Can't Wait Wednesday #184 - Girls Made Of Glass & Snow

Can't Wait Wednesday is a new weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week's choice is -

Girls Made Of Glass and Snow - Melissa Bashardoust 

ISBN - 9781250077738

Publisher - Flatiron Books

Release date - September 5th, 2017

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber in this feminist fantasy reimagining of the Snow White fairytale

At sixteen, Mina's mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone - has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.

Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do - and who to be - to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.

Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything - unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

I was sold on this book as soon as I saw 'feminist fantasy reimagining of Snow White' but what makes me less enthusiastic is the reference to The Bloody Chamber. Being a huge fan of Angela Carter and her work makes me nervous to read Girls Of Glass And Snow, as well as excited. Here's hoping it lands on the good side of the comparison! 

Harper And The Night Forest - Cerrie Burnell

Total fantasy bliss! Magical birds, dark forests, and fairytale cities: there’s no better book to get lost in. Harper is on a mission! Rumours tell of the mysterious Ice Raven who lives among the ebony trees, singing a magical song that can melt hardened hearts. Now the Wild Conductor wants to capture this mythical bird and create the greatest orchestra ever known. So Harper and her friends set off to find the bird. Their journey takes them from the mysterious Night Forest to the City of Singing Clocks. But soon Harper realises she faces a dilemma. Should a wild, free creature like the Ice Raven ever be tied down?

I first came across Cerrie Burnell's Harper books shortly after the first book, Harper And The Scarlet Umbrella, was first released in all its sparkly hardback loveliness. I thought it would be great for the 7-year-old but naturally, I wanted to read it first! I fell in love with Harper and her fantastical bunch of friends so was pleased to see a second book, Harper And The Circus Of Dreams, and a World Book Day special, Harper And The Sea Of Secrets. Needless to say, we're big fans here at the Outsider!

In Harper And The Scarlet Umbrella, all the cats are mysteriously disappearing, including Harper's own cat Midnight. Harper and friends set out to find the missing felines and stumble across a mysterious conductor. In Harper And The Circus Of Dreams, a magical circus appears in the skies, tethered only by birds! Harper And The Sea Of Secrets is all about a magical music festival and the race to find the missing musical instruments before it's too late!

Harper And The Night Forest takes a slightly different direction in that we move into the wonderful world of fairy tales! Just when I thought I couldn't love the Harper books any more Cerrie comes up with the story of the Ice Raven and the Lone Wolf, a wonderfully sad fairy tale about a witch's daughter and a prince separated by the witch through sheer jealousy and left to wander alone forever unless someone can discover the ending to their tale.

I would love to live in Cerrie's imagination, the sheer brilliance of the Night Forest where fairy tales are carved on the trees and the Fairy-Tale Keepers live in a gingerbread cottage, the City of Singing Clocks where there is a clock for each fairy tale set to the time each was started and best of all, each fairy tale comes alive on a year on the date of its creation and the characters themselves roam the Forest. And the food! Rose lemonade, cherry muffins, and salty pretzels sound like my idea of heaven!

Though the book is obviously about Harper, Nate, Liesel, and Ferdie all play a big part in solving the unfinished fairy-tale and in helping the Wild Conductor (not my favorite character but then he's not meant to be!). I love that Nate was the one most influential in helping with the tale of the Ice Raven and the Lone Wolf, along with Smoke, his most beloved wolf. I think Liesel continues to be my favorite character though, described as small, wild, and grubby she shares my sheer joy in fairy tales and agrees that you shouldn't mess with them either... What remains my favorite element throughout, are the wonderful illustrations of Laura Ellen Anderson. She somehow manages to draw the perfect illustrations to match Cerrie's magical words and I hope that Harper's stories carry on being so wonderfully illustrated. Any time she'd love to draw Oscar I'll happily agree!

Harper And The Night Forest - Cerrie Burnell 

ISBN - 9781407172767

Publisher - Scholastic

Release date - March 2nd, 2017

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Many thanks to Scholastic for providing me with a copy of Harper And The Night Forest in exchange for a fair & unbiased review!

