Heidi Anne Heiner's Blog, page 37

New Book: The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic Biography of the Maiden in the Tower by Kate Forsyth

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The Rebirth of Rapunzel: A Mythic Biography of the Maiden in the Tower by Kate Forsyth was released earlier this spring. I haven't had a chance to explore this yet but I do know it is Forsyth's thesis for her Doctorate of Creative arts on the fairy tale. She has focused much of her studies on the Rapunzel tale and also written a novel, Bitter Greens, inspired by the tale.

So if Rapunzel if your catnip, this is a must read book for you!

Book description:

Exploring the Rapunzel fairy tale throughout history. Includes research-based exegesis, original translations, poems and articles related to the work.

Bargain Ebook: Sunshine by Robin McKinley for $2.99 TODAY ONLY

Sunshine by Robin McKinley is on sale TODAY ONLY for $2.99 in ebook format. This is a Beauty and the Beast story, McKinley's own catnip.

Book description:

Winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature: In a world where darkness threatens, there is Sunshine . . .

Although it had been mostly deserted since the Voodoo Wars, there hadn’t been any trouble out at the lake for years. Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine, head baker at her family’s busy and popular café in downtown New Arcadia, needed a place to get away from all the noise and confusion—of the clientele and her family. Just for a few hours. Just to be able to hear herself think.

She knew about the Others, of course. Everyone did. And several of her family’s best regular customers were from SOF—Special Other Forces—which had been created to deal with the threat and the danger of the Others.

She drove out to her family’s old lakeside cabin and sat on the porch, swinging her feet and enjoying the silence and the silver moonlight on the water.

She never heard them coming. Of course, you don’t when they’re vampires.

New Book: Cook Me a Story: A treasury of stories and recipes inspired by classic fairy tales by Bryan Kozlowski

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Cook Me a Story: A treasury of stories and recipes inspired by classic fairy tales by Bryan Kozlowski is released this week. I searched for a table of contents and some interior book shots, but couldn't find any as of when I composed this post. This looks like fun and different fairy tale cookbook if you collect those rare things--I admit I do! Which probably surprises no one here.

Book description:

Combine the magic of storytelling with the fun of cooking for a truly unique mashup of cookbook and storybook.

Welcome to the enchanted world of Cook Me a Story, where the most beloved fairy tales are retold with deliciously clever recipes for families to create and enjoy together. From breakfast adventures to evening stories, anytime is a perfect time for fairy tales and food. Join the fun as children learn to cook with familiar kitchen-time tales such as Goldilocks and the Three Pears, Cinnarella, Plumbelina, and more. Cook Me a Story combines the magic of storytelling with the fun of cooking for a truly unique fairy-tale experience that begins "once upon a kitchen..."

The Author

A bachelor-degree student of The Culinary Institute of America (and an incurable bookworm), Bryan Kozlowski spends most of his free time in the library somewhere between the children's cookbooks and the folklore section. The thought of removing the long-held dichotomy between two great literary traditions led him from a traditional cooking career to one with the goal of uniting fantasy and foodmaking. Graduating valedictorian, he interned at Saveur food magazine, where he developed professional recipe writing and testing skills. After years of personal research and experimentation on the magical capabilities of the kitchen, the end result is the functional and enchanting Cook Me a Story. Bryan lives in South Florida and has written for Slate, Country Life, and other online magazines.

New Book: Giants and Ogres (Fairy Tale Villains Reimagined) edited by Madeline Smoot

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Giants and Ogres (Fairy Tale Villains Reimagined) edited by Madeline Smoot is officially released today.

Book description:

Clever and daring, the artful reimaginings in this delightful collection of ten new tales offer readers another look at the fairy tale villains they thought they knew. Whether they are helping instead of hurting or appearing in unexpected forms, you will never quite look at giants or ogres the same way again. Includes stories by Jessica Lee Anderson, Melanie Cole, K.L. Critchley, J.G. Formato, John Linwood Grant, Justine Cogan Gunn, Laura Keating, Laura Ring, Hope Erica Schultz, and Lisa Timpf.

Here is an image of the Table of Contents so you can see what is inside:

New Release: Roses and Rot by Kat Howard

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Roses and Rot by Kat Howard is a new May release. This isn't a fairy tale retelling, but a faerie book. I don't track all of those on the blog, but when one gains my interest and notice, I share it here. This one reminded me a bit of Tam Lin and has an interesting premise but I haven't read it myself yet. It is also getting some considerable hype.

Book description:

Publishers Weekly Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Novel of Summer 2016

“Captivating, fiercely smart (about sisters, artists), utterly transporting. I read it so consumingly, it was more akin to swallowing it whole. Not to be missed.” —Megan Abbott, Edgar-winning author of The Fever and You Will Know Me

“Kat Howard seems to possess a magic of her own, of making characters come alive and scenery so vivid, you forget it exists only on the page. Roses and Rot is both beautiful and dark, lovely, and haunting." —Anton Bogomazov, Politics and Prose Bookstore

“A contemporary dark fantasy full of dark magic, the hidden traps of fairy tales, and painful humanity. I loved every page.” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of Dead Ringers

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

What would you sacrifice for everything you ever dreamed of?

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.

