Introductions

[Jennifer]

Kristina wrote: "Congratulations Jennifer! Where can we find your story? I am a hopeful writer myself, so I can imagine how excited you must be! I would love to read it!"

And here, too, apparently. I just found this...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0062A3LL2/?...

[Ela]

To Jennifer: Wow, you wrote a retelling of a White Cat by Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy?! Thats quite amazing, not many retellings writers use her fairytales - which is a shame, really. I've always loved the original tale - especially the dark past of the princess, and I am looking forward to reading your book!

[[deleted user]]

Ela wrote: "I guess I should introduce myself too :).
My real name is Helena, but I go by nickname Ela on the internet, so call me that, please. I'm from Czech Republic (central Europe if you're wondering...),..."

I agree, Robin McKinley and Shannon Hale rock! I just read Dianna Wynne Jones for the first time, and I was surprised and delighted. :)

[Angela]

Hey I'm a new member, my name is Angela and I'm a fan of fairy tale stories esp hearing others own take of a beloved story.

[Glinda the Gallifreyan]

Hello, Angela!

Ooh, new thought-- on the topic of hearing someone else's take of a beloved story, have you seen Wicked?

[Angela]

Not the play but I've read the book...its really good! I've also got some of the other books by the same author that I have been meaning to read.


Glindafied of the West wrote: "Hello, Angela!

Ooh, new thought-- on the topic of hearing someone else's take of a beloved story, have you seen Wicked?"

[Christine]

I just want to say welcome to the huge amount of new people. Thank you for the joining the group.

[Glinda the Gallifreyan]

I've read the book, too. =] If you like the book, you'll like the play even more. At least, that's what happened to me, and now look at me-- my profile pic, name... I'm Wicked obsessed!

[Kandice]

Hi everyone!

I'm happy to find this group. I've loved myth, fairy tales, and fantasy my entire life. I'm always happy to escape into another world for awhile!

[Clinton]

ancientcanada.comAncient Canada

Hello, my name is Clinton Festa and I am working to promote my first novel, Ancient Canada, published by SynergEbooks.

If anybody would like to give themselves a holiday gift, just email askmarigold@ancientcanada.com and ask for a free e-book (until the end of December). In return, I'd ask for a Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Barnes and Noble review.

Ancient Canada is a mythological world for an alternate Canada. Within this Canada, the book is their national epic. Each chapter is written by a different narrator, and together those narrators link to form the epic of two sisters exiled from Canada.

More is available at ancientcanada.com, as well as free fables posted regularly. What good ancient culture doesn't have its fables?

Peace and all good,
Clinton Festa

ancientcanada.comAncient Canada

[Karen]

Hi All! I'm Karen, from Missouri, USA. I enjoy Historical Fiction, Mysteries, and of course, Fairy Tales and Myths. I particularly enjoy modern retellings and "original", undiluted tales. I don't necessarily enjoy fantasy just for the "other-world" or weirdness factor, but rather for the connections that an author can make between reality and an alternate world. I like the way fairy tales tell us so much about ourselves that can't be said in quite the same, eloquent way.
Tolkien, Rowling, Gaiman, and McKinley are faves, all based on a healthy upbringing with Grimm, Perault, Andrew Lang, and William Sleator.

[Karen]

Hi everyone, My name's Karen & I love fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk in fact anything that has print on it! I must say I'm really sorry to hear of the death of Anne McCaffery, her Dragonriders of Pern books are responsible for my love of fantasy, I read them back in the '70's (showing my age now!!!) and loved them dearly.
I love all sorts of stories that feature faeries - from traditional fairy tales to modern urban fantasies (I'm talking about you Jenks - thanks to Kim Harrison's Hollows series) I also love fairy tale retelling - loved I look forward to any recommendations

[Cheryl]

Hi! I'm a member of the Children's Books group and we discuss fairy and folk tales often enough that I've plenty on my to-read lists - but when I saw this group I had to join anyway. I've been exploring here for a few days and have seen lots of interesting stuff already.

