Introductions

[Stacy]

Hello, I am Stacy. I first fell in love with fairy tales reading "the Blue Fairy Book" ed Andrew Lang. I like the old versions, retellings, and twisted.

[Shereen]

Hi Ann and Stacy,

Welcome. I only read the Blue Fairy Book recently, Stacy, but loved it. :)

[Stacy]

I stole my brother copy as a kid. Later I found the Red Fairy book. As a graduation gift to myself I got all 11 of them. But blue and red are still my favs.

[Shereen]

Welcome, Deidre. I have a friend from England who says she'd seen fae as a child. Pretty cool, I thought. :)

Stacy, I envy you having read all 11. I think it's time I went looking for more than than blue the next time I'm at the library.

[Danielle]

Hello,

My name is Danielle Ackley-McPhail and love writing and reading myth and legend-based fiction.

I am best known as the senior editor of the Bad-Ass Faeries anthologies, but my upcoming book, Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn would be of the most interest to this group. There is GoodReads giveaway running right now.

[♥♡¢σσкιє♥♡ (Krystle)]

Hi! I'm cookie and I really love fairy tales. There is just something so beautiful about the way the main characters keep fighting until they get their happily ever after. My favorite fairy tale is without a doubt Beauty and the Beast, but I love them all really.

I was wondering if anyone could suggest some good retellings that were romantic, but not too sexual? I've been looking lately, and the retellings are either lacking in the romance area or a little too hot for me to handle. Lol

Also, feel free to friend me if you want, I need more friend who love fairy tales in my Goodreads life! Thanks! :)

[Shereen]

Hi Cookie and Danielle, welcome!

Don't forget to check out the bookshelves in this group.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

Cookie, not sure which of them are romantic but not too sexual (aside from mine, but you've already added mine). My best suggestion would be, if you see a book there that you like, ask someone who has posted a review on it on Goodreads that question).

GR people are generally very nice and friendly and love to talk about books they've read. :)

Danielle, if you haven't already, remember to add your book to the bookshelves and shelve it by type.

[Rebecca]

Hi everyone. I've been watching this group for a couple of weeks now. It's nice to know I'm not alone. Most of my friends seem to have left fairy tales behind, but not me.

I had walked away from the genre for some time, but a few years ago, I came back. I'm not a fan of the squishy, disney-fied versions. I like a bit of dark in my life. I always go back to Grimm (and Frank Baum). Okay Baum isn't so dark, but I remember being angry that the movie left out the "good parts". Some things just stick with you sort of like syrup on waffles. Yum.

Two years ago, I was looking for a new creative outlet so I started by volunteering to "photograph" a troll as it moved around my home town, that quickly led to a writing obsession, a fairy tale, of course. It's been fun reinventing the Norse traditions of dragons, trolls and fairies. But enough about that.

Anyway, I do a lot of research in regards to the ancient myths. There's so much out there, but I can already see some members are setting me on new paths of discovery. I'll try to catch up.

[Zippymae]

Hi I'm Chelsea or Zippy I have always loved fairytale retellings and just reading altogether

[Brittany]

Elley wrote: "Hi! I'm Elley, but I go by Grimalkin or Grim online most of the time... Sometimes I feel like I've read everything there is that I'd want to read, and then I stumble across another gem (or another ..."

I love that you have children's versions of fairy tales in your home! My husband and I are expecting our first baby, and I was thrilled while setting up the nursery to be able to place MY old fairy tale volumes up in her bookshelf. My husband also loves the fantasy genre, and I can't wait to see him reading the stories one day to our baby girl!

[Brittany]

Hi, I'm Brittany, and it's so good to find others who still find fairy tales magical! I'm not generally into modern fiction, but if a good fairy tale can be brought to life, I'm there. I think my greatest struggle with most of the fantasy genre is finding books with storylines for adults but without the sex scenes. When I do find books like this, however, I'll read them again and again.

@Cookie, I don't know if you've tried any of her stories yet, but I love Melanie Dickerson's books, "The Merchant's Daughter" and "The Captive Maiden." Given, their target audience is probably more the young adult/teen group, but I still enjoyed them immensely.

I've loved writing fantasy since I was little girl. I think a number of fantasy writers write simply because they run out of books to read and hunger for more. I'm currently working on a retelling of Beauty and the Best that started as a writing exercise and got completely out of hand. I'm hoping to have it out on Kindle and NOOK by March (It's amazing how much you can get done with the deadline of a baby's arrival begins to approach.) It's titled, "Before Beauty."

I'll definitely be checking out this group's shelf. Thanks again for starting it!

[Mila]

Hi, I am Mila and recently joined good reads. Still trying to figure things out, but this looks like a good place to start. I love reading, and have been an avid reader all my life, as well as an author.

[Shereen]

I've been distracted too long and missed the newcomers.

