A New Cinderella Story

Gregory Maguire

There are many Cinderella stories from cultures around the world. The Golden Sandal is a Cinderella story from the Middle East. Yeh-Shen is the Chinese Cinderella. The Rough-Face Girl is a Native American Cinderella tale. There are many of these Cinderella stories. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is a new kind of Cinderella story.
Gregory Maguire is the author of Confessions Of An Ugly Stepsister. He has also written several other books, both for adults and for children. His adult books are generally new retellings of fairytales.
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister isn't your traditional Cinderella story. It is set in Holland, during the seventeenth century and the craze of the Tulip Mania. The story is told from the point of view of Iris, who has just moved from England to Holland with her strong-willed mother Margerethe and her slow older sister Ruth. Dark atmosphere abounds in this enjoyable retelling of the classic Cinderella story. The book will leave you guessing which magic is real, which is only real in a child's imagination, and whether it even matters.

A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is definitely one of my favorite books of all time.
For one thing, I enjoy Dickens' writing style. Dickens was an English writer of the early 1800's. He is very descriptive without being boring or tedious. He is the author of such greats as Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and the seasonal favorite, A Christmas Carol.
A Tale of Two Cities begins with the famous quote: "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." This refers to the setting before and during the French Revolution. The story centers around Lucie Manette, who is the daughter of a Bastille prisoner. While in England, she marries Charles Darnay, also a Frenchman by birth. This leaves the lovesick Darnay lookalike Sydney Carton desolate and heartbroken. When her husband returns to France during the turbulent times of the French Revolution, an ugly past rears its head. The book's ending will make you want to burst into tears.
You can buy A Tale of Two Cities here. For those Dickens-lovers in the California area, there is an essay contest at University of California Santa Cruz.

His Majesty's Dragon

His Majesty's Dragon, also published by the name of Temeraire, was written by Naomi Novik. The novel is set during an alternate history's Napoleonic Wars. This book would not be appropriate for young readers. His Majesty's Dragon follows Will Laurence, a Navy officer whose ship captures a dragon egg from a hostile French ship. Normally this would bring them a fine bounty, but the egg is ready to hatch. If the dragon is not harnessed immediately, it will be feral and worthless. Laurence considers it his duty to the crown that the attempt is made to harness the dragonet. When Laurence harnesses the young dragon Temeraire, his life is changed forever. He enters the world of aviators, which is quite different from his previous naval experiences. His Majesty's Dragon is the first of at least seven novels in the Temeraire series.

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