Mini Reviews

Today's selection of mini reviews is a motley crew (when are they ever not?), and presented in order of "age" ... from middle grades to women's fiction. It's an interesting ride.

Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle
Christopher Healy
Walden Pond, 2013

I am a little in love with this series. Or maybe it's the Princes Charming. Or the fact that Healy is taking such well-known fairy tales and turning them on their head in ways so topsy-turvy (and perhaps a little insane) you can't help but laugh to yourself. I'm still a fan of Liam. I think he's such a wonderful fairy tale hero, even in this mishmash version, and he grows as a character. After all the ups and downs and twists and turns and absolutely ridiculous things that have happened to the League, I maintain a secret hope that future installments will find the correct Prince-Princess pairings ... because there are definitely better pairings than the original tales dictate, among this posse anyway.

Book provided by my local library.

Sweetest Spell
Suzanne Selfors
Walker, 2012

Emmeline is a dirt-scratcher who escapes death. Twice. Some would consider that a blessing, but the people in Emmeline's village have always viewed her as a curse of sorts: with her deformed foot and the strange way cows follow her around. After a flood ravages her home and sends Emmeline downriver, she finds refuge in the home of a local dairyman's family. The Oaks take Emmeline in, despite her dirt-scratcher heritage, and with surprising compassion help her blossom and grow. And discover the sweetest of all surprises: Emmeline can make the mythical chocolate that once made Anglund famous. With the uncovering of this gift comes a journey that will tax every ounce of Emmeline's new-found strength and courage, rooted in the surprising foundation of Owen Oak's love.

A twisting, turning, surprising story that blends magic and love and chocolate and subterfuge and history and legend in such a complex tapestry. Emmeline is a worthy heroine, and Owen grows to become a true hero in his own right. And that cover, you've got to appreciate that cover.

Book provided by my local library.

Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell
St Martin's Griffin, 2013

As a late-twenties professional, I am coming to terms with the fact that I am a fangirl. Geek I've been okay with for more than a decade. Fangirl has taken some getting used to. Which is one reason I enjoyed this read so very much. Because Rainbow has presented the whole enchilada of fangirling: the good, the tough, the iffy, the mesmerizing. Cath is a college freshman -- and twin to Wren, who is the pretty, spunky, popular, outgoing one. As if one of those labels wasn't hard enough, compound the two; then add a dose of fangirl social anxiety, and Cath is a character you immediately want to give a mug of cocoa and tell her everything will be okay. She grows a lot, in what I think is not only a pretty good tale about life as a fangirl, but also a true take on the freshman experience. It's a hard year, where a lot of growing happens. Or it was for me anyway, and definitely was for Cath.

And then there's Levi! Oh, Levi. I want to pick him up and tuck him in my pocket for keeps, precious. We wants him.

Book provided by my local library.

Moonrise
Cassandra King
Maiden Lane Press, 2013

Ever since I met her at a scholarship luncheon, I'm always eager to pick up Cassandra's latest novel. Of course, there's usually a wait between reads, but that's okay. Writing about Southern women, in the heart of The South, her novels are normally ones that make me think. They're not fluffy, and Moonrise was actually a little intense. It has its dark shadows, its mysteries, its very real real-world-issues. The intricacies of long-standing relationships muddled and marred when one member dies and another marries in -- further complicated by the secluded realm of the Southern Elite. It was a little bit of an odd read for me, in that the characters were so much older than myself, but it's set in Highlands! Highlands!! I love that area, and I've always enjoyed reading about the people who Summer in mountain retreats I can only dream of. Not my favorite King novel, but not a complete disaster either.

Book provided by my local library.

Mini Reviews

Yup, I'm back with more mini reviews. I like this for when I start to feel a "backlog" -- or want to say something about a book, without really doing a "whole" review. And since the purpose of this blog is to have fun and share my thoughts on what I'm reading, I get to do whatever it takes to stay fun. Plus you get a handful of very different titles in one day!

The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail
Richard Peck
Dial, 2013

This book is almost ridiculously cute. A little nameless mouse ("Nameless is blameless," he hears it all the time), with a question mark of a tail. A scrappy mouse, a mysterious mouse. A mouse on a mission: to see the Queen. Yes, the human Queen Victoria. But along the way, there are some misadventures and unfortunate encounters. Like bats, and a swim in strawberry punch. And discovering that everything he thought about the world is just one big front for a huge, life changing discovery. Literally. Because it turns out, this little mouse isn't so nameless after all.