Cerrie Burnell is a much-loved presenter on Cbeebies. She was named in the Observer’s top ten children’s presenters and also featured in the Guardian’s 2011 list of 100 most inspirational women where she received praise for tackling disability head on. Cerrie divides her time between London and Manchester. Her bestselling picture books Snowflakes and Mermaid, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson, have won critical acclaim. Magical adventure Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella was her first novel for young readers.

Twitter

 

When she's not trying to take over the world or fighting sock-stealing monsters, Laura Ellen Anderson is a professional children's book author & illustrator, with an increasing addiction to coffee. She spends every waking hour creating & drawing and would quite like to live on the Moon when humans finally make it possible.  

Website | Twitter | Instagram

Tour Schedule

Monday 20th March

Bookish Outsider

A Daydreamer’s Thoughts

Tuesday 21st March

Book Lover Jo

Tales of Yesterday

Wednesday 22nd March

An Awfully Big Adventure

Luna’s Little Library

Thursday 23rd March

Live Otherwise

Big Book Project

Friday 24th March

Alejandra’s Life

Northern Plunder

Saturday 25th March

Library Girl and Book Boy

Sunday 26th March

Big Book Little Book

Waiting On Wednesday #171 - The Hidden People

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

The Hidden People - Alison Littlewood

ISBN - 9781848669901

Publisher - Jo Fletcher Books

Release date - October 6 2016

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

The bestselling author of Richard & Judy Book Club hit The Cold Season returns with a chilling mystery - where superstition and myth bleed into real life with tragic consequences.
 
Pretty Lizzie Higgs is gone, burned to death on her own hearth - but was she really a changeling, as her husband insists? Albie Mirralls met his cousin only once, in 1851, within the grand glass arches of the Crystal Palace, but unable to countenance the rumors that surround her murder, he leaves his young wife in London and travels to Halfoak, a village steeped in superstition.

Albie begins to look into Lizzie's death, but in this place where the old tales hold sway and the 'Hidden People' supposedly roam, answers are slippery and further tragedy is just a step away...

I absolutely adored Alison Littlewood's novels, The Cold Season and Path Of Needles, so was thrilled to read about this one. She writes the books I love - fairy tales, folklore and mystery all seamlessly woven together. Here's hoping The Hidden People is just as good!
 

Waiting On Wednesday #167 - The Bear And The Nightingale

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

The Bear And The Nightingale - Katherine Arden

ISBN - 9781101885932

Publisher - Del Rey

Release date - January 17 2017

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

A young woman’s family is threatened by forces both real and fantastical in this debut novel inspired by Russian fairy tales.

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay.

How much do I want to read this?! It has a lot to live up to though as it's been compared to Uprooted, The Night Circus and to Neil Gaiman's work. I absolutely adore Russian fairy tales so I'm sure to love it even if the hype isn't quite met...

Bookmarked... #19

The return of the (mostly) weekly post letting you all know what I'm reading and have lined up for the week! It's my own version of Sheila at Book Journey's It's Monday What Are You Reading (now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date) and I have her permission to rename it for my own nefarious reasons...

I have lost track of what I've read or what I've stuck bookmarks in since my last Bookmarked... post so I'm just going to start afresh and let you know what I've read over the last week and what I may or may not start reading this week!

Click on the covers to check out the relevant Goodreads pages!

Finished

Those of you who follow me on Goodreads will know of my strong dislike of the Austen Project by The Borough Press. Having read and hated strongly disliked two of the previous three instalments I swore I wouldn't read any more but it's Curtis Sittenfeld, it's Pride & Prejudice and if you haven't read Prep, go do so now...

Finally read another fairy tale retelling that counts towards my fairy tale challenge (which I should probably give up on, I'm so far behind!) A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham is a gem of a book, most definitely for adults - these retellings are not pretty - and beautifully written by Cunningham and beautifully illustrated by Yuko Shimizu.

I've read a couple of books by Sam Christer, enough to know that his books are my go-to for when I want something thriller-ish but easy to read. As soon as I saw he was delving into the world of Sherlock Holmes this was a must-read and I absolutely loved it! I'm honestly hoping this was the first in a series because that ending was so open!

