HELLO WORLD, I’ve missed you! It’s been a little quiet around here, hasn’t it? Behind the dusty face of this blog, I’ve been hard at work on final edits to my manuscript. In between editing sessions, I’ve made the acquaintance of some truly wonderful books (most of the fairytale retelling variety!), which I would LOVE to introduce to you in a moment.
Oh, but first, come inside! All swords in the umbrella stand at the door, please, and hang your cloaks on the wall pegs. The brownies are fresh out of the oven, and I just put on a fresh pot of coffee.
There, settled? Ready to swap stories? Here’s what I’ve been immersed in during the past three months…
Screen Subplots
Cinderella (2015)
For being one of my favorite movies of all time, I can’t believe I’ve only seen this rendition of Cinderella once… until this February, that is, when I finally watched it a second time. Something about it makes it my happy place! I love Ella’s steadfast kindness, Kit’s personality, the incredible visuals, the soundtrack… It’s all so beautiful!
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
My Hero Academia is one of my favorite anime, sooo it’s no surprise that I loved this feature-length movie! It was a perfect spin-off storyline and it gave me more time with some of the show’s best characters. The whole summertime vibe with Deku and his classmates going to an island convention reminded me in some ways of Spider-Man: Far From Home. (Maybe that’s just me, though, haha.)
The Mask of Zorro
Allen Arnold referenced this movie at a virtual writing retreat that Realm Makers put on, so I wanted to watch it for context’s sake. But with my schedule that weekend, I could only fit in bits and pieces of the movie at late hours of the day, so I didn’t quite finish it. The lighthearted, at times comedic, action scenes reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean or Indiana Jones.
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation
Another rewatch—and such a fun one at that. Both times I saw this movie, I remembered, “Oh that’s right, I LOVE secret agents and heists and car chases! I need to watch more of these!” True facts.
Soul
The preview for this one never really caught my interest, but a couple of friends convinced me to give it a try. On one hand, it turned out to be a lot better than I expected! On the other, the metaphysical aspect was similar to Inside Out—and I simply liked Inside Out more. I would watch Soul again, though, especially for one absolutely beautiful scene near the end. And also the cat. The cat was hilarious.
TV Shows
To the Beautiful You // My sisters and I recently finished the second half of this k-drama and it was SO cute! Cheesy, yes. Stretching the limits of believability, yes. (I mean, a girl disguising herself as a boy at an all-male boarding school for months will never be 100% convincing.) But the storyline was way too fun, and the love triangle was actually super feelsy instead of annoying. *clutches heart*
My Hero Academia (finished Season 2) // AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Can I fangirl for a second? Because THIS SHOW. And particularly THIS SEASON. I never expected a school sports competition (of all things) to create so much character development, or for the plot to thicken the way it did. And Stain was such an epic villain—with chillingly understandable motives. Can’t wait for Season 3!
Bungo Stray Dogs (Seasons 1 and 2) // A detective agency formed of people with supernatural powers is pitted against an equally supernatural mafia—that’s the basic premise of this anime. I binged it with my brother over the course of a few evenings, and while the more episodic Season 1 was kind of a mixed bag, Season 2 hooked me in a lot more! My favorite characters are definitely Dazai, a trench-coat-wearing, carefree-yet-brilliant detective; and Oda, a mafia member with a soft heart who just wants to retire. Oh, and also Ranpo, the ditzy guy with genius deduction “abilities.”
Tower of God (Season 1) // I was really looking forward to this new anime, especially since I enjoyed the first season of the Webtoon it’s based on… and my favorite K-pop group, Stray Kids, performed the intro and outro songs. But sadly, most of the anime was a bit lackluster. Everything moved really quickly, skimming over key scenes and emotions that could’ve used more depth. The last couple of episodes were way better, but at this point, I’m not sure if a second season will even be made…
Currently Watching:
- Stranger Things (Season 3) // I’m showing this to my sisters (it’s a rewatch for me), and IT’S SO GOOD. Crazy how intense this season is even when I know what’s going to go down.
- The Secret Life of My Secretary // Another k-drama with sisters! So far, it’s hilarious. Adorable too.
- Erased // I’ve just barely begun this anime, but even though I’m only a few episodes in, I AM IN LOVE. More thoughts later on once I’ve finished it!
