Y’all! It has been so long since we’ve had a chance to discuss books and authors and all things reading. I’ve missed the blog but have been busy surviving the whirlwind that composed September-December. In the last few months, I’ve picked up a few new obsessions. The first is Litographs! This company prints entire books on tshirts, scarves, posters, and bags. It is awesome! My 2nd latest obsession is Brittany Fichter.
An excerpt from her retelling of Beauty and the Beast was included in the fall edition of Deep Magic. It was absolutely stunning! Of course after reading the first five chapters, I headed over to Amazon for more of her work and picked up Clara’s Soldier: A retelling of the Nutcracker. Holy shit. This book blew me away. Fichter keeps the names of our beloved characters and a Christmas setting but does away with everything else, setting Clara squarely in post WWII America. Clara was so well written and such a deep character, I found myself sighing and staying up way too late to finish the story. Fichter also hits deftly and lovingly on the reality of loving a soldier. Fantastic read.
I followed up Clara’s Soldier with the The Green-Eyed Prince: A retelling of the Frog Prince, Girl in the Red Hood and Silent Mermaid: A Retelling of the Little Mermaid. These retellings are just incredibly well done. Fichter takes old childhood tales worthy of maybe a few pages in a children’s book and develops them into these beautiful full bodied master pieces of love, magic and mystery. The worlds she creates are stunning, as are her characters. Girl in the Red Hood is quite possibly the best book I’ve read all year. If you’re looking for something beautiful to read over the holidays or need a gift for a fairy tale lover in your life, I’d highly recommend any of the books by Fichter.
Until next time, happy reading friends!
Cheers,
-R
Hops & Lit 