Welcome to Litsy!

The book was pitched to me as Sleeping Beauty Multiverse and that is...not inaccurate! It was pleasantly, for me, more focused on a couple characters, and it was a fun, short read that was a good twist on the fairy tale. (And, tbh, short/brisk pace was a pleasant change after reading Babel and Demon Copperfield pretty much back to back). My Kobo struggled with the interior illustrations, I want a paper copy just to see the nice art!

This fractured fairy tale retelling features a chronically ill dying girl obsessed with the story of Sleeping Beauty finds herself transported into a world of fairy tales-- but it's not quite what she expects. This was a fun twist on the Sleeping Beauty story from someone who clearly knows their stuff.

I am a sucker for a queer fairy tale retelling! Zinnia has a rare genetic condition that will likely kill her by her 21st birthday. On her 21st birthday she pricks her finger on an antique spinning wheel and can see hundreds of retelling a of sleeping beauty, one calls to her and she enters her multiverse. Determined to help the princess break her spell, Zinnia goes to the evil fairy that cursed her. Occasionally immaturely written, but I loved it

This was a nice quick read that retells sleeping beauty from a fresh (and meta) perspective. Not super deep or involved, filled with contemporary references I don't think references in it will hold up 20 years later... But it's really fun now.

well, that was different.

Final book of this year's #spookyseason... short and to the point, here we go!

I loved this magical little novella! I haven't heard great things about the follow-up though, so I'm unsure whether I'll try. ❤️💙🖤

#curse #scarathlondailyprompts

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was fun enough - there just wasn‘t much to it! I think I would have liked this better as a full-length novel so that the story and characters could have been developed more. I‘m intrigued by fairytale retellings, and these novellas are short enough that I might still give the second one a try. 🎧

I figured this would be an easy read bc it's a novella but wow it took me forever to get through. I think I just wasn't feeling it. It read like a self-insert fanfic story and I'm not a huge fan of those. I also felt that the constant analyzing of "how it usually is" broke the flow, making it not as engaging. But I did enjoy the more modern take and my lesbian children made it better in other ways #fantasy #friendship

⚠️ ??

The concept had a lot of potential. However, it failed. The only@bright spot is the audio narration was great. The story is a big nope.

This reads like a high school kid‘s creative writing project.

I am really enjoying this Sleeping Beauty retelling. It‘s wild to learn that in the Disney version, Aurora only has 18 lines. What the Hello Kitty?

#fairytales #retelling #audiobook

Image from the film Sleeping Beauty.

A fantastic reimagined & fractured fairy tale. The narrative & the characters are incredibly entertaining. The story is very short, but packs a punch & really explores the original tale. The writing has a YA flavor to it with a bit of a Marissa Meyer feel. It's a story that tackles some strong topics but doesn't take itself too seriously. The subversion is masterfully done & the blend of fantasy with real world was a lot of fun. Excellent read!!

This audiobook lasted me just long enough to put the first coat of paint down on my daughter's bedroom floor. I really liked the idea of it, but it ended up being just a low pick for me.

Short, cute audio so far. Have not read a fairy tale retelling ever, I don‘t think!

Totally underestimated how fun this would be. Loved how this took the Sleeping Beauty story in a totally new direction. Short but impactful, loaded with pop culture references, and full of friendship, danger, hope, love, and determination. Definitely plan to read the sequel.

#authorcrush

This short work, nominated for the 2022 Hugo Best Novella award, is a terrific take on the Sleeping Beauty folktale! #hugo2022 #hugoawards

I finished the #20in4 readathon with a grand total of 12 hours and 15 minutes. Thanks to @Andrew65 for hosting!

A modern day retelling of sleeping beauty that delves into fairytale folklore and explores the idea of a multiverse. Strong female characters who fight curses, the patriarchy, and premature death. Truly delicious!

I absolutely adored this book. To all the girls that deserved a better story, this book is for you.

I'm not usually a novella person, but I loved this! Zinnia, Charm, and Prim actually got some reasonable character development, which is normally why I shy away from novellas. And all the Easter eggs/references! I almost screamed when I got to "Harold, they're lesbians." #fantasy #fairytales #retelling

This is what I could find in my house in the way of fairy tale retellings for our #LMPBC group. @ozma.of.oz @wordslinger42 @KristiAhlers The only one I haven‘t read is A Spindle Splintered. I‘m also open to buying something different!

Finn is sleepy.

This is a fun Sleeping Beauty retelling. It's very YA. And the #audiobook is super short.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Opening line: "Sleeping Beauty is pretty much the worst fairy tale, any way you slice it." Immediately pulled me in, and I devoured this novella in one sitting.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I don‘t want to give too much away but this story really gives the Sleeping Beauty character so much agency. I can‘t wait for the follow up story.

A fun reimagining of Sleeping Beauty. It includes some entertaining multiverse references that actually end up making sense. Thank you to Alix Harrow for giving me a chance to finally use the Disney knowledge stored in my brain.