I'm also owner of two groups here, one about cartography and maps, and one about writing reviews. And I'm a member of bookcrossing.com, and always willing to ship books to other (US only, sorry) members.

See you in the topic threads!

[Ela]

Hello!
I know I am leaving message in wrong category but I didn't know where else to place it.
So, I am looking for this book: Silver Woven in My Hair by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. Though it's a short read, I've heard it's one of the greatest retellings of Cinderella, but it's currently out of print and e-book is not available either. Is there anyone who owns the book and would be willing to transfer it to electronic form for me? Just asking :).

[Cheryl]

I've just ordered it from my library system, Ela. PM me in about a week and we'll see if it came in and see what we can do about giving you a chance to read it.

[Ela]

Thank you, Cheryl! How lucky to have such a books in libraries :D.

[Kristina]

Starfish13 wrote: "Hello, when this group crept up onto the featured groups list I was so intrigued that I had to join. My name is Vicky, and I'm originally from the north of Scotland but currently living near Oxfor..."

Hi Vicky, how interesting! What is North Scotland like? Did you grow up hearing any fairy tales (or reading any) that are specific to that area, or to Scotland in general?

[Danny]

Hello, I am brand new also to goodreads and to this group. I am also an author of a fantasy novel - the tree singer and have been reading myths since I was about 9 - started with Australian Indigenous Dreamtime myths and then worked my way through just about everything else.

[Cat]

Dodger here. Just joined this group - it was in my featured groups list and as soon as I saw "mythology" and "folklore," I knew I was in the right place. Hoping to finally find a book group with similar interests and reading/analysis tactics.

Mythology and folklore is, to put it bluntly, my passion/life/focus of study/whatever else you want to call it. It's been that way since I can remember. Myths and folklore just seem to take up residence in my head and I just say "Hello" and add them to the collection. Half the time, I don't even know where the knowledge comes from, but you can sure bet that if someone has a question about mythology, I've got an idea of how to answer it.

My primary focus is European mythos. Like many, Greco-Roman myth is something I'm heavily familiar with. British (that is, English, Scottish, Welsh, and/or Irish) mythology is also a focus, though I'm bridging out into Slavic recently and am hoping to get into Indo-Asian soon as well. Egyptian mythology is something I'm familiar with, but anything below it has little residence up in the old brainpan. There's also some Native American folklore wandering about in my head.

Quick stats: I'm twenty-two, lived in Illinois for most of my life by now, though I spent a significant amount of time in the St. Louis suburbs, and a very little bit of time in Connecticut. I've studied at Oxford, about to graduate in May with four degrees/slips of paper (Bachelor's of Arts in English, minors in Classical Studies and History, a Concentration in Medieval Studies, which I'm still shocked my school offers), and plan on taking a year off post-graduation to figure out what I want to do (likely graduate school in literature and/or folklore/mythology/legends/etc.) and be lazy. Why lazy? I've been going full throttle for twenty-two years, soon to be twenty-three. I took extra classes in high school, maxed my schedule for college semesters on most occasions, and have run at least one student group since I started my freshman year (I currently run four and co-run a fifth). So...yes, Imma be lazy for a year. Looking forward to it.

Now that y'all have WAY too much information about me...hello.

[Danny]

welcome aboard oh lazy one.

[Michele]

Ela wrote: "Hello!
I know I am leaving message in wrong category but I didn't know where else to place it.
So, I am looking for this book: Silver Woven in My Hair by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. Th..."

You can buy it through AbeBooks here.

