Gem ’s Comments (group member since Sep 12, 2022)

Gem ’s comments from the Once Upon a Time... group.

I am so far behind I think I'm ahead, lol. I didn't have any time to myself last week trying to arrange to get my mother into a facility so she can have physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

I did read some today and I'm in Chapter 5 where she meats the soap golem girl and I'm liking this chapter better than any of the others before it. I wonder if it's a better chapter or I'm getting used to the strange way the author writes... or both.

I finished chapter 3 last night and am planning on doing some more reading today. I tend to get to involved with a story to notice the language unless the language is just awful. That said there is something odd about the writing which surprises me given all the awards and accolades this book got.

Still waiting on the shoes. In chapter one the fact that she lost a shoe and the author brought our attention to it and tells us that it's important has me guess all kinds of things. I hope the importance lives up to my expectations or I'm going to be rather disappointed.

Kyle wrote: "Howdy y'all!

I'm Kyle. While I read and enjoy books from practically every genre, fantasy has always been among my favorite to read (both adult and YA fantasy). I've loved reading from a very youn..."

Welcome Kyle, nice to have you in the group.

Adriel wrote: "Hello, I'm Adriel, Lisa's other daughter who lives in England. I work in a bookshop and have for the past 12 years so I know a lot of things about books I've never read. I will occasionally read bo..."

Hi Adriel! Good to have you. I've always wanted to work in a book store or library... kind of like a wonderland for me. Looking forward to suggestions you might have.

Shanna wrote: "Hello!
I’m Shanna, daughter of Lisa up there. 😄 I also was in the original group ages ago. I’m a single mom who loves next door to my parents and we have a joint bookcase in her library of books t..."

Welcome, Shanna. I'm going to look into the list of authors you mention... I fear my TBR list is going to get longer!

Nicole wrote: "Hi, I’m Nic! I have always loved stories, especially ones that have made their way through history in their many forms.
I’m currently obsessing over fairytale, folklore and mythology retellings th..."

Hi Nicole and welcome, great to have you!

Hello fellow Fairy Tale readers,

Welcome to our discussion about The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, your discussion leader is Gem.
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about spoilers

Please note: If you have not finished reading the book spoilers are permitted in this discussion from the start. If you would like to use the spoiler formatting it can be found on the top right of the comment box in the "(some html is ok)" menu.
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Summary

When Kay is cursed by a magic mirror, he can no longer perceive goodness in anything - not his best friend Gerda, nor the roses in the garden. One wintry evening, he is kidnapped by the wicked Snow Queen and swept away to live forever in her kingdom of ice. Friendless and shoeless, Gerda must travel through inhospitable lands, with only crows to guide her and bandits for company, in order to find her beloved friend. And when she gets there, how will she melt the ice in his heart? Nearly two centuries after its first publication, The Snow Queen endures as a tale of love and loss, good and evil, and loyalty in the face of great hardships.

Hello fellow Fairy Tale readers,


Welcome to our discussion about A Crown of Snow and Ice: A Retelling of The Snow Queen (Beyond the Four Kingdoms #3) by Melanie Cellier, Gem.
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Summary

An unexpected gift from her godmother will give Celine enough fire to take on an entire kingdom of snow and ice. But first she needs to melt one frozen prince.

Rumors have long swirled about the strange kingdom of Eldon. The only thing more frozen than its mountains are the inhabitants themselves. But Princess Celine has never backed away from a challenge, so she eagerly accepts an invitation to visit.

Yet the situation in Eldon is even worse than Celine feared. And if the kingdom is to have any hope of freedom or a future, she’s going to have to call on new skills and new allies—including the crown prince, Oliver. But against an enemy stronger and colder than ice, all her fire may not be enough.

In this reimagining of the classic fairy tale, The Snow Queen, one princess is ready to burn down everything in her path to save those she loves and their kingdom with them.

Hello fellow Fairy Tale readers,


Welcome to our discussion about The Princess Bride by William Goldman, your discussion leader is Adriel .
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Summary

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it's about everything.

Hello fellow Fairy Tale readers,


Welcome to our discussion about Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell your discussion leader is Shanna.
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about spoilers

Please note: If you have not finished reading the book spoilers are permitted in this discussion from the start. We ask that you use the spoiler formatting which can be found on the top right of the comment box in the "(some html is ok)" menu until the 15th of the month.
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Summary

What if the sleeping beauty never woke up?

It should be simple—a dragon defeated, a slumbering maiden, a prince poised to wake her. But when said prince falls asleep as soon as his lips meet the princess', it is clear that this fairy tale is far from over.

With a desperate fairy's last curse infiltrating her mind, Princess Aurora will have to navigate a dangerous and magical landscape deep in the depths of her dreams. Soon she stumbles upon Phillip, a charming prince eager to join her quest. But with Maleficent's agents following her every move, Aurora struggles to discover who her true allies are, and moreover, who she truly is. Time is running out. Will the sleeping beauty be able to wake herself up?

