Spring has sprung, which suggests it’s time for our annual dalliance with all things magical.
Carl has announced the Once Upon a Time VI reading challenge is beginning today, and I’m in it for the Quest the Third. I shall endeavor, before the next solstice, to read one book that fits into each of these four categories:
- Fantasy
- Folklore
- Fairy tale
- Mythology
And then I’ll follow it up with a June viewing of William Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If someone has a favorite video interpretation (in case I can’t track down a live performance), please let me know in the comments.
As for specific choices, the mythology category is easy. The Enchantress, the final book in Michael Scott’s Immortal Secrets of Nicholas Flamel series, is due out in May, and it’s one of those series I have pursued eagerly and unabashedly since the first one hit the shelves. A rare hardcover series for me.
I think for fairy tale I’ll go with Robin McKinley’s retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Spindle’s End. I loved McKinley’s Blue Sword series, and my friend Amani adores this book, too.
I really liked Savvy when I read it a few years back, and I’ve been eyeing the sequel, Scumble, since it came out. I felt like Savvy had a folk-tale quality to it, so I may slot Ingrid Law’s follow-up into the folklore category.
Fantasy is a pretty open category, and the one I’m most likely to be able to fill without even trying. Lev Grossman’s The Magicians has been on my To Be Read list for years now, and Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone is high among my recent additions.
If you have suggestions for great books that fit into any of the categories (or know of a retelling/reinterpretation of Paul Bunyon), please feel free to share them in the comments.
great list… I will be getting Michael Scotts lates book also…it’s been a really good series!
good reading!
Comment by deslily 03.21.12 @ 4:38 amOh! It’s that time already?! I’d better sign up and start looking for books!
Comment by jenn 03.21.12 @ 6:23 amI’m looking to finish Sarah Addison Allen’s novels. You were quick getting this up!
Comment by raidergirl3 03.21.12 @ 7:16 amI don’t get over here much and that is a shame, because your header image makes me smile every time I see it. Love it!
Thanks for joining up again. I love “dalliance with all things magical”. I can’t wait.
I am going to try to work in a viewing of the older 60’s Royal Shakespeare Co version of Midsummer Night’s Dream. It has a lot of famous people in it and is somewhat bizarre, but I like it. I highly recommend the more recent Royal Shakespeare Co. DVD. I saw that performance live on Broadway and it translates really well onto the small screen.
Comment by Carl V. 03.21.12 @ 9:45 amI really liked Spindle’s End. I hope if you read it you enjoy it, too!
Comment by Kailana 03.21.12 @ 12:40 pmI was thinking about reading a Robin McKinley book for the challenge as well, I have not read any books by her yet so now would be a perfect time to pick one up!
Comment by Anne 03.22.12 @ 8:09 amThanks for linking this- I can’t believe it’s that time again! I’m in (again) for the slightly lazier version of just reading five books from the categories. I have SO much fantasy in my queue right now…
Comment by Mikaiya 03.22.12 @ 3:31 pm@deslily: Thanks! I’ve really enjoyed the series, and Michael Scott seemed like a really nice guy to boot when I saw him at his last book signing in D.C.
@jenn: Hurry! You must read all the books!
@raidergirl3: I think I have a few of hers queued up on Goodreads. I should probably see what the library has to offer. (And the speed had more to do with being in need of a topic when Carl’s post came through my feed reader.)
Comment by soe 03.22.12 @ 3:57 pm@Carl V.: Thanks! And thank you for hosting yet again. This is the only challenge I make sure not to miss. I saw the older version of Midsummer Night’s Dream on IMDB. I’ll see if I can track down either version. Thanks for the recommendations!
Comment by soe 03.22.12 @ 3:59 pm@Kailana: Thanks!
@randomranter: Is the author local? I feel like I’ve heard a lot of buzz about her around D.C.
@Anne: If you want to fill up the straight fantasy category, either The Blue Sword or The Hero and the Crown would be great choices. My college roommate gave me The Blue Sword for our first Christmas because she said that it featured a red-haired heroine and that it was after seeing me pull out my copy of Anne of Green Gables on our first night in the dorm that she knew we’d be friends.
@Mikaiya: My pleasure. I alternate from year to year with which journey I choose, but this year I was feeling categorical.
Comment by soe 03.22.12 @ 4:03 pmSpindle’s End is wonderful, possibly my second favorite McKinley book (after Beauty). I just reread Rose Daughter as my first book for this challenge, and found that I loved it more than ever before, making it harder to choose a second favorite! Anyway, it’s a lovely book, I’m sure you’ll enjoy!
Comment by Cheryl @ Tales of the Marvelous 03.25.12 @ 6:20 pm@Cheryl: Thanks! I’m headed to the library tonight. Here’s hoping they have a copy!
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