An incredibly cute, fun read for upper elementary/early middle grades. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and remembered all the reasons I used to love reading Peck when I was younger. (I think I'm old enough to return to him now, to paraphrase CS Lewis wholly out of context). And the illustrations! Such wonderful additions to an already fun story. I especially liked the full-color pages.

Book provided by my local library.

Gorgeous
Paul Rudnick
Scholastic, 2013

I heard about this book during a School Library Journal web conference over the summer, and was intrigued - even though I wasn't entirely sure what I'd be reading. The book is weird. In a mostly good way, but still weird. It feels like a lot of shifting smoke and mirrors, with a little firework-flash thrown in for good measure. Nobody is quite who they seem. There are twists and turns and fairly insane developments. But it works. Which is perhaps the weirdest bit of all: just how well it all works together.

Becky was always a plain girl, the one trying to sink into the background and escape notice. When her mother dies, she finds herself inexplicably journeying to New York to meet with Tom Kelly - designer extraordinaire and standard of all things beautiful. He makes Becky a deal: he will turn her into the most beautiful woman in the world, if she'll wear three dresses. The catch? She's got to fall in love and be married within a short window of time. And he really does mean fall in love, not just snag some guy who wants to marry the most beautiful woman in the world. Rebecca gets right to the threshold of making everything come true, after a lot of misadventures and growth, and watches everything fall to ashes. Tom was teaching her more about Life than she realized, and there's more to both Tom and her life than Becky ever guessed. This is a crazy read, nowhere near realistic, but also darkly fun to read.

Book provided by my local library.

Lola and the Boy Next Door
Stephanie Perkins
Dutton, 2011

I thoroughly enjoyed Perkins's debut Anna and the French Kiss, and was very excited to finally get my hands on Lola. I was not disappointed: Lola is an endearingly chaotic 'heroine', in only good ways. She's a super creative girl, and has all the impetuous enthusiasm of seventeen. She makes mistakes, she misunderstands, she crashes. But she doesn't stay down. Especially with the help of her best friend Lindsey, and the surprising pick-back-up of childhood friend Cricket Bell. (Anna and St Clair also make a reappearance, and are voices of experience in Lola's ear. Plus St Clair is just fun!). How do I explain Cricket? He's awesome. Amazing. If not for the skinny pants, I'd be in love with him myself. He's not perfect, but his imperfections make him even more a long-legged puppy you can't help but adore. That's actually a pretty good summary of the book: On the surface, it seems just "too much" -- Lola never repeats an outfit/always dresses in costume; she's dating a much older, bad boy musician; etc. But it works. Because Lola is real, and all the characters could literally be walking down the street. It's life, in a book.

Book provided by my local library.

Mini Reviews: AugBooks Edition

After participating in Nancy's AugBooks Readathon, I'm grouping some of my reviews together as a mini review post (others, like The Silmarillion, are getting stand-alone reviews). While I didn't complete my reading list, I did get roughly half read (if we count finishing Gorgeous once the official AugBooks deadline passed), and there was only one I bailed one! Yahoo!

Beautiful Day
Elin Hilderbrand
Reagan Arthur, 2013

One of those perfect summer reads: a wedding weekend, a beautiful island/beachy setting (normally I read Southern beaches, so the Nantucket setting was new-but-still-familiar-feeling), and more family drama than a reunion in the Deep South. I loved the multiple perspectives, giving a multi-faceted inside look at everything taking place surrounding this One Beautiful Wedding. The backstory was woven in beautifully, and I just really enjoyed the whole reading experience.

Book provided by my local library.

Frogged
Vivian Vande Velde
HMH, 2013

A supercute, quick late elem/MG read about what happens when the princess kissing the frog, gets frogged. Imogene is a likeable princess, and her time as a frog leads her on many misadventures with colorful people. It's also a time that teaches Imogene what it means to be a princess (something her mother's best efforts struggled with). And, of course, there's a Prince.

Book provided by my local library.

