Top 5 Retellings!

I have wanted to do this topic for the longest time! As excited as I am to make this list, in hind sight, I probably should have waited. I’ve read quite a few retellings over the years but they’re something that’s usually hit or miss for me. Either it’s too close to the original tale, it’s too far away or it misses that special spark that I felt with the original. Being honest, that special spark has A LOT to do with it! The happy medium being right in the middle is rare. As many as I’ve read there are still so many sitting unread on my shelves. Too many books, too little time, right? But I’m giving this topic a try in hopes that the participants will talk about the ones they love and I can add some more to my wish list!

Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme where I explore different topics. If you are interested in participating I would love to have you! Here is a list of my Upcoming Topics in August – please remember to ping back a specific post of mine so I get a notification and I will add you to the participants list!

THE LUNAR CHRONICLES – Marissa Meyer

Hands down my favourite retellings EVER!!!! The characters in each book resembled each of the characters they represented but with an extra special edge! The events were also somewhat similar to the original tale but it was all spun in a science fiction adventure way. I can’t say enough about how much I loved this series!! I especially love that each book explores a new character without really taking away from the first ones presented to you. They add on to the story making is better and complex. If you don’t know, here are the retellings that each book follows: CINDER = Cinderella, SCARLET = Red Riding Hood, CRESS = Rapunzel, WINTER = Snow White.

HUNTED – Meagan Spooner

Best Beauty and the Beast retelling! I kind of knew I would enjoy this one but it surprised me how much I loved it. Pretty much all the things I didn’t like about the original story (Ahem…. Gaston, I’m talking about you and your ego!) were taken out and we were left with this beautiful story of a strong girl, with a great relationship with her sisters, a well built world, and a folklore tale that brought it all together. So good!

THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renee Ahdieh

This one is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. Which honestly I don’t even remember anything about the original. But this series – I mean – AMAZING!!! The characters were so great and strong and the world was outstanding! Her writing captured me so quickly and completely. A stunning duology that I actually plan to reread very soon!

NORA AND KETTLE by Lauren Nicolle Taylor

This is a retelling of Peter Pan. Where Peter pan is a homeless “lost boy” living in the subway and Wendy is a privileged girl living a tortured life who needs to fly away. This book was far darker than I could have expected. While I didn’t love it completely, it was still a very different direction to take the story!

THE GIRL WHO CIRCUMNAVIGATED FAIRYLAND IN A SHIP OF HER OWN MAKING by Catherynna M Valente

Ok I’m cheating now. This one technically isn’t a retelling – but it sure feels like one! This one gave me some SERIOUS Alice in Wonderland vibes!! The world and the characters were so fantastical! Like nothing i’ve ever read before really. It set my imagination on this insanely wild ride with magical creatures (and objects) in a world you could never dream of. It’s been a while since I’ve read this one but the creatures that were a part of this story are still in my mind. If you’ve read this one before did it remind you of Alice in Wonderland? I still haven’t read the sequel and I may need to do a reread before I can get to it.

TOP 5 TUESDAY PARTICIPANTS:

• Ryann @ Ryann The Reader
• Bri @ Words With Bri
• Steph @ Lost: Purple Quill
• Rachel @ Pace, Amore, Libri
• Angela @ Egg Reader
• Lauren @ Books Are Only The Beginning
• Sophie @ Beware of the Reader
• Hadeer @ Hadeer Writes
• Rebecca @ My Life as a Sports Fan Girl
• Kyera @ Kyera’s Library

I feel like I cheated with this one but that’s all that I had. A few more retellings i’ve read I could have added to this list (Flame in the Mist and Heartless) but I really didn’t enjoy those and felt like I would be lying if I put those on a top 5. I know some people loved them but they weren’t for me. I hope that the participants can help me find some more reads so I can do a sequel to this topic next year!

Until next time, happy reading!