Follow Friday (22)

TGIF everyone! It's time for Follow Friday!

Letter to Santa: Tell Santa what books you want for Christmas!

Oh Christmas! I can't believe it's already Christmas time again! This is definitely one of my favorite times of the year.

I will say that Santa came a bit early for me. ;) Today, he dropped off a beautiful leather-bound, gold-edged edition of Grimm's Complete Fairytales by the Brother's Grimm! (Because someone got rid of her other beautiful hardbacked Grimm fairytales book because she was such a smart 12-year-old! Stupidest thing I ever did!)

The image really doesn't do it justice, it's absolutely stunning! I don't know if you can tell, but the embossed trees on the front cover have very scary faces! I have been pouring through this all day. Would you believe Santa found this for me at Costco? (For those of you who don't know what Costco is, it's a big warehouse where you can buy bulk items... if I ever buy books there, it's usually cheap, mass-market paperbacks!) For Christmas gifts, they had a bunch of these beautiful hardcover editions... I saw the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Homer's Illiad & Oddysey. It was definitely a struggle for Santa not to take them all home!

-To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
-(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
-(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - Lauren's Book Blog
-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
-If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Friday!

Friday is for Fairytales (5)

Friday is for Fairytales is a meme hosted by Irena at This Miss Loves to Read. Every Friday, you can choose a fairytale you love, or simply find interesting or haunting, and review it or simply say why you like it so much, or why it has captured your attention. Instead of a fairytale, you can choose a favourite fairytale character and describe him/her and tell us why you like them, or you can simply share an experience connected to a fairytale. Fairytales can be old and modern, written by a known author or anonymous, written down or passed on orally, short or in novel form (like re-writings of fairytales), international or typical for your country alone. In this case, present your country’s fairytale and we can all become acquainted with a new fairytale. So, make a post every Friday that is connected to the world of fairytales, be it a review, a character description or your own fairytale experience. Let’s celebrate fairytales and share our love for them.

MY POST IS ABOUT: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol

This has to be one of the most out-there fairytales in existence. As a child, I enjoyed this fairytale for its wild sense of imagination and pure, untamed craziness. Whenever I watched the Disney movie (which was quite often), I lost myself in the world that is Wonderland.

As I became older, and started to realize just how insane the story of Alice in Wonderland is, I always wondered, What kind of drug was Lewis Carrol on when he wrote this? Little did I know that Lewis Carrol was actually a long-time sufferer of seizures. So I can only imagine what poor Lewis Carrol saw as he was tortured with seizures, constantly jumping in and out of consciousness.

What I love about this fairytale is the theme of escapism... that there is a whole other world waiting for you; you just have to imagine it. If this world is weighing down on your shoulders, why not imagine a new one? Why not dream your cares away?

I think as we grow older, we lose a lot of our imagination. This fairytale is just a reminder that no matter how old you are, you can still dream up a crazy world like Wonderland. No matter how old your are, you can still escape to your favorite place and just--for once--have some fun.

Friday is for Fairytales (5)

Friday is for Fairytales is a meme hosted by Irena at This Miss Loves to Read. Every Friday, you can choose a fairytale you love, or simply find interesting or haunting, and review it or simply say why you like it so much, or why it has captured your attention. Instead of a fairytale, you can choose a favourite fairytale character and describe him/her and tell us why you like them, or you can simply share an experience connected to a fairytale. Fairytales can be old and modern, written by a known author or anonymous, written down or passed on orally, short or in novel form (like re-writings of fairytales), international or typical for your country alone. In this case, present your country’s fairytale and we can all become acquainted with a new fairytale. So, make a post every Friday that is connected to the world of fairytales, be it a review, a character description or your own fairytale experience. Let’s celebrate fairytales and share our love for them.

MY POST IS ABOUT: Aladdin translated by Antoine Galland from One Thousand and One Nights

Aladdin has always been one of my favorite fairytales. It definitely does not fit the description of a classic "fairy tale"... more like a legend than anything else. Even though this tale isn't a classic fairytale, none of the magic is lost. The traditional battle between good and evil still exists, with an interesting twist.