Jane Austen Marriage Manual
Kim Izzo
St Martin's Griffin, 2012

"What if a modern woman took Jane Austen's "marriage advice" to the letter, and applied it to her own life?" That's the basic premise of this novel, although with a slightly more cynical/materialistic bent than Jane herself suggested (although Mrs. Bennett would certainly agree with Kate's theories!). It's a fun, quick read. I figured out where it was going reeeeeally fast, but that didn't take away from the reading. The story itself fades into the background for me though, because what I really enjoyed were the characters. Kate's one crazy conflicted woman, and watching her struggle to justify things is both exasperating and entertaining. There's a whole cast of colorful and interesting characters, my favorites being Fawn and Griff. (Also fun: so many of Kate's intimate circle feature Austen character names: Marianne, Brandon, Emma, etc. So fun!) A good summer reading choice.

Book provided by my local library.

Invisibility
Andrea Cremer & David Levithan
Philomel, 2013

I loved the idea of this book, and I've enjoyed other books Levithan has co-written (especially loved Dash & Lilly's Book of Dares!), but once I started reading ... I just couldn't get into it. After several chapters from each viewpoint (alternating between Stephen and Elizabeth), I started skimming. And even skimming things were moving sooooo slowly. And it's kinda weird. I mean, I knew it'd be weird -- the guy is INVISIBLE -- but it's like, weird-weird. Thus, I'm leaving it unfinished. Hopefully other readers will enjoy it more.

Book provided by my local library.

Sidenote: I really enjoyed making myself a list of things to read in a set amount of time, and focusing on doing just that. I may employ a similar method for catching up on some of my reading the rest of the year ... Or, I may have a big "end of year readathon" ... Hmm ... Must think on this ...

Mini Reviews

Okay, it's time for another installment of "mini reviews" ... these are books I read and enjoyed, but feel like just making "comments" on rather than an actual, full-fledged review. Thus, mini reviews.

Just One Day
Gayle Forman
Dutton, 2013

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about this one, especially as the release date for Just One Year gets closer, and when I saw it listed on the New Arrivals list for the library system, of course I snapped it up. And devoured it. Wow. Just wow.

Basic premise is the idea that one day can change your life, can change who are are. Allyson's one day was in Paris (as "Lulu"), with the beautiful and slightly mysterious Willem as her guide into "living spontaneously". What began as a quick foray into rebellion became so much more, as Allyson began to see another side of life. Another side of herself. Every day after became a struggle between who she was and who she can be. Ultimately, she begins a quest -- to rediscover the glimpses of the girl who wandered Paris, to find Lulu, and see if that girl could possibly be real, and also to find Willem.

The story's engrossing, and while it doesn't seem like anything that'd ever happen to me, it still felt almost possible. I think we can all relate to Allyson's quest to find herself, on some level we've all wondered who we really are, deep down inside. And when it ended, I was really, really glad that Just One Year is coming out this fall, to fill in all the missing pieces!

Book provided by my local library.



Scarlet
Marissa  Meyer
Feiwel and Friends, 2013

Even though I'm not a big robot girl, I enjoyed Cinder, the first installment in the Lunar Chronicles. It had twists and loops and interesting characters. I like Scarlet even better! Scarlet is a firecracker of a girl (must be the red hair), on a mission to find her missing grandmother. Enter Wolf (no lie), who is a fairly hunky mystery, and to whom Scarlet is strangely drawn. They begin a journey to Paris, in attempts to find Gran, and end up finding ... well, unexpected developments. Meanwhile, Cinder has managed to escape from prison, and has picked up a fellow inmate as first mate, Thorne. As they struggle to avoid recapture, their point of destination is finding Scarlet. Which they do, in a pivotal moment, and suddenly everyone is on one ship. And things get interesting. And then they stop. Leaving us hanging and waiting for Book Three, Cress, coming next spring. The agonies.

I loved Scarlet as a character, and as an added layer of complexity to the overall story. This is a series that is building steadily, gaining momentum as it gains details. We learn more of Cinder's backstory, and continue to discover just how messed up the Lunar Queen is (seriously, that woman is insane). Wolf is also a super interesting character, and I loved the tension and chemistry between he and Scarlet. As much as everything is building, I have very, very high hopes for Cress.

Book provided by my local library.


The Chance
Karen Kingsbury
Thorndike Press, 2013

I've never read a Karen Kingsbury book before, but read this at the insistence of a coworker. Wow ... what a story. She was right, it was what I needed to read at the moment.

