Fairy Interesting: Cinderella

Of all the fairy tales I think Cinderella is probably one of the most widely recognized and adapted. It's one of those rags to riches stories that just seems to latch onto people's imaginations. The idea for Cinderella has been around for a very long time and most versions share several consistent features.

Cinderella has a stepmother, an evil one who persecutes her and forces her to work as a servant/slave, and usually at least one stepsister - often two.


Cinderella gets outside help - whether from a tree near her mother's grave or a fairy godmother or a magic bull (in the Norwegian version). She also almost always receives help from woodland creatures such as mice or, particularly, birds.

Cinderella disguises herself in some way so the prince cannot recognize her when she isn't wearing her finery.

Cinderella loses her shoe and it is only through putting the shoe back on that the prince can recognize her and claim her as his rightful love. (Anybody else wonder if her feet were really so tiny that no other person in the ENTIRE kingdom could possibly fit into the shoe?! No? Just me? All righty then.)

But even these are not necessarily consistent across the board and there are so very many variations that it's not even possible to sum them up here. If you're interested, check out this site - you can read some of the different versions from all over the world.

A fur shoe, apparently.
Somehow I doubt this is
what it would have looked like :)

And, get this, the shoe isn't always glass. I know. I just ruined your life. Sometimes it's fur, sometimes gold, sometimes diamond, and sometimes it is glass. But in almost all versions there are 3 balls, not just one, and it's only at the last one that Cinderella manages to lose her slipper.

Most versions are a lot more violent than most people familiar with the popular children's versions know. In several versions, including the Grimm's tale, the stepsisters cut off parts of their feet to wedge them into the slipper. As the prince leads them away to be his bride (sometimes knowing she is not his love, sometimes fairly oblivious) Cinderella's bird friends have to point out the BLOOD TRAIL behind them as proof that she is a false bride. Ew. And in several versions, once the prince finally does find Cinderella (but seriously, if he couldn't tell who she was without the shoe, is he really worth it?) she walks to the church with a bird on each shoulder. Her stepsisters walk on either side and on the way to the church the birds peck out one eye and on the way out of the church the birds peck out their other eyes. Again. EW! Can you imagine that in the Disney version?

(Someone please write a zombie version of this fairy tale. I think I would love you forever)

Apparently Emily Casey already did!
Ooh! Want!

Of course, those are just the variations of the folk tales - we haven't even touched on the adaptations that have been written and produced. You didn't have anything to do, right? I can keep you here for a couple hours? Oh, good :)

Here's a sampling of some of my favorite retellings:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Basically, if it is written by Levine you should read it. I think this is true of all her books. Ever. I love her sense of humor and I am telling you almost no one can retell a well known story in such an unexpected way. The movie was cute, but the book? SO much better (imo). Ella is under a curse - a curse that makes her obey a direct command. From anyone. The characters are fun and believable, but it's the world-building that blows me away. It's so richly developed in such a short span of time.

Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George. This is actually the sequel to Princess of the Midnight Ball (a retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses), but you can totally read it as a stand alone. Both of these books blew me away. I love her style so much.

The Amaranth Enchantment by Julie Berry. This is one of those books that you think is going to be a Cinderella retelling and then you think it's not and then you think it is and you don't know what's going to happen and you fall in love with the goat and decide to buy every book the author has ever written. True story.

Then there's the Once Upon a Time series, which is a series of retellings of various fairy tales. Before Midnight was a lyric retelling of Cinderella by one of my favorite of the series' authors, Cameron Dokey. All of these books are really fun, fast reads that put some interesting spins on familiar tales.

Don't forget about one of the newest retellings Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I haven't had a chance to read this myself yet, but it looks amazing and I've heard fantastic things about it. In this version, Cinderella is ... a cyborg. Yup.

Or, if you'd rather get the ugly stepsister's side of the story you can try Gregory Maguire's Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. It's told in Maguire's rich and fairly dense prose, but a really interesting story from the other side.

