Into the Forest discussion

For the upcoming group read we are going to read one collection and one retelling. Nom away folks!

Some years back we read Andrew Lang's The Blue Fairy Book. I really enjoyed the stories, some new to me some not, and always wanted to read more in the collection.

The next book in the series is The Red Fairy Book and that will be my collection nomination for our November-December Group read!

One of the tales in it is one of my all time favourites, The 12 Dancing Princesses. I thought it fitting to nominate:
The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine, a modern retelling of the tale, set in New York City during the prohibition era.

A note, Goodreads says the Red Fairy Book is the #3, but all other sources say it's the 2nd.

Hmm. Most of the good fairy tale collections I know are out of print. So I shall second The Red Fairy book and nominate Of Giants and Ice by Shelby Bach, which features retellings of tales from "Jack and the Beanstalk" to "The White Snake."

Jalilah wrote: "A note, Goodreads says the Red Fairy Book is the #3, but all other sources say it's the 2nd. ..."

Weird. I'll do a bit of research to make sure, (not that I don't trust you!) and if it's the second I can fix it. But just judging by original pub dates, it would be the second!

There's no over-arching plot in these books, right? Just individual stories? So it doesn't really matter what the official order is regardless.

I'd like to nominate:

The Chinese Fairy Book a collection that could serve double duty as Group Read and fulfilling 2014 Challenge #10 - "Read a collection of non-European Fairy Tales, Myths or Folktales"

The Witch And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson, a collection of retellings, including LRRH, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth a standalone historical fiction retelling of Rapunzel.

Melanti wrote: "There's no over-arching plot in these books, right? Just individual stories? "

Yup. Random collection. It doesn't even move methodically from region to region, though the contributing countries are not evenly distributed.

In the spirit of the (upcoming) season I'll nominate two classic works, both in the public domain. The collection is by our old friend Hans Christian Andersen, A Christmas Greeting, A Series of Stories HCA dedicated the first seven stories to none other than Charles Dickens. He wrote:

I am again in my quiet Danish home, but my thoughts are daily in dear England, where, a few months ago, my many friends transformed for me reality into a charming story.

Whilst occupied with a greater work, there sprung forth—as the flowers spring forth in the forest—seven short stories.* I feel a desire, a longing, to transplant in England the first produce of my poetic garden, as a Christmas greeting: and I send it to you, my dear, noble, Charles Dickens, who by your works had been previously dear to me, and since our meeting have taken root for ever in my heart.

Your hand was the last that pressed mine on England's coast: it was you who from her shores wafted me the last farewell. It is therefore natural that I should send to you, from Denmark, my first greeting again, as sincerely as an affectionate heart can convey it.

For a "not so modern" but delightful retelling I'll nominate L. Frank Baum's The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus.

Each is available on Project Gutenberg for free, so if you don't want these as a group, you may want them for your own read.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31103/...

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/520/52...

I'm not sure I could do a full set of HCA near Chirstmas, with as depressing as he can be... He kills all of his characters, I swear!

Too bad more of us don't have e-readers though. I bet we could come up with a really great Christmas themed collection using just public domain fairy tales and folklore. "The Nutcracker", "The Fir-Tree", "The Old Oak Tree", some of Dutch folklore etc.

I don't have a kindle, but I do have an iPad and read both Undine and The Dryad on it. However I must admit that I hated it! I just enjoy reading real books more. I prefer the iPad for research or going on groups like this one!

I love reading real physical books too Jalilah, but my kindle has its uses. It makes the long commute to work much easier as well as when I travel I now have more room to bring back real books.

Maybe we can do a Christmas theme as well as a buddy read. As long as you have a computer, you can read short estories.

I work on the computer 8-10 hours a day, so when it comes to my personal reading, it's real books only. I like to disconnect from technology as much as possible whenever I can.

Jalilah - I counted you as one of the ones that don't have one, cause if you don't like reading on it, it doesn't count as an e-reader!