Currently Reading

This is a re-read as I'm on the blog tour for the second book, Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief in June. If you like middle grade fiction this is definitely worth checking out, great writing and Alfie is a fantastic character!

A YA novel about fairies and a teenager developing strange magical powers, halfway through this and loving it!

Waiting On Wednesday #157 - Vassa In The Night

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

Vassa In The Night - Sarah Porter

ISBN - 9780765380548

Publisher - Tor Teen

Release date - September 20 2016

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

In Vassa’s neighborhood, where she lives with her stepmother and bickering stepsisters, one might stumble onto magic, but stumbling out again could become an issue. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters - and sometimes innocent shoppers as well. So when Vassa’s stepsister sends her out for light bulbs in the middle of night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission.

But Vassa has a bit of luck hidden in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother. Erg is a tough-talking wooden doll with sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach, and a ferocious cunning. With Erg’s help, Vassa just might be able to break the witch’s curse and free her Brooklyn neighborhood. But Babs won’t be playing fair. . . .

Inspired by the Russian folktale Vassilissa the Beautiful and Sarah Porter’s years of experience teaching creative writing to New York City students.

I can't wait to read this, I love Russian folk and fairy tales. I've always been a bit obsessed about Baba Yaga so I'm looking forward to reading her incarnation as Babs Yagg!

Waiting On Wednesday #146 - The Starlit Wood; New Fairy Tales

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales - ed. Navah Wolfe & Dominik Parisien 

Publisher - Saga Press

Release date - October 2016

Find - Goodreads

Once upon a time in the desert, in a tower, on a spaceship, in the Other Country...

For centuries, storytellers have crafted timeless tales that have always found a place in our hearts. Here, a new generation of critically acclaimed, award-winning writers have taken up their mantle and shaped traditional and extraordinary fairy tales into something startling and electrifying.

From castles to canyons, a post-human landscape to a pixelated dungeon, from the far future to fantastical realms, The Starlit Wood transforms eighteen stories you thought you knew and takes you on a journey at once unexpected and familiar across time, space, and amazing new worlds.

OMG... This might just turn out to be one of my top ten most anticipated books of 2016 and it's a long wait until October. Just look who the authors are!

Charlie Jane Anders 

Aliette de Bodard  

Jeffrey Ford,  

Max Gladstone 

Theodora Goss 

Daryl Gregory 

Kat Howard,  

Stephen Graham Jones

Margo Lanagan  

Marjorie M. Liu  

Seanan McGuire

Garth Nix

Naomi Novik

Sofia Samatar

Karin Tidbeck

Catherynne M. Valente 

Genevieve Valentine 

Amal El-Mohtar  

Most of these authors are ones that I would read a shopping list if the published them and I think there's only three authors that I haven't read anything by them before.

The Seventh Bride - T Kingfisher

Young Rhea is a miller’s daughter of low birth, so she is understandably surprised when a mysterious nobleman, Lord Crevan, shows up on her doorstep and proposes marriage. Since commoners don’t turn down lords - no matter how sinister they may seem - Rhea is forced to agree to the engagement.


Lord Crevan demands that Rhea visit his remote manor before their wedding. Upon arrival, she discovers that not only was her betrothed married six times before, but his previous wives are all imprisoned in his enchanted castle. Determined not to share their same fate, Rhea asserts her desire for freedom. In answer, Lord Crevan gives Rhea a series of magical tasks to complete, with the threat “Come back before dawn, or else I’ll marry you.”

With time running out and each task more dangerous and bizarre than the last, Rhea must use her resourcefulness, compassion, and bravery to rally the other wives and defeat the sorcerer before he binds her to him forever.

There are many variations of the Bluebeard story, the most well known are obviously The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, The Robber Bridegroom by The Brothers Grimm and Bluebeard by Charles Perrault. Ever since reading The Bloody Chamber I've tried to keep up to date with retellings of the Bluebeard story so was pleased to find this version by T Kingfisher (also known as Ursula Vernon).

