Review and a Story: The Fairytale Retold series by Regina Doman
Recently I was shopping the clearance section of Half Price Books and found an almost unimaginably good deal-Regina Doman's "Rapunzel Let Down" for only $2. This was an especially amazing find because I had just been thinking about the book that morning, wondering if I could ever get my hands on a copy. My sister, Salamander, who witnessed the amazing moment of my finding it, commented, “It’s like your $2 miracle book.” I think she was right. Just as I was about to give up on the clearance section and dismiss it as lousy, the word ‘Rapunzel’ caught my eye and I pulled it out, thinking it was some weird new re-told fairy tale book that was probably based on The Hunger Games or something. But then I pulled it out and gasped. And I looked at the price tag and gasped again. Imagine my luck! A hard-to-find book by a hard-to-find author and it was in my hands for a measly $2. Of course I bought it. This book was great. You need to read the other 5 Fairy Tale Retold books by Regina Doman first, but that will be no big deal because they are all so good. One thing I especially like about this series is that they are all interconnected. Characters you loved from one book are the stars of the next, and that seemingly minor character that you thought was awesome turns into the next hero. First, start out with “The Shadow of the Bear.” This is Regina’s modern day re-telling of the classic fairy tale of Snow White and Rose Red featuring sisters Blanche and Rose Brier and brothers Bear and Fish Denniston. The action starts on the first page and doesn’t stop until the last word of the book. The next book in the series is “Dark as Night.” This is the re-telling of Snow White starring Blanche and Bear and is probably my least favorite of the series. It does have quite a few good parts and is by no means dispensable. Read it. Third, we have my personal favorite, “Waking Rose.” Our heroine is Rose Brier from books 1 and 2, and the hero is the unprecedented Fish (Ben) Denniston. In this unexpectedly action-packed Sleeping Beauty, you’ll find yourself wishing you could meet all the fun (and sometimes downright wacky) students of Mercy College. The fourth novel is kind of the oddball one, but it’s still good. “The Midnight Dancers” is a re-telling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and features Paul Fester of Waking Rose fame. I say that it’s an oddball because it is pretty short and just feels a little strange being thrust right out of the Brier/Denniston saga and into the world of Paul Fester. You should still read it, though. “Alex O’Donnell and the Forty Cyber Thieves” ties for second in my list of favorites. It is so weird and wonderful. Alex O’Donnell and Kateri Kovach whom we first met in Waking Rose are the stars of this book and make for a great team. The computer programming lingo, cameo by Rose and Fish, and FBI involvement definitely add to this excellent book and the ending is completely unexpected! Finally we have my $2 Miracle Book, “Rapunzel Let Down.” This book was great. It was hard to put down, which is a good thing! Regina Doman keeps you guessing and saying, “no. No. NO!” as you wander through the intense drama within its pages. The Fairy Tale Retold series by Regina Doman can be ordered on Amazon or from Chesterton Press and the books retail between $15 and $20 each. The covers are really pretty and will look great on your bookshelf. But don’t hoard them! Spread the love and make everyone you know read them. My personal favorites list:
This series garners an MC+ rating, suitable for ages 15 and up. Miss Moffett
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Since the Christmas season is upon us, we,(my sister, Lady Mayweather and I) have decided to make a list of our favorite Christmas movies in no particular order. Miracle on 34th Street (1994)We always kick off our Christmas movie season with Miracle on 34th Street. We watch it on Thanksgiving night as a way to unwind from the crazy day with the relatives. This movie always reaffirms the magic of Christmas, as Kris said; "I'm not just a whimsical figure who wears a charming suit and affects a jolly demeanor. You know, I'm a symbol. I'm a symbol of the human ability to be able to suppress the selfish and hateful tendencies that rule the major part of our lives. If you can't believe, if you can't accept anything on faith, then you're