Ellie and Nolan have been best friends since, forever. But when Ellie's world falls apart, and she discovers she's being whisked away from Georgia all the way to California, they make a pact. Writing each letters, telling the whole searing truth, they bury them beneath one of Savannah's old live oak trees and promise to come back, in eleven years, and read their words. It's a promise of hope, something to hold on to during the painful days of separation to come. Over the years, it becomes both a mocking reminder of things that once were, and maybe, just maybe, a half-prayer of what could be. Ellie's world is so very different from Nolan's, he's an NBA star with a public faith and the nation's attention; she's a single mother with so many hurts and half-healed scars she doesn't know what she believes anymore. But fate's a funny thing, and one thing leads to another until Ellie finds herself back in Savannah. Face-to-face with Nolan.

It's a beautiful story. A story of second chances (or third, or sixth). A story of hope. A story that, like my coworker said, will make you believe anything can happen. And the Savannah setting? Oh, be still my beating Southern heart.

Book provided by my local library.

Graceling Trilogy

Great hills. I have no idea what took me so long to read Graceling -- although, in hindsight, I'm glad I did. Because if I had read it after initial publication, and been forced to wait for years until being able to pick up the rest of the story, I'd have been very. very. unhappy. (Especially when you consider the torture I endured waiting just 10 days or so!) I'm going to review the three novels "together" - in order - and will tell you right now: You need to read them in order, it makes the story better. I'll try to avoid spoilers, but I can't make any huge promises - because these things are awesome. You should read them!

Graceling
Kristin Cashore
Harcourt, 2008

Katsa is a Graceling. A very skilled, very fearsome Graceling. What's a Graceling you ask? Good question. When a child's eyes "settle" into two separate colors -- one brilliant blue, the other stunning green in Katsa's case -- they are identified as Gracelings. And Gracelings have powers ranging from cooking skills to fierce combat skillz. Katsa, who has lethal combat abilities (she cannot) be beaten, has become her uncle the King's henchman - being sent on errands of "justice." But she fights back, because somewhere deep inside is a heart that treasures true justice. And freedom. One on of these errands of mercy, Katsa meets another Graceling fighter - whom is later revealed to be the youngest prince of another kingdom. Prince Po. Who also has a passion for truth and freedom, and a good many secrets of his own - particularly concerning his grace. When the two join forces, and set out on a mission to discover the truth of (another kingdom) Monsea's King Leck, strange and wonderful things happen.

It's a gripping story. Addicting. Po and Katsa have a chemistry and grace that is ... palpable. Swoon-worthy. She's fierce and wound tight, struggling to make sense of her growing awareness of "feeling" in light of her "bloody" past. He's carefree and light, hiding something powerful and able to feel things with an amazing intensity. They spar and banter and fight and love. They're an amazing team. And there are events in the story that ripped my heart right out of me, leaving me desperate for more. I did get resolution - to a point. But was left hanging, needing to find out what happened next. Later. After.

Book provided by my local library.

Fire
Kristin Cashore
Dial, 2009

I should have know, by the subtitle "Companion to Graceling" that Fire would not answer all the questions of my heart. But I needed more, and Bitterblue was checked out, and it came next in the trilogy, so I read it. Well, read most of it - I started reading it straight through, and 80someodd pages in, decided to do that "skim reading" thing: read several pages, then skip ahead a few, then read, then skip. I got the bulk of the story, but a lot faster. Because, let's face it: I needed more Po and Katsa, and while it's a great story, Fire is not that. In fact, it pre-dates Graceling's events by 30some years (or so, give or take?) The only character from Graceling to appear in Fire is Leck - as a child (and seriously creepy). So you definitely want to read Graceling first, so you don't ruin that reading experience by knowing the stuff that happens in Fire.

As for Fire, it's a wonderful story in its own right. Fire is a dynamic and beautifully drawn character, struggling to balance her power with her heart (much like Katsa, but even more complicatedly). The situation is tense: a kingdom stands in the balance, and Fire's powers are greatly needed to save it. In and of itself, that doesn't seem like a hard assignment, but Fire has so many ghosts from her past - and new complications from her present - that it's hard for her to become what she must. With the help of a wonderful, colorful cast of supporting characters, Fire gradually realizes that she can be fully empowered and still maintain her own identity - can love and be loved, can give meaningful assistance to those around her. Her past, her nature does not dictate her true self nor her future. I liked Fire, a lot. (I also really liked Archer, even though he was a serious player/a little bit of a jerk). I could relate to her on some levels more than I could to Katsa, but both are crazy strong, dynamic, amazing heroines.

