February 3, 2013

In My Mailbox #11 (A Tam Lin Edition)

This month my blog is taking a hiatus from the normal In My Mailbox meme hosted by The Story Siren. In honor of Project: Fairy Tale, which began on Friday, I wanted to show off the books I've specifically received and read in preparation for this event. (In case you don't know, I've selected to focus on the Scottish ballad "Tam Lin" for Project: Fairy Tale).



Borrowed:
No Earthly Sunne
by Margaret Ball

I have never heard of this book or author, and that cover is super cheesy. I started reading it and actually stopped. Maybe I'll try to go back to it someday, but there will be no review for it as part of Project: Fairy Tale.
Tithe (The Modern Faerie Tales, #1) by Holly Black
Holly Black and an urban fantasy! Tithe reads more like a mix of faerie lore, but it definitely contains elements of "Tam Lin" within it.
Tam Lin by Susan Cooper
Why, yes, this is a picture book! Since the original ballad is short enough to have been written entirely in a picture book, I figured it would be interesting to see what approach Susan Cooper took in retelling the story. Plus, it's Susan Cooper!
Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
I read this back in late middle school/early high school. I liked it well enough then, but being older and a college graduate, I can better appreciate Dean's college-setting "Tam Lin" retelling.
Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones
Confession time: I have yet to read anything by Diana Wynne Jones. I know! I did recently purchase Howl's Moving Castle for my Kindle, so hopefully I can get to that soon.
Winter Rose (Winter Rose, #1) by Patricia McKillip
The same confession holds true for Patricia McKillip as it does for Diana Wynne Jones. Needless to say, I'm happy that both of them wrote "Tam Lin" retellings so that I'd be forced to read one of their works now, rather than waiting to pick one up by myself.
Imaginary Lands (anthology) edited by Robin McKinley
This looks like an amazing anthology with short stories by Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Jane Yolen, and more. Of course, for this month I am most interested in the short story "Tam Lin" by Joan Vinge.
An Earthly Knight by Janet McNaughton
A historical "Tam Lin" retelling! Yay! About Normans living in twelfth century Scotland, sisters, and their romances. Sounds good to me!
Firebirds: An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction edited by Sharyn November
I remember reading and loving this anthology right around the time it was published. I mean, it has a stellar cast of contributing authors: Megan Whalen Turner, Lloyd Alexander, Patricia McKillip, Nancy Farmer, Sherwood Smith, Elizabeth Wein, Garth Nix, Diana Wynne Jones, and more! The "Tam Lin" retelling is a short story by Delia Sherman called "Cotillion." If I'm not too burned out after Project: Fairy Tale, I would like to review the anthology as a whole.
 

The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
I read this for my seventh grade English class, so it will be interesting to re-read this 16th century historical fantasy of the Tudor England of Queen Mary from the perspective of a "Tam Lin" retelling.
Tam Lin by Jane Yolen
Another picture book. I decided to include this for the same reason that I included Susan Cooper's picture book.

Pretty hefty reading list, considering all I am required to do is read the original story and three retellings. I've now read most of these, however, and with so many retellings out there, why wouldn't I want to read more? Expect reviews of these books throughout the month!
author image

Amanda

Amanda loves few things better than sitting down with a cup of tea and a book. She frequently stays up far too late, telling herself she just needs to finish one more page. When she's not wrapped up in the stories of others, Amanda works as a children's librarian in a public library.

6 comments:

  1. I haven't read any of those, but they look awesome! I hope you enjoy all you got :)

    Here's my STS!

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  2. Wow, that's a lot of Tam Lin!

    I recently read Howl and LOVED IT. Wondered why I had waited so long. I will have to check out Fire and Hemlock!

    Have fun with your project!

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    1. I know haha. And there's still quite a few books out there I didn't/couldn't check out. Thank you!

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  3. I've read Tithe, but that's it from your list. There are some that sound good though and I think a project like this would actually be a great learning experience! Good luck getting through them all!

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    1. I know! Nerdy that I am, that's why I wanted to do this. It's like a school project without all the stress and grading and PURE LEARNING. Worked for me. :)

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