I Love A Good Remake

If you go to the bookstore, you can find a LOT of books that are remakes of the masters; Jane Austin, Shakespeare and of course your classic fairy tales.
One of my favorite shows on TV right now is Once Upon A Time.  I love how they take the classic characters and change their stories.  My Son was in shock when I told him I was watching a show where Peter Pan was bad and Captain Hook was good (and don't we just LOVE Captain Hook)!

 He would ask me daily to tell him what happened in my show.

That got me thinking ... and what inspired this post.  Let's look through some of those classics and find the remakes that go along with it.

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast was first written in 1740 by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.  There have been many versions of the story told.  There was even an opera created by Marmontel in 1771.  With so many people falling in love with Belle and the Beast, it's no wonder we have so much to chose from when looking for a good retelling. 

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love. -Goodreads-

Peter Pan

Peter Pan first appeared in a section of The Little White Bird, a 1902 novel written by J.M Barrie for adults.  The story became even more popular when turned into a stage play in 1904 called "The boy who wouldn't grow up".  The book I chose for my retelling of Peter Pan is not a Peter Pan remake but the story of Tiger Lily.  It features Peter Pan and Wendy and all the classic characters; however, the story is told from the point of view of Tiger Lily.

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up. - Goodreads - 

Cinderella

Cinderella is a European Folk Tale first published in 1697 by Charles Perrault.  Interesting fact ... the story of Rhodopis about a Greek slave girl who marries the king of Egypt is considered the earliest known variant of the "Cinderella" story.  Now for one of the most recent variants....

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. - Goodreads - 

Snow White

Snow White is a German Fairy Tale that has become one of the most well known Fairy tales of all time.  The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in their first edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales. 

Seventeen-year-old Snow’s life changed forever the night her stepmother, the Queen, sent her huntsman to cut out her heart. Fleeing for her life, Snow runs to the Silver Forest, a place as dangerous as it is enchanting, and begins an adventure she could never have dreamed.

With no one at her side but a rowdy band of carnivorous dwarves and an arrogant, rogue prince who’s too handsome for his own good, Snow must confront the challenge that’s been laid before her: Kill the Queen, and take back the kingdom that should have been hers.

But if she is to succeed, Snow will have to tap into a powerful, ancient form of magic, one that may have been sleeping inside her all along. - Goodreads - 

Rapunzel

Rapunzel was origianlly published in 1698 written by Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de La Force.  Although the story of Rapunzel has changed over time, it still remains a classic in books and movie.

My tale has been told again and again, and I’ve heard each one. Except for my hair, I barely recognize the pitiful renditions. Muddled versions, crafted to entertain laughing children…but the children wouldn’t have laughed if they’d known the real story. It wasn't their fault. They didn't know the truth. Nobody did.

My name is Rapunzel. I will tell you my story. I will tell you the truth. - Goodreads - 

Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid was first written by Danish Author Hans Christian Anderson in 1837.  Although the original ending is much different than the ending we see in the Disney version, the story has held strong through time.  Love at first sight, doing what it takes and just be yourself are some of the things this classic taught us.  Let's see if the book holds true to the story.

When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn to him. 

Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here. - Goodreads-

There you go.  A few classics ... and let me tell you ... there are many many more books to go along with almost any fairy tale.  What's your favorite retelling???

Lets Get Blown Away Together!

Okay ... wow! Just, WOW! I have no clue how to even start this book review. While I wrap my mind around what I just read, let me just introduce the book ...

Dorothy Must Die

When you think of the Land of Oz, what do you think of? I think of "Over the Rainbow", the yellow brick road, Dorothy and Toto, the Wicked Witch of the West, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly lion. 

If that's what you're looking for, put this book down!

Amy is a teenage girl who definitely got the short end of the stick when it comes to her life. She was bullied and called "Salvation Amy" by her peers.  Her Dad left her and her mom and her mom became an alcoholic who doesn't move off the couch for days at a time. When I started this book I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep reading. Her life was just a little to depressing for me.  However. it made me grateful for the life I have had and still do have. I am sure glad I kept reading!

Amy, like Dorothy, gets swept to the land of Oz by a tornado - but Oz has changed. We also find out that Dorothy went back to Oz after she clicked herself home and found magic and became evil. Os is now a land where good became bad and bad became ... well, I don't know if you can say good ... I'll say a little less bad. It's now Amy's job to save Oz by killing Dorothy. The largest problem is that Dorothy is not only ruthless but she has her Amy of evil doers ...

The Scarecrow

Oh, he got his brain all right but now he uses it to torture and mutilate the residents of Oz. 

The Tin Man

He now has a heart but his heart fell in love with Dorothy and will do anything she asks; even lead the ruthless police force sworn to uphold Dorothy's laws.

The Lion 

The Lion was the worst of the bunch. He is no coward anymore. He sucks the fear out of people until they are old and frail and then ... death.

Hold on! There is hope. There are a few groups rebelling against Dorothy, the big one being "The Order". The order is made up of the wicked witches of Oz. Oh, and a wizard! We can't forget Nox, our handsome Wizard who knows nothing more than how to serve The Order and seeking revenge on Dorothy. I can't wait to see what happens to him in the next book, due out March 30th, 2015.

This is a dark continuation of a classic tale. The story is more then Dorothy gone crazy. It a story about a girl who has to find out who she is and what she stands for. It's also about making choices and those choices creating the path of who you are going to become Good or Evil. It's Disney meets Tim Burton and my twisted mind LOVED IT! 

To read more of what this book is all about click here:

"My Unfair Godmother"

After school one day, my mom told me they had made a sequel to "My Fair Godmother".  I loved the first book so much that I ran down to the store and bought "My Unfair Godmother"!  At first, I didn’t know what I thought of the novel because none of the characters from the first book (except Chrissy of course) were in the story.  But to my surprise I liked it better than the first book!  Don't skip the first novel though.  I still think it is well worth the read and, even though this book stands on it's own ... it definitely helps you understand "My Unfair Godmother" more fully.

Want a little teaser on "My Unfair Godmother"?  Here it is:

"My Fair Godmother"

I love fairy tales!  I love to get lost in the romance of a "happily ever after" story.  In this novel it combines famous fairy tale stories with modern day characters.  I loved "My Fair Godmother" and I did not want to put it down!  It kept my eyes glued to the pages as I wondered ... would I get the ending I longed for ... or one totally unexpected?  If you are looking for an easy read, but also one that makes you laugh, one that makes you "awwww" with romance, and one that is just plain AMAZING ... "My Fair Godmother" is the book for you!

Here is a sneak peek of "My Fair Godmother":

"Juliet"

I’m in love with this book! I don’t think I can put it better than that. There were so many aspects that kept me entranced in this novel late into the night … or should I say … early into the morning.

So what label do I put on “Juliet“? It was definitely a mystery. It was definitely a romance. It was definitely a “figuring-out-who-I-am” novel. But what I probably loved most about it was … it’s a double-retelling of the story of Romeo and Juliet, one in modern day Siena, and one in 14^th century Siena. If I had to tell you which story line I liked the best … I don’t think I could decide. Both story lines caught my attention, and although I knew the ending to one, I was still caught in Medieval times … clinging on to hope.

"A Kiss In Time"

Recently, I have been in the mood for a good book to curl up with, get trapped inside of, and take me away to another time. "A Kiss In Time" did the job. Alex Flinn penned so well, a modern retelling of "Sleeping Beauty". I would definitely recommend this book to others.

With that said ... there were a few flaws (in my opinion) that stopped this book from getting a top rating in my reading book list.  Here's my thoughts on the novel: