New Book: Little Red Hot by by Eric A. Kimmel (Author), Laura Huliska Beith (Illustrator)

Little Red Hot by by Eric A. Kimmel (Author), Laura Huliska Beith (Illustrator) was released earlier this year. I recently received a review copy and was rather tickled by the book--a new twist on Little Red Riding Hood, obviously. Kimmel has a series of Texan-influenced fairy tale retellings and this is one of my favorites in the bunch.

I've been quiet on the blog as I finish upcoming books in the little free time I've enjoyed this summer. But I have been also getting in a few minutes here and there to update pages on the SurLaLune main site, such as Book Galleries and Modern Interpretations pages. If you are interested in seeing more of the latest releases of Little Red Riding Hood books, go to the Book Gallery.

On with some comments and images from the book:

I've read countless interpretations of Little Red Riding Hood over the years and this one offered a new, unexpected premise:

Folks called her that because she loved to eat red hot chili peppers.

and

Folks used to say that Little Red Hot could eat fire out of a stove.

Little Red Hot would answer, 'No, I wouldn't do that. Fire ain't hot enough!'

And that sets up a fun story with a feisty heroine. How she uses the peppers to outwit the wolf is pretty much expected but still fun all the same. Laura Huliska-Beith's illustrations show that Little Red Hot is never fooled by the wolf, but is only toying with him until she can get rid of him with little danger to herself.

And, for concerned parents, neither Grandma nor any other character is ingested in this book. Little Red Hot saves herself although she gets a good warning of danger from Pecos Bill. All ends happily and some pepper knowledge is shared along the way in both the text and the author's notes.

Book description:

Little Red Hot loves red hot chilli peppers. She eats them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When her grandmother catches a cold, Little Red makes her a hot pepper pie that will "knock those cold germs right out of her". But before Little Red shares her pie with Grandma, she meets Señor Lobo. The pie comes in very handy when the wily wolf tries to trick her into thinking he's her grandmother.

Bargain Ebook: Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr

Faery Tales & Nightmares by Melissa Marr is bargain priced in ebook format to $1.99 today only.

The hardcover--Faery Tales & Nightmares-- is also bargain priced at $7.40 (less than the paperback) for however long the inventory lasts.

Book description:

Faery Tales & Nightmares is an anthology of short stories by Melissa Marr, many set in the world of her Wicked Lovely series.

Marr revisits favorite fan characters such as faeries Niall and Irial, and introduces fascinating new beings, including a vampire, a pair of selchie brothers, and a goblin. The strange creatures can appear anywhere, coming from the sea, from the woods, from inside storms; they may come seeking to bring destruction or to find a passionate encounter…

Lush, seductive, and chilling, the stories in Melissa Marr’s Faery Tales & Nightmares blend fairy tales and folklore, horror and fantasy, and allow us to revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it.

Grimm Season One on Sale and Slight Thoughts on the Series

Grimm: Season One is currently $19.99 on Amazon, 50% off list price. It usually ranges about $32 during the year, but with the new season about to begin, the set is discounted for a short while.

And while we are here, I never imagined this series would end up getting a third season! I'm not an avid watcher but I personally enjoy it more than OUAT if I turn off my fairy tale analyzing brain. The series has solved some of its problems by introducing more female character regulars as well as other tweaks. And, of course, there is always Monroe. And Rosalee.

One of my favorite aspects of both shows, OUAT and Grimm? My internal character analysis of people once they "confess" which show they prefer. It's like a pop culture fairy tale Rorschach test. Telling me which one you prefer tells me very quickly a few things about you. None of it judgmental, mind you, just a bit about your entertainment tastes and a few personality traits perhaps, too. And how they tell me reveals more, too. Many of the OUATers are apologetic (in both senses of the word: 1. regretful acknowledgment and 2. reasoned justifcation) for their tastes while the Grimm fans aren't. Some of it is as simple as "dark is cool" so they don't need to defend Grimm, I guess, and yet OUAT has a much larger fan base overall.

Bargain Ebook: Sister Emily's Lightship: and Other Stories by Jane Yolen

Sister Emily's Lightship: and Other Stories by Jane Yolen is currently $1.99 for ebook format. This is a collection of short stories, many of which are inspired by fairy tales. I own it in paper, but am happy to add it to my digital library, too, for this price! From Rumpelstiltskin in "Granny Rumple" (this is the one I always think of first when I see the book) to "Godmother Death", you should be able to find a tale you enjoy here in a nice one-sitting sized bite.

Book description:

In these twenty-eight magnificent tales, which include two Nebula Award winners, Jane Yolen puts a provocative spin on familiar storybook worlds and beloved fairy tale characters

One of the most acclaimed and honored authors in science fiction and fantasy, Jane Yolen has been called “the Hans Christian Andersen of America” for her brilliant reimagining of classic fairy tales. In her first collection of short stories written for an adult audience (after Tales of Wonder and Dragonfield), Yolen explores themes of freedom and justice, truth and consequence, and brings new life to our most cherished fables and myths.