And I'm such a movie lover I have to throw out a couple of my favorites here too.

I'm a pretty big fan of A Cinderella Story starring Hillary Duff. A modern updated version of the tale that's sweet and fun and a great chick flick movie night movie.

One of my all time favorites is Ever After with Drew Barrymore. The character development is really well done and I think the second stepsister is adorable and probably my favorite character in the movie.

Of course I'm sure I've missed many. What are some of your favorite book or movie adaptations? Do tell!

Laydown Lowdown

What beautiful weather we've been having here in NY.  It seems Spring has finally sprung.  As I write this, I've got my cat cuddled up along side me and a warm breeze blowing in through the window.  I can't wait to curl up as well with some of these great new releases.

First up in mystery, Kate White, the editor of Cosmopolitan magazines returns from her recent stand-along thrillers, "Hush" and "The Sixes," to visit her original heroine Bailey Weggins, with the 6th installment in that series "So Pretty it Hurts."  Also new in mystery today, "Force of Nature," by CJ Box, Harlan Coben's latest, "So Close," "Red on Red," by Edward Conlon," and "That's How I Roll," by Andrew Vachss.

Isn't this cover awesome ! Her books are great inside too :)

New releases are light in other genres today.  In Romance, best-selling authors Cherry Adair and Suzanne Brockman's latest novels, "Afterglow" and "Born to Darkness," are out.

 Over in General Fiction, you'll find "Lessons in Laughing Out Loud," by Rowan Coleman and "Gossip" by Beth Gutcheon. 

I'm also at a loss as to why "Loss," the latest "Riders of the Apocalypse" novel by Jackie Morse Kessler is the only new novel out in Young Adult today.  Naomi should be excited though as this was one the books she was most looking forward to this year.

Horror fans may want to check out Dean Koontz's latest book in his "Odd" series. However, "House of Odd," isn't a traditional novel, it's a graphic novel.

And over in Biography, writer/director/producer Kevin Smith releases his autobiography, "Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy, Slob, Who Did Good."  I'd like to debate the "did good," portion of the title.  To me Kevin will always be known as the guy who broke up Caitlyn Ryan and Joey Jeremiah on "Degrassi: The Next Generation."  I'll probably never get the opportunity to air my grievance in person so, I'm doing it here!

And there you have it, the Laydown Lowdown !  Remember to support your local bookstores whenever possible.  Pick up a good book and enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

Another thing that goes great with Spring weather - tee shirts !  Pick up your official Booksellers Without Borders NY tees, hoodies, totes and bears at our Cafe Press Shop!

The Nominees Are...

Tomorrow night is our March Book Club Meeting.  We'll have some food, share some laughs, watch Rory's shenanigans, and ultimately get around to discussing "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," by Ransom Briggs.  Then we talk about what we want to read next month.  This is the part of the evening where everyone turns to stare at Rebecca T. who is the unofficial book club leader.  I think it's her graduate schooling and interest in being a librarian or professor that subconsciously calls us to lean on her for her suggestions.  She normally has several and they all sound great.  Most of us chime in with a suggestion or two and we go with whatever seems to interest the group the most at that moment.  This month, I thought we'd round up the suggestions in advance and share them with you.  We're also interested in your suggestions as well.  We'll post the "winner" next Saturday.

So far, Rebecca has two suggestions for next month.  I imagine she'll have more by tomorrow night.  She nominates"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"  by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows because it is one of her favorite books of all time. She said, it's different than anything else we've read so far. It's a wonderful historical fiction with characters that just come to life through their letters. Or, if we want to stay in the YA family, she recommend "Haunting Violet" by Alyxandra Harvey which is about a girl whose mother pretends to be a medium and it turns out that Violet is the one who can actually see ghosts.

Jess B. and Rachel suggest "Fever," the sequel to our December pick, "Wither," by Lauren Destefano.  Rachel has already read it and thought it was even better than the original.