[Glinda the Gallifreyan]

Hello, all you peoples! Dodger-- do you happen to know any particularly good Irish myths? I've been thinking recently about looking into those. =]

[Cat]

Glindafied of the West wrote: "Hello, all you peoples! Dodger-- do you happen to know any particularly good Irish myths? I've been thinking recently about looking into those. =]"

Your best bet is to get a copy of The Mabinogion. I'd recommend the Oxford University Press edition as that's the one I have. The main issue with it, though, is that it's Celtic, not Irish. If you want specifically Irish, then I'd recommend Carl McColman and Kathryn Hinds's Magic Of The Celtic Gods And Goddesses: A Guide To Their Spiritual Power, Healing Energies, And Mystical Joy for a beginning research; however, it is a Pagan book, so if you are uncomfortable with that, then I would stick to the Mabinogion. If not, feel free to peruse it. Hinds's website is located at kathrynhinds.com and you can purchase the book via Amazon.

You can also check out more on the mythos of Ireland here: http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/...

[Marsha]

I'm glad to find this group because I've always enjoyed fairy tales and myths. I'll keep an eye on the group reads, hoping one works for me. It's fun to discuss with a selection with others.

Marsha
http://MarshaAMoore.com
Marsha A. Moore

[Ela]

To Michele: I checked the Abe Books but they seem to have only used copies, so I never know what is the real state of the book. And when I consider that I'd pay for it around $20-$30 (with expensive shipping), it's not a good option for me. But thanks for a tip anyway!

[Michael]

Hello, everyone. My name is Michael. I live all the way out here in Lagos, Nigeria. I am a freelance website developer, aspiring writer, movie buff, avid gamer, and above all a bibliophile. And oh, yeah, Harry Potter rules.

[Karen]

Dodger wrote: "Glindafied of the West wrote: "Hello, all you peoples! Dodger-- do you happen to know any particularly good Irish myths? I've been thinking recently about looking into those. =]"

Your best bet is ..."

A good little book of Irish legends is I enjoyed it immensely and I think it's pretty easy to get hold of

[Glinda the Gallifreyan]

Thank you!

[Krista]

Hello, all! This whimsical group popped up in the Goodreads "featured groups," so I thought I'd drop by and say a little hello.

I'm a lover of magical realms, fairytale creatures, kingdoms filled with characters, and generally anything in the fantasy realm.

I look forward to interacting with others through this group and exploring new fairytales and retellings.

[Krystine]

Hi, my name is Krystine Kercher, and I've only recently joined Goodreads. I'm thrilled to find a discussion here of fairytales, as I've always enjoyed reading them to my kids, and I hope to try my hand at rewriting a few someday.

[Jojobean]

Hi im Joanne. I live in Queens, New York and am 25 yrs old (turning 26 Jan 12!!) I absolutely love love love to read. My favorite types of books are vampire books. I also love paranormal and fairy tales whether its the original or a retelling.

[Anna Marie]

Hello all. I'm Anna from Pennsylvania. I am rediscovering my love of reading, particularly books of fantasy and character-driven science fiction. I also am in love with the tv show Once Upon A Time and fear that it will be cut before the storyline completes itself.

Question - I'm on a quest to read books with mermaids in them. I have a semi-written but mostly knocking around in my head bookidea about a mermaid world, and so I want to see how other's portray them. Does anyone have some recommendations for books like that? The mer does not have to be the main character.

[Aimee]

Hi! I'm Aimee and I have a fascination with Greek mythology. That sounds like the opening to an AA group, but hey ... it is what it is. :)

I think the idea of mythology is tantalizing because unlike fantasy which can be so 'out there' it never feels real, Greek myths have this long-term 'reality' of sorts (whether you believe them or not). There is so much conflict, love, strife, everything. :) Makes for great ready-made plots in fact! (Hide & Seek)

My goal is to read more Greek-myth-based novels, so any recommendations are greatly appreciated. I read Middle grades (with my kids), YA (with one of my kids) and adult. I love it when stories are based on a myth but don't necessarily involve the Greek gods themselves. But when you can really feel the tug of those myths through the stories. Anything like that would be awesome to read. :)

I look forward to getting to know you all more! :)
Aimee

[[deleted user]]

Hello, I'm Melissa. I joined this group a couple days ago. I love fantasy but particularly adore anything having to do with folklore and fairy tales. I'm not picky about origin (anything European, African, Greek etc. keeps me happy) so long as the story is either funny or dark. I don't really like that vague middle ground of perky, happy tales.

