Fairy Tale Retellings

We just finished reading Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. Amazing!!!! This book made us want to get into some modern day retellings of classic fairy tales. I will start a list and hopefully we can continue to add to it. For more details on each book, click on the title for the Amazon link.




A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn (Sleeping Beauty Retelling)



Beauty by Robin McKinley (Beauty and the Beast Retelling)



Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer (Cinderella Retelling)



Geek Charming by Robin Palmer (Frog Prince Retelling)



Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer (Little Red Riding Hood Retelling)



Fairest of All by Serena Valentino (Snow White Retelling)

Thirst 4: Garbage

By Raphael

If I was really thirsty, I wouldn't drink this book if it was water.

I had to read it because I liked the series up to this point, and I wanted to know how the story ended. It has also been awhile since I finished Thirst 3, so the pain points of the story were forgotten.

The Good:
Story. It is a constant, action packed, twisty turny,  whats-going-to-happen-next type of story. It gets a little bit crazy, and quite abit unbelievable, even for a supernatural fiction novel, but props for keeping me guessing.
Sita. She's the main character, the main vampire. I respect the idea of her. I respect the idea of what she's supposed to represent.
Simon. He seems to be the only one that makes sense to me.


The Garbage:
EVERYTHING ELSE! PLOT! MOOD! SETTING! DIALOGUE! THE REST OF THE CAST! This includes the good guys and the villians!! My goodness! Did it really take Sita, the oldest and smartest vampire THAT LONG to realize most 13-year-old girls, not matter how psychic they are, don't talk like 30 year old people, and I'm pretty sure that if the real Lucifier was hiding out in a 13 year old girl. he'd be far more vain or obvious than he was. CMON. HE"S THE BLEEDIN' DEVIL? AND HE"S COOL TO JUST.. CHILLL.. IN THE BACKSEAT?! Riiiight.
Also, That's not how people talk.
Also, That's a very dumb hell.
Also, That whole Krishna business? Farrrrr too much of it. This isn't Krishna's story. And Sita sounds more like she has a crush on this guy than she's in religious awe of him.


Anyway. I'm glad I"m done with that series. I'd recommend the first book, but to stop there.

Love in Dystopia

By Raphaelle

A few of my thoughts on these themes;

I agree on all 3 points Michelle made about the similarities in the Dystopian books we've been reading. I keep wondering to myself, why the author(s) choose these particular things to change. Is it because the removal of art would make a drastic change to a society? Is it because the division and segregation within a society is a major cause to downfall (look at race segregation in the 20th Century)?  In this way, is the author sharing with us their views on what's wrong with society, shown in an extreme fictional example?

Other similarities I find between The Hunger Games, Divergent, and Matched are;

i - eh, cant think of any right now....

If I had to create my own 'dystopia', what would be the major things I would change? Freedom of will? Freedom of speech? ......Freedom? I could be confusing Dystopia with the opposite of Utopia...

Matched sounds like a pretty good place to live, really. Equality... Minimal Criminal Activity... No diseases...  You know your place and purpose and there are people who peacefully keep it this way. Day to day lives run pretty smoothly. Sounds peaceful, doesn't it?

Except, there are cracks here and there in the pavement.  Her dad keeps a secret from her mom - so she questions and wonders if they really are in love. If you're really in love, would you keep a secret from your partner? Even if you thought it might hurt your partner, or tarnish their view on you? Could you be faulted for that?

I knew I was in love, in real love, when after all the chaos of life during the day, when I put my head on the pillow at night, all I wanted was to be near Colin. The nights when I slept near Colin, I finally felt safe, finally felt  the same comfort you do when you know everything is right in it's place. Our wedding song really sums out how I knew I was in real true love, and I'd do anything for it (Chantal Kreviazuk - Feels like Home). My experiences and my choices helped shape who I was, and how I became the person I am today. Along the way, my expectations and desires changed. If you asked me when I was 14 years old what I thought love was, and compared to when I was 17, and then compared to now - they'd all be different answers. If you asked me who my perfect man would be at 14 (Kevin from the Backstreet Boys) and compared it to 17 (all men are evil everywhere and none can be trusted) to now (My husband)  you would get all different answers.  I think a big part of what real love is has to make sense for you, and how you aspire to live your life.

I have to say, I really like how this book makes me stop and reflect. I don't know if it's because of the stage of life I'm in right now - where I can relate to her losing her grandfather and some of her words on how she's keeping her grandfather alive in her (when she chooses hiking, when she runs up the hill, when she allows herself to wonder, when she challenges herself on destroying things). It could also be that this book isn't as action packed as either Divergent or the Hunger Game Series. Since the society has a much slower pace, and she has her routine all set out for her, she has lots of time to think, and wonder. And it gives me pause to as well.

Matched: Love?

By: Michelle

Dictionary.com defines love as: 

• a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.
  
• a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.
  
• sexual passion or desire.
  
• a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.

