Weekend Reads: Melanie Dickerson and the Importance of Jellybeans (Mary)

 Pretty much everyone who knows me knows I love the Medieval era. Those who know me beyond passing acquaintance know that I'm slightly obsessed with it.

Those who know me very, very well, know that during our teens, my best friend and I actually kept journals of "our lives" that we wrote as though we were living in the Medieval era. That's how deep my obsession goes. Granted, we were wildly inaccurate historically speaking, creating instead some kind of weird, mostly fictional, Medieval/Renaissance/sheer fantasy alternate universe in which the drama ran outrageously high and we both spent the majority of our time either being kidnapped or proposed to--sometimes both, for good measure.

We spent hours every week--sometimes hours per day--pouring our dramatic little souls onto the pages of those journals, and looked forward with giddy excitement to seeing each other every Friday, when we could exchange journals, read each other's adventures and exploits from the previous week, and add to them our own adventures for the next week.

Looking back at those journals now I think "Oh my goodness, I want to die..." but at the same time, there is still an appeal to living in that world, as much as I blush to admit it. The castles and knights and gorgeous clothes and pageantry and coats of arms and tournaments...but with enough fantasy thrown in to break the historical rules whenever I need or want to, to conform to the story I'm telling.

I think that's why I love the work of Melanie Dickerson so much.

(My most recent Melanie Dickerson read)

Melanie Dickerson's books are a relaxed blend of Medieval historical fiction and fairy tale/fantasy, but in my opinion they don't fit neatly into either category. There are too many anachronisms to really call it historical, but they are too historical to really qualify as full-fledged fantasy, either.

And I think that's part of what appeals to me. Dickerson's books are fun, relaxing, easy reading, and don't require a lot of thought to follow--the kind of books that I like to call "jellybean reading."

You can't live a healthy lifestyle if all you ever eat is jellybeans--they aren't going to power you through a 5k or boost your immune system or keep you satisfied all day at work--and in the same way I don't believe that you can have a balanced, well-rounded literary diet if all you ever read is Melanie Dickerson.

But boy, jellybeans sure taste good.

 If you want a little something sweet and enjoyable (and let's be honest, jellybeans are just cute to look at), if you want something with a variety of flavors but the same basic form and format, if you're feeling down and need a sweet, colorful little pick-me-up, nothing quite hits the spot like jellybeans.

I know people who won't touch a sugary snack like jellybeans, and I know people who won't read books like Melanie Dickerson because they're "fluff." But I would argue that, just as jellybeans can have an important cheering-up effect, "fluffy" reads can be an important part of a literary diet.

Sometimes I'm just too tired to read nonfiction or heavy, "serious" literature. Sometimes I'm sad and don't want to read anything emotional or that deals with super heavy topics. And, I'll be honest, sometimes I get nostalgic about living in a Medieval fantasy world with my best friend, and just want something to remind me of that.

Literature doesn't exist only to educate and challenge us. Literature also exists to comfort, to console, to be a friend, to help us relax, to just have fun. Different books and different authors fulfill different purposes with their work, and who's to say that the jellybeans you use to cheer up and have some fun aren't as important to a balanced, varied diet and lifestyle as an 8-ounce steak or a spinach salad you use to build up your muscle and get some serious work done?

Review of The Piper's Pursuit (Katie)

Review of Melanie Dickerson's The Piper's Pursuit

What We're Reading (Katie)

Aren't books the best? They can pick you up when you're down, welcome you home when you've been away, or take you away when you've been in one place too long. I've been reading a bunch of great books over the last six weeks, and today I'm telling you about The Piper's Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson.

A plague of rats. Children going missing. A giant beast attacking just outside the walls of Hamlin.  And one young woman determined to save her town.

Katerina’s stepfather, Hennek, is neither a good father nor a good husband, but he is the mayor of Hamlin. Could he somehow be causing the misfortunes that have befallen her beloved town? The evidence points to a beast of unusual size—a wolf, perhaps, or a large dog—killing people who venture too far from town. But does that explain the disappearance of so many children, many of whom seem to have gone missing from inside the town walls?

Steffan knows he must reconcile with his father, the Duke of Hagenheim, but he’s not sure he’s ready. In the meantime, he roams from town to town seeking adventure and reward. When he hears of a giant beast terrorizing the town of Hamlin and an equally giant reward that includes gold, money, and the mayor’s daughter in marriage, he heads to Hamlin. Steffan plans to kill the beast, rid the town of its rat infestation, and take the reward—everything except the girl in marriage. However, when he meets Katerina, he’s not so sure. Perhaps his plans need changing.

Katerina is hunting the Beast of Hamlin for herself, determined to win liberation from her conniving and controlling stepfather. When she finds one of the children who has been missing for many months, dirty and wandering around the woods, the mystery only seems to deepen. Katerina will have to team up with Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son who infuriates her—he’s the only one in town who isn’t controlled by the mayor. Danger dogs them from both man and beast. Can Katerina and Steffan stop the “Pied Piper” from stealing every last child from Hamlin? Or will their interference create an even worse fate? 

I've been reading and enjoying Melanie's books for several years now, and while there are some books I've liked more than others I was thrilled with The Piper's Pursuit. I thought I'd give you a few of my favorite parts.

* Katerina's raw emotion throughout the story

* The "realness" of the antagonist (aka the bad guy)

* Steffan's gentle yet strong presence

* The orphans (love kids involved in the story like this!)

* And, as always in Melanie Dickerson's stories, the great adventure and action throughout the story

If you want to learn more about The Piper's Pursuit you can check it out here on Goodreads. It will be available for the general public in December. However, I was given an advanced copy by the publisher. All thoughts are entirely my own.

Top 3 Books of 2018 (Lizzie)

Do you ever think about a book and know you read it but can't quite remember what year it was you read it? Well, I'm pretty sure I read these books this year and not last year. If I wasn't sure when I read it, or if it was a short story, I omitted it to make the choosing easier. My list focuses on the fantasy books I read, since this is a fantasy blog. However, I couldn't help but mention some of the other full-length books I loved.

Top 3 Fantasy Books Read in 2018

1. The Restorer (Sword of Lyric)

With adventure, relatable characters, great spiritual truths, and a fascinating fantasy world, this was an unexpected gem. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series, which I bought as a Christmas gift to myself. You can read my review of it here.

2. Tinsel in a Tangle by Laurie Germaine

I loved this book when I came across it in a writing critique group and even remembered to hunt for it years later to see if it had been published. A contemporary YA with a twist, the twist being that the main character is a Christmas elf (well, mostly an elf) living in a fairly modern town (Santa's workshop and elves can have phones and snow mobiles too, after all), it's a delightful, funny romance. Laurie Germaine was a guest on our blog earlier this year. You can read her post here.

3. Masque

Resourceful and witty heroine, strong hero, humor, cleverness, murder, mystery, wonderful British language, and a Beauty and the Beauty-style love curse, Masque was a delightful read. It reminded me of Jen Turano's Ladies of Distinction series, only with an intriguing world of magic rather than the intriguing, though equally foreign, world of 1880s Park 5th Avenue. Masque also gets an award for one of my favorite covers of 2019!

Top Non-fantasy Books of 2018

In no particular order, here are some of my other favorite reads from this year.

1. Where We Belong by Lynn Austin I absolutely loved this historical fiction about the adventures of two sister who educate themselves and travel in a time when that was frowned upon. With romance, exotic locations (Egypt and a monastery in Sinai), and ancient Biblical texts, I loved the history and the characters.

2. and 3. The Silent Songbird by Melanie Dickerston and More than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer Two thoroughly enjoyable books by two of favorite historical romance authors.

4.  No God but One: Allah or Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi My only non-fiction book on the list, I actually read this one twice, which isn't something I do too often. I learned a lot from Qureshi's studies into his former faith of Islam and the faith his research led him to embrace: Christianity. It taught me a lot about who the Christian God is and how he is a God of love and relationship.








5. The Tainted Coin by Mel Starr Another fantastic medieval murder mystery in the Hugh de Singleton Chronicles, only this time with buried treasure and kidnapped ladies to add to the adventure.

Have you read any of these books? Do any spark your interest? What were your favorite reads of 2018?

Top 3 Books by Melanie Dickerson (Laurie)

You may remember back a few months ago when I shared about my Top 3 Authors Who Write Books Faster than I Can Read Them. I'm happy to report that I'm making some progress catching up! Not only did I finally read my first book by Morgan L. Busse (which was excellent, by the way!), but I've also listened to audiobooks of FOUR of Melanie Dickerson's novels. Not totally caught up, but it's a good start! And because I've been in such a Melanie Dickerson phase lately, I thought I would share my Top 3 Books by Melanie Dickerson - at least of the ones I've read so far :)


3. The Captive Maiden

This was one of those books that made me all gooey inside. I felt bad for Valten when his betrothed was stolen by his younger brother in The Fairest Beauty, so I was very ready to root for him when he got his own story! And I seem to be attracted to the strong, silent type - his emotions just felt so much more raw and authentic at the few points where he did express them.  Gisela was an easy character to cheer for as well, and I was eager to see her get a happily-ever-after following the cruelty she experienced from her stepmother. Action, cool historical details about knightly tournaments, and such swoony romance! *happy sigh*










2. The Golden Braid

I loved that The Golden Braid didn't follow the usual pattern of Dickerson's novels in many ways, and yet it had the same satisfying romance, adventure, and fairy tale connections. I thought the tie-ins to Rapunzel were especially clever in this book, and I really liked the way Mother Gothel's character was handled - the perfect blend of over-the-top protectiveness mixed with increasing hints of something a bit more sinister. It was fun watching Rapunzel and Sir Gerek move from dislike and distrust to affection for each other. Add to that the mystery of Rapunzel's identity, and I was totally sucked in!












