Challenge 1 of 2018 - Everything Old is New Again

[Casey]

So I think, just for myself and for fun, I'm going to try to have all my retellings have a strong LGBT plot line. We'll see how I do!

[Barb]

Finally finished my first one! I had trouble reading it, but the audio book was pretty good. (Amazing what a good narrator can do!) It's a Snow White retelling. It does have a very Once Upon a Time vibe, but I enjoyed listening to it!

[Ashley]

Finished number 3! and updated post 13.

[Kelly]

Finished 1 and 2, and . I totally forgot that I had these books until I started looking through my shelves for this challenge. They were both firmly in the "kinda okay" category for me. Updated post #40.

[Diane]

Casey wrote: "So I think, just for myself and for fun, I'm going to try to have all my retellings have a strong LGBT plot line. We'll see how I do!"

That sounds like a great additional challenge!

[Candice]

Finished #5,
updated original post
I'd give it 3.5 stars. I need to think about this story more. It was very clever and interesting from one point of view, but was kind of boring from the other, it's almost like trying to judge two separate books. I would recommend it though, if only so someone else will read it and can tell me what I'm feeling.

[Sara]

I have finished #1

And #2 -

Finished #3 - a retelling of norse mythology

Finished #4 - - didn't really like it.

Finished #5 - - LOVING THIS SERIES

Finished #6 - - I liked this one enough. I struggled to find a Rapunzel one to read.

I promise I finished all of mine before the March 30th cutoff I just haven't had access to a computer to update.

[Kdbrand]

Finished #3 -a retelling of Frankenstein


Updated post 7

[Casey]

Candice wrote: "Finished #5,
updated original post
I'd give it 3.5 stars. I need to think about this story more. It was very clever and interesting from one point of view, but was ki..."

I read that and agreed with you. At some points I was like, this is a solid 5...others, I was like, this is a 2.5.

[Casey]

Finished my first:

A modern Midsummer Nights Dream.
I loved it.

[Diane]

Sara wrote: "I have finished #1

And #2

Question - I'm reading [bookcover:The Lost Gate|92658..."

Not sure if it would work or not - Is it a retelling? if so yes it works.

[Kdbrand]

Sorry if this is the wrong place for this post., but I found this to be interesting. Audible has on sale for $2.95 today. It's a dark retelling of Peter Pan, with Captain Hook in a favorable light. Great reviews, too!

[Candice]

Finished #6
Another maybe 3.5/5. A little slow initially before anything really interesting happens, then gets a little drawn out, but overall a pretty good read. I didn't read the original, which maybe would have made me appreciate it more.
updated #8

[Diane]

Great job finishing earlyCandice! Now maybe read the originals?

[Candice]

I'm debating between that and trying more retellings. I'm surprised I didn't find one that I LOVED, everything was just so-so. Retellings are usually my favorite too. Had I not read a court of thorns and roses for the last challenge, it would have been my "wow" book for this quarter for sure.

[Melanie, looking for a partner in crime]

Candice- I will suggest Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardo for a wow book. I’m not finished with it, but I am absolutely loving it!

[Diane]

Candice wrote: "I'm debating between that and trying more retellings. I'm surprised I didn't find one that I LOVED, everything was just so-so. Retellings are usually my favorite too. Had I not read a court of thor..."

Also The Court of Mist and Fury is a retelling of Hades and Persephone so if you loved the first go for the next. I hear it is even better than the first and I am going to read it soon. I have been an a slump with life so I am hoping it will jump start me back into reading.

[Candice]

Diane wrote: "Candice wrote: "I'm debating between that and trying more retellings. I'm surprised I didn't find one that I LOVED, everything was just so-so. Retellings are usually my favorite too. Had I not read..."

I'm so glad that Mist and Fury is a retelling and you can use it! I did finish the three books (I would say trilogy, but apparently there are supposed to be more?) but Mist and Fury was still my favorite.

[Diane]

Great - I have started it but life has been taking so much time this year everything else is going at snails pace.

[Ashley]

Finished #4

[R.A.]

Finished number 1 and 2:



Forgot to update when I read Cruel Beauty.

[Casey]

Finished my 2nd
and liked it more than I expected.
The 3rd I was reading turned out to be not long enough. So, I'll have to find a different one.

[Jennifer]

I finished #2-4 - that is as long as I can count the whole trilogy. If not, then that's okay too.

These are a retelling/modern-take on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Deam
I enjoyed them very much, but then again I have enjoyed everything I have read by Kelly thus far. :)

Also, I've updated post #6

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

I am totally NOT crushing this :(

1/6 completed:

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

Do graphic novels/manga count?