Fire has merit and purpose, it just didn't supply my need for another Katsa and Po fix ...

Book provided by my local library.

Bitterblue
Kristin Cashore
Dial, 2012

At last. At last! The sequel to Graceling. And companion to Fire. So many things in one (fairly thick, actually) book. And that's just the contextual stuff. This was one heavy read. Amazing, but heavy. Let's see if I can make my thoughts make sense ...

Bitterblue picks up ten years after the close of Graceling, with young Queen Bitterblue trying her best to help her kingdom finally shake off the effect of King Leck. It's a far harder task than she expected, as she discovers once she starts slipping out at night, in disguise, and meets  people who are actively seeking to right Leck's wrongs. People like Saf, a mysterious Leonid Graceling whose mission is to steal back what Leck's henchmen stole first. Saf, and his friends, challenge Bitterblue to take a closer look at things - no matter how painful they are - and soon she starts seeing a pattern. A puzzle. With the assistance of Gideon and Po, and a surprising selection of unexpected friends (like the librarian - Death), Bitterblue slowly, painfully, peels away the layers of deception and hiding and pain until she finds the truth.

The story itself is crafted beautifully. It brings back my favorites, though the focus is less on Po + Katsa as a romance, and more on Po + Bitterblue as a rescue-the-kingdom story. I loved seeing Gideon again, and watching as he and Bitterblue become closer. And Saf is quite a character in his own right - I like these Leonid Gracelings that Cashore creates. But the read itself yanked and pounded on my heart. It's a rough read. The things Leck and his "cronies" did are horrible, horrifying, and just generally sickening. Reading about them is hard. It make's Bitterblue's struggle more real - as reader, I had very similar reactions and problems with the truths Bitterblue discovered. It's truly a heartwrenching story, but also a hopeful one. Because there's a core group, bound by love, determined to carefully locate the truth and restore a broken kingdom.

Book provided by my local library.

Mini Reviews

Enchanted
Alethea Kontis
Harcourt, 2012

I've been wanting to read this one for a while - look at that cover, and tell me you're not intrigued! - so I was very happy when it arrived at my library. (A signed edition, no less!) Sunday is the youngest of the Woodcutter children, and as the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, has quite a future ahead of her. Only, she doesn't realize it. All she knows is that what she writes comes true, and her family has had its unfair share of strange "luck." Oh, and she met an enchanted frog in the woods and fell in love - only to have him disappear the day of a horrible storm that wrought changes of untold scope on Sunday's life.

We're all familiar with the story of "The Frog Prince," but Enchanted is a fun, sometimes strange, take on the story - weaving in other stories and elements that are just begging to be built upon in future novels. I fell in love with Sunday's spunk and free-ness, but the whole cast of characters is quirky and personable. Prince Rumbold is endearingly human in his post-frog incarnation, and his faithful friends are colorful persons in their own right. Enchanted ended too soon, and I dearly hope that more of the Woodcutter stories are told!

Book provided by my local library.

Between the Lines
Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer
Simon Pulse, 2012

I really, really, really wanted to like this book. The premise was awesome, a true booklover's dream: A favorite character in a book comes to life and interacts with the reader. I mean, come on, who hasn't had the fleeting thought of wishing Mr Darcy or Gilbert Blythe was real? Also, the book itself is gorgeous. It's told in three-parts, with full-color illustrations and different fonts and colors for the three voices (the "actual" fairy tale; Delilah, the reader; and Prince Oliver, the character).

While the development of the story is neatly done, I just had a really hard time getting into it. I'm not sure why either, because the idea was intriguing, and the interweaving of the stories is well done. (I particularly loved Oliver's parts, and the color illustrations). Maybe I just picked it up when I had too many other reading distractions?

Book provided by my local library.

Mini Reviews

Welcome to another set of mini reviews! This one is themed: Sarah Dessen. For me, summer isn't truly summer until you've reread Dessen! And since these are such old favorites (well, some older than others), I decided to spotlight them in mini reviews ...