Page Storylines
Sorcery of Thorns // Margaret Rogerson // 5 Stars
I was already a fan of Margaret Rogerson’s writing after An Enchantment of Ravens, but I love Sorcery of Thorns even more. If you like standalone fantasies with lush worlds (that aren’t bogged down by complicated worldbuilding) and stellar characters with depth and witty dialogue, then allow me to shove this book at you immediately.
The story takes place in a fairytale/Victorian-esque setting where libraries house magically monstrous books. (That tidbit alone piqued my interest!) Our heroine, Elisabeth, is an orphaned librarian with a sword and a pragmatic personality. She knows what she wants and what she believes. And she’s a tall girl—which seems so rare in YA??
Then there’s Nathaniel. OH MY WORD, NATHANIEL. Charismatic sorcerer, full of sass and hidden hurt—basically he’s Howl reincarnated. I love him.
And THEN we have Silas, Nathaniel’s demon servant, who might actually be my favorite character of the whole entire book. (If the demonic aspect gives you pause, my friend R.F. Gammon’s review does a great job explaining the whole thing.) Anyway, I can’t tell you why because #spoilers, but Silas deserves ALL THE HUGS!
As you can see, the cast is one of my absolute favorite parts of the book, but the story itself is such a fun mixture of monster fighting, slow-burn romance, and mystery. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better read to kick off 2021!
Thorn // Intisar Khanini // 5 Stars
I
FOUND
A NEW
FAVORITE
FAIRYTALE RETELLING.
This Goose Girl retelling had all the right ingredients to make it a beloved story for me. Dynamic characters, a beautiful balance of borrowed fairytale elements and originality, hard-hitting themes, and a world I could get lost in.
My brain is functioning in lists at the moment, so lists you shall have.
Characters
- Alyrra’s quiet strength and the way she found her voice after the abuse in her past was so very admirable. I was cheering for this girl the whole way!
- Falada the talking horse had my WHOLE HEART.
- Kestrin! There was much more to this moody prince than met the eye. I loved how strained his relationship with Alyrra was at the beginning and how it slowly developed throughout the story.
- All the servants who took Alyrra in and made her family—there were a lot of them to keep track of at first, but I grew to love them so, so much.
- The Wind! (I shall say no more. But having a sentient wind was awesome.)
Fairytale-ness
It’s been so long since I read The Goose Girl that I barely remembered anything about it, so there was plenty here to take me by surprise. Not only that, one particular segment near the end that wasn’t actually from the original fairytale still FELT so perfectly fairytale-ish that it fit in seamlessly.
Themes
Dealing with abuse. Finding the line between justice and mercy. Trust. Violence and human trafficking. Using your voice to speak up for the downtrodden. There was such a depth to all these themes, and they were threaded gracefully into the story. It’s one that definitely made me think and feel ALL THE THINGS.
Because of the grittiness, I’d personally recommend Thorn to readers 15+.
World
Alyrra gets uprooted from her home in the mountains and has to adjust to a very different life in the plains*—a new home, a new language, even a new station. I absolutely adored how immersive the setting was. And for someone who’s brand-new to language learning, it warmed my heart to see Alyrra stumbling through her first conversations as a foreigner.
*Okay, as a Canadian prairie girl, I have to mention there was one description of the plains in winter that was so perfect, I could’ve sworn the author visited my province in the middle of January. <3
In conclusion… What a beautiful, beautiful story! I’m hugely looking forward to Theft of Sunlight, the next book set in the world of Thorn.
One Thousand Gifts // Ann Voskamp // 5 Stars
This book truly WAS a gift—not only was it a birthday present from a friend, but the way it stirred my heart and inspired me to live more deeply was even more so.
Ann Voskamp has a way of setting scenes in a photographic way. She invites you into her life, both the tragedies and the joys, and makes you pause over the way the light falls, the rise of the moon over the fields, or soap suds piling in the kitchen sink. All for the purpose of finding and giving thanks to God for this life He’s given us. She’s raw and honest in her personal stories… and the way she unwrapped the word eucharisteo will stick with me for a long, long time.
Echo North // Joanna Ruth Meyer // 5 Stars
I FOUND ANOTHER FAVORITE RETELLING.