May #bookspin is complete! @TheAromaofBooks

It may be short, but this is perfect! I love feminist retellings of fairy tales and this is like a meta version of just that in spades! And to top it all off, it‘s funny! Loved this and can‘t wait for the sequel. 👑

A quick read. Only 119 pages and many are illustrated, though the illustrations had seemingly nothing to do with the story? This is a reworking of Sleeping Beauty narrated by a modern woman who is terminally ill and not likely to live past her 21st birthday who accidentally gets sucked into a multiverses of briar rose et al stories and has to circumvent the established boundaries of the fairytale... Not my usual fare.

#Booked2022 Myth retelling

One of my favorite fairy tale retellings! A sleeping beauty story, I loved the narration and the story was so fun. I‘m excited for book 2 and sad there won‘t be more. This is novella length, nice and short. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book 31

✅ No category yet. ⭐⭐⭐

I feel so bad for not liking this one. I thought it was gonna be an easy fun & quick listen to, but I couldn't do it. Another DNF 😩
I need a good sci-fi recommendation, that's not too complicated or saturated in space elements. I usually listen to romcoms when I'm sketching/drawing, but I really don't want to listen to a romance right now. If I can't find one, I'll have to listen to a romance instead. 😐

This tale repositions the Sleeping Beauty story into one where women take charge of their circumstances and make choices for themselves rather than accepting the decisions being made for and about them. It has a serious message about the plight of women through the ages yet it's fun too.

So I immediately Googled.

#bookmail makes for a good end to the week - especially since I don't have to work next week! I wonder how many books I can read over break?!

First book in a new series, Fractured Fables, by Alix E. Harrow and I really liked it (like everything I've read by her until now). A retelling (more like a re-imagining I would say) of The Sleeping Beauty, complete with multi-universe and a real princess. Also a critique to the way princesses are presented in fairy tales, and especially in this one. A pick!

@TheAromaOfBooks This is my first read in the newly restarted #PromptMaze.

Really enjoyed this novella & happy that it will be a series. Sleeping Beauty, feminism, diverse characters, strong women—love it.

I read this story in one greedy gulp. An awesome retelling of Sleeping Beauty where the women finally rescue themselves and others like them. I'm so glad this is my first book read in February.

Even among the nerds who majored in folklore, “Sleeping Beauty“ is nobody's favorite. The romantic girls like “Beauty and the Beast“; vanilla girls like “ Cinderella“; goth girls like “Snow White.“ Only dying girls like “Sleeping Beauty.“

4.5 ⭐ Wow. What a fantastic retelling of sleeping beauty. This is a short novel it leaves itself open for multiple sequels that I can‘t wait to read. The modern sleeping beauty is actually a sick young woman with a fatal disease. It‘s her 21st birthday and people with her disease don‘t see 22. Celebrating her birthday in the top of the tall tower she pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel as a joke, but that is where the joke ends.

This was a fun feminist & queer take on Sleeping Beauty! A quick little audio.. I really enjoyed this while finishing an #audiopuzzle. #bookspinbingo #freespace @TheAromaofBooks

Got this book from my Creepy Christmas swap partner (thank you so much!). A unique twist on the old damsel in distress version of Sleeping Beauty, I give this high marks for friendship over romance, LGBTQ+ friendly, fatal/chronic illness visibility, and female characters who find the strength to make their story their own. I recommend to any woman who struggles & feels like her life is not within her control. Take your story back! 💓

I really enjoyed this feminist retelling of Sleeping Beauty which turns everything on its head, throws in the multiverse, and sees women taking charge of their own destinies. Absolutely loved the inclusion of Arthur Rackham‘s illustrations…after some modifications, of course. A novella, this is a fast, fun read.

Christmas ambience on, toddler napping, time to settle in with a favorite author! It didn't knock January out of my favorite spot, but def worth the read. And anxiously awaiting book 2! 1st book finished for #anywayyoureadathon #dashingdecember and #Melscozyreadathon. Only found 3 words for #WGwordsearch -30 pts #Wintergames2021 @StayCurious #averymerryreadathon #wrapitupreadathon #bookspinbingo #averymerrybingo #festivereadathon #wintercosy

LOVE a good fairytale re-telling, and this one had some interesting angles. I actually wish it had been a little longer, but it was a satisfying story and Harris nailed the ending (I was afraid she wouldn‘t).

I wasn‘t really sure what to expect with this one. Overall, I liked it. It was a quick, dark fairytale retelling. It ended on a hopeful not, but like not too hopeful. I think Alix E Harrow might be slowly becoming an auto read author for me.

#WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers +16pts #TBRRead
#BookSpinBingo - #DoubleSpin (Audio)
#AVeryMerryBingo - free space
#AVeryMerryReadathon
#LittensListen
#WinterCosy
#Wrapitupreadathon

I‘ve never read any ‘twisted‘ or revised fairy tales before, so this was a new genre to me. I wasn‘t sure before I started but figured it was only short (3.5 hours on audio) so I might as well give it a go.

This is based on Sleeping Beauty and, actually, I really enjoyed it. I do think it‘s a bit simplistic / basic for the #ToB though; there‘s nothing particularly groundbreaking/special about it but maybe that‘s just because it‘s not my genre.