1. The Merchant's Daughter

This was one of my very first Melanie Dickerson books, and I think part of the appeal definitely came from the fact that her romantic historical fairy tale retellings were still pretty new to me. But between Beauty and the Beast being one of my favorite fairy tales and the increasing vulnerability of gruff Lord Ranulf as Annabel makes an impression on him, this story really earned a place in my heart. I also appreciated the sweetness of Annabel's character and the way the meaningful faith narrative worked into the story. I may have to see if I can find the audiobook for this one so I can revisit... :)












How about you? Have you read any of Melanie Dickerson's books, and if so, which are your favorites? Do you have any authors you love so much you could do an entire post about their books?


See you next time!
Laurie

Top 3 Frog Prince Stories (Lizzie)

Tales of Ever After, the anthology with my retelling of the "Frog Prince," released recently, which naturally means frog prince retellings have been on my mind. And what better subject for a Top 3 post?

Top 3 Frog Prince Retellings

1) E.D. Baker's The Frog Princess

This is a charming children's novel about a princess who kisses a frog and then becomes a one herself. Princess Emerelda is not any better at being a demure princess than she is at mastering magic, and she certainly does not want to marry Prince Jorge, though her mother insists she will. That all changes when she becomes a frog, but despite the flaws of her human life, Emerelda doesn't want to stay a frog. So she and her frog prince go on an adventure to find a witch who can tell them how to become human again.

If the idea of a princess turning into a frog when she kisses a frog prince sounds familiar, isn't because this story inspired a Disney animation.

2) Disney’s The Princess and the Frog

I love the 1920s New Orleans setting of this story, the music, the hardworking waitress Tiana, and ... well, there's a lot to enjoy about this movie. A practical, hardworking young woman with big dreams of opening her own restaurant and a spoiled, selfish princess, both turned into frogs, must venture into the bayou to find a way to return to their true form. Vodoo and evil spirits are a part of the movie, as they are responsible the prince's curse, so that is something to consider. It does add an interesting cultural element to the story, however.

3) Melanie Dickerson's The Princess Spy 

Another great medieval fairytale retelling from Melanie Dickerson. This story concerns Margaretha, daughter of the Duke of Hagenheim. I first met Margaretha in The Captive Maiden and was thrilled to discover she was getting a story of her own. The Princess Spy is an enjoyable story of a wealthy young woman who becomes nurse to a mysterious injured man because she's the only one who can speak his language. She doesn't it like it when he claims her handsome suitor is the man who caused his wounds. Margaretha is forced to spy to find out the truth and discovers a plot much greater than she thought.

Do you have a favorite Frog Prince retelling?

Top 3 Authors Who Write Books Faster Than I Can Read Them (Laurie)

You've probably heard me bemoan the insanity that is my to-read mountain before. (Like in this post, for instance...) I love that as a writer I've had the opportunity to get to know so many amazing fellow authors, but every time I meet a new author, I want to read one of his or her books. And if I like that one, I want to read the rest! Plus, I need to take some time to write, spend time with family, clean the house... The difficulty is clear. But there are a few prolific authors who cause additional challenges because they just keep publishing awesome-sounding books, far faster than I can get around to reading them. So today, I thought I'd share my top 3 authors who write books faster than I can read them :)


3) Morgan Busse

I had the opportunity to meet this lovely author at Realm Makers a few weeks ago, and I got my copy of her debut novel, Daughter of Light (Follower of the Word, Book 1), signed! Yay!! But I've owned this book for a while, and I'm quite ashamed of myself that I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Meanwhile, she finished writing her Follower of the Word series several years ago, and has since published Tainted and Awakened (The Soul Chronicles), which I also really want to read. Now Mark of the Raven, which sounds SO good and has a gorgeous cover, is coming out in November. I have so much catching up to do!


2) Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson was one of my first introductions into the world of Christian fiction, and I just adore her sweet fairy tale romances. Once upon a time, I was all caught up on her published books. But then I became a writer, and I fell a bit behind. Then she published more of her Hagenheim Medieval fairy tale retellings. Then she branched off a new set of Medieval fairy tale retellings into the Thornbeck series. Then she published a set of Regency romances. Now she's self-publishing a Southern historical in just a few months. Do you see the problem? I want to read them all, but I'm so hopelessly behind I hardly know which of her books to pick up first! (Let me know in the comments if you have a suggestion!)


1) H.L. Burke

This girl does it all. She writes tons of books, all while organizing promotional efforts, coordinating anthologies, and homeschooling her kids. I stand in awe. Her stories have a great mix of snarky humor, cool magic systems, and swoon-worthy romances that make me want to read every one! But I just can't keep up. To illustrate how hard I'm trying, I read an advance review copy of her new July release, Flower, a few weeks ago. Now I'm reading an advance review copy of her upcoming release, Spice Bringer, while simultaneously listening to her Nyssa Glass series on audiobook. And I'm still behind! I haven't read books 2 and 3 in the Spellsmith & Carver series, I've barely touched her backlist of books, and she has two more coming out in the next few months. I salute you, H.L. Burke, but you really are contributing to the giant problem that is my TBR mountain :)


How about you? Are there any authors in your life who publish books faster than you can read them? What are some of the books at the top of your TBR pile / mountain?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie