I’m so glad that Carl’s Once Upon a Time Challenge has started. I have been looking forward to it since weeks. Every since I have finished Robin McKinley’s Chalice and was in the mood to read more fairy tale retellings and fantasy.
If you want to know the details of the challenge, do please visit Carl’s blog. You have different challenge levels and four genres to choose from: Fairy tales, Folklore, Mythology and Fantasy. The challenge runs from March 21st to June 19th. There will be two readalongs as well. The first one in April – Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, the second in May – Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere. I would love to join for Mistborn.
I will be busy in the next few months and so I decided to do The Journey which is only one book.
One reason why challenges are so much fun is the fact that one can make a list. Although I have only committed to one book, I may read more. I want to focus on fairy tale retellings and fantasy this year and here a few of my possible choices.
Ash by Malinda Jo
The Rose and the Beast by Francesca Lia Block
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip
Spindle’s End by Robin McKinley
The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffmann
How about you? What are you going to read?
Beauty is a Sleeping Cat 
I wish I had time to join this! I found many interesting reads just from looking at your above list. 🙂 I’ve really enjoyed several of Robin McKinley’s books, and The Rose and the Beast was a nice read. I would also recommend Psyche in a Dress, also by Francesca Lia Block.
Thanks for the recommendation, Susanna. Too bad you can’t join. It lasts for three months, maybe one little book?
Great challenge! Too bad I haven’t seen it and didn’t make plans for it. Maybe I will still read something just to tag along.
Two weeks ago there was fairy tale Sunday on a TV channel and they showed fairy tales all day. I watched them all starting at 2pm until 9pm. That was such fun!
There is so much time until June 19th. Don’t miss it. It would be great to have you join. These are the best challenges. I met so many great people during Once Upon A Time and Carl’s second challenge R.I.P.
I can imagine that must have been a great programme. You can watch a movie and add that – and of course the readalongs.
More titles and authors to add to the wish list! I’ve just scheduled a post with one of Jane Yolen’s poems; I love her fairy tale poetry!
Thanks for mentioning it, Jenclair, I have to have a look. I didn’t know she wrote poetry as well.
Oh, what a great list of books! Ash was good. It didn’t blow me away, but I enjoyed reading it. Briar Rose was a fabulous idea for a book! I really enjoyed it! I also enjoyed Spindle’s End and The Ice Queen. You have some great reading in your future. 🙂
I have to admit I didn’t enjoy The Rose and the Beast, but I think I am kind of in the minority on that one. I have another book to try by her because I just didn’t love her writing style the first time.
I’m glad to know you have liked so many of them.
I haven’t read anything else by Francesca Lia Block and thought it might be a good atrting point. We will see. I won’tbe able to read all of them.
I thought Ash sounded like a nice in-between read or right now that I’m suffering through one of the more graphic WWI novels.
Not my genres but the covers are great!
I know but at least you liked the covers.
McKinley’s fairy tale retellings are so wonderful. I love Chalice and Spindle’s End, and I just read Rose Daughter as my first book for the challenge. I agree with the commenter above about the beautiful covers you have here–except it is my genre! 🙂
I’ll have to read your review. I’ve got a few others of her books but I don’t think I have Rose Daughter. Chalice is such a beautiful book. I’m looking forward to read more of her.
The covers are great and it’s my genre as well. 🙂
Wonderful list, Caroline! I liked the cover of Alice Hoffman’s book ‘The Ice Queen’ very much. Hope you have fun reading for the challenge! Happy Reading!
Thanks, Vishy, yes, I’m sure there will be some great reads.
The Hoffmann cover is great, I agree.
What a great list of possible books. Briar Rose is a favorite of mine and McKillip and McKinley are both wonderful authors. Have fun!
Thanks, Gavin. I hope you’ll have a lot of fun too.
I’m glad you mention Briar Rose as well. It narrows down the choice.
I have read a few of McKillip’s books and liked her very much.
wow…yo are going to read quite a lot!! good luck 🙂
I have read the introduction post in Carl’s blog 2days ago but couldnt write my own post back then.
I am also going to join again 🙂
That’s great.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to read all of them but I want to choose from this pile.
I’m curious to see what you choose.
Hehehe…actually,I am going to cheat a little 😉
I am going to include Moribito and Beautiful melody in the challenge (the one I read for Magical March) since I am just about to publish both book’s review this week.
I don’t see why not. Magical March has a similar theme. I could even have included the fairy tale I’ve read for Irish Short Story Week/Month.
I was wondering whether “The Company of Wolves” by Angela Carter is good? It would fit here since it’s a re-telling of Red Riding Hood with a gothic horror feminist angle.
I really liked Neil Jordan’s film. Has anyone read it?
I’ve read her story and watched the movie and really liked both. Angela Carter is an interesting writer. You can most certainly enter with a review of her book/story. It’s pretty short though, you might want to read the whole book.
It would be great if you would join. You will see, it’s a wonderful challenge, people are very welcoming.