I always admired the strong character of Aladdin. He is an impoverished, although very smart and cunning youth who won't take no for an answer. And all his hard work pays off in the end... through the help of a powerful genie, Aladdin find the woman of his dreams and makes a new destiny for himself.

I think Disney did a great adaptation of this tale. Both Aladdin and Princess Jasmine are really dynamic, strong characters. They both will not accept the constricting world that they live in, and seek to better it, no matter what the cost. I always loved the sense of freedom they create for themselves, and think that Disney captured this beautifully.

This is a great, out of the ordinary fairytale. It transcends the boundaries of tradition, while still keeping the powerful essences of freedom and destiny... that is, having the priceless power of creating your own destiny.

Friday is for Fairytales (4)

Friday is for Fairytales is a meme hosted by Irena at This Miss Loves to Read. Every Friday, you can choose a fairytale you love, or simply find interesting or haunting, and review it or simply say why you like it so much, or why it has captured your attention. Instead of a fairytale, you can choose a favourite fairytale character and describe him/her and tell us why you like them, or you can simply share an experience connected to a fairytale. Fairytales can be old and modern, written by a known author or anonymous, written down or passed on orally, short or in novel form (like re-writings of fairytales), international or typical for your country alone. In this case, present your country’s fairytale and we can all become acquainted with a new fairytale. So, make a post every Friday that is connected to the world of fairytales, be it a review, a character description or your own fairytale experience. Let’s celebrate fairytales and share our love for them.

MY POST IS ABOUT: Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault

Sleeping Beauty, for me, represents all that a classic fairy tale should be. You've got the good side, and you've got the powerful evil side. You've got a beautiful, lovely princess, and you've got a handsome prince charming. Plus, a clever story to boot. What else could you ask for?

Sleeping Beauty, I have come to discover, is not your typical fairy tale princess. I mean, she's no Belle or anything, but she faces alot of challenges of her own. How would you feel if you knew that on your 16th birthday you were cursed to either fall asleep for a hundred years or die? I think the Disney version of this movie REALLY emphasizes all of the distress that Sleeping Beauty goes through, which is quite a lot.

There's nothing like a handsome prince charming fighting dragons and evil witches to come and rescue you. I think that this story is so romantic. The Prince and Sleeping Beauty are destined to be together, and no magic, evil or good, can get in the way of that.

This has been one of my favorites since I was a small child. I always used to love to pretend that I was Sleeping Beauty, lying peacefully sleeping, just waiting for my prince charming to come and sweep me off my feet.

Friday is for Fairytales (3)

Friday is for Fairytales is a meme hosted by Irena at This Miss Loves to Read. Every Friday, you can choose a fairytale you love, or simply find interesting or haunting, and review it or simply say why you like it so much, or why it has captured your attention. Instead of a fairytale, you can choose a favourite fairytale character and describe him/her and tell us why you like them, or you can simply share an experience connected to a fairytale. Fairytales can be old and modern, written by a known author or anonymous, written down or passed on orally, short or in novel form (like re-writings of fairytales), international or typical for your country alone. In this case, present your country’s fairytale and we can all become acquainted with a new fairytale. So, make a post every Friday that is connected to the world of fairytales, be it a review, a character description or your own fairytale experience. Let’s celebrate fairytales and share our love for them.

MY POST IS ABOUT: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

I Loved, Loved, LOVED this fairytale when I was growing up. You really can't go wrong with Peter Pan. The cast of characters that Barrie wrote are so diverse, everyone can find something to love about this classic tale. Whether it's pirates, mermaids, or Indians, there's something for the kid inside you.

