Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

A modern retelling of a classic.

I'm interpreting this to mean that the book is recently published, not that it's a modern setting, so fantasy novels like These Violent Delights and historical fiction like The Other Bennet Sister work just as well as contemporary fiction like Home Fire and Anna K: A Love Story.


Listopia list is Here: A modern retelling of a classic.

Maybe this can be my push to finally read The Song of Achilles

Home Fire is so good and underrated! A perfect fit for this prompt.

Would Wide Sargasso Sea work for this? It's more of a prequel, "inspired by" Jane Eyre than a retelling of the core story of Jane Eyre.

I recently finished reading When She Woke which is a retelling of The Scarlet Letter that I really enjoyed and would work perfectly here.

Lailah wrote: "Would Wide Sargasso Sea work for this? It's more of a prequel, "inspired by" Jane Eyre than a retelling of the core story of Jane Eyre."

It does eventually intersect with the book. I don't think it's a stretch.

I’m going with Darling Girl which is a Peter Pan story or Alice by Christina Henry which is an Alice in Wonderland retelling.

While I'm a bit Greek mythed out, I enjoyed Claire North's version of Hera in Ithaca so much I might read the second one when it comes out, House of Odysseus.

Other options are What Moves the Dead and The Crane Husband.

Beth wrote: "Home Fire is so good and underrated! A perfect fit for this prompt."

What classic does this retell? Did not see any reference on the GR description.

It is a re-imagining of Antigone.

LeahS wrote: "It is a re-imagining of Antigone."

Thanks.

I'll be using this book for a double-dip.

The Penguin Book of Mermaids

While it's kind of a history of mermaids I figure it's a retelling of The Little Mermaid.

I see that An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgerton #3) is a Cinderella retelling. Would we consider Cinderella to be a classic?

Cruel Beauty is a Beauty and the Beast retelling! This is one of the books I randomly generated off my TBR to read so I'm glad it fits a prompt!

The Adventures of China Iron by Argentinian author Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is an exuberant queer retelling of the 1872 epic poem about gaucho Martín Fierro starring his young wife China Iron who runs away across the pampas with redheaded Scottish Liz on a series of adventures. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

Lailah wrote: "Would Wide Sargasso Sea work for this? It's more of a prequel, "inspired by" Jane Eyre than a retelling of the core story of Jane Eyre."

Thank you, Dubhease! I've been wanting to read it for ages and this could be a great opportunity.

What Moves the Dead is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher: An Edgar Allan Poe Short Story. I just finished it and it was great.

I saw that Demon Copperhead is a retelling of David Copperfield! That's my planned book.

I plan to read Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (retelling of The Tempest)

Rose Daughter is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast that I really enjoyed. Or, if you're looking for a classic like the Great Gatsby, check out The Chosen and the Beautiful.

I tend to avoid re-reads, so I'm going with How to Be Eaten, but I can't say if it's actually going to be any good yet!

Morgan wrote: "I saw that Demon Copperhead is a retelling of David Copperfield! That's my planned book."

Ohh, I wanted to read that one, maybe I'll have to change my plan...

Morgan wrote: "I saw that Demon Copperhead is a retelling of David Copperfield! That's my planned book."

Same here.

She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan is on the listopia - can anyone tell me what this is a retelling of? Thank you!

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - her rendition of Dicken's David Copperfield!!

Kelly wrote: "She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan is on the listopia - can anyone tell me what this is a retelling of? Thank you!"

I believe it's based on a real person (the founder of the Ming Dynasty) rather than a classic.

Kelly wrote: "She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan is on the listopia - can anyone tell me what this is a retelling of? Thank you!"

I will admit, She Who Became the Sun was a DNF for me - by about 30% of the way in, it was obvious that there was a lack of redeeming features across the majority of the character, and I just didn't care enough what happened to any of them to finish it. But I know other people have rated it well.

Im not sure which one i want to read more. Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook or Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan. I cant choose!

I am planning to read Unbirthday, a retelling of Alice in Wonderland.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a Beauty and the Beast story

It occurred to me as I drove my son (who is 10) to school this morning and he was reading aloud from his current favorite series, that several of the Dogman graphic novels would fit this category. If anyone is looking for a lighter read. :)

Dog Man: Mothering Heights
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment

T,

Yes! The Dog Man series is fantastic, and the allusions to classic literature in later books in the series could easily fulfill this prompt.

JoJo wrote: "Im not sure which one i want to read more. Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook or Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan. I cant choose!"