This one came enthusiastically recommended by some trusted friends, and I am ridiculously glad they told me about it! (You know who you are!) Echo North is an absolutely striking book, finding the perfect balance between the cozy and familiar… and the wild and strange. It borrows from Beauty and the Beast; Cinderella; East of the Sun, West of the Moon; and even Tam Lin. Which is all kinds of fabulous, because weaving in so many tales definitely keeps you guessing as the reader.
And can I just take this moment to say… I SHIP ECHO AND HAL FOREVER AND EVER. I also adored the Wolf and his enchanted house with a library full of mirror books. If it wasn’t so dangerous, I’d want to live there.
I thought I was thoroughly in love with Echo North about halfway through, and then THINGS HAPPENED that I didn’t expect and I loved it even more. By the end, I was heartbroken and heart-healed in the best way possible. I feel like I can hardly say anything about the story for fear of spoiling it, but this had one of the truest depictions of real love that I’ve ever read.
A million stars for this absolute keeper of a book!!!
Invictus // Ryan Graudin // (Reread) // 5 Stars
I already raved about the perfection of this YA time-travel tale last year, so I’ll just leave you with the link to my review HERE. It was super fun to revisit the story in physical book format this time (vs. audiobook last time, which was 100% spectacular too).
It appears everything I’ve read so far this year has been 5 stars. A winning streak!
Tidbits
I don’t know if this will become a permanent part of S&S posts, but on a whim I’m throwing it into this one! These are a few of my favorite little slices of life from the past three months. ❤️
- Finally caved and got Spotify Premium, and it’s fantastic. (I basically live with my earbuds in all day at work, so for me it pays off!)
- Favorite Korean sentence I’ve learned lately: 나는 너를 보면 핸복해 (Naneun neoreul bomyeon haenbokhae = I am happy when I see you.)
- As I mentioned, I attended a virtual Realm Makers writing retreat in February, and Allen Arnold’s teaching was the BEST.
- Got the chance to do art (real art!) AT WORK, which I never would’ve seen coming for my marketing position. I’ve also seen slow but consistent growth in my personal art over the last few months. Yay!
- Saw some friends for the first time in four months, and multiple times afterward, which did my heart good!
- Visited a bookstore for the first time in something like a YEAR, and by golly, I walked out of there with three new books that I was not intending to buy. XD
- Spring came early this year!
- Like I said at the beginning, I’m editing The Brightest Thread (more updates on the way, I hope!) and PROGRESS IS HAPPENING. Not fast, but it’s happening.
All right, talk to me! How’s 2021 been for you so far? Have you read/watched anything in this lil’ roundup? (And am I the only anime fan in the room?)
Enjoyed this post? Cool beans! I’d love to share more bookish (story-ish? technically this wasn’t all bookish) goodness with you once a month in my newsletter. Sign up here if you haven’t already!
Awwww! It looks like you’ve been consuming so much deliciousness! I am totally due for a Cinderella rewatch myself. (Of course, if I had watched it yesterday I’d still say that. XD I just never get tired of it!) And Soul was good too! I’m thinking they just didn’t market that one well, because my siblings and I were also not intrigued from the trailers and ads at all. But I was also convinced to watch it and ended up LOVING it, to the point that the ending made me cry. Like a lot. I do like Inside Out better, but this one really touched me in a lot of ways. Those trailers didn’t do it justice!
I really gotta give anime a try one day… My brother has only been badgering me to watch anime basically MY WHOLE LIFE and now you and your siblings are getting me even more intrigued by it. One of these days I’m gonna do it. XD
AND EEP. ALL THE WONDERFUL BOOOOKS. Sorcery of Thorns was SO GOOD. I’m thinking Margaret Rogerson is a Howl’s Moving Castle fan, because I got serious Howl and Sophie vibes from the characters in An Enchantment of Ravens, and then Nathanial DEFINITELY was full of Howl-like tendencies. And you won’t hear me complaining one tiny bit! I think Silas was my favorite too. HE WAS JUST SO INTRIGUING. Plus there was the fact that books were ALIVE. GAH. I loved it all!