One of the things I love most about Peter Pan is the theme of a never-ending childhood, never having to grow up. I feel that as I'm growing up, you always kind of look back on the golden age of your childhood and wish for the good old days. Peter Pan reminds you of those times. It reminds you to make sure that you take time out to act like a kid and have fun every once in awhile, or else life is just not worth living. You've got to make sure you can escape to Never-Land every so often. :)

I can seriously remember watching the Disney version of Peter Pan at least once a day when I was a kid. It was that good. I loved the great villains, the mermaids, and of course, Peter himself. Such a classic tale. Peter Pan, put simply, makes me smile.

Friday is for Fairytales (2)

Friday is for Fairytales is a meme hosted by Irena at This Miss Loves to Read. Every Friday, you can choose a fairytale you love, or simply find interesting or haunting, and review it or simply say why you like it so much, or why it has captured your attention. Instead of a fairytale, you can choose a favourite fairytale character and describe him/her and tell us why you like them, or you can simply share an experience connected to a fairytale. Fairytales can be old and modern, written by a known author or anonymous, written down or passed on orally, short or in novel form (like re-writings of fairytales), international or typical for your country alone. In this case, present your country’s fairytale and we can all become acquainted with a new fairytale. So, make a post every Friday that is connected to the world of fairytales, be it a review, a character description or your own fairytale experience. Let’s celebrate fairytales and share our love for them.

MY POST IS ABOUT: Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Beauty and the Beast, next to The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen, is my favorite fairytale of all time. I really love the theme of internal beauty that goes on in this tale. In a world that stresses outer beauty today, it's so refreshing to read a fairytale like this one; one that emphasizes the importance of looking inside for true beauty.

This fairytale is just simply beautiful. Belle, our heroine, is such a strong character, with an amazing heart. She turns what most people would consider a life-ending situation into a happy and fruitful one. She sees the best of things, and ultimately, that translates into how she ends up seeing the Beast, and ends up loving him, despite his appearance.

As far as the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast goes, it is my favorite Disney movie BY FAR. I LOVE how Disney translated this "tale as old as time" onto the screen. Every single time I watch the movie, I feel the power and the beauty of this wonderful fairytale. Belle is strong and has a mind of her own. She's not afraid to be different; she longs for a life outside the norm.

This fairytale is AMAZING, and will remain forever my favorite.

Art © Jackie Sullivan

Friday is for Fairytales (1)

Friday is for Fairytales is a meme hosted by Irena at This Miss Loves to Read. Every Friday, you can choose a fairytale you love, or simply find interesting or haunting, and review it or simply say why you like it so much, or why it has captured your attention. Instead of a fairytale, you can choose a favourite fairytale character and describe him/her and tell us why you like them, or you can simply share an experience connected to a fairytale. Fairytales can be old and modern, written by a known author or anonymous, written down or passed on orally, short or in novel form (like re-writings of fairytales), international or typical for your country alone. In this case, present your country’s fairytale and we can all become acquainted with a new fairytale. So, make a post every Friday that is connected to the world of fairytales, be it a review, a character description or your own fairytale experience. Let’s celebrate fairytales and share our love for them.

MY POST IS ABOUT: The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen


The Little Mermaid is by far my favorite of Andersen's fairytales, and one of my all-time favorites in general. I love the theme of the power of love. This mermaid girl, after seeing this prince guy just for the first time, decides to go after him. She will give up anything for him, including her precious mermaid tail, her beautiful voice, and, eventually, her very own life. The fact that she is willing to sacrifice all that for one man is priceless. Her love is a strong, eternal love that can never be broken.

Ever since I was a little girl, Princess Ariel (the little mermaid) was always my favorite Disney princess. Other than the fact that she is the only redheaded princess (like me), I just love her character. She has her own voice, her own strength. She longs to break free from the world she's seemingly trapped in, and I can really sympathize with her there.

I love The Little Mermaid because it really is a powerful fairytale of love and freedom. Even though the Andersen fairytale ends on a rather bittersweet note, I still love and enjoy this tale everytime I see it or read it.

Art © Jackie Sullivan