But what is love really? Can it be defined in words? Can it be defined using feelings? Reading Matched brings up the question of love and what it means in this dystopian society. In a place where your "perfect match" is picked for you at seventeen, one has to wonder whether this society has ever experienced love or whether they even understand the concept of love as we know it today. Although the book has not gone into detail about how they choose these matches, it is assumed that the main factors are good genetics and compatibility. But one also has to ask what makes two people compatible? Is it similar interests? A physical attraction? Some believe that two similar people will have the greatest chance at everlasting love, whereas some will argue that it is opposites who attract. I believe that sometimes you don't choose who you fall in love with. Sometimes it is completely unexpected and takes you by surprise. You could have an image in your mind of who your "perfect" person is, but end up with someone who may not fit into the category of what you believe to be a perfect mate. And being with this person may make you happier than you ever could have imagined. So one ask to ask, if people are matched with one person, is that giving them a chance to experience love? Or does love perhaps evolve and have a different definition in this dystopian society? So far the couples that we have seen in the novel (those who were matched), seem to be quite happy and "in love". But if they had the choice to be with anyone at all, would they choose that same person that was once chosen for them? 

 

Cassia ends up being matched with a childhood friend of hers, Xander. She seems content with the choice until an image of another boy she knows flashes up on the screen. This image causes her to begin wondering who she is meant to be with. She does find out that the other boy who flashed up on the screen is forbidden from being matched with anyone and this somehow intrigues her even more. Is she interested in him because he is unattainable? Is she interested in him because she thinks that there may be someone out there who is better for her than Xander? I think the fact that she is confused by the situation means that she probably does not understand or really feel love and is trying to define her feelings for these boys. I am curious to see how the novel pans out. I am curious to see whether she will rebel against the decision made for her by her society and how everything unfolds. I will revisit this topic of love again when I finish the book.

On an ending note, I would like to try to define what love means to me. I believe that love is when you cannot imagine yourself being with anyone else besides the person you are with.

Update: Matched

By: Michelle

I am really enjoying the book Matched. I didn`t know what to expect so I went in with zero expectations. I am pleasantly surprised. I am about half way through the book. The story is quite interesting. I wish we would get more background detail about how the Society came to be.

I have started to notice many similarities between the dystopian books I have read lately. Here are a few things I have noticed.

1) The simple clothing. I noticed this in Divergent, Hunger Games and now this book. It seems as though they have eliminated any type of colouring from their clothing (with the exception of the Capitol in Hunger Games).

2) The division of people. In Hunger Games they were divided by career. In Divergent they were separated by personality type. In this book it feels as though they are chosen depending on how good their genes are.

3) The elimination of books and poetry and music. I see that apparent in all three books. It is almost as though these things are expected to affect people negatively so they must be eliminated or severely limited (such as the 100 stories, poems and songs in Matched). I could not imagine being without my books or music.

As I noticed things pop up I will add them to my list but these seems to stand out the most.

Thirst 4: The On-Going Project

By Raphaelle

I'm reading this while I'm reading Matched.

Sita is an anciet vampire. Her age is only reflected in how quickly she can kill, manipulate, and hypnotize people. She doesn't need that much blood to survive, and never kills for her thirst. 

However, she does kill; a lot. They're only the bad guys though!

Christopher Pike, the author, has created such a bad ass woman that it is easy to get carried in the story and you are quick to admire her. He writes like she kills; concise and efficently. There is not a lot flowery words or fluff. The drama is dramatic, and the emotions are there and swiftly dealt with.

I like this style because the story is very expanded, and deals with all sorts of issues. If Christopher Pike wrote like other authors, there would probably be at least 500 extra pages per book. 

So far the story is intriguing; it's been awhile since I finished Thirst 3 and I remember being anxious for the next book, but I can't recall -everything- that happened (A LOT happened). Sometimes I can't wrap my head around the religious issues and the age UNlimitations as they talk about Krishna when he was alive, and how other vampires and immortals have carried on.... but that is how the author makes the vampires realistic. They all have the common ground of being alive when Krishna was alive, and they worship him still. 

The world is doomed, there is a virus out there to wipe out humanity, Sita and her group are working hard to figure out the vaccine. The bad guys have a scary, unlimited (it seems) psychic/telekenitic power that can manipulate any being (vampires and immortals included). How bad would it be if someone were able to strip you of your will and control your actions? You could kill the person you love most in this world and nothing you can do. 

BUT! Before they save the world, they have to get Sita back her body. . . .  and I'm only at 30% of the entire book!

I'm giving this 3 little chickies.

Our next read

By: Michelle

Matched by Ally Condie

Synopsis: For Cassia, nothing is left to chance--not what she will eat, the job she will have, or the man she will marry. In Matched, the Society Officials have determined optimal outcomes for all aspects of daily life, thereby removing the "burden" of choice. When Cassia's best friend is identified as her ideal marriage Match it confirms her belief that Society knows best, until she plugs in her Match microchip and a different boy’s face flashes on the screen. This improbable mistake sets Cassia on a dangerous path to the unthinkable--rebelling against the predetermined life Society has in store for her. As author Ally Condie’s unique dystopian Society takes chilling measures to maintain the status quo, Matched reminds readers that freedom of choice is precious, and not without sacrifice.