Here are storybook realms rendered more contemporary, and cautionary tales made grimmer than Grimm: Snow White is transported to Appalachia to match wits with a snake-handling evil stepmother and Beauty’s meeting with the Beast takes a twisty, O. Henry–esque turn; in Yolen’s Nebula Award–winning “Lost Girls,” a feminist revolt rocks Peter Pan’s Neverland and in the collection’s glorious title story—also a Nebula winner—the poet Emily Dickinson receives some unexpected and otherworldly inspiration. Sometimes dark, sometimes funny, and always enthralling, Sister Emily’s Lightship is proof positive that Yolen is truly a folklorist of our times.

This ebook features a personal history by Jane Yolen including rare images from the author’s personal collection, as well as a note from the author about the making of the book.

New Book: Sleeping Beauty's Daughters by Diane Zahler

Sleeping Beauty's Daughters by Diane Zahler is released next week. Zahler also wrote Princess of the Wild Swans and The Thirteenth Princess and A True Princess.

Book description:

Princesses Aurora and Luna have grown up in a cliff-top palace by the sea, where they are carefully protected by their parents, the king and queen. No one visits, the girls cannot stray beyond the castle walls, and, curiously, all sharp objects are forbidden from the castle.

But accidents will happen—particularly when an old curse still has power. Soon, in spite of all precautions, Aurora is struggling not to slip into an enchanted sleep.

Frantic, the princesses accept the help of a young fisherman named Symon and embark on a daring ocean voyage to find their aunt—a fairy who may be able to break the spell. From fearsome beasts to raging storms, many dangers befall them, yet they must not give up…for if Aurora sleeps, she will not wake for one hundred years.

Dixit: Storytelling Game Bargain Priced Today Only

I wrote about the game, Dixit, in December 2009. Today it is one of the Gold Box deals on Amazon--with several other board games, see Gold Box Deal of the Day 8/17/13: Strategy Games--and I ordered it as soon as I saw it. For $19.99, today only, I am eager to try out this game that appears to be the Balderdash of storytelling. That's 43% off the regular price and by far the best price I've ever seen for a new copy of the game, even a used one.

From my old post:

Dixit by Asmodée Editions is another game I discovered in my browsing this week. It is a storytelling game of sorts developed in France where it won best game of the year in Cannes as well as Games Magazine Awards Best Party Game 2010 Award.

The game is French, obviously, but has descriptions and instructions printed in multiple languages, conveniently one is English. What stands out about this game is how pretty it is. The art by Marie Cardouat is beautiful and features fairy tale imagery in general, not the specific. You can see more images on Board Game Geek. There will also soon be a Dixit 2 available as an expansion pack or stand alone game all its own. It is due out in 2010 from what I understand. When there is an expansion pack, one can assume the game is a bestseller. Just look at Carcassonne or Settlers of Catan games. (2013 Update: There are now SEVERAL expansion packs available).

Here's a description of the game:

Each player at his turn plays the storyteller. He is given a single picture, while the other players get a hand of six pictures. The storyteller says a sentence or a word connected to his picture, then each player chooses one of his pictures to bet upon. All pictures are showed face up, and every player has to bet upon what picture was the storyteller's.

If nobody or everybody finds the correct picture, the storyteller scores 0, and each of the other players scores 2. Otherwise the storyteller and whoever found the correct answer scores 3. Players score 1 point for every vote gotten by their own pic.

The game ends when the deck is empty. The greatest total wins the game.

Jack Frost on MST3K

Many members of my family are big fans of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (MST3K for those in the the know) and many of the DVDs are on sale this week on Amazon. I'm sharing this info here because one fairy tale film is included in the sale, Jack Frost. See the set here at Mystery Science Theater 3000, Vol. XVIII (Lost Continent / Crash of the Moons / The Beast of Yucca Flats / Jack Frost). The Jack Frost episode is a fan favorite and its DVD release was eagerly anticipated by many. The poor film was originally an Eastern European release from long ago but it provides entertaining fodder. And it's cheaper to acquire it for watching this way during the sale and much funnier.

Or you watch it on Mystery Science Theater 3000: Jack Frost Instant Video for $3.99.

Of course, there are also people sharing it on YouTube.

Vote for Your Favorite Young Adult Fairy Tale Sequel at The Hub

Over at The Hub, the YALSA blog for the American Library Association, they have a poll this week for favorite fairy tale sequels. The group is limited to YA titles and only five are offered, but the results of a larger audience should be interesting.

From the post:

This week, we want to know which YA book that explores what happens after a fairy tale ends is your favorite. Vote in the poll below or leave a comment if we’ve omitted a really great fairy tale sequel! (There are lots more, right?)

Which is the best sequel to or aftermath of a fairy tale?

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Enna Burning (Books of Bayern) by Shannon Hale
Fables series by Bill Willingham
Sisters Red (Fairy Tale Retelling) by Jackson Pearce
A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

  

You can vote at The Hub. And/or see the ongoing results as more people vote. Fables and Sisters Red are in the lead so far. And if you have a different title, add it to the comments here and I will consider our own SurLaLune vote in the future.