolate making. With their combined efforts be enough to defeat Pitch once again? Or is it possible that they have met their match?

My Reaction:

This book is very much like the previous book in style and theme. So if you enjoyed the first book, you’ll definitely enjoy the sequel. Again, we have a story packed full of adventure and fantasy. The fight against Pitch becomes more complicated as he throws new threats into the mix.

Our main characters of the book are still very much Ombric, Katherine, and North with Bunnymund taking a larger role about halfway through the book. Bunnymund fits well into the mixture of already established characters. Perhaps what I liked about him most is that I heard Hugh Jackman’s voice in my head every time I read his dialogue. Ha!

This story is still heavy on the friendship theme and actually emphasizes it more so as we are presented with the idea that friendship grants its own sort of power—it connects and strengthens us.

It’s still not really anything like the movie, which is fine by me. It’s really a completely different story and world.

I feel like I could say pretty much the same things about this book that I said about the first one. I enjoy the adventure, and I liked that there was even more of a sense of danger—more complex problems to solve because there are more elements to the danger. I also really enjoyed that we get a little bit more background information about Pitch and why he became what he became. It almost makes him more understandable and in this case it almost makes you a little more sympathetic towards him, which you may think is a bad thing, considering he’s the bad guy. You’ll just have to read it to understand what I mean.

Overall, I gave it the same score as the first, and I’m ready to head onto book three! I’m looking forward to see how Bunnymund continues to add to our group of heroes!

Reader Guidance:

There is one moment during a confrontation that a character is stabbed clean through with a sword. It’s basically described as the character feeling pain, looking down and seeing the handle of the sword, and then realizing the rest of the blade went all the way through his back.

Similar Books:

Here are some other fantastical adventure series you may enjoy!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Orbert Skye

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Next Book:

Join me in reading the next and third book of the series: Toothiana Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies!

Nicholas St. North Video Version

Here is the latest video in case you'd rather go with this route. I recorded this video on Friday, and I don't know what it was about that day, but I was feeling very lazy. I think we need lazy days every once in a while, don't you? Still, I did manage to get done everything that needed getting done that day, including filming for the video! Aside from that, I was true to my word and did in fact complete the last dungeon in The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Now that I've saved all the sages, all that's left is to go back to the castle and kick some serious butt! Oh yeah, I rock at saving the world! Ha!

And hey, The Legend of Zelda requires some reading so it's not like I was totally slacking off on the reading front :P

Enjoy the video, and please feel free to read along as I delve into book 2 of The Guardians series.

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King

Rating: 3.5/5

Author: William Joyce

Pages: 228

Genre: Children’s Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:

Everyone loves a good dream, but the thing children fear the most as they drift off to sleep is that nightmares will be waiting for them instead of dreams.

There was a war fought long ago that not many on Earth know of, a war of light versus dark. At the peak of the war, the dark armies of fearlings and nightmare men were led by Pitch, a sinister creature who wants nothing more than to fill the world with fear and nightmares. But the legions of the moon fought back with great forces of light that the darkness could not withstand. It was a close call, but in the end Pitch was trapped and peace was restored.

Until now…

Join Ombric, a wizened old wizard, Katherine, an imaginative and loving child, and North, a notorious outlaw who had no plans whatsoever of being anyone’s hero as they face the renewed forces of darkness and fight with their might to restore peace once more.

My Reaction:

Let me say first of all that I’m not one of those people who will be disgusted in a book/movie because it’s not a copy and paste version of the book/movie. I’m a weirdo who likes to look at both mediums and telling of the story and compare and contrast and sometimes get more meanings and morals out of things (can you tell I was an English major and had to write papers on this sort of thing?). Anyway, we won’t go on a soap box about that.

Even though I’m not bothered if a movie based on a book is completely different from the book, I do think it’s important to note that this book is nothing like the movie at all (perhaps that’s a little ironic as the author co-directed the movie). I only bring that up because a story can be dashed by your expectations or preconceived notions. So don’t go in thinking this book is exactly like the movie or you may be disappointed. It’s very different. It is possible that there will be more similarities as the series continues. Time will tell.

Aside from all that, I thought this was a good, adventurous book that would appeal to a variety of readers. There are themes of friendship that I enjoy. I think my favorite idea of the story is the idea of becoming a better version of yourself because someone already sees you as that better version—they believe in you.

I feel like the jacket flap of the book is deceiving, making the book sound almost like an origination story of St. Nick, but it doesn’t really feel like that at all. In the movie we clearly see him as a swashbuckling, Russian version of Santa Claus. In the book he’s definitely a swashbuckling rogue turned wizard’s apprentice and inventor, but there’s no clear connection to Santa except for that his full name is Nicholas St. North. Perhaps there will be clearer ties to an unconventional Santa Clause later as North is still a character moving forward.

I’m curious to see how this series plays out in its entirety.

Reader Guidance:

There’s not really anything I could think of that may be of concern. There’s nothing graphic. I would feel comfortable with letting a child read it.

A guy is swallowed whole by a bear, but (spoiler) he’s saved. That same bear is also stabbed by North. When Pitch is first mentioned in captivity, the thing that’s keeping him from escaping is a dagger he was pierced with at some previous time.

Similar Books:

Here are some other fantastical adventure series you may enjoy!

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Orbert Skye

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Next Book:

Up next is the second book in the series: E. Aster Bunnymund and the Warrior Eggs at the Earth's Core! That sounds pretty exciting! Adventure awaits!