When I came back from my inadvertent hiatus I mentioned I'd been doing a lot of reading, but I won't spam you all with individual reviews, so here are some minis.
Spinning Straw Into Gold: What Fairy Tales Reveal About the Transformations in a Woman's Life, by Joan Gould. This was fascinating reading that shed light on why the same themes and archetypes keep popping up in fairy tales and mythologies from all over the world. What especially resonated with me was the Good Mother/Bad Mother thing (you know how the natural mother always dies in childbirth or soon thereafter and almost every fairy tale heroine is raised by an "evil stepmother"): how the Bad Mother serves a necessary purpose in pushing the heroine/princess out of her comfort zone which forces the girl to grow up. I am the child of a Good Mother, and until recently I never really thought that was a bad thing, but I can see where an "evil stepmother" might have done me some good while growing up.
World of Warcraft: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden. Yes, seriously. I bought this to satisfy my curiosity until I could get the update for WoW. Apparently this backstory is pretty much what happened in Warcraft III, which I never played, so maybe it's not as new to others as it was to me, but it was very fun, classic tragedy about the fall of Prince Arthas, once a Paladin of the Light and now the Lich King, leader of the undead Scourge which are causing so much trouble for dear old Azeroth. One actually kind of sympathizes with him, and why he made the choices he did. Poor guy, only trying to save his people (why hello there, Boromir).
Fortune's Fool by Mercedes Lackey. Boy, I was really on a fantasy/fairy tale kick there, wasn't I? This one was primarily to see what all the fuss was about Lackey; probably not an author I ever need to read again, maybe some day if I need something fluffy and don't mind the near-purple prose. The book takes place in a land where fairy tales are real, and the people play by their "rules," conforming to archetypes like the Fortunate Fool, and falling victim to curses that have to be broken in particular ways. Rusalkas and unicorns and mermaids, oh my!
The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate by Gary Chapman. Something not related to fairy tales, but might help one towards a happily-ever-after nonetheless. We all speak different love languages - that is, perceive and express love in different ways. Some people are huggers, hand-holders, and knee-patters, others give gifts, or offer words of praise and admiration, or find ways to help or things to do for their loved ones. And others prefer simple quality time. Chances are, you and your partner do not speak the same love language, and if you do, it might not be the same "dialect" (Alan's version of quality time is doing something engaging like roleplaying or conversation, while mine is more passive like watching a movie or just sitting in the same room and reading). Understanding each of your languages can help you relate to each other, and give your partner what he/she wants and needs but might not know how to express: it's hard to tell someone who just brought you flowers (Gifts) that you'd prefer if they washed the dishes or took out the garbage instead (Acts of Service), or vice versa.
8 / 24 books. 33% done!
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