Rhea is a miller's daughter with a hint of something special about her. After being spotted by Lord Crevan she becomes engaged to him, very much so against her will. With the wedding approaching Crevan demands that she visit him at his estate and so she sets off on a white road towards something that may well be the end of her. Staying true to the original story she discovers that she is to be the latest in a line of wives for Lord Crevan and having no desire to end up like the Clock Wife or the Golem Wife Rhea fulfills tasks set for her that seem impossible.

As retellings go this is one of the better ones I've read. I don't think any will ever measure up to Carter's Bloody Chamber but I really did like Kingfisher's interpretation. Rhea was headstrong and feisty but also scared out of her wits. I loved her hedgehog companion who got her out of a tight spot more than once and the bear that lurked about in the forest was another favorite. The other wives were fascinating, I especially loved Maria and the way that Kingfisher continually muddles your thinking about which wife may actually be on Rhea's side and who may may not want her to succeed at all. Great writing and a nice spin on Bluebeard has ensured The Seventh Wife a spot on my favorites list. Kingfisher has written a Beauty & the Beast retelling, Bryony and Roses, which has gone on the wishlist.

The Seventh Bride - T Kingfisher
Publisher - 47North
Release date - November 24 2015
Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Waiting On Wednesday #144 - Roses And Rot

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

Roses And Rot - Kat Howard 

ISBN - 9781481451161

Publisher - Saga Press

Release date - June 7 2016

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Imogen and her sister Marin have escaped their cruel mother to attend a prestigious artists’ retreat, but soon learn that living in a fairy tale requires sacrifices, be it art or love in this haunting debut fantasy novel from “a remarkable young writer” (Neil Gaiman).

What would you sacrifice in the name of success? How much does an artist need to give up to create great art?

Imogen has grown up reading fairy tales about mothers who die and make way for cruel stepmothers. As a child, she used to lie in bed wishing that her life would become one of these tragic fairy tales because she couldn’t imagine how a stepmother could be worse than her mother now. As adults, Imogen and her sister Marin are accepted to an elite post-grad arts program - Imogen as a writer and Marin as a dancer. Soon enough, though, they realize that there’s more to the school than meets the eye. Imogen might be living in the fairy tale she’s dreamed about as a child, but it’s one that will pit her against Marin if she decides to escape her past to find her heart’s desire.

Love, love, love the sound of this and can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Love stories about sisters, thrown in a fairy tale slant too and I'm there!

Top Ten Tuesday #95 - Fairy Tales & Retellings I Have Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful gals cover at The Broke & The Bookish. This week's topic is -

Top Ten Twenty-ish Fairy Tales And Retellings

Once upon a time there was a book nerd called Fi who was slightly crazy obsessed with fairy tales. When the topic came up as a Top Ten Tuesday idea it was obvious to all in the kingdom that she would never be able to post a list of ten(!). And so the epic list of fairy tales was born with twenty-something titles, from Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Goose Girl, Bluebeard through to Hansel & Gretel, Tam Lin, The Brave Little Tailor and many more. After reading the list everyone lived happily ever after!

Daughter of the Forest | Heart's Blood | Wildwood Dancing

Poison | Beauty | Charm

A Curse Dark As Gold | Thorn | Uprooted

The Fairest of Them All | Ophelia & The Marvelous Boy | The Real Boy

Egg & Spoon | Jack of Kinrowan | Jasmyn

Bitter Greens | The Bloody Chamber | Enchanted

Fire & Hemlock | Sweetly | Valiant

Carabas | Deerskin | A Long Long Sleep

Challenge Update...April - July 2015

 Oh dear... As a result of not bothering to keep Goodreads updated regularly and forgetting to fill out my book journal I've no idea where I currently stand with any of my challenges! I have a sneaky suspicion I may have to throw in the towel with the Fairy Tale Challenge and as for my Goodreads challenge, the less said the better.

Goodreads Challenge

Goal -

Read at least 300 books

Total so far -

139

This puts me at 46% for the year so far and 36 books behind schedule. I will leave my target at 300 until September and then I may have to reduce it *sadface* As ever, to see the list of books go here!

