rewriting

Book Review – Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

books, reviews

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

This recent trend of feminist rewritings of myths and legends isn’t going away any time soon. It feels like every single book being published at the moment is based on some poor figure in Greek mythology. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for it but do we need quite so many at the same time? People regularly moan about the lack of originality i the film industry but what of publishing? It feels as though the only books getting a green light right now are either mythology retellings or cosy crime. Flooding the market with these types of books just means that quality declines. Yes, The Song of Achilles was great but not everything can be the same. Ariadne is one of those books that I’ve heard so many good things about. Although, it was also nominated for a GoodReads award in 2021 which is often a worrying sign. I was interested to see what it would be like but also kind of scared to start it. This week, I finally took the plunge.

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Book Review – The Surface Breaks by Louise O’Neill

books, reviews

Rating: 2 out of 5.

I was expecting to write my review of The Bullet That Missed today but, as I’ve been struck down with a cold, I still have a few pages to go. So, I did what I always do in these situations and borrowed an audiobook from the library. Which one? The first one I could find that I could listen to during my shift. It’s a system that hasn’t always worked for my but it has also opened my eyes to some great books I wouldn’t have read normally. This book isn’t one that I would have cared about. Young adult fantasy isn’t my thing anyway but especially when it’s the retelling of a fairy tale. Although, it’s a feminist retelling and I’m always up for teaching young women to speak up for themselves.

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Book Review – Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

books, reviews

Rating: 3 out of 5.

After reading French Braid earlier this year, I decided that it was time to read more Anne Tyler. I decided to start with the book that I’ve had on my shelf for over 5 years. Just as I initially did with the contemporary retellings of Jane Austen novels, I completely bought into the idea of updating Shakespeare. I really wanted to read them all and see how good they were. In the end, I bought this one and then forgot all about it. I’m much more invested in Shakespeare than I am in Jane Austen. When they ended up being bad, I didn’t care much. I didn’t know how I’d feel about terrible Shakespeare retellings. Maybe Ann Tyler was the perfect place to start?

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