If you like: Grimm brothers, Wizard of Oz, sculptures, Neverending Story, enchanted woods, New York City, monsters.
If you thought you were getting exactly 60 book recommendations from this blog, you don’t know the Kelley sisters very well.
Today’s list theme is “fairy tales.”
Ash by Malinda Lo: The lesbian Cinderella retelling of my dreams! Read for vibrant, dreamy writing, and for the subversion of gender roles found in most fairy tales. Lo shows that a girl’s sense of agency is her greatest weapon, and even in a world of wicked stepsisters, we can control our own fate. -- MK (save on Goodreads)
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi: There’s no witches in Helen Oyeyemi’s re-telling of Snow White, where it’s hard to tell who is bad and who is good. Boy Novak just wants to escape her father and settle down, but love is more complicated than a kiss, especially for a wicked stepmother. Oyeyemi is interested in alchemy, particularly the kind that deals with identity and reality. -- AK (save on Goodreads)
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente: This one is shelved in the young reader section, but it’s a fun trip for anyone who wants to dip into a world that’s whimsical and dangerous. Like Wizard of Oz, The Neverending Story and The Phantom Tollbooth, Valente pulls on a tradition of fairy tales but gives it a meta spin. It’s comfortingly familiar and yet with a refreshing bite. -- AK (save on Goodreads)
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill: A whimsical Middle Grade fantasy that anyone can read and enjoy. Come for the complex characters and fresh descriptions of magic, but stay for the surprising humor and wit laced throughout the story. As is the case with most fairy tales, there are a lot of timely comparisons to be drawn with people in power ruling through fear, sensationalism, and lies, but the strength and compassion of one small girl can usurp it all. -- MK (save on Goodreads)
Just Kids by Patti Smith: Technically, this isn’t a fairy tale, it’s Smith’s memoir of her youth in New York City. But it reads like a fairy tale, where the Chelsea Hotel is an enchanted forest, populated with drag queens and Allen Ginsburg. Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe makes a good Prince Charming, even if he’s not the type to ride in on a white horse. -- AK (save on Goodreads)
Monstress by Marjorie Liu: A graphic novel with ridiculously gorgeous illustrations and a violent, feminist narrative. The world--inspired by an alternate, steam-punk early 1900’s China--is massive and fleshed out, and the characters who occupy it are diverse and multi-faceted. I always root for the girls with monsters inside of them, especially, quite literally, this heroine. -- MK (save on Goodreads)
The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan: It’s weird, but it works. Tan made a series of sculptures based on Grimm’s fairy tales, which might not scream 2-D book to many people. But the sculptures have been photographed and each are accompanied by a quote from the story it represents. The combination is compelling. Given that only a slice of the Grimm tradition is ever touched on by pop culture, summaries of each story in the back of the book help. -- AK (save on Goodreads)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman: Gaiman’s visceral, beautiful writing takes you on an unforgettable journey with faerie, witches, and pirates. The world is vast and easy to submerge yourself in, and while the characters don’t always make the best choices, they are worth rooting for. If you prefer your fairy tales with a darker edge, Stardust is for you. -- MK (save on Goodreads)
Comments