Hello fellow Fairy Tale Readers readers,


Welcome to our discussion about Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire, your discussion leader is Lisa.
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about spoilers

Please note: If you have not finished reading the book spoilers are permitted in this discussion from the start. If you would like to use the spoiler formatting it can be found on the top right of the comment box in the "(some html is ok)" menu.
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Summary

The author of the beloved New York Times bestseller Wicked returns with an inventive novel inspired by a timeless holiday legend, intertwining the story of the famous Nutcracker with the life of the mysterious toy maker named Drosselmeier who carves him.

Hiddensee: An island of white sandy beaches, salt marshes, steep cliffs, and pine forests north of Berlin in the Baltic Sea, an island that is an enchanting bohemian retreat and home to a large artists' colony -- a wellspring of inspiration for the Romantic imagination . . .

Having brought his legions of devoted readers to Oz in Wicked and to Wonderland in After Alice, Maguire now takes us to the realms of the Brothers Grimm and E. T. A. Hoffmann -- the enchanted Black Forest of Bavaria and the salons of Munich. Hiddensee imagines the backstory of the Nutcracker, revealing how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how he guided an ailing girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a Christmas Eve. At the heart of Hoffmann's mysterious tale hovers Godfather Drosselmeier -- the ominous, canny, one-eyed toy maker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky's fairy tale ballet -- who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter.

But Hiddensee is not just a retelling of a classic story. Maguire discovers in the flowering of German Romanticism ties to Hellenic mystery-cults -- a fascination with death and the afterlife -- and ponders a profound question: How can a person who is abused by life, shortchanged and challenged, nevertheless access secrets that benefit the disadvantaged and powerless? Ultimately, Hiddensee offers a message of hope. If the compromised Godfather Drosselmeier can bring an enchanted Nutcracker to a young girl in distress on a dark winter evening, perhaps everyone, however lonely or marginalized, has something precious to share.

Lisa wrote: "Just reserved it from my library system, but it going to be a statewide loan, so won't be here until next week."

Not to worry, we've got six weeks.

I will nominate Circe by Madeline Miller.

Hi everyone, I'll be leading the discussion for The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland. I previously picked up a copy at the library and will be starting it tomorrow.

📚What books will the group be reading and when?📖🔖

The Group Read(s) for the current and following month(s) will be listed below.

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📗🌈March🍀

The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings #0) by J.R.R. Tolkien.

discussion leader: Gem

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📘☔April🌷

The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales by Alison Lurie.

discussion leader: Cheryl

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Hello fellow Fairy Tale lovers,


Welcome to our discussion about The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (Fairyland #1) by Catherynne M. Valente, your discussion leader is Gem.
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about spoilers

Please note: If you have not finished reading the book spoilers are permitted in this discussion from the start. Please do use the spoiler formatting it can be found on the top right of the comment box in the "(some html is ok)" menu if you have finished the book before October 15.
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Summary

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

Nominations for our November Group Reads are now open. To ensure your nomination will be included in our poll, please make sure it conforms to the following guidelines:

✨ You may nominate only one (1) book.

✨By entering a nomination you are agreeing to act as our Discussion Leader for the month-long Group Read should your nomination win.

Don't worry it is neither difficult nor time-consuming. The moderator(s) are here to help in the event that you need assistance. Please refrain from nominating a book if you are not prepared to lead the discussion.

✨ Your nomination can be any traditional fairy tales, mythology, folklore, fractured fairy tales, retellings, new/original works, high fantasy, and fantasy.

✨Post your nomination as a comment below.

DO NOT notify the moderators of your selection by way of a private message, if you do you run the risk of your nomination being excluded from the poll.

✨To ensure your nomination is included in our poll correctly, do include the name of both the book and the author. You are welcome to use the "add book/author" tool, which is located above the right upper corner of the comment window when making your nomination.

✨AUTHORS please note: We DO NOT accept nominations of your own work. You are welcome to participate in the nomination (of another author's work), polling, and book discussions in general.

If you have any questions, you can leave a comment in this discussion or message Gem directly.

The nomination period will close on Sunday, October 2 at approximately 7:30 pm PDT (UTC/GMT -7).

Polling will begin on Wednesday, October 5.

🤴👸Thank you and happy reading!🧙🧚


Running List
Circe by Madeline Miller (Gem)
Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell (Shanna)

Hi folks, I'm Gem and I adore fairy tales of all kinds. In addition to fairy tales, I also enjoy the classics, mysteries, and some modern fiction. I'm a mom to four awesome adult children and grandmother to five amazing grandchildren. I'm retired but do help my husband with his business. My hobbies are reading, knitting, needlepoint, cooking, and baking. We currently live just north of the Phoenix valley in Arizona although we are starting to think about moving back east.

Hi everyone! Please tell us about yourself here.