Weekend Reads: Gretchen and the Bear by Carrie Anne Noble (Lauricia)

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but let's face it: we all do.

Or at least, we are drawn to books because of their covers. This was especially the case for me with my recommendation for this weekend's read: Gretchen and the Bear.

Those of you who have been following the blog for a while know I don't often read fairy tale retellings; not because I don't like them but because my go-to flavor of the genre is epic fantasy. However, Carrie Anne Noble and I are members of the Realm Makers tribe of authors, and I had seen the book's cover often enough in group circles to recognize it on sight. It called to me each time I encountered it until, in a bit of an emotional funk and wanting to escape into a fantasy reminiscent of those I read when I was younger, I decided the pastel colors and girl-riding-a-bear silhouette looked as though it would satisfy my longing for a bit of nostalgia.

I was enchanted almost instantly because the setting of the story does something I've heard of but have yet to experience: it blends science-fiction and fantasy.

What?

Gretchen and the Bear is set in a future where humanity has destroyed the planet and must live on an orbiting space station. After the last human leaves, the fey who remain on Earth regenerate it. Once it is again inhabitable, the planet is divided into human-inhabited North America and fairy-dominated Britannia. But the fey openly despise humanity, and no one who travels to Britannia ever returns.

Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Gretchen, her step-sister Ruby has run away to Britannia to meet her fairy boyfriend. Gretchen's step-mother has sent her after Ruby with an ultimatum: if she doesn't bring Ruby home, her father will die.

Forced to search a magic forest filled with hostile fey for a sister who doesn't want to be found, Gretchen is lost and desperately in need of help when she happens upon the cottage home of a family of bear shape-shifters and gets mistaken as the heroic Silverhair of Bearfolk legend. The mix-up completely blindsides Gretchen's search, forcing her in a new direction that turns all of her goals and plans upside down. And just when you think the story is over, it moves in a direction that's unpredictable yet true, which made the book very satisfying.

Gretchen and the Bear is exactly the type of story I was looking for. The blend of science-fiction and fantasy is masterful and the fairy tale elements are true to the genre without being cliché. This is one story you don't want to overlook.

Weekend Reads: Jane Eyre (Lauricia)

 Happy April, everyone! Can you believe we’re already one-fourth of the way through the year? Where I live spring is running a little bit late, as we’re experiencing unseasonably cold weather, but everything is blooming anyway, as if to defy the temperatures. This weekend even promises rain, which means perfect reading weather!

For those of you who don’t know, I teach high school English for ninth through twelfth grades at a small private school. All of my classes read at least four novels per year in addition to their regular coursework, and I like to re-read the books I teach about once every five or so years. Currently I’m re-reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and I’m having a grand time, which is why I’m recommending it for this week’s Weekend Reads.

Jane Eyre is perfect for fantasy lovers because it was written during two literary periods that appeal to our enjoyment of the supernatural: the Romantic period and the Gothic period. Without using my teacher-voice, literature written during the Romantic period is characterized in one aspect by spiritual and supernatural elements. Gothic literature is an exploration of the dark side of man, so it is filled with elements such as ghosts, lunatics, crumbled castles and mansions, and the like. Both of these periods make Jane Eyre the perfect classic for lovers of fantasy.

The novel tells the story of Jane Eyre as she grows from youth into adulthood. It is divided into five parts, and this go-around I’m noticing each part seems to have hints of a specific fairy tale. The parts are referred to by the locations where Jane lives: Gateshead, Lowood, Thornfield, Moor House, and Fernden. I’m only in the middle of the book, but my students and I agree that the Gateshead section contains definite Cinderella vibes and the Lowood section smacks of Little Red Riding Hood. Our first impression of Thornfield was echoes of Beauty and the Beast, but Charlotte Bronte actually refers to the Legend of Bluebeard in this one, so we had to concede the point; especially when we met the character named Bertha Mason. I’m excited to see which fairy tales (if any) can be found in the last two sections. I’m guessing Snow White for Moor House, but I can’t remember much about Fernden yet, and I refuse to “cheat” by looking it up until after I’ve finished the book.

Other elements of this story include ghosts, a lunatic who lives in an attic, lots of references to fairies and elves, and a classic romance that helped establish the archetype of the moody but desirable male lead. If you’re looking to read outside the strictly fantasy genre, but you don’t want to deviate too far, Jane Eyre is the book you need to read next.

Are there any pieces of classic literature that you're fond of? I'd love to hear about them, or about your impressions of Jane Eyre if you've read it, in the comments.

Weekend Reads: The Near Witch by V. E. Schwab (Lauricia)

Greetings, all!

As I’m writing to you this month, Texas is emerging like a burrowing mammal from our great Icepocolypse. The sun is finally shining in a clear sky, and the temperature is finally scheduled to rise above freezing. Those of you in the north may scoff, but we southerners are simply not prepared for this type of weather. As a meme I saw phrased it, “I love that no one in Texas owns actual snow clothes. It’ll snow and you’ll see everyone outside in mismatched pajamas and a hoodie.” Not to mention four layers of socks on our hands for gloves. It just doesn’t make sense to own clothing for weather that usually occurs only once in a decade or so!

But enough of the weather. We’re here to talk about books you need to read. For this weekend, I recommend The Near Witch by V. E. Schwab.

In the village of Near, the winds on the moors sing a haunting song. It’s best not to listen too closely, though, because bad things happen to those who do. Like the boy Jack, whose mysterious death led to the mob hunt and murder of the Near witch two generations ago.

Lexi knows the story, but still the wind calls, its haunting tune trying to tell her something if only she would listen just a little closer. She can’t let the wind distract her, though, because the children of Near are disappearing, whisked away from their beds during the night. Lexi has to find out why, or her little sister could be next.

The Near Witch is one of those stories that contains everything I love about the fantasy genre: mystery, magic, a touch of romance, and an able heroine I can relate to. It’s a “quiet and strange” story, in the author’s words. Quiet and strange in the style of Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and Neverwhere and Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Quiet and strange in the way that I am most drawn to in a story.

I don’t remember how I found this book, but I am supremely glad that I did, and that I bought the hardback version because it’s going to have a long life on my shelf of treasures. I hope you adore it just as much.

Until next time, happy reading!