doomed for a life dominated by doubt." A Christmas Story (1983)This is the classic movie that everyone can quote, whether or not they've actually watched it. The story of Ralphie and his burning desire for an "official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!" Elf (2003)This is the movie that makes almost my entire family die laughing every time they watch it. Buddy is the guy you always want to have on your team for a snowball fight and has the best ideas for dates! Just remember that "the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear" White Christmas (1954)Irving Berlin's White Christmas in stunning VistaVision is a great classic, as any movie starring Bing Crosby is sure to be. His original version of the immortal song "White Christmas" is, in Lady Mayweather's opinion, the definitive version. "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" is a sentiment I can definitely agree with. "Sisters" is a song which captures perfectly the relationship between sisters. This song was even played at Mrs. Pickwick's wedding this past year as a lovely tribute to her and her sisters. This is also the only movie I ever remember seeing at my grandma and grandpa's house. Its a Wonderful Life (1946)This is our traditional Christmas Eve movie. The classic tale of George Bailey. Some say that this isn't a Christmas movie, but considering it takes place on Christmas Eve and is a story of redemption....I say they're wrong. I just had to share some of my favorite quotes since I absolutely love this movie. "What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary." "You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are? Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles." "I'm shakin' the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world. Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I'm comin' back here to go to college and see what they know. And then I'm gonna build things. I'm gonna build airfields, I'm gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I'm gonna build bridges a mile long..." "Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings." Home Alone (1990)Home Alone. Kevin is every kid's hero. This is another movie with those great quotes that no one can seem to forget. "Keep the change, ya filthy animal" "I made my family disappear!" "This house is so full of people it makes me sick. When I grow up and get married, I'm living alone. Did you hear me?" A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)"Good Grief!" Charlie Brown's Christmas turns 50 this year. No December would be complete without it. "Isn't there anyone who can tell me what Christmas is all about?!" Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)"Maybe Christmas, he thought... doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps... means a little bit more!" "Well, in Whoville they say - that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day." "But this... this sound wasn't sad. Why... this sound sounded glad. Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, was singing, without *any* presents at all! He hadn't stopped Christmas from coming, it *came*! Somehow or other... it came just the same." Finally, Our Honorable MentionsVeggie Tales "The Toy Who Saved Christmas" - a great movie to help the kids learn about the real meaning of Christmas Nicholas: The Boy Who Became Santa - The story behind the origin of St. Nick who later morphed into Santa Claus The Santa Clause The Christmas Shoes Polar Express Christmas with the Kranks Holiday Inn Happy Watching! What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?
Brookfield and Lady Mayweather Hello, I have compiled a list of places in England that you can visit to go along with your favorite book or TV series. I have never been to England, but just look at all the neat places you can go besides London! 1. Leed's Castle. This castle (from Northanger Abbey) is quite a picturesque place to visit in Kent, which is also the Garden of England along with Esham, too. 2. Cornwall. A pretty place to visit, and home to Ross Poldark and some say King Arthur. You can visit some mines like Wheal Busy. 5. And no visit to England would be complete without stopping in Nottinghamshire and taking a hike in Sherwood Forest. Imagine you are Robin Hood and dart through the woods with your imaginary bow and arrow, and take in the beauty of this, England's most famous forest. Happy travels!