Because there is an excellent manga classics series that retells classic English literature in graphic novel/manga format. They are also rather long (over 250-300 pages).

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

Finished book 2.

It's so cute!

[Diane]

laurel [suspected bibliophile] wrote: "Do graphic novels/manga count?

Because there is an excellent manga classics series that retells classic English literature in graphic novel/manga format. They are also rather long (over 250-300 pa..."

Sure that sounds like it would work

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

Diane wrote: "laurel [suspected bibliophile] wrote: "Do graphic novels/manga count?

Because there is an excellent manga classics series that retells classic English literature in graphic novel/manga format. The..."

Woohoo! Then I have book 3!


I might have a chance to finish this challenge after all.

[Kdbrand]

Finished #4 --the story of the Queen of Hearts

Updated post #7

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

Finished book 4, a Little Mermaid twisted fairy tale.

[Kelly]

Finished 3 and 4.
- Les Miserables, from Eponine's POV
- Lysistrata
Updated post #40.

[Melanie, looking for a partner in crime]

finish 2 + 3
(reread with my niece)
(a satirical conglomerate of Shakespeare plays)

[Casey]

We have til end of March right?

[Diane]

Yes and then the new challenge will be up starting April 1.

[Melanie, looking for a partner in crime]

#4


*This book was absolutely amazing! I highly recommend it to everyone.

[mich]

omg I forgot about this. (I totally suck at challenges!!)

[mich]

laurel [suspected bibliophile] wrote: "Finished book 4, a Little Mermaid twisted fairy tale.

"

wow that sounds cool! did you like it?

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

mich wrote: "laurel [suspected bibliophile] wrote: "Finished book 4, a Little Mermaid twisted fairy tale.

"

wow that sounds cool! did you like it?"

I really, really disliked it, but I'm in the minority (my review, in case you want to read it). I was super disappointed, because it was one of my most anticipated reads for 2018.

It has a 4.22 rating on Goodreads.

[mich]

aw, too bad :P

[Jennifer]

Laurel,
I love your review!
I'm probably still going to read it, but I'll make sure I get it from the library and not spend my hard earned cash on it just in case...

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

Jennifer wrote: "Laurel,
I love your review!
I'm probably still going to read it, but I'll make sure I get it from the library and not spend my hard earned cash on it just in case..."

hahahaha I'm glad you enjoyed it :)

And no judgement from me if anyone reads it. I know lots of other people will (and already have) loved the book. It just REALLY wasn't for me.

[Sara]

Finished 3 monstrous beauty. It was terrible. Almost DNF. Sigh.

[Diane]

Diane wrote: "Participants

Anna
Ashley 4/6
Ashley Hufflepuff
Barb 1/6
Candice 6/6 ****** FINISHED!
Casey 2/6
Diane 1/6
Jennifer 4/6
KD 4/6
Kelly 4/6
Laurel 4/6
Melanie 4/6
Mich 3/6
RA 2/6
Sara 3/6"

[R.A.]

Finished two more! Updated post #10.

(NA Title)

Two more to go! I already have one from the library on loan, but hoping to finish the challenge in time!

[Diane]

We have just shy of 2 weeks left for this challenge and I see many of you are close to finishing. Good Luck. My life has been too crazy to read much at all so I am going to call it a semi success if I finish 3 for the challenge. I will have the new challenge up by April 1 though I wont personally participate because we will be moving across country in June and I know reading will be the last thing on my list to do. Good Luck finishing this one out and hope to see you for the next challenge.

[Jennifer]

R. A. wrote: "Finished two more! Updated post #10.

(NA Title)

Two more to go! I already have one from the library on loan, but hoping t..."

How was ? I usually really like books by Armentrout, so I'm just curious as I haven't seen that one yet :)

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile]]

Finished book #5

[Melanie, looking for a partner in crime]

#5

*The whole series is a re-imagining of Sherlock Holmes. All 3 books in the series were quite good.

I might actually finish this challenge!

[R.A.]

@Jennifer -- was okay. I did myself a disservice by reading this before I read the Apollyon series, since this is a semi-sequel to that? So there was a lot of lore and back story that I wasn't familiar with (though it was written well enough that I could figure it out). It was good, as most of Armentrout's is? But I preferred the Lux series / Obsession way more. I'd say more like 3 stars. Liked it, but didn't love it.

[Diane]

Yay Melanie! You are close!