Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Our shelf for November is going to be Retellings. What books from this shelf are on your TBR? Which ones might you read or have you always wanted to read? Which would you recommend to the rest of us?

Happy Reading !

I will go for either Heartless or Cruel Beauty

I'm going to be reading Norse Mythology

This coming month I am going to read Of Beast and Beauty.

I don't usually read retellings, but I recently read The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, which I liked a lot.

I have Hag-Seed on my wishlist, which would make an interesting read since I recently re-read The Tempest.

Other books on my wishlist:
The Lightning Thief
The Penelopiad
The Snow Child
The Graveyard Book
When She Woke

Northanger Abbey was particularly recommended to me.

I don't have any retelling on my owned TBR, so I think I will go with one of the above.

I think I'll go with one of these three that I found on the first page:

Cress
The Wrath and the Dawn
The Sleeper and the Spindle

If you're having a hard time finding something to choose., I highly recommend Tiger Lily.

I love the Fables comics and have been meaning to get to more so I think I'll do it this month!

I may try A Court of Thorns and Roses; but, as I am seriously behind on my reading, it may be a while before I actually get to it...

I hope to read The Robber Bridegroom next month but I'm not sure if I'll get to it.

I don't think I have anything else that fits.

Mell wrote: "I'm going to be reading Norse Mythology"

I've been wanting to check that one out, Mell. I can't wait to see what you think!

I don't have a lot of retellings on my TBR either, although I have read a few. I read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which I did not like at all, although I thought I would, Cinder, which was pretty good, but a bit to sci-fi for me, and Beastly, which I liked a lot more than I thought I would.

For November, I think I will try to read Uprooted, which has been on my TBR for a while.

Lyn (Readinghearts) wrote: "Mell wrote: "I'm going to be reading Norse Mythology"

I've been wanting to check that one out, Mell. I can't wait to see what you think!"

I am road tripping next weekend and it's something I thought my husband would like so I got it on Audible. I will let you know what I think!

Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "I don't usually read retellings, but I recently read The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories, which I liked a lot."

There are very interesting twists in that collection, weren't they! Some good ones and others I'm really not sure of... I'm a very HEA sort of reader lol

Susan wrote: "The Sleeper and the Spindle"

MUST read this one, Susan! Absolutely ADORED the twists! It'll only take a few minutes to read then re-read to admire the illustrations :D

I have (read: own) too many even from the first page, *sighs*

I'll aim for Spinning Silver because I loved loved loved Uprooted

I'd recommend The Beast's Heart; Beauty & The Beast retelling, of course, but from the Beast's pov.

I love retellings! It will be hard to choose one, since there are so many I have on my tbr...

I think I'll go for The Sleeper and the Spindle or The Beast's Heart (since Tien rec's it) or Spinning Silver (because Uprooted was very good)

Let's see which of the books mentioned here I've already read.
- Jayme, i gave Heartless 3 stars. I thought it was a shame that such a lovely character turned so cruel. It is well written though, so I think you'll like it.
- Norse Mythology is very good!
- Marina, I enjoyed The Snow Child
- Susan, Cress and The Wrath and the Dawn are both very good!
- And I second the recommendation of Tiger Lily
- Bea, you should try A Court of Thorns and Roses. I love that series!

I recommend:
- Daughter of the Forest the writing is beautiful! I love the series.
- Splintered which I read last month. It's a retelling of Alice in Wonderland. I love the imagination of the author.

Lusie wrote: "- Daughter of the Forest the writing is beautiful! I love the series."

I loved this one too!! But, um, trigger warning for one particular violent scene though. Just FYI, peeps.

My favourite retellings are those of Gregory Maguire. The most famous of his books is Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West which has 3 sequels. I adored this series but I know a lot of people disliked it because they go in expecting it to be like the musical. While I also love the musical the book is VERY different. It is high fantasy with a complex plot, dark in places with many unlikable characters.

Other great retellings of his are Mirror Mirror (Snow White retelling set in Renaissance Italy, not connected to the film) and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister (Cinderella retelling from stepsister's perspective and set in Holland during 'tulip fever'). Both of these books are great as they read more like historical fiction than fantasy.

Jess, I own Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West but couldn't get into the book. I still want to give it a second chance.

I don't know the other 2 books you have listed. I'll take al ook at them.

Lusie wrote: "Bea, you should try A Court of Thorns and Roses. I love that series!"

I just realized that I chose that book for October, so I think I will try a different one for this month. If I like the first, maybe book #2.

Lusie wrote: "Jess, I own Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West but couldn't get into the book. I still want to give it a second chance. "

I couldn't get into it too, Lusie, though it was a library book.

I've never seen the musical either, Jess, I thought since I couldn't get into the book, it's probably something I may not like either but since you said it's very different, maybe I'll try to watch it when it's next on :)

Bea wrote: "Lusie wrote: "Bea, you should try A Court of Thorns and Roses. I love that series!"

I just realized that I chose that book for October, so I think I will try a different one for this month. If I l..."

LOVED book #1 (ACOTAR) and unfortunately, DNF book #2... couldn't take the love triangle :(

Maas seems to take delight in love triangle, Lusie! I didn't even attempt book 2 of ToG because the triangle started in 1 already and I could barely finished it.

I hear she's doing an adult fantasy next though it's touted to have her signature romance as well so not sure if I'm going to try it lol

Tien, I didn't watch the wicked musical for the same reason.

Tien you are right, she does like love triangles. I don't like them but was able to hang in there and keep reading despite being annoyed by the love triangle. There was one at the start of throne of glass too :( Sighs...

I bet I'll love her new series! I'm looking forward to it!

Tien wrote: "Susan wrote: "The Sleeper and the Spindle"

MUST read this one, Susan! Absolutely ADORED the twists! It'll only take a few minutes to read then re-read to admire the illustrations :D"

I do like Neil Gaiman's work, so I'm sure I'll love it.

I don't know. I have a couple of short extra books in the Cinder series I have marked want to read, but am not in the mood for them right now. I went through all 25 pages listed and that's all I found in that group, plus more I've read.

Hopefully I'll come up with something!

There are quite a few I want to read from this list
Unhinged
Spelled
Norse Mythology
are a few I will start with.

I don't usually read much in the retelling line but I did find The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter which I might read. My all time favourite retellings are The Fire Rose and The Snow Queen.

For this month I am going to read Of Beast and Beauty.

I would recommend and - I loved both those books.

This is one of my new favorite genres. This month I will be reading and

I see I did not pick a book for this month...or rather the book I picked was one I had already picked for a previous month. So...as I am reading it now...and it is on the list, I will read Spinning Silver.

Finished: Spinning Silver

I gave it 4*. It was an imaginative world that was different from all other fantasies that I have read. Right and wrong were interchanged in ethical and moral ways that challenged my own thinking. I loved it!

I like fantasy books Bea so I think I'll look this one up and give it a try. Thanks!