Miss Moffet Title: Our Town Author: Thornton Wilder Genre: Fiction Rating: E Why: Like many of the books I've read, it was given to me by my mom, who thought I'd enjoy it. Written as a play, Our Town is the captivating story of the day-to-day events of the town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. Focusing on the Webb and Gibbs families, the reader has a front row seat into their lives as two of the children grow up, fall in love and marry, and pass away. After the passing of one of the characters, she begins to miss her old life and wishes to re-live a day, although the other souls advise her not to. Stepping back in time and observing her twelfth birthday, she comes to the realization that it is the smallest things in life that are the most important, yet are the most easily overlooked. First performed in 1938, Our Town is as fascinating on stage as it in on paper. Very few props are employed, the main ones being ladders and boards. This enables the audience to truly become immersed in the performance, having to use their imaginations to fill in the missing set, which in turn places emphasis on the theme. This theme was especially important during the years prior to World War II, as people suffered from the fear and uncertainty of what was to come. Winning Wilder his second Pulitzer Prize (the first having been for The Bridge of San Luis Rey), Our Town would become of the most performed American plays of the 20th century. Although the play does become somewhat depressing towards the end, Our Town is nevertheless a very enjoyable book. Every time I read it, I find myself yearning to live in the small town of Grover's Corner, going to the drug store for an ice cream soda after school lets out, and watching the baseball team practice in the evenings. I highly recommend the book, and believe it should be on everyone's to-be-read list! -Hainsworth (Many thanks to Brookfield and Salamander for allowing me to guest post. I had a marvelous time writing this review.) We recently read "The Defintive Ranking of Jane Austen's Heroes" by Hannah Reynolds. While we all agree with some of the things she says, of course, we all also have our own opinions. We felt she added a few men who were completely unnecessary(John Dashwood? Mr Rushworth? William Price? Who even cares about some of those guys?), and she totally left out at least three guys we couldn't imagine Jane Austen stories without. So we decided to create our own list, based off at least two opinions. There's less room for favoritism that way. Anyway, this took a lot of discussion and thought and argument on our part, so, without further adieu, here's our list of Jane Austen's Love Interests from the creepiest to the best. And don't spoil the fun, we aren't giving away our number one yet. 21. Mr. Wickham Earning the creepiest, most sly Austen love interest is none other than Mr. Wickham. With as many big windys as this guy tells, it's no wonder he has to fly from one woman to another. And we all know he was just out to get money to pay off his debts and to get back at Mr Darcy. 20. Mr. Willoughby I admit it, sometimes I feel sorry for the guy. He actually loved Marianne. He just makes too many mistakes in his misguided life. Yuck...getting a teenager pregnant then running off with a rich lady to make his Auntie happy? Come on man...think about what cute kids you and Marianne could have had! 19. John Thorpe EEW! What else can I say about this cussing, lying creeper? He even assumes he proposed to a girl just because he mentioned a dumb song...whoever heard about one wedding bringing on another anyway?? 18. Captain Tilney Here's another gross scum of the earth guy. He is just..just...icky. I mean HE KNOWS she is engaged to another guy, but there he goes chasing her anyway. What on earth? (How did Jane Austen come up with all these yucky people anyway?) 17. Henry Crawford We all know he made up a plan to break a girl's heart. Isn't that enough? 16. Mr. William Elliot He's out to get her and her sister's money...except they don't have any...so he starts spreading lies. Such a nice relative. No wonder there was family tension. 15. Tom Bertram He's a gambler and drunk and treats our heroine badly the entire time, but then he almost dies, and I think he has a small change of heart. 14. Mr. Yates I mean, its all about the topknot. HOW CAN YOU GO WRONG WITH A TOPKNOT? Except a stupid play which caused poor Mr Rushworth to lose his wife in the end. Anyway, it was a great sin that they wrote him out of the 2007 version of Mansfield Park. 13. Frank Churchill He's not that bad, he only belittles he fiance for 95% of the movie/book. But he's such a good guy to everyone else, nobody can really blame him. It does really upset me when he's so mushy gushy in love with Jane Fairfax once their relationship if out in the open. 12. Mr. Elton Oh, Mr. E. My Cara sposa. His awkwardness is hilarious. His sad attempt at a proposal is even better. His best feature is undoubtedly the wife he manages to find. 11. Mr. Collins Greasy haired Mr Collins is the epitome of nasty boyfriends. No wonder he had to try so hard to get a wife. And the only reason he had to get a wife was because his patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, told him he should. And the only reason she told him to get married was to get him out of her hair. 10. Charles Musgrove He's just....there. 