Welcome Rebecca, Zippy, Brittany, and Mila!

[Lisa]

I'm Lisa. I love fairy tales - always have. The Hans Christian Anderson tales and Grimms are my favorites. I love Disney, but they often whitewash a lot of the more layered aspects of fairy tales. I'm excited to find a group of people who read them still!

[Shomeret]

I love modern fairy tale re-tellings that take a fresh approach and fairy tale mash ups. Like many of you, I watch Once Upon A Time.

[Terra]

Hey ya'll my name is Terra and I have always been into fantasy, fairy tales, and retellings. Ever since I was little I have been accused of "being in a world of my own", and it's true. I prefer a more colorful, magical world to escape to and I read purely for the fun of it! I especially enjoy the dark and twisted retellings. I don't exclusively read fairy tales, but I do keep my bookshelf stocked with all forms of fantasy (except for the raunchier stuff). Many people don't get why I'm into everything to do with fantasy, and if you have to ask why then you will never truly know.
Some of my favorites include:
"The Woodcutter" and "Queen Mab" by Kate Danley, "The Unfortunate Fairy Tale" series by Chanda Hahn, "Cruel Beauty", and "Princess of the Midnight Ball".
Also, if anyone who owns a Kindle wants to read "Forever", the last book in the unfortunate fairy tale series, I can loan it to you if you email me at: bettyboop2max@hotmail.com.

[Candace]

Hello! I'm Candace and I'm a lover of all things fairy tale. My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast and I love reading this story from various perspectives. However, I read other retellings as well. Currently I would like to find retellings about fairy tales that is not as popular.

[Shereen]

Great to see so many new comers. Well all.

[Shereen]

Nice to meet you, Sandy. :)

[Marianna]

Hi, I'm Marianna. I'm a reader and writer of fantasy and fairy tales (YA mostly). I grew up on a diet of Disney and Studio Ghibli films - so much that I went and did an animation degree.
My favourite writers are Frances Hardinge, Angela Slatter, Neil Gaiman, Melina Marchetta... and so many others!
I'm looking forward to discussing all things fey and finding the next gem of a book (it's been so long since I've stayed up all night reading a book cos I just need to know what happens)

[Shereen]

Hi Marianna,

Cool about the animation degree. :)

Welcome.

[Susan]

Is this group still active? Just wondering. . . .

[Laura]

Hi! I'm Laura. I love reading retellings of fairy tales and the classics. I also love steampunk, historical fantasy, a good library/book themed fantasy, high fantasy, and, well, a lot of different sub-genres of scifi/fantasy so long as it is clean and not too dark. I prefer reading young adult and older middle grade fantasy over most adult fantasy because of all the language and sex most adult fantasy tends to have. I've also found I read a lot more indieauthors now than traditionally published ones.

I'm a jeweller, freelance artist, and indieauthor with a background in library, a degree in art, and almost have my gemology diplomas. For the last couple of years I've actually been working on my first fairy tale retelling and finally just released it! It's called 'From the Ashes' and is a high fantasy, Cinderella retelling. I'm so happy with how it's turned out and it's the largest thing I've written to-date.

I'm not sure if this group is still active, but I hope it is and look forward to digging around for some new reading suggestions.

[Count]

Hi. I love fairy tales. I think our fairy tales serve as cultural touch stones. These tales have passed down through dozens upon dozens of generations amongst the peoples of the earth, the mental equivalent of genetic transmission spreading far and wide, with influence over as many of us as coca-cola.

I don't see them as moral lessons in and of themselves, but moral putty which must be kneaded into the shape of the moment. The moment is the lens through which we view these tales and interpret their meaning. Within my life time, the fairy tales have been watered down to an oh so sweet moral purity. I wasn't happy with this situation. So I did something about it.

I like to think we want a world of free speech. That free speech is a value that we all care about. I know I'm wrong, that many people do not, in fact, want freedom of speech for all, but with limits according to their own tastes.

There are very few banners under which I am willing to march. But freedom of speech makes that list. To prevent the erosion of our freedoms, what very few we have left after a century of law makers vying with one another to pass yet another restriction on the people,.... sorry... to prevent the further erosion of our freedoms, we must exercise them. Exercise this one I will.

Freedom of speech means many things. Freedom of speech is not for the easily offended. Freedom of speech means you won't always like what you hear. Freedom of speech is binary, it exists in entirety or it doesn't exist at all. Freedom of speech means someone can give the wolf his due. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of action. Freedom of speech defends against tyranny.

I see the fairy tale as a cultural goblet to carry forward our moral opinions through the ages, and thus they should be marked, stamped with the seal of their epoch. The puritans have had their time with the tales, polishing the protagonists into the morally blameless victims of evil intent to which we have become accustomed. The time has come for a new paradigm.

Count Fathom