Along for the Ride
Sarah Dessen
Viking, 2009

Auden has always had everything neat, organized, and under-control -- a stark contrast to her carefree (careless?) brother Hollis. Other than her sleepless nights, Auden's been the very picture of extreme maturity and academic excellence. Until she spontaneously decides to join her father and stepmother at the beach for her last summer before college. There, Auden - reluctantly - learns to live. To make up for lost time, and experience things that essentially are growing up. She learns to laugh, to make friends, to take chances, and fall in love. She learns about starting over when things don't work out like you planned, and that family really does mean something. I love Auden's journey to reality - watching her struggle to master the little things in life, the things that give it dimension and sparkle.

Book provided by my personal library.

This Lullaby
Sarah Dessen
Speak, 2002

Remy is tough as nails, and doesn't believe in love. After watching her romance novelist mother stumble and crash through a series of failed marriages, Remy knows that love is just something people imagine. A crutch for the weak. An unnecessary risk. Certainly nothing that will ever affect Remy's life. And then she meets Dexter. Clutzy, messy, musician Dexter, who embraces the messier sides of life and thinks nothing of taking chances, taking risks. Dexter believes in love, and he believes in Remy. In that pivotal summer between high school and college, Remy learns that sometimes living means you have to take risks - that loving doesn't mean you're weak - and sometimes the people we need most are those we least expect.

Book provided by my personal library.

Mini Reviews

Hiya! I'm back with another set of mini reviews...

Hope Rekindled
Tracie Peterson
Bethany House, 2011

While I liked the first two books in the "Striking a Match" trilogy (read my review of Book 2: Hearts Aglow), the final installment didn't keep my interest. In fact, I bailed on it. I felt like the storyline was going in too many circles, without moving forward enough. After going through so much with Deborah and the Vandermark family, I can't help but feel let down after such an ending. But maybe that's just me...

Book provided by my local library.

The Selection
Kiera Cass
HarperTeen, 2012

I really was not sure what to expect going into this reading, other than the cover is gorgeous. I've heard taglines like "The Hunger Games meets the Bachelor", but since I've neither read nor seen either, it didn't help me out any. What I got was a story with more depth than I expected. America is one of 35 girls selected "randomly" to compete for the hand (and heart) of Prince Maxon. It's the world's weirdest beauty pageant, if you will. But it's more than that - America, as a member of one of the lower castes, helps Maxon see what's really going on in the country he's to take over. They form an unexpected friendship, and in turn, Maxon shows America that not everything she assumed about him was correct either.

There's a lot going on in The Selection, and a lot of history and mysteries are only hinted at. It definitely sets readers up for the next novel in the series, and I for one will be picking it up to see what happens. America started out a little whiny and delusional (heh), but she started growing on me as she started engaging her brain. Prince Maxon I love. And Aspen...don't get me started. (Not a fan. However, I discovered that William Moseley is set to play Aspen in an upcoming television series based on The Selection, and if anyone could make me more sympathetic/reevaluate my decision, he could. Just sayin'.) Safe to say this was a pleasant surprise.

Book provided by my local library.

Mini Reviews

A little something different today: a set of mini reviews. These are books I've read, but don't necessarily feel like doing a full review for. Basically, I'm just giving you an extra taste of my eclectic reading habits.

I've Got Your Number
Sophie Kinsella
Random House, 2012

I'm a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella, and always look forward to a new release. This one did not disappoint, and I read it in a day. Poppy is a character you can root for, and her interactions with Sam are priceless. I loved the addition of getting to read the actual texts and emails - they really help flesh out the story and their individual personalities. After a moment of "NO WAY!", things came around, and I consider this quintessential Kinsella. And a great weekend read. Also, there are footnotes throughout the novel, which I find to be particularly fun and quirky.

Mary Engelbreit's Fairy Tales: Twelve Timeless Treasures
HarperCollins, 2010

You know I have a thing for fairy tales, but did you know I've also been a fan of Mary Engelbreit's art for years? I am. A huge fan. So when I saw this at my library, I scooped it up. Featuring twelve fairy tales, including my favorite 'Beauty and the Beast' (along with 'Cinderella,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Thumbelina,' and 'Snow White and Rose Red'). Some of the stories have been tweaked a little to de-emphasize the whole Prince-love-everything's perfect effect, but they're still fairy tales. And the illustrations? Oh my...I want some of them framed!