Okay I NEED to read Thorn. NEED. I’ve been wanting to for a while, but now seeing all your flaily thoughts makes me realize just how much it needs to happen! Plus The Goose Girl is one of my favorite fairy tales, SO. I MUST HAVE IT. I also totally need to read Invictus!
AND ECHO NORTH. *shrieks for a million years* You KNOW my undying love for that book. Seriously one of my favorite books of all time now. I’m so very happy you read it and loved it too! Echo and Hal were EVERYTHING. *sobs*
I loved getting your little life tidbits! That’s thrilling you got to use your art skill at work!!! And, girl, I have been LOVING seeing your art pieces. They are seriously stunning! And I’m soooo happy to hear TBT edits are coming along well! 😀 Cheering you on ALL the way with all your TBT endeavors!
I do hope you have a most frabjous April, dear friend! <3
Yes! This year of watching/reading has been off to a GREAT start! 😀 Cinderella is ALWAYS good for a rewatch. Kinda want to see it again myself, even though it’s only been a couple months. Awww, I’m so happy Soul moved you that much! (That one scene… if it’s the one I’m thinking of too, then… *clutches heart*)
Yaaaasss–and when you do, TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT. XD
I’m convinced you’re right. So much Howl and Sophie vibes! Which is stinkin’ ADORABLE and I loved every minute of it. Also yes, Silas is 110% fascinating and I was always happy when he showed up on the page! And living, monstrous books stored in magical libraries… SO FUN. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
OH MY GOSH. YES. YESYESYESYES CHRISTINE NEEDS TO READ THORN. (Ahem, let me curb the fangirl in me a little bit.) It seems RIGHT down your alley in terms of fairytale-ness and Goose Girl-ness and darkness and heart and… Okay, I’ll stop. XD And I second the motion on Invictus as well!
I will scream with you about Echo North until the end of time because THAT BOOK IS MAGNIFICENT. I already can’t wait to dive in for a reread some day because <333333
Awww, really? Yay, that makes me smile! Thanks so much, girl--both for the art love and the writing encouragement!
Gah, here I am and we're two-thirds of the way through April already. o.o But I hope yours has been going swimmingly too, Christine!
So many good things! I’ll have to check out that K- drama. I’ve been wanting to watch Bungo Stray Dogs!
I need to watch more Anime.
It’s such a fun one! And oooh, I’m curious to see what you think of Bungo Stray Dogs. 😀 Hope your April has been great so far, Skye!
Looks like you’ve had a good couple of months of stories! Love it! Um… the only things on here I’ve watched/read were Cinderella and Zorro… both excellent choices, always.
I keep wanting to read Thorn… but haven’t grabbed a copy yet. Echo North is still on my bookshelf, waiting. I’ve been reading a lot on my kindle lately as my reading time has lately been in the later hours of the night, when having a light on is not an option. (Shhhhhh, let’s not tell anyone, shall we? Sleep? Who needs sleep?)
That’s so cool that you’ve gotten to do some art at work! And I’m so glad that you’re getting to do art more in general. From what I’ve seen, you’re quite talented. And I’m just sitting here very excited every time you mention TBT!!!!
So many good books/movies/what-have-you! 😀 Haha, I need to actually *finish* Zorro one of these days. Pretty sure I had at least the last 45 minutes left to watch… 😛
Ahhh, Thorn is SO GOOD. I just bought the sequel, and it looks equally amazing. And Echo North, yes!!! Pffft, sleep is for the weak–and the non-readers. XD (Says the girl who turns into a zombie before the clock even strikes midnight.)
Yeah, it was such a fun change of pace to break out the sketchpads and watercolors at the office! Awww, thank you SO MUCH, Jenelle! <3333
Okay, I wasn’t sure if I was interested in Sorcery of Thorns despite loving An Enchantment of Ravens, but you’ve got me intrigued.😉
Echo North! I’m so glad you got a chance to read it because it’s such a great story and so well written! I wasn’t even sure at first if I would like it, and it was a little intense in spots, but the author made it all work so well. And that twist at the end! Definitely heartrending and hearthealing, just like you said. And Echo North may have even helped me finish my portal fantasy In Dreams They Came by giving me an idea that I loved and did my own spin on.🙂 (Hint: the mirror portals may have stuck with me.)
