Once Upon a Time... discussion

📚What books will the group be reading and when?📖🔖

The Group Read(s) for the current and following month(s) will be listed below.

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📗🌈March🍀

The Hobbit (The Lord of the Rings #0) by J.R.R. Tolkien.

discussion leader: Gem

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📘☔April🌷

The Oxford Book of Modern Fairy Tales by Alison Lurie.

discussion leader: Cheryl

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I have been thinking along those lines too. Not sure if I could find a holiday themed book, but was thinking maybe I could find a Snow Queen retelling. I would really like to do something more light hearted for December, though, since it always seems such a busy month for most.

Lisa wrote: "I have been thinking along those lines too. Not sure if I could find a holiday themed book, but was thinking maybe I could find a Snow Queen retelling. I would really like to do something more ligh..."

Great idea, Lisa, I'll do a search today to see what I can come up with.

I found a Snow Queen retelling: A Crown of Snow and Ice: A Retelling of The Snow Queen by Melanie Cellier.

Should we read the original The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen as well? The one available at my library is only 48 pages long. I know I read it before but I have no recollection of the original story.

Let me know what you think.

I would gladly do both of the Snow Queen ones.
I also found a book called Hiddensee: a tale of the once and future nutcracker. That is another option if we don't want to do the Snow Queen until February. I'm fine with either. However, Hiddensee is by Gregory Maquire and I know many don't like his writing style. Let me know what you guys want and I will head it up.

I would actually need to buy A Crown of Snow and Ice, but I'm OK with that. Gem, can you find it at the library?

Lisa wrote: "I would actually need to buy A Crown of Snow and Ice, but I'm OK with that. Gem, can you find it at the library?"

I can get both Hiddensee and A Crown of Snow and Ice from my library.

If you can take Hiddensee for December, I'll do A Crown of Snow and Ice for February.

So we want to do the original The Nutcracker and Hiddensee for December with me heading up the discussion, and original Snow Queen and A Crown of Snow and Ice in February with Gem leading the discussion? Is that what I am understanding?

Lisa wrote: "So we want to do the original The Nutcracker and Hiddensee for December with me heading up the discussion, and original Snow Queen and A Crown of Snow and Ice in February with Gem leading the discu..."

If that works for you it works for me.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope this year brings us all prosperity, health, and peace.

Two things I wanted to put out to the group.

1) First, for March, what does everyone think about The Hobbit? It's been on my tbr list for so long. I'll gladly lead the discussion.

2) Second, I'm on vacation from January 19 through February 2. I should have internet access the majority of the time but we'll be on a train for some of that time. I'll like to add a moderator who can be on hand in the event I can't get online.

Modding isn't a big deal, mostly just check in with the group, answering questions if they arise. If you are all computer literate things are pretty self-explanatory. Of course, I'd want someone who is active in the group. Please let me know if you'd feel comfortable with this by pm. It can be temporary if you aren't comfortable committing in the long term. I didn't want to leave the group unattended for over two weeks now that we are breathing some life back into it.

I adore The Hobbit and will gladly read it again as it has been a few years since I have read it. I have a companion book to The Hobbit that I have never read yet, so will add that to my reading if we choose that for March. Aren't you leading the discussion in February, though, Gem? Would you prefer someone else lead in March? I'm not really that tech savvy (for example, I don't know how to hide spoilers) but am willing to keep up with checking on the group. I do that once or twice a day anyway.

Lisa wrote: "I adore The Hobbit and will gladly read it again as it has been a few years since I have read it. I have a companion book to The Hobbit that I have never read yet, so will add that to my reading if..."

I don't mind leading a discussion on back-to-back months. What is the companion book?

I'll make you a mod today. I can walk you though just about anything.

As for spoilers...
look at the top of a blank comment box. On the far right is "(some html is ok)."
Click on that and you'll see a hand full of code.
Down toward the bottom you'll find: "spoiler: <*spoiler>..." (without the *, I had to edit so you can see the code.)
What I do is copy the code and paste the code then type the spoiler in between the first > and the second <.
Or you can simply type <*spoiler> (without the *) type what I want to hide, then type <*/spoiler> (again without the *).
I try to remember to preview (next to the post button) so I know I've done it correctly.
I find my biggest mistake is failing to ad the / to the second part of the code or putting the / in the first part.

Bold, underline, and strike through work the same way.
Just use a b for bold (replacing the work spoiler)
and i for underline
and an s for the strike-through.

Let me know if this makes sense and I'll try again. It takes actually doing it a couple of times to get it, or it did for me.

Thank you! I will get it after actually doing it a few times, just had no idea how. I am a moderator of a large Facebook group, but naturally there are different ways of doing things here, so just let me know what you want done and possibly any specific ways things need done.

Lisa wrote: "Thank you! I will get it after actually doing it a few times, just had no idea how. I am a moderator of a large Facebook group, but naturally there are different ways of doing things here, so just ..."

Feel free to practice here, we can always delete the replies.

The live-action movie of The Little Mermaid is being released in May. Would we like to read The Little Mermaid and a retelling?

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen

I found a list of retellings we can choose from:
The Little Mermaid retellings . We can select one from this list provided we can all get a copy from our library.

I can't vouch for any of these books and if they are part of a series, I don't know if they are stand-alone or not.

I'm fine with it if the group wants to go this way. I freely admit that it is not one of my favorites, as I really hate the idea of giving up your whole identity and self for another. The original is very tragic.

Lisa wrote: "I'm fine with it if the group wants to go this way. I freely admit that it is not one of my favorites, as I really hate the idea of giving up your whole identity and self for another. The original ..."

I agree, not one of my favorites either. I'm open to something/anything else.

The retellings might 'fix' the problem. I'd love to read and find out.

Another thought, well two actually.

We could read the Beyond the Four Kingdoms Series, there are six books, we just read #3 (retelling of the Snow Queen) so leaves us with five more books. And she also wrote Return to the Four Kingdom which has five books. I'm not sure if we want to dedicate 10 months to the same author or not, of course, we could intersperse other books along the way.

Or we could go the nomination/poll route. I just don't want to feel like I'm dictating.

Personally, I don't want to stick with just the same author. I like mixing it up with different tales, as well as styles. So I'm up for The Little Mermaid in May. We just need to figure out which retelling would be preferred. I know some of us have difficulty finding titles at times.

Some fantasy books that are already on my shelf that I haven't gotten to yet (and can also be patient about getting to):

The Night Circus - by Erin Morgenstern

Chain of Gold - by Cassandra Clare

A Curse So Dark and Lonely - by Brigid Kemmerer

A History of Wild Places - by Shea Ernshaw

Piranesi - by Susanna Clarke

Most or all of these should be available at a local library or pretty easy to find; and are well-regarded.

While I'm travelling for much of May and June, which could mean either a whole lot more reading or only a little, depending, if we are looking for books to add for upcoming months, I wouldn't be opposed to any of these as I already plan on reading them at some point.