Horror For the Holidays

True to my post from the last Christmas season, here is a fun article from NPR about a not so nice 'santa' called The Krampus! Enjoy!

Disney Fairytale Princesses in an Art Nouveau style

Just something pretty and fun for the morning!

Can you believe I FINALLY update the blog?! Thank you Ribbons Undone for keeping it alive in my ridiculous absence! Oh, and hey Cemetary Polka~ Did you forget its your turn on the collaborative fairytale?

(LOL, as though I can say anything! XD)

My favorite is totally Snow White.

The Green Children

New tunes that I am loving right now "Encounter" by The Green Children!
Released in October 2010 "Encounter" soared to the #3 album purchased on Amazon with the hit "Dragons" propelling The Green Children into quick international stardom. The beats are a little spooky and definety electro-pop, and Milla Sunde's voice is positively angelic! When I first heard the band I was actually on Facebook and their album popped up in the right toolbar with other advertisements. It said "If you like Tori Amos, check out The Green Children" I was bored so I went to the link and listened to the whole of "Encounter" I quickly went to Amazon and bought the album, I was so taken with it! Check out their website for more information on the CD and The Green Children Foundation

The Snow Queen

This is a video that I found that uses the story of The Snow Queen against the backdrop of "Winter's Carol" by Tori Amos. "The Snow Queen" is one of my favorite fairytales so I was pretty happy to see this! I can't actually post the video here via request of the creator, but here is the link. The movie in the background is a version of "The Snow Queen" directed by David Wu.

"Fables" by Bill Willingham

How have I never seen these! How have I never heard of this series! Okay, not for the first time in my life I am completely behind on the times. This is a comic book based on the characters of fables, fairytales, and nursery rhymes from primarily the European tradition. In this amazing comic all of our favorite characters come together to live in the mundane world (set in New York City/"Fabletown") after they were run out of their Homelands by the ominous Adversary who has conquered their realm. Fables (what the fairytale creatures call themselves) who are unable to blend into human society (think of giants, ogres, etc...) are sent to upstate New York to live on "The Farm".

The series includes many amazing turns, including Snow White's divorce from Prince Charming because of his infidelity. King Cole is the mayor of Fabletown and Cinderella learns how to fence from Bluebeard!

Since its release in 2003 "Fables" has won multiple awards including Best New Series (2003), Best Serialized Story (2003, 2005, 2006), Best Cover Artist (2004 - 2008), and Best Lettering (2004-2008) as well as many others.

Apparently the fairytale comic genre is fairly widespread and includes in its repertoire "The Oz" comic series, "Lullaby", "Jack of Fables", and "No Rest For the Wicked"- a webcomic. Which can be found at http://www.forthewicked.net/.

So, if you can't seem to find the motivation to read "The Golden Bough" (seriously, that is one tremendous tome) this summer, enjoy these fun snippets of fantasy!

When the days are long and the nights are warm

This is my last official summer before I begin graduate school, so, I thought what better way to celebrate than to read or re-read some of my favorite fairytale-esque books! I have featured just a few in this post, but hopefully this will inspire you to create your own list!

The first is a new series that I feel is under appreciated! The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clarke follows a fantastic line of Biblical mythology that has rarely been turned into worth while fiction. The series focuses on the imagined history of the nephalim (the half angel-half human beings mentioned in Genesis) I highly recommend this series. Not only is the vocabulary on the GRE study guide (hey, come on, it is supposed to be young adult, I think this is an accomplishment!) but the quality of writing is pretty good for being such a fast paced book. Speaking of pacing, the books flow seamlessly from plot turn to plot turn. The new spin that Clarke takes on classical fantasy is instantly timeless! A must read for quite summer evenings when you are feeling a bit of wanderlust!

Another book I am reading for the first time is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. A long time Gaiman fan I have not been let down as he has drawn me, yet again, into a fantastic world meshed beautifully with our own familiar one. The story is about a young boy named Nobody Owens who is brought up in a graveyard, raised by ghosts, and taught by a vampire and a werewolf! I mostly enjoyed Gaiman's use of classical mythology in not only the graveyard setting (fantastic Latin phrases and place settings), but also in the characters themselves. For example, the long dead poet who gives Bod the advice that he should be like Leander (who was killed trying to reach his lover), Hero (Leander's girlfriend, who kills herself), and Alexander/Paris (who seduced and kidnapped another man's wife) when pursuing his lady-love! This is the type of book that makes you wonder about the characters after you have read it (not there yet, but I am sure I will still think this at the end!)I guarantee you will not regret picking this one up and toting it around this summer!

Harpsong by Rilla Aska. I read Harpsong early last month. I greatly enjoy dustbowl stories from Oklahoma and Harpsong was in no way a disappointment! The protagonist is a young folk singer who travels the railways with his child bride Sharon. The book is told from Sharon's perspective and takes the audience along the ride from slum camps outside Oklahoma city to the bustle of Chicago. I know this doesn't sound like a fairytale, but I think it is a classic piece of Americana literature that tells the story of a very real and yet unbelievable time for most of us (or at least for me). Judge as you see fit.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley. I love stories that blend our own reality with that of a fantasy realm. I think some of the best fantasy novels follow this pattern. In this same theme exists the world of Sunshine a place where the people have learned to live with the things that go bump in the night. It is interesting how the author weaves her story around this new reality. Also...against the current waive of sexy vampire nonsense...her vampires are actually terrifying! thank gosh! McKinley is a superb author and has been rewriting fairytales for the past 20 years and making them unique to our time and place.

The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Ok, I am a sci-fi junkie. And I know what you're thinking "Stephanie Meyer?". Ok, hear me out though. Unlike the Twilight disaster, this book is actually written for adults. You can tell that she really took her time with the story and enjoyed writing it. The book is Invasion of the Body Snatchers, meets Casablanca, and covered in Film Noir. A dark novel about a slow alien invasion taking place all over the world and a small band of people refusing to surrender. Here is why the book is so interesting. One of the host bodies that Wanderer (our resident alien) is placed into still has its former resident. A girl named Melanie who shares with Wanderer all of her memories, dreams and fears of the invasion. The book is a creative double narrative between Malanie and Wanderer and will definitely keep you up at night and watching the news!

"Night of Hunters"

Like most fairytale lovin' modern women, I am a huge fan of Tori Amos. It gives me great pleasure to announce that Tori will be releasing a new album this September! Check out this link for Night of Hunters to learn more!

I honor of a new Tori album, I would like to post here a 1996 interview that Tori gave to SPIN magazine. And guess who interviewed her?! Francesca Lia Block! Enjoy the interview if you have never read it before, and even if you have, I hope that it inspires you anew to Tori's musical genius.

The interview was conducted during the Boys for Pele era.

The Volcano Lover by Francesca Lia Block