Chris wrote: "Maybe we can do a Christmas theme as well as a buddy read. As long as you have a computer, you can read short estories. ..."

That would be fun - an unofficial buddy read type thing for Christmas tales, say in the month of December?



Okay, I'm going to nominate another behemoth. Mostly because I'm addicted to my e-reader and I need a bit of incentive to carry around a 800 page hardback! (If it's a factor to anyone, about 2/3 of the collection is out of copyright and should be available online - though perhaps in a different translation.)

Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture, Jack Zipes editor


For a retelling, I'll nominate Zel by Donna Jo Napoli.
I've never read anything by her but I've always meant to give her a try.

Zel would go well with Bitter Greens as they are both retellings of Rapunzel. Here I go thinking along the lines of a theme!

Some more to continue the Rapunzel idea:
Towering
Sold for Endless Rue

I nominate Folktales of Iraq for the collection, which could also count toward the 2014 challenge to read a non-European collection, and to go with it the novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories. One of the stories in the Iraqi folktales collection is about Haroun.

Any more nominations? You still have some more time everyone!

I will put up the poll on Sunday.

Thanks Chris! I am going out of town over the weekend and have no access to the Internet.

The Winners for our November 15-January 15 Group read are:
The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang for our collection of tales.

For our retelling we have a tie between
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
And
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

So I guess we will be reading all three books!

I've read The Red Fairy Book several times, so I will follow along with the discussion.

My library does not have Bitter Greens, and Haroun and the Sea of Stories doesn't interest me right now (but I added it TBR another time).

Although this didn't win our poll, I am reading The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus and enjoying the story very much.

Monica wrote: "I've read The Red Fairy Book several times, so I will follow along with the discussion.

My library does not have Bitter Greens, and [book:Haroun and the Sea of Storie..."

That's too bad that your library dies not have Bitter Greens Monica!
Mine did not have it either when I checked last month, but now it seems they do, and with 30 people ahead of me in the cue!

If you've already read the Red Fairy book I hope your still join us time to time in the discussion!

I'm on the library's waiting list for Bitter Greens too! But they had 4 copies, so hopefully that means they'll circulate faster. It must be popular!

Margaret wrote: "I'm on the library's waiting list for Bitter Greens too! But they had 4 copies, so hopefully that means they'll circulate faster. It must be popular!"

I kept seeing rave reviews and ads on Goodreads for Bitter Greens, which is why I finally requested it from the library last month. I imagine that "buzz" has helped its popularity.

And depending on how I like Bitter Greens I may pick up The Wild Girl also by Forsyth.

Jalilah wrote: "That's too bad that your library dies not have Bitter Greens Monica..."

I do miss "big city" libraries at times like this. I also read part one of Mythago Wood (included in the collection of stories in The Secret History of Fantasy). Before I read it, I checked my library and the catalog showed the full novel was available. When I asked to check it out they couldn't find it and now say they won't have it anymore. Argh! It was an interesting story!

I will participate in The Red Fairy Book discussion when it gets underway. I'm curious what others think about that collection.

As frustrated as I get with my big city library from time to time, I admit it has an amazing collection.

I went in this afternoon to pick up Red Earth and Pouring Rain for the Endicott group and found Bitter Greens sitting on the New Arrivals rack. So, since I already own the other two books, I'm all set for the group read!

Melanti wrote: "...found Bitter Greens sitting on the New Arrivals rack. So, since I already own the other two books, I'm all set for the group read!"

Oh, how lucky! I'll peek at the group discussion. Sure seems like this is a book the library should have, but with budget cuts...very few new books.

Monica wrote: "I also read part one of Mythago Wood (included in the collection of stories in The Secret History of Fantasy)..."

Ooh yes, one of my favorites! I hope you can find the whole book at some point.

Michele wrote: "Ooh yes, one of my favorites! I hope you can find the whole book at some point."

I did enjoy the story development. Hopefully I'll find the book before I forget what happened in the first part. Guess I can always start over from the beginning.