I can’t remember: Have you read Splinters of Scarlet by Emily Bain Murphy? If not, that’s one I think you’d really love! It’s a historical fantasy and has elements like you enjoy, like a great magic system, rich characters, and a compelling plot with some mystery thrown in. I especially loved the sweet slow burn romance AND the beautiful sisterly relationship between the MC and her younger friend. GAH it was just so good! *slides it toward Tracey with pleading puppy dog eyes*
Ooh, did you say final edits on TBT? That’s so exciting! Giiirl, I can’t wait to see what you do with it!
I really, really enjoyed it! Maybe even a smidgen more than An Enchantment of Ravens, which I already loved! Hope you enjoy it too if you check it out. 🙂
Yes, a thousand times yes–Echo North is a new favorite of mine. I was shocked by the ending but ahhhh, my heart, it ended SO WELL. <333 Ooooh, that's so awesome it gave you inspiration to finish your own story! (Mirror portals! Yay!)
I don't think I've heard of that one before! It sounds wonderful--and haha, you know my reading tastes pretty well by now! 😉 It's on my Goodreads TBR now!
I did indeed! Thank yoouuuu!!!
Cinderella 2015 is perfect!!!!
Of the rest of them, I almost bought Thorn when it was on sale the other month, but I read the wrong reviews and ended up not adding it to be head of books. (And the twitter friend who was recommending it has a different taste to me so i wasn’t sure if I should listen or not.) I’ll have to get it sometime.
Zorro is good then? I must admit that my main familiarity comes from the Zovordians in Kendra E. Ardnek Worth of a King (a whole nation inspired by Zorro) and the mentions in masked hero trope pages. you had the Scarlet Pimpernel, then Zorro, then Batman.
Spotify Premium is my life. (Well okay, I can and sometimes do listen to podcast in another app and it hasn’t got my audio books.) Still I’ve had premium for so long that if It wasn’t for the odd artist that isn’t on spotify I would forget what it’s like to not have free access to music. (Okay, not free, but my younger brother pays for a family plan and we drive him places in exchange.) I need my music, especially on my early work morning commutes.. Podcasts and books are only for after 7 am.
Yay for the art! And the Writing retreat. I heard Allen Arnold speak for the Character Summit Story Embers did last year and he’s good. I need to get his book.
Isn’t it? I love it so much!
Oooh, Thorn was such a special read for me–and of course reading tastes are 100% subjective, but if you give it a try, I hope you enjoy it! 😀
It was a pretty fun movie, from what I saw of it! (I didn’t quite make it to the ending, and simply haven’t picked it up again to finish. Oops!) And it does seem like a classic worth watching, just because of how influential Zorro’s character has been.
Spotify Premium is AMAZING for commutes! And I listen to it pretty much non-stop throughout my workday as well. Helps tune out any distractions around me, haha. How nice of your brother to pay for the family plan!
Thank you! And oooh, YES, I recommend Allen Arnolds books, both of them!
Hope you’re having a splendid April, Brielle!
I really enjoyed the 2015 Cinderella as well! I remember seeing it in theaters and not wanting to go because growing up I had a major dislike to most disney princesses (a few exceptions like Rapunzel, and Belle was on the fence) partly due to my older brothers influence xD
That korean sentence is super wholesome XD
It’s so precious and gorgeous and ahhhh, it makes my heart sing. <3 Haha, it totally makes sense that brothers would put you off Disney princesses a little. XD
LOL, right? My new favorite since writing this post is "naneun chaek eobshi mot salayo," which means "I cannot live without books." XDDD
ALSO (this is obviously EXTREMELY late but I forgot to mention it in my first comment XD)
I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on Erased! I didn’t watch the anime but the manga was SO SO good (And I suggest reading it sometime after you’re done watching it, because from what people have said/from what I know about them both it’s just better. XD)
And here *I* am being EXTREMELY LATE-R, yikes! I just finished Erased recently and I LOVE IT SO. INCREDIBLY. MUCH. The cast of characters is extremely likable and I loved Sotoru’s inner conflict. Also the plot twists??? So many things I wasn’t expecting. (I’ll definitely have to share more thoughts in the next Subplots & Storylines.) And oooh, I’m going to be keeping my eye out for the manga! This would be the perfect series for me to start collecting. <333