A great selection. I haven’t read any of them, but all of them look intriguing. I’m curious to see which one you select. Happy reading and good luck with all the books this month.
Thanks, TBM. I’m looking forward to start but right now I need to finish a few other books.
I might still buy Mistborn as well.
You’re in, right?
Yes I’m in for Mistborn. I’m really looking forward to it. Hopefully you can find the time. I enjoyed his novel The Way of Kings and I have my fingers crossed that Mistborn is just as good.
I’m sure it is. My problem is that he hasn’t posted the schedule yet… Maybe I’ll order it anyway. It’s quite cheap.
I went ahead and ordered the whole trilogy. As soon as I finished Way of Kings I wanted to pick up the next installment. However, he hasn’t written it yet. I’m quite curious about Carl’s schedule…I’m assuming we are reading it all during April since the Neverwhere read is in May. But given today’s date, we may not start the novel till after the first week of April…who knows.
I guess you are right. But as you will see today – I’m going to post a give away and some plans later on – I’m very busy in April. 😦
good luck Caroline ,all the best stu
Thanks Stu.
I have The Metamorphosis on the shelf and reading Obooki’s review made me want to move them on top of the TBR. So I considered joining this, especially since it lasts until June.
But I checked the rules, the least you can do is 4 books and there is no way I’m going to read one of each category.
I’ll watch your participation from the sidelines.
Only one book is required in total: “By signing up for The Journey you are agreeing to read at least one book within one of the four categories”.
In fact, a short story is enough, or a movie. He has a lot of different challenges. I like the flexibility, so I may have time for that.
Thanks, Marcus, for clarifying. I got confused. Last year, I think The Journey meant one per category which I did not manage but this time, when I saw, only one out of 4 categories I immediately signed up.
I was confused at first too because most challenges only have one option. You don’t expect 4-5 options.
Maybe I should email Carl and suggest he make a very simple list of quests at the top of the page.
I don’t think you need to. Bottom line in his challenges is “have fun”. The “rules” are more like an inspiration. Those who are very ambitious will cover everything any way.
4? Are you sure? Why did I read 1. – Just checked, one per category. True. But that doesn’t seem to be what people do. Well …
I still think you could enter. It covers more than one category, sort of?
Emma, Marcus is right. You really confused me now. We only need one, chose from the four categories. I thought I can’t have misread that but I did, the second time, with your interpretation in mind. 🙂
No excuses for you! You can enter.
Thanks Marcus and Caroline. I did undestand I needed to read one per catergory, and the idea of reading fantasy… brrr, no, I can’t.
I’ll read The Metamorphosis. I hope I have a good translation. If I have time, I’ll read some Perrault fairy tales, I bought a book after we discussed them I don’t remember when. (after reading Peggy Orenstein, I believe)
I really wouldn’t have signed up else – I failed at the mythology and folklore category last year. I bought Ovid as well but I don’t think I can add another book, I will need to read whatever I like after all the readalongs. But I’m looking forward to your reviews.
I would love to join in–I do sometimes, but I feel like I have totally booked myself up lately with readalongs. Of course this goes through to June, so I might manage A book. I’ll be curious to see which you choose. Most of the titles on your list are new to me except Alice Hoffman, though I have heard of some of the authors.
I thought it is highly likely anyway that I read the one or the other of these books until mid June. But, like you, I’m very busy as you will see when my post goes up today. 🙂
I love the design Carl came up with by the way!
Yes, it’s great. The other banners are great as well and those who sign up in March can win one picture. I’ve been so lucky last year, I won constantly… Who knows.
I didn’t realise this was happening twice a year! I’m not a big fantasy reader, so the Halloween based challenge is good for me, and sufficient. But I loved the Alice Hoffmann novel I read a while back, and I own a copy of The Ice Queen, so I’ll be very interested indeed to hear what you make of that one (if you read it).
They are a bit different, if you like ghost stories the R.I.P. is more in line wîth what you like, this is far more fantasy oriented, although Angela Carter would be a choice.
I hope to be able to read The Ice Queen.
We can’t particicpate in everything, not even if we wanted.
I’m diving into this challenge as well; Carl’s got such great ones to join! Looking forward to your reviews!
How nice that you are joing as well. I love his challenges too.
These all look wonderful, Caroline. The only author I’ve read is Alice Hoffmann, but I haven’t read The Ice Queen yet. Her Seventh Heaven, Turtle Moon and Illumination Night are wonderful examples of magical realism.
If they as good as they look I’m in for a few treats. 🙂
I’m a huge Alice Hoffmann fan. I’d like to read all of her novels sooner or later. I think the only one that I wasn’t completely keen on was Prcatical Magic. It was good but not as good as those you mention.
That one didn’t appeal to me either–probably because I knew the story from the movie. There was one other I didn’t like–I think it was The River King?
Here on Earth was good.
I’m not sure now, I thought that I liked The River King.
I can’t remember if that was the one or not. It’s been years since I read it.