Jess P.  suggests, "A Temptation of Angels," by Michelle Zink, since it's being released this week and Michelle was a great supporter of our store.

I am up for all of these choices but I'd also like to suggest, "Bumped," by Megan McCafferty.  "Bumped," is a dystopian set in the future where a virus has rendered everyone over the age of 18 infertile.  Thus, teenagers are forced to procreate to keep the population going.  Despite being a dystopian, this book features McCafferty's offbeat humor and social commentary.

What do you guys suggest?  Let us know by commenting below.

What is Your Gift?

One thing we all, as human beings, seem to have in common is our quest to find our soul mate. Someone we love unconditionally, who in turn loves us unconditionally and adds meaning to our life, and our existence. The solitary person to prove, not only, that we are not alone, but also to prove that we are here for a reason. 


Within Paulo Coelho's writing, there is always a meaning to life. The words found in Brida are no different. Young, Irish Brida's story is really more of a quest. A quest to find the answers, a quest to find her natural born gift, and a quest to find her soul mate. 


The story is based around the progression of the human soul, and all of the elements that are the existence of our lives: memories, experiences, feelings, choices. And within this, is the existence of religion. Though, Coelho's focus is routinely a spiritual perspective, Brida gives us a taste of some religious perspectives as well. This particular story focuses around God worshiping Wiccans. We learn the steps and rituals culminating in a Sabbath party, as well as learning about the Tradition of the Sun and the Tradition of the Moon. We learn about the four forms of expression of the self. We learn about The Gift that we've all been given, yet few ever realize. 


For those of us that seek a greater meaning in life, Brida is the perfect piece of art.

"Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day"   -Brida







                 

Experiencing Shakespeare

One of the best reasons for home schooling my children was getting to read lots of books! Another was learning along with them. Since our culture is replete with Shakespearean quotes, references, and vocabulary, the study of William Shakespeare was essential. So when we started Shakespeare, I was eager to find books that were interesting as well as informational. I found numerous resources that enriched our study and wanted to share 4 of them with you. These four books are aimed at upper elementary aged kids, but can be used with older kids, supplementing with other resources. I know I learned from these books, as age doesn't seem to matter if the book is well written. These books enriched our study and taught us much about the life and times of William Shakespeare

The first is William Shakespeare's Macbeth as retold by Bruce Coville with pictures by Gary Kelley. This is a prose adaptation for younger readers to whet their appetites for the Bard. I love the illustrations; they draw you in to the tale. It is a bitter tale, but one that reveals what happens to a person filled with greed and a desire for power at all costs. A good lesson to learn.

The next book, The Bard of Avon by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema, tells the story of Shakespeare himself. It is a simple biography that reveals his life and the era in which he wrote. In it you can learn about his childhood, about why the "University Wits" were jealous of Shakespeare and about why his historical plays were so popular.Also, did you know that the Bard wrote his plays based on the actors?  Find out about Shakespeare and the Globe Theater. This short book contains a lot of interesting information.

If you want to know more about the Globe Theater, then get a hold of William Shakespeare and the Globe, written and illustrated by Aliki. This book, unlike The Bard of Avon, is more a "story of Shakespeare's world in Elizabethan England."(back cover) and of the rebuilding of the Globe- a dream of Sam Wanamaker that came true in 1997. My favorite part of the book is the list of Words and Expressions. These are words and phrases invented by Shakespeare, some of which are: "in my mind's eye", "not budge and inch" and "alligator". Read the book to find out more.

The last book, Shakespeare for Kids, by Colleen Aagesen and Marcie Blumberg, has 21 activities that tie into the study of Shakespeare's life. Each chapter tells of his life and then gives an activity related to it. Using this book's instructions, we made a hornbook, created a slashed-shirt costume( which the boys wore to the Renaissance Fair), and made goblets(play props). There is also a list of resources in the back that are helpful.

