Old and New Reads: Fairy Tale Reading List

Classics and fairy tales are often regarded as “tales as old as time,” read and re-read by generations—and rightfully so. These old stories often carry unforgettable characters, twisty plots, and universal themes within their pages. Especially in recent years, many authors have put new spins on these classic tales by reimagining them as young adult novels, taking conventions from both genres and creating something that is both new and familiar, and still beloved by readers. Without further delay, let’s take a look at some of these stories—both old and new. Regardless of whether you’re a reader of classics or YA, maybe you’ll discover a new favorite.

If you’re a fan of “Beauty and the Beast” you might enjoy the retelling, A Curse so Dark and Lonely, by Brigid Kemmerer. Cursed to relive the autumn of his eighteenth birthday, Prince Rhen has also become a beast bent on desolation. Enter Harper, a girl pulled into the world of Emberfall from modern-day Washington D.C. Can she break his curse?

Although a lesser-known, but no less-beloved fairytale, various versions of “Twelve Dancing Princesses” tell the story of twelve sisters finding another realm in which they dance until their shoes wear out. House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig takes a dark, gothic spin on the tale. In this retelling, one princess seeks to solve the mystery of her family’s curse and save her sisters from a cruel fate.

Alice in Wonderland (our March Madness 2024 winner), is a classic novel that has been told and retold in various ways. The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella sees Alice in a dystopian England and Wonderland as a curious reality only unlocked by those carrying the wonder gene. When Alice receives an invitation to play for Team Hearts in the eponymous trials and gains an opportunity to find her way into Wonderland, the stakes become higher than she had ever thought.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer takes a different spin on the Alice story with a prequel that chronicles rise of the merciless Queen of Hearts and how she became the beheading-happy villain readers have come to know. Catherine Pinkerton is one of the most eligible ladies in Wonderland and a favorite of the king, as well as a talented baker with dreams of opening her own shop. At a ball where many expect the king’s proposal, Catherine meets Jest and they enter into a secret romance. However, in a land where “most everyone is mad,” they might not get their happy ending.

Meyer’s sci-fi take on “Cinderella,” Cinder and its sequels see classic fairytales combined and set in space. In distant-future Beijing, a plague decimates the earth’s population while the cruel Lunars watch on. Unbeknownst to everyone, the earth’s fate hinges on Cinder, a cyborg mechanic, who soon finds herself at the center of galactic struggles.

Many fans of musical theatre know the Broadway play My Fair Lady and its film adaptation starring Audrey Hepburn. My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen is a culinary-centered version of the story with the roles swapped. In 1830 England, culinarians are some of society’s elite. When talented young chefs Helena Higgins and Penelope Pickering meet Elijah Little, a poor, equally talented pastie seller, they discover a rare opportunity: to turn Elijah from street seller to all-star chef. Can they pull it off?

This list is far from extensive, but here are some other retellings and re-imaginings of classics and fairy tales to check out at the Logos: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Gilded by Marissa Meyer, Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly, The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson.

Happy reading!

Sarah Blevins’ reviews reflect her personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university. 

Reading List: Ballads to Books

Valentine’s Day comes around each year, and we all have love on the brain! It can be difficult to choose your Valentine’s Day read, so let us help you out. Here are some suggestions based on your favorite songs!

If you like “Won’t Say I’m In Love” from Disney’s Hercules, you will love Elizabeth and Darcy in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

•  From its famous opening sentence, the story of the Bennet family and of the novel’s two protagonists, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, are told with a wit that its author feared might prove ‘rather too light and bright, and sparkling.’ It delights its most familiar readers as thoroughly as it does those who encounter it for the first time. Jane Austen’s artistry is apparent as well in the delineation of the minor characters: the ill-matched Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Charles Bingley and his sisters, and above all the fatuous Mr. Collins, whose proposal to Elizabeth Bennet is one of the finest comic passages in English literature. And while she entertains us, Jane Austen teaches us the wisdom of balance and the folly of ‘pride’ and ‘prejudice’.

If you like “Dandelions” by Ruth B., you will love Buttercup and Westley in The Princess Bride by William Goldman.

• A tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts. Filled with witty lines and a surplus of satire, Goldman’s tale is one for all ages.

If you like “Make You Mine” by PUBLIC, you will love Lara Jean and Peter from To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.

• Lara Jean has never openly admitted her crushes. Instead, she wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

If you like “Kings and Queens” by Ava Max, you will love Cinder and Kai from Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

• As plague ravages the overcrowded Earth, observed by a ruthless lunar people, Cinder, a gifted mechanic and cyborg, becomes involved with handsome Prince Kai and must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect the world in this futuristic take on the Cinderella story.

If you like “Castle” by Halsey, you will love Katniss and Peeta in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

•  In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death — televised for all of Panem to see. Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

If you like “Line Without a Hook” by Ricky Montgomery, you will love Annabeth and Percy in Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.

• All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of a victory are grim. Kronos’ army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. As the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds, and the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

If you like “The Great War” by Taylor Swift, you will love Nastya and Zash in Romanov by Nadine Brandes.

• ​Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov must choose between using the ancient spell her father, the exiled tsar, trusted her to keep safe, or trust Zash, a handsome Bolshevik soldier. In this magical twist on history, Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov must smuggle an ancient spell on her way to exile in Siberia. However, the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them, and Nastya’s only chances of saving herself and her family are to release the spell– or to trust and enlist help from Zash, a Bolshevik soldier for whom she has a growing attraction.

If you like “Hurts So Good” by Astrid S., you will love Alina and the Darkling in Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

• Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. When Alina Starkov’s regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life — a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha — and the secrets of her heart.

Mattie Washington’s reviews reflect her personal opinions and not necessarily those of the library or university.

Book Lovers Day

It’s an important day here at the Union University library! Most of the staff work here because of one united commonality, and that is our mutual love of books.

Here are some book recommendations from your friendly, neighborhood library staff:

Danielle Chalker, Circulation Student Assistant, enjoys historical fiction and the classics. She recommends this book:

Peace Like a River by Lief Enger

Ruth Duncan, Circulation Student Assistant, is a fan of fairy tales and science fiction and recommends this book:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cole Le Mahieu, Circulation Student Assistant, is a science fiction fan. He recommends this mind-blowing book:

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

Hannah Shea, Circulation Student Assistant, likes most genres (but not horror). She recommends these two books:

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

Grant Wise, Circulation Student Assistant, enjoys classics, and recommends this book:

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Susan Kriaski, Cataloging Associate, recommends witty and fun reads like this book:

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell

Beth Lynn, Collection Development Coordinator, recommends these two books:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Melissa Moore, Director of the Library, loves high fantasy and recommends this book:

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Stephen Mount, Library Systems Manager, enjoys true crime and classics and recommends these books:

The Man from the Train by Bill James

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Savannah Patterson, Public Services Librarian, is a fan of many genres. Her recommended books are:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

 

Anna Poore, Technical Services Librarian, recommends this book:

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Jordan Sellers, Library Associate, likes fantasy and mythology and recommends this book:

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Sarah Zornes, Evening Circulation Supervisor, is a fan of the science fiction and fantasy genres and recommends this book:

Steelheart, by Brandon Sanderson

What are your favorite books? Do you recommend any in particular? Let us know in the comments!