[Alicia]

Hello. I'm Alicia and I joined recently. This is not what I normally read, but it sounded like I'd probably like it, so I'm exploring here really. I hope to discover something new and fascinating, or perhaps look at something I've actually heard of with a new light, we'll see.

[Elaine]

hello to all new people . I'm quite new too. Wow this group is growing fast!

[Bee]

Hello I am Bee and I love to read fairy tales. It is probably my Grannys fault who read fairy tales (mostly the Grimm's ones as I am from Germany) to me when I was young. Later on I got introduced to psychological interpretations of fairy tales as well as feminist interpretations which is really intersting. And one of my on and of reading books is "women who run with wolves" which works a lot with fairy tales and myths. Just can't escape it so I had to join this group!

[Clinton]

Clinton Festa here. Just wrote a story of mythology for an alternate Canada, and just got a very very positive review!

http://www.zimbio.com/Books/articles/...

Ancient Canada

[Candace]

Ela wrote: "I guess I should introduce myself too :).
My real name is Helena, but I go by nickname Ela on the internet, so call me that, please. I'm from Czech Republic (central Europe if you're wondering...),..."


Your picture is Belle, you love Robin McKinley and one of my absolute favorites, Shannon Hale. I think we are going to get along just fine, Ela :D

[Glinda the Gallifreyan]

Hello, everyone who has joined since I looked on here. =] I wonder if I'm still basically the group's youngest member.

Ooh, that was off topic and outta nowhere.

[Krista]

Welcome, everyone!

[K.D.]

Hi I'm new. Looking for suggestions and ideas for new books to read! ;)

[Phair]

Hello all! I'm Sandy but go by "Phair" on Goodreads. Fairy tale retellings are among my favorite types of read. I also collect versions of the Beauty and the Beast story and have at least 50 picture books and a good number of adult/YA novels plus a few studies such as Beauty and the Beast: Visions and Revisions of an Old Tale.

I'm a library director- in the same position for the past 41 years. My earliest reading recollections are devouring the Andrew Lang books, another book called Wonder Tales of Horses and Heroes and a book called Wee Men of Ballywooden by Arthur Morton. This was probably back in the late 50s. I finally tracked down a copy of Wee Men in recent years and can't say it came up to my rosy memories apart from the lovely pen & ink illus by Robert Lawson

Love the new TV show, Grimm (Once Upon a Time- not so much but still OK). The TV series of Beauty and the Beast (yay, Vincent!) and the 10th Kingdom mini-series remain all-time favorites. Next up on my to-read list is Mercedes Lackey's new Beauty and the Werewolf

[Maria]

Hello my name is Maria and i am new to this group and I love reading books about vampires and werewolves and other creatures that only exists in myths or legends...

[Maria]

Robyn wrote: "Hi. I am brand new to goodreads and to this group. I love to read fantasy novels in addition to other types. Any book suggestions would be greatly appreciated!"

have you read Cheryl Brooks' Cat Star Chronicles or Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter Series? let me know what have you read and i will suggest more books that you might or might not like...

[Krista]

Welcome, Phair. It was a B&B kind of Christmas for me. I received both Beastly and Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. Looking forward to reading both and getting to know you.

Welcome, Maria. Who doesn't love vamps and weres! Looking forward to chatting with you on the discussion boards.

[Edafe]

Hello

I'm Edafe and I've loved reading, especially fairy tales for as long as I can remember. Love Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, Seanan McGuire's October Day and Justina Robson's Quantum Gravity.

I tend to get absorbed in my books, does anyone else?

[Clare K. R.]

Hello, I'm Clare. I love fairy tales and retellings, so I had to join this group!

[Glinda the Gallifreyan]

I absolutely get absorbed in my books, Edafe. :) It just depends on the book. For example, all three of the novels I'm reading right now have gotten me completely absorbed.

[Edafe]

I love that feeling Glinda! I'm off to nosy your reading list now :)