Wildwood Dancing, 15/81, 2nd Round

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier, fantasy/myth category

Jena and her 4 sisters have a secret. Every full moon, they find a portal into the Other World and dance the night away. But things are changing. Their father must leave their home and spend the winter away for his health. He leaves the castle in the care of Jena and her older sister Tati, and reminds them to ask their uncle for any help they need. But after he leaves, their uncle is killed in a hunting accident and their cousin Cezar takes over. And wow, does he take over. Suddenly the girls have little control over anything, because Cezar knows best.

Add to this the twist that Tati falls in love with one of the other visitors to the Other World, one who hangs around with a suspicious crowd. Vampires, anyone? Jena's own companion, a frog, starts acting differently too. It seems like just when things can't get any worse for the family, they do.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a mix of vampire folklore (it's set in Romania), the 12 Dancing Princesses and The Frog Prince, but it works surprisingly well. I really liked Jena, despite her flaws, and I loved the ending. Then I found out there's a sequel, Cybele's Secret, which might not be out yet. This one was a lot of fun.

The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale (7/81)

When Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises, the two prepare for a very long and dark imprisonment. As food runs low and the days go from broiling hot to freezing cold, it is all Dashti can do to keep them fed and comfortable. But the arrival outside the tower of Saren’s two suitors—one welcome, and the other decidedly less so—brings both hope and great danger, and Dashti must make the desperate choices of a girl whose life is worth more than she knows. With Shannon Hale’s lyrical language, this forgotten but classic fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm is reimagined and reset on the central Asian steppes; it is a completely unique retelling filled with adventure and romance, drama and disguise.

I was so excited to find this book the other day and couldn't wait to read it .... It took me all of 2 days ... Mainly because I had to stop reading to look after my family ... :) lol .....

This is a great wee book I absolutely loved it and cannot wait to dive in with the Princess Academy which I will be reading next ... I think I have discovered a new favourite author ...

Dashti is a wonderful character and the book is written in a journal form from Dashti's perspective .... Which is interesting .... You go through the different emotions with her whether it is saddest, joy or humorous ... She just writes down her want she is thinking which is refreshing to read .... I have to say that she has the patience of a saint when it comes to her Lady Saren I think I would have strangled her after day 10 never mind day 932 ....

This is a wonderful book for Young Girls to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it from the beginning to end ... I love how Shannon has mingled drawings throughout and you really feel a close bond to Dashti ...

This is a gorgeous book of Adventure and Romance and it will have you swooning ... No matter how old you are !!! .... I will definitely be giving this book to my daughter to read .....

I rate this book 5*****

It is nice to think to that she is LDS and she says “I say a prayer before I begin my writing time each day. By no means do I think that my books are ‘inspired,’ but I believe the Lord does give us a lift and aids us in completing our righteous endeavors when we seek His help.”

6/81 Chalice by Robin McKinley - 4 Stars

Chalice by Robin McKinley, just for fun category

How many times can Robin McKinley rewrite Beauty and the Beast? Well, if every retelling were as fresh and original as this one, she could keep it up for as long as she wanted and I would keep right on reading them! 

Chalice starts with a young woman awaiting the arrival of the new Master of their lands. The young woman is named Marisol, but is called Chalice, because that is her customary function. As Chalice, she is to work closely with the new Master and restore the Willowlands to harmony and balance. 

I really enjoyed this book. My main complaints are that first, there was so much description and not enough dialogue; and second, that the book often jumped around in time and sometimes had me confused about if the event I was reading about was happening now or in the past. 

But I can recommend this book. I liked Marisol as a character and couldn't wait to see how it would end. My daughter, whose book I borrowed, says that she enjoyed it more the second time she read it. Maybe I will try it again myself and see if she's right.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J K Rowling (4/81)

"You've never heard of The Tales of Beedle the Bard?' said Ron incredulously. You're kidding, right?"

(Taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

The Tales of Beedle the Bard played a crucial role in assisting Harry, aided by his friends Ron and Hermione, to finally defeat Lord Voldemort. Here, fans have the opportunity to read the tales in full.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is without doubt an exciting addition to the canon of Harry Potter. They also reveal the wonderful versatility of the author, as she tackles with relish the structure and varying tones of a classic fairy tale. There are five tales included in the book: 'The Tale of the Three Brothers', which is recounted in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; plus four more - 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune', 'The Warlock's Hairy Heart', 'The Wizard and the Hopping Pot', and 'Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump'. Each tale has its own magical character and will variously bring delight, laughter and the thrill of mortal peril.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, translated from the original runes by Hermione Granger, is introduced and illustrated by J. K. Rowling. Also included are notes on the stories by Professor Albus Dumbledore, which appear by generous permission of the Hogwarts Headmasters' Archive.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a book of children's stories by British author J. K. Rowling. It is a storybook of the same name mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book of the Harry Potter series.
The book was originally produced in a limited edition of only seven copies, each handwritten and illustrated by J. K. Rowling. One of them was offered for auction in late 2007 and was expected to sell for £50,000 ..... ultimately it was bought for £1.95 million by Amazon.com making the selling price the highest achieved at auction for a modern literary manuscript. ... The money earned at the auction of the book was donated to The Children's Voice charity campaign.

The book was published for the general public on 4 December 2008, with the proceeds going to the Children's High Level Group.

OK if you are a Harry Potter Fan which I am a huge Fan of you are going to love this book ... And if you are not and you like fantasy or Fairy Tales you are going to love it as well ...

My hubby got the book for me and Santa brought the book for my 11 year old daughter which she devoured in the space of an hour ...

It is a collection of 5 stories and each one has a special meaning ... I have to say I loved the first and second stories ... "The Wizard and the Hopping Pot" and "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" After each story you have Professor Dumbledore give his insight on what he thinks the story means ...

I absolutely loved this book and it is in hard back as well ... Bonus .... It will be one that I will re-read again and again ....

J K Rowling is a wonderful writer and I am excited to see her next projects ...

I rate this book 5*****

Below is a video of J K Rowling reading from the book and talking to the kids in Edinburgh, Scotland where it was launched ... Enjoy ....