9. Colonel Fitzwilliam He seems like a nice guy, but we don't know too much about him. All we really know is that he's the gossip who told Lizzie about how it was all Mr. Darcy's fault that Jane's heart was broken. 8. Colonel Brandon He's just SO OLD. I kind of feel bad for Marianne that she ends up with him. He's obviously in love with her from the beginning, but he doesn't do anything about it! Why do guys do that? And hes just SO OLD. 7. Edmund Bertram Here's the thing. He was Fannie's friend forever, Miss Austen could have ended the story before it even started, but NOOOO she has to throw that darn old Mary Crawford in and spoil everything. He practically has to rediscover himself before he re-remembers that he loves Fannie. We suffer through his painful story just because of Mary Crawford. It's all her fault! 6. Edward Ferrars How can any adult male let his mother and sister run his life like this? Why can't he just man up sooner and act on his emotions when he first figures out he likes Elinor? Because he is secretly engaged! Woohoo! 5. Charles Bingley He is seriously just Jane's Prince Charming. He's perfect. They're exactly alike. They are so good natured. I imagine that they have a storybook ending and lived Happily Ever After. 4. Mr. Knightley I love how he tells Emma exactly how it is. It was badly done, Emma. Badly done, indeed. It was well done to treat her like that, because otherwise how would she have had any sense at all? 3. Mr. Darcy Yeah, I know. He's everybody's number one. But he's really not, if you've read the books. He practically runs his friend's life(Mr Bingley) by breaking him up with his love(Jane) then he has the audacity to tell Elizabeth he likes her against his will, and even against his better judgement. What gentleman would say this? I know he buys out Mr Wickham's debts to try to regain Lydia's good name(was it good?). I mean, he turns out ok in the end, but in our opinion he's not the perfect guy everyone makes him out to be. 2. Captain Frederick Wentworth He is faithful for years. This is why he's awesome. He, unlike most Austen characters, didn't break up with the girl, her family broke them up. But he still remained faithful and loved her in spite of the changes in their situations. He is just what a guy should be. 1. Henry Tilney Where can I begin? He's funny, genlemanly, understands muslins, and the only bad thing he ever does is totally understandable. Who wouldn't get upset with Catherine when she was snooping around their house and assuming his father murdered his mother? Even then, he didn't tell anybody about it. He was such a gentleman. He even defied his mean old grouchy father to marry the love of his life. And we know they have a happily ever after life because Jane Austen tells us so. Now we must have one smirk! The humble opinions of Mrs. Pickwick and {the Salamander}
Title: The Light Between Oceans Author: M.L. Stedman Genre: Historical Fiction Rating: ABRA The Light Between Oceans is the story of an Australian lighthouse keeper and his wife several years after WWI. Tom and Isabel live alone on the very remote island of Janus several hundreds of mild from the mainland of south western Australia at the meeting of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Tom meticulously maintains the light while Isabel cares for the gardens and their home. But Isabel is lonely with no other women to talk to and longs for a child. After two miscarriages and a stillbirth, Isabel becomes very depressed and loses hope of ever having a child. One day a small boat drifts ashore on their little island carrying a dead man and a tiny, crying, very much alive, baby girl. Isabel convinces Tom not to report Lucy or record the tragedy in his logs. The child must surely be an orphan who has no one left in the world, it would only be right to keep the child and raise her as their own. Tom sees how happy it has made Isabel to raise and love Lucy so he consents to keep Lucy. All is happy for the small family until they return to the mainland after 3 years for their shore leave. Once home they learn who the dead man was and that the child's mother is still very much alive and pines away for her lost child. This is one of the best books I have read this year so far. The setting is so very unique, exciting and so very different from anything I have read before. This book is very well written, the story draws you into Tom, Isabel and baby Lucy's dramatic lives and doesn't let you go until days after you finish reading it. One of my favorite things about the book was the Australian setting. It seems so strange when they discuss it being hot in January and cold in July. I would recommend you pick up this book today! If you enjoy historical fiction you will love this, my copy went straight to Brookfield the day after I completed it and I'm sure I will lend it to Mrs. Pickwick and Mrs. Chatsworth-Blenheim soon. --{the} Salamander Title: Summer at Tiffany Author: Majorie Hart Genre: Memoir Rating: MC Why: I found this book on a shopping trip at Goodwill; I must admit that I am often attracted to books purely because of their covers. The cover depicts a street corner in a city in the 1940s. When I read the synopsis I was hooked. In 1945 Marjorie and her best friend Marty left Iowa to live in NYC for the summer. They pounded the sidewalks of New York trying to find a job in a department store. Just when they thought they had failed they dared to apply at Tiffany & Co. The jobs they would receive there would launch them into the summer of a lifetime. Marjorie drew me in and let me feel all the emotions of that summer of her life. The pain and uncertainty of watching loved ones go off to war and the excitement of watching movie stars come into Tiffany’s to select their jewelry. Marjorie had a front row seat in the most exciting city of the world for the most memorable moments in history. It wasn’t until I was halfway through the book that I realized it was actually a true story. Most autobiographies can be dull in their writing style but this one drew me in. Every time I put the book down I had to remind myself that I wasn’t in 1945. This is a book I would highly recommend for everyone who enjoys a good love story and the romance of the 1940’s. - Brookfield My favorite places, and the cheapest, to find books are Goodwill, library book sales and secondhand
shops, also the lending system among friends. Salamander and I operate with the understanding that as soon as we care done with a great new book it often goes straight to the other. Over the past three months or so I have had quite an influx of books from many shopping sprees. I decided that before I try to contain them on my overflowing shelves I would keep them separate and wade my way through the pile. As winter is coming on I decided to reorganize them and make a list which I will hopefully be able to complete before spring. I foresee lots of nights in comfy clothes snuggled in an armchair reading, my favorite way to spend a dark winter’s evening. What follows is my list of reading, in no particular order. I have several different genres so I should be able to find a book for every mood. Let me know below if you’ve read any of them and what your thoughts were! Brookfield - Doctor in Petticoats--Mary Connealy ** - Nancy, The Life of Lady Astor--Christopher Sykes - The Long Way Home--Margot Benary-Isbert - Madame Bovary--Gustave Flaubert - A Caribbean Mystery (Miss Marple)--Agatha Christie - Emily of New Moon--L.M. Montgomery - The Invisible Man--H.G. Wells - The Snows of Kilimanjaro--Ernest Hemingway - The Prisoner of Zenda--Anthony Hope - Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass--Lewis Carroll - The Pilgrim Soul--Anne Miller Dounes - Let the Great World Spin--Colum McCann - Nineteen Eighty-Four--George Orwell - For Such a Time--Kate Breslin ** - Jeremy Poldark (Poldark)--Winston Graham ** - Demelza (Poldark)--Winston Graham ** - A Tale of Two Cities (re-read)--Charles Dickens ** - The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen--Syrie James - The Rescue--Nicholas Sparks** - Dear John--Nicholas Sparks - The Notebook--Nicholas Sparks ** - Northanger Abbey (re-read)--Jane Austen - Henry Tilney’s Diary--Amanda Grange - Mr. Darcy’s Diary--Amanda Grange - North & South--Eilzabeth Gaskell ** - The Director’s Cut--Jane Thompson ** - The Light Between Oceans--M.L. Stedman ** - Captain Wentworth’s Diary--Amanda Grange **On Loan Early this summer I decided that I had been reading way too many Christian romance novels, and most were not that good. So I somehow came by the idea of giving them up for the summer and reading only classic books and ones that were not of the Christian genre (not meaning by that that they were dirty or anything! I just mean not the Christian romance genre ones.) I had fun doing this 'challenge,' and made it through the summer until I started school again. The first Christian one I read afterwards was "Through Waters Deep," by Sarah Sundin.
Some of the books I read were: -Persuasion by Jane Austen -Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen -Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte -The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte -Several Ann Rinaldi historical fiction books including: -Or Give Me Death -The Secret of Sarah Revere -A Break with Charity -The Fifth of March -Time Enough for Drums (this one was really good!) -Finishing Becca -The Story of the Trapp Family Singers -Laura -And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie -Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare -The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare -Dear Mr. Knightley Some of these I highly enjoyed and some of them I did not. I would recommend you to try this 'challenge' if you find yourself stuck in a genre rut. Miss Moffett I absolutely LOVE old movies! And when I say old movies I actually mean old movies. Not something from the early 90s. Like those corny old classic musicals from the 30s, 40s and 50s. I could probably sit and watch an old movie every night and never get tired of them. There is just something so uplifting and incredibly happy about a good old light-hearted musical. Brookfield and I are constantly searching shelves at Goodwill for not only great book finds, but also those hidden gems that are VHS tapes of classic movies. Who could pass up 'Singing in the Rain' for 99 cents??? Some of my favorite classic movies include:
Watching all of these trailers makes me want to have a movie marathon! Who's with me??
Love, {The} Salamander |