These four books gave my children and I hours of enjoyment as we explored the life of Shakespeare. I hope you share these with your kids, grandkids or just enjoy them yourself. Thanks for "listening".

Laydown Lowdown

It's kind of ironic compiling the Laydown Lowdown, when all you want to do is laydown yourself.  I think the hour we lost when springing ahead has caught up with me. 

I'm pretty excited about one of today's YA releases, "The Savage Grace," by Bree Despain, the 3rd novel in the "Dark Divine" series.  It's a wonderful mashup of werewolves, romance, and Christianity.  I love it and I can't wait to find out what happens next.  I'm sure Rebecca T. is equally excited that "Spell Bound," the 3rd book in Rachel Hawthorne's "Hex Hall," series is out today.  She mentioned it was one of her top picks for 2012, here.  Also available today is the 5th book in the "Gallagher Girls" series, "Out of Sight, Out of Time," by Ally Carter and Sherilyn Kenyon's latest "Chronicles of Nick," novel, "Infamous."

Over in mystery, best-selling author Gemma Halliday deviates from her traditional cozy mysteries with a high-action thriller, "Play Nice."  Other new releases in mystery include "The Girl Next Door," by Brad Parks and "Another Time, Another Life," by Leif G.W. Persson.  Best-selling author, Oleg Steinhauer releases a follow-up to last year's hit, "The Tourist," "An American Spy."

Jump on over to Sci-Fi and you'll find the 9th "Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi" novel "Apocalypse" by Troy Denning as well as best-selling author, Raymond Feist's latest, "A Crown Imperiled" and "City of Bohane," by Kevin Barry.

Chick lit queen, Jane Green's latest work, "Another Piece of My Heart" hit shelves today.  Romance fans will loose a piece of their heart this week as I could only find one new romance title releasing tomorrow, "Bound by Desire," by Jaymie Holland.

And there you have it !  Another Laydown Lowdown folks :)  Happy Reading and remember, support your local bookstores whenever possible.  Just because our blog is online, doesn't mean your shopping has to be.

Cover Love

Everyone knows, the old adage, "you can't judge a book by its cover."  However, some covers as so beautiful that you can't help but fall in love with the cover.  Here are some of our favorites.

Alan drools over any cover that features the art of Boris Valejo.  Valejo's art has graced the covers of numerous Sci-Fi novels, a few of which appear below.  In addition,Valejo also had dozens of coffee table books featuring his work in as well as calendars and prints.

Claire loves the cover of our latest book club selection, "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," by Ransom Briggs.  This cover features a photograph by Yefim Tobvis.  I agree this intriguing and somewhat creepy image makes you want to read the story.  Hopefully Claire will meet up with me this week to give me my copy for book club?  Yup, I just called you out, Claire ! :)

Jess P. loves the UK adult versions of the covers for "Harry Potter," novels.  Over in the UK, Bloomsbury publishes the Harry Potter novels with separate covers geared for adults and children.  The text remains the same.  I located some beautiful examples, for more check out this page.

One of Rebecca's recent favorite covers is "Rosebush," by Michelle Jaffe.  She read this book based on the cover alone.  I agree, I want to add this to my "to read" list.

 
She also finds the cover of "The Thirteenth Tale," by Diane Setterfeld to be gorgeous and I might add appropriate for a book lover.

She will also scoop up any book with cover or illustrations by Bret Hequist, who work on Lemony Snickett's "Series of Unfortunate Events."






Stacey loves a lot of the classics that have been released lately with new vintage inspired covers.  To her they're not only great reads, they look like art on a shelf.

From Barnes & Noble's Leatherbound Classics Collection

Finally, I love the cover to the "Fallen" series by Lauren Kate.  The covers capture the haunting romance of this epic series.  Plus, I really want the dresses shown on the covers :)






What covers do you find beautiful?  Share with us below !