I have heard mixed things about this book but have always been interested in reading it. I have picked it up various times at the bookstore and then chosen something else instead. I needed a bit of a push to decide to read this. So this is going to be our next pick. I am quite excited to read it...and I am also happy that the sequel is out. I have trouble reading books that are part of a series when only one is out. I get way too anxious waiting for the next book to come out.

We are each reading our own books right now so before we start Matched, we will be sure to have reviews of the books we read separately.

Across the Universe Saga: A Look into the Language

By Raphaelle

So now that we have given our review of the book, let's take a somewhat deeper dive into what makes Across the Universe stand out from other books. I'm going to talk about the use of language and its evolution. Don't worry, there are no spoilers in this post!

It's discussed a lot today about how the English language is being bastardized by the texting generation.  In simple cases it's using the letter 'U' to read 'You'.  Learning this shorthand from a young age might ingrain very bad habits.

Personally, as a book lover and prose enthusiast, I consciously try to write out all my words when texting, writing an e-mail, or exchanging any words electronically. Sometimes when I am in a hurry, I have taken the fast route and shorthanded a sentence from, "Meet you at 7:00" to "Meet u @ 7". The argument that it doesn't take that much longer to write it out properly is flawed, because yes - yes it does. Writing out the sentence fully allows for a higher risk of spelling errors and auto-correct errors (hello book #4: Damn You Autocorrect!) so it can take anywhere from 3 seconds longer to 30 seconds longer. Those precious 30 seconds? I could be reading!

I don't think as a generation we're in trouble, just yet. People don't talk like they text, not yet.

The author, Beth Revis, of the Across the Universe saga, goes one step further and explores the possible verbal evolution of some words. I found that very interesting, a small twist she puts in her writing to make it seem just that much closer to the realm of possibility. What IF we sent a sample of our population up in space, and it took them 300+ years to get to their destination? What IF we sent them with a small sample of our history? What IF they were reproducing in such a enclosed area? What IF they evolved a little? What would THEY change to make their own?

Here are some examples;

Victria - Victoria
Vid - Video
Frex - F***
Shite - S***
Med - Medicine, Medical
Chutz - I'm actually not sure, but I get the impression it's related to the family of calling someone a butt-head.
Loons - Crazy/Looney
...and more I can't remember off the top of my head.

I can easily see us in a couple decades using words like 'vid' and 'pic' in everyday language, so having Beth Revis use this in her writing made the book feel all that more real.

Review: A Million Suns

By Michelle

This year we are both doing a 75 book challenge. Last year I managed to just barely complete a 55 book challenge. But there was a chunk of time where I did not read. Hopefully this year we will be able to motivate each other to finish all 75 books.

We both just recently finished reading A Million Suns by Beth Revis, which is a sequel to her debut novel Across the Universe. For those who have not read Across the Universe, here is a synopsis.

Synopsis (Across the Universe): Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

If you have not read it, I suggest you pick it up ASAP. It was definitely one of my top reads of 2011. I anxiously awaited the release of the sequel and last week was finally able to continue the story of Elder and Amy. I suggest not reading the synopsis to A Million Suns if you have not read Across the Universe because it may have spoilers. But for those of you who read A Million Suns...or who don't mind spoilers, read ahead.

Synopsis (A Million Suns): Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. 

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies. 

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. 

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Thoughts: I often find that many sequels will fall flat. Authors will write an amazing beginning to a series and leave you wanting more. Then when you read the next book you are left disappointed. This book did not fall into this category. The story was quick paced and I loved seeing the characters grow while facing new challenges that were presented to them. This is a great dystopian read. I have really been enjoying the dystopian books. If you have others to recommend, you know what to do!

I give this book:

How I rate my books

By Michelle

Here at Literate Chicks, we will be using baby chicks to give our ratings. We both may rate our books a little differently, which is why we will each let you know how our ratings work.

One chick: Horrible book. Do not pick this up unless you have absolutely nothing else to read.

 Two chicks: I would not recommend this book. Difficult book to get through.

Three chicks: Decent book but I would not put it at the top of my "to be read pile"

Four chicks: Amazing book. You must read this one soon!

Five chicks: You must read this book ASAP. Pick it up now, if you can!

An Introduction to Literate Chicks

Welcome to our page! The creation of this blog came about through discussing our favourite books and ways in which we could share all the elements from our reads in a unique way. Both of us have our own blogs and on those blogs we do share some book ideas but we also post about a variety of other topics. We wanted something solely devoted to books! Here you will find book reviews, recommendations and various other book related topics. We hope you enjoy this page!


Links to our personal blogs:
Raphaelle's Blog
Michelle's Blog