What is Hidden by Lauren Skidmore, A Cinderella Retelling

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If you like masks or find them fascinating, this retelling of Cinderella--What is Hidden by Lauren Skidmore--may appeal to you. The concept is fascinating which is always refreshing with a Cinderella retelling. I just became aware of Skidmore this month when I learned of her third fairy tale inspired novel which I posted about last week, The Fairest Poison. This was her first published fairy tale novel and was published in 2014.

Book description:

In a land of masquerades and mystery, Evie is a mask maker in Venesia, where masks represent rank and identity. When a cryptic bandit strips away Evie's mask and destroys her home, she goes into hiding at the palace to find both a new identity and revenge. Fantasy lovers will be caught up by the mystique, romance, and magic of What Is Hidden.

Bargain Ebook: Wagon Train Cinderella by Shirley Kennedy

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Wagon Train Cinderella by Shirley Kennedy is on sale in ebook format for $2.99. Definitely a romance novel with an unusual setting and premise for incorporating a Cinderella plot.

Book description:

Love can lead you out of the wilderness…

1851, Overland Trail to California. As a baby, Callie was left on the doorstep of an isolated farmhouse in Tennessee. The Whitaker family took her in, but have always considered her more a servant than a daughter. Scorned by her two stepsisters, Callie is forced to work long hours and denied an education. But a new world opens to her when the Whitakers join a wagon train to California—guided by rugged Luke McGraw…

A loner, haunted by a painful past, Luke plans to return to the wilderness once his work is done. But he can’t help noticing how poorly Callie is treated—or how unaware she is of her beauty and intelligence. As the two become closer over the long trek west, Callie’s confidence grows. And when disaster strikes, Callie emerges as the strong one—and the woman Luke may find the courage to love at last…

Bargain Ebook: Beauty by Robin McKinley for $1.99

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley is on sale for only $1.99 in ebook format, down from its usual $5.99+ price.

This is one of the books that changed my life and one of the reasons SurLaLune even exists. So yes, I recommend it.

Book description:

Robin McKinley’s acclaimed first novel is a brilliant reimagining of the classic French fairy tale

I was the youngest of three daughters. Our literal-minded mother named us Grace, Hope, and Honour. . . . My father still likes to tell the story of how I acquired my odd nickname: I had come to him for further information when I first discovered that our names meant something besides you-come-here. He succeeded in explaining grace and hope, but he had some difficulty trying to make the concept of honour understandable to a five-year-old. . . . I said: ‘Huh! I’d rather be Beauty.’ . . .

By the time it was evident that I was going to let the family down by being plain, I’d been called Beauty for over six years. . . . I wasn’t really very fond of my given name, Honour, either . . . as if ‘honourable’ were the best that could be said of me.

The sisters’ wealthy father loses all his money when his merchant fleet is drowned in a storm, and the family moves to a village far away. Then the old merchant hears what proves to be a false report that one of his ships had made it safe to harbor at last, and on his sad, disappointed way home again he becomes lost deep in the forest and has a terrifying encounter with a fierce Beast, who walks like a man and lives in a castle. The merchant’s life is forfeit, says the Beast, for trespass and the theft of a rose—but he will spare the old man’s life if he sends one of his daughters: “Your daughter would take no harm from me, nor from anything that lives in my lands.” When Beauty hears this story—for her father had picked the rose to bring to her—her sense of honor demands that she take up the Beast’s offer, for “cannot a Beast be tamed?”

What Is Lost by Lauren Skidmore, A Little Red Riding Hood Inspired Novel

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What Is Lost  by Lauren Skidmore is a rare novel length retelling of Little Red Riding Hood that was published in 2015. The red hood is an assassin's cloak in this one which I imagine is a form of catnip for some of the readers here!

Book description:

Angry at his failure to exact vengeance on the prince, mask maker Joch flees Venesia to find his lost love. When a red-cloaked assassin promises answers, he has little choice but to trust her though he maybe walking into a trap. Unravel the deception in this dazzling story of second chances that will keep you guessing to the last page.

"The plot's twists, turns, and lurking dangers will keep Skidmore's fans engaged all the way to an ending that will take even the most astute reader by surprise." --Booklist

New Book: Artifacts by Pete Catalano

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Artifacts by Pete Catalano is a new release this month and Catalano's debut novel. This is being marketed as a cross between Goonies, Peter Pan's Lost Boys and fairy tales for middle readers. I'd add it has a touch of The Librarians and Warehouse 13 for inspiration, too. The reader reviews are praising it for its fun for adult readers as well as middle reader boys who don't have as many fairy tale themed books marketed at them. I am considering it for a read together book with my nephew this summer.

Book description:

It's funny how one little letter can change a person's life. Jax and his friends have been planning the summer of a lifetime at Camp Runamuck. However, when one of them is facing summer at a school desk for failing English, they watch those plans crash and burn!

At the last moment they're given a way out.

An extra credit assignment to find several fake artifacts for a fairy tale display their teacher is presenting at the local library.

Thinking they've hit the easiest-extra-credit-ever jackpot, they begin rummaging through any piles of junk they can find. As they start putting the clues together, they realize that what they're really searching for is one authentic artifact that can rewrite fairy tales!

Enlisting the aid of the Lost Boys, Jax and his friends battle fairy tale villains to see who can get their hand, or their hook, on it first.