Fairy Tale Challenge

Hosted by Mel at the Daily Prophecy

Goal - 

Wicked Fairy Godmother Level, 21 to 25 books

Books Read -

3

British Books Challenge

Hosted by Michelle at Fluttering Butterflies

Goal - 

Read at least 12 books by British authors

Books Read

17

 

Hurrah! I finished a challenge! I had an idea this might be the one I finished first, especially as I've read a lot of UKYA recently. I'll continue to keep track of any more books to see how I finish up at the end of the year.

 

 

2015 TBR Pile Challenge

Hosted by Evie at Bookish

Goal - 

Married With Children Level, 50+ books

Books Read

28

 

This hasn't gone up much as I've not been at home to read my own books...

 

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge

Hosted by Falling For YA

Goal - 

Gold Level, 50 books

Books Read

19

This should shoot up after the end of the month, thanks mainly to my participation in ARC August!

Book Haul #111, Or The One Where A Minor Miracle Happened...

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly event hosted on Tynga's Reviews where we can share what new books we've picked up this past week be they bought, borrowed or downloaded. There are also lots of other 'book haul' memes out there for you to choose from!

So... I haven't done a book haul post for nearly two months. It doesn't feel like it's been that long but blog posts don't lie! And, as the title suggests, I realized that in the last seven or so weeks I have only bought one book. That's it. It would appear that the way to stop me buying books is to be busy/tired/rundown/on holiday and not looking at the internet! But you know what this means? It's nearly ComicCon time so I can go mad without feeling guilty.

I may only have bought one book but I've received/downloaded some amazing review titles since the end of April. I'm not going to list them all (there's a lot!) but the books below are the ones I'm probably most looking forward to reading.

Bought

For Review

An Ember In The Ashes

Beneath London

Children of Time

House of Windows

If You Wrong Us

The Potion Diaries

Skin

Until We Meet Again

Updraft

After Alice

Catacomb

In Darkling Wood

Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls

Time Salvager

The Wolf Wilder

Challenge Update... March 2015

The end of another month so it must be time for the March challenge update! We are now one quarter of the way through the year rather scarily. Here's my reading progress and challenge updates up to and including the end of March. The challenge I'm struggling with most is the Fairy Tale Challenge, no idea why but I'm going to have to read a lot of fairy tales over the next nine months.

January Update
February Update

Goodreads Challenge

Goal -

Read at least 300 books

Total so far -

87

This puts me at 29% for the year so far and 13 books ahead of schedule.Considering we've just finished the first quarter of the year I'm really pleased that I've already met over a quarter of my final Goodreads total. I still have a bit of wiggle room if any reading slumps should hit. I also think the total for British Books Challenge is wrong but I can't figure out where... As ever, to see the list of books go here!

Fairy Tale Challenge

Hosted by Mel at the Daily Prophecy

Goal - 

Wicked Fairy Godmother Level, 21 to 25 books

Books Read -

1

British Books Challenge

Hosted by Michelle at Fluttering Butterflies

Goal - 

Read at least 12 books by British authors

Books Read

8

 2015 TBR Pile Challenge

Hosted by Evie at Bookish

Goal - 

Married With Children Level, 50+ books

Books Read

23

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge

Hosted by Falling For YA

Goal - 

Gold Level, 50 books

Books Read

10

Challenge Update... February 2015!

It's the beginning of March so time for the February challenge update! Here's my reading progress and challenge updates up to and including the end of February.

January Update

Goodreads Challenge

Goal -

Read at least 300 books

Total so far -

65

This puts me at 22% for the year so far and 15 books ahead of schedule. Not quite so much reading this month, thanks to traveling and not having Bout of Books to spur me on. Still incredibly happy with that total though!

Fairy Tale Challenge

Hosted by Mel at the Daily Prophecy

Goal - 

Wicked Fairy Godmother Level, 21 to 25 books

Books Read -

1

British Books Challenge

Hosted by Michelle at Fluttering Butterflies

Goal - 

Read at least 12 books by British authors

Books Read

4

 2015 TBR Pile Challenge

Hosted by Evie at Bookish

Goal - 

Married With Children Level, 50+ books

Books Read

20

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge

Hosted by Falling For YA

Goal - 

Gold Level, 50 books

Books Read

7