You could read Hook for this one and Darling Girl for the prompt with Girl in the title! ;)

I am interpreting this prompt differently - I am going with a modernized version of a classic - anyone have any recs for that? I did read Eligible, the Popsugar suggestion, but present-day Austen recs would be right up my alley - I did enjoy Austenland.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet seems like a perfect fit - it's a novelization of the web series.

Ellie wrote: "Kelly wrote: "She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan is on the listopia - can anyone tell me what this is a retelling of? Thank you!"

I believe it's based on a real person (the founder of t..."

ohh okay thank you for the clarification!

Jennifer W wrote: "JoJo wrote: "Im not sure which one i want to read more. Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook or Darling Girl: A Novel of Peter Pan. I cant choose!"

You could re..."

Thats a good idea. I was going to read The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women but i think ill swap it to Darling Girl. Thank you.

There are two books under the heading Muppets Meet the Classics. One is a Muppet version of The Phantom of the Opera, and the other is Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Peter Darling by Austin Chant is a transgender retelling of Peter Pan.

I've been looking for a prompt to fit One for All and this seems like the place. A gender swapped retelling of The Three Musketeers, plus the main character has a chronic illness/disability.

It's also the author's debut, and it sounds amazing.

Going to read Legendborn for this one. it's been on my TBR forever

If you wanted to go with modern setting retelling, I think these would work:
Pride and Protest - Pride and Prejudice
I Think I Love You - Much Ado About Nothing
If the Shoe Fits - Cinderella
By the Book - Beauty and the Beast
Kiss the Girl - The Little Mermaid
Beastly - Beauty and the Beast
Geekerella - Cinderella
The Princess and the Fangirl - Prince and the Pauper
Bookish and the Beast - Beauty and the Beast
Meg and Jo and Beth and Amy - Little Women
The Afterlife of Holly Chase - A Christmas Carol
I Killed Zoe Spanos - Rebecca
Written in the Stars - Pride and Prejudice
Raising the Horseman - Sleepy Holly
The Weight of Blood - Carrie
The Girl in Red - Little Red Riding Hood

Some follow the originals pretty closely and others are just really strong nods.

Kelly wrote: "She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker Chan is on the listopia - can anyone tell me what this is a retelling of? Thank you!"
They also have Iron Widow.
These aren't retellings of anything, they are historical fiction based on a real people.

Sunshine wrote: "Going to read Legendborn for this one. it's been on my TBR forever"

I liked it a lot. :-)

Ron wrote: "I'll be using this book for a double-dip.

The Penguin Book of Mermaids

While it's kind of a history of mermaids I figure it's a retelling of The Little Mermaid."

It's not a modern retelling of The Little Mermaid though. It's a collection of fairy tales and stories.
But - this is just a fun reading challenge, so it's not that important.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess would fit this and mythological. Unless one looks at it as it has to have a modern setting. I look at it as a modern person retelling a classic despite setting.

Ketutar wrote: It's not a modern retelling of The Little Mermaid though. It's a collection of fairy tales and stories.
But - this is just a fun reading challenge, so it's not that important.

Oh okay, thanks. I can use it for the mythical creatures topic then.

*****

And in that case I suppose I'll go with The Mists of Avalon

I'm not convinced these are actually retellings, but they've both been on my list for a bit, so I'll either read A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (descendents of Holmes and Watson work a case), or Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (completely cannot remember what this is about, but something to do with Wizard of Oz!)

The Hogarth Shakespeare Series is a bunch of retellings of Shakespeare's plays.

The Gap of Time
Shylock Is My Name
Vinegar Girl
Hag-Seed
Macbeth
Dunbar
New Boy

I haven't read any of the others yet, but Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (a retelling of The Tempest) was great!

House of Salt and Sorrows is a retelling of the fairytale The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

The One Hundred Nights of Hero is a retelling of The Arabian Nights and there are retellings within the retelling. I'm not a huge graphic novel person but I loved it!

Edited to add: Six-Gun Snow White is a western retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Jamie wrote: "The Hogarth Shakespeare Series is a bunch of retellings of Shakespeare's plays. ..."




oh I forgot about the Hogarth retellings!! A lot of them have gotten great reviews. I read Macbeth, which was underwhelming.


There's this listopia of other Shakespeare retellings:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

So far the only Shakespeare retelling that I really five-star enjoyed is Warm Bodies and I didn't even realize it was a retelling of Romeo and Juliet until after I finished it.

Bright Air Black by David Vann is a retelling of Medea by Euripides.

Black Spring by Alison Croggon is a great retelling of Wuthering Heights.