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The winner of our theme poll is trees (dryads, enchanted forests World Tree etc.)!
Now is your chance to nominate books that meet that theme. You can nominate one original Tale ( or collection of tales depending how long), one YA retelling and an Adult retelling. Please note that they should also have a fairy/folk tale, myth or legend connection as well.

Here's a Listopia resource: /list/show/8...

Shomeret wrote: "Here's a Listopia resource: /list/show/8..."

Thanks Shomeret! That's great! When I looked up "Dryads" this is what I got:
/search?utf8...

I'll nominate Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock. It's been on my TBR for a couple of years now.


I'll have to go browse around at the library to come up with YA or original stories.
Are there any retellings of Apollo and Daphne floating around? One of those might be interesting to read too.

There's a short story that Karen Russell wrote which appeared in The New Yorker that she considers an Apollo and Daphne retelling. It's called "The Bad Graft". I'm not sure that I'd consider this a retelling. You can read it on The New Yorker's website
at

Melanti wrote: "I'll nominate Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock. It's been on my TBR for a couple of years now.
'll have to go browse around at the library to come up with YA or original stories...."

I second Mythago Wood as the Adult Novel! I've been wanting to read it for a long time now!
For YA I nominate Breath of Air by Katie Jennings

For original tales I am still looking.

Under "etc," are we including the green man mythology?

Margaret wrote: "Under "etc," are we including the green man mythology?"

Good question, I guess so depending on how much forests, dryads, world tree play a role in the story. I read a great book The Winter Oak where one of the characters becomes a type of green man and his conscienceless is taken over by the collective soul of the forest. I did not nominate it because it's the second book of a series.
On the other hand the Green man could be a theme on its own.
Anyone else have any opinions on this?

It could be a theme of its own. When I was looking at my bookshelves to see if I had any unread books I could nominate, I realized I had a few green man books that looked good (though no tree/forest books). I've always been fascinated by green men/ladies. However, I think it could very well be its own theme, so maybe I'll nominate it sometime in the future? :)

An Original Tale

The Dryad by Hans Christian Andersen

At Gutenberg :

Kathy wrote: "An Original Tale

The Dryad by Hans Christian Andersen

At Gutenberg : "

That's perfect Kathy! Thanks for finding it! I am not familiar with it.

For YA The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long. Opens with a young man being "took" by the woods. Seven years later, his sister comes back and finds out what is in the woods.

For Adult In The Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip. Starting with the grand old fairyt-tale trope of a prince offending an old woman and being cursed. (Even if the trope does not appear in the Top Twenty(ish) Tales and may be unfamiliar to you. 0:)

For Original Tale. Hmm.
The Golden Key by George MacDonald

Not a nomination, but GoodReads has this giveaway going on now: The Tree Hugger

This one took some research! It was especially hard to find an adult read. I ended up finding two for adult reads, and I thought I would nominate both.

Collection: Gossip from the Forest
Adult Read: The Family Tree and Midnight Robber (this one takes place in an alternative world called Half-way Tree, which is inhabited by folkloric creatures. The name of the alternate world implies a treed place, but I couldn't actually find any description to make sure.)
YA Read: Seven Wild Sisters (is this one about an enchanted forest? The description makes it seem like it is).

Yes, the Seven Wild Sisters is about a forest with the -- ehem -- Good Folk in it.

Mary wrote: "For YA The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long. Opens with a young man being "took" by the woods. Seven years later, his sister comes back and find..."

Those all look so good Mary!

Margaret wrote: "This one took some research! It was especially hard to find an adult read. I ended up finding two for adult reads, ..."


I'll read anything by Nalo Hopkinson!

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "This one took some research! It was especially hard to find an adult read. I ended up finding two for adult reads, ..."


I'll read anything by Nalo Hopkinson!"

I haven't read her before, but she's been on my list for a while!

Jalilah wrote: "Mary wrote: "For YA The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long. Opens with a young man being "took" by the woods. Seven years later, his sister comes ..."

Yes, I agree Mary. I thought there must be a McKillip about an enchanted forest.

I reread Seven Wild Sisters: A Modern Fairy Tale in July of this year. It's very, very good. It fits this theme, but it's more middle grade than young adult, in my opinion.

I'm also up for Midnight Robber; or In The Forests of Serre.

For the collection can it be short stories? If yes, what about The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest or The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm both edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling?

Hmm, I do have a tendency to lump middle grade and YA together. Is that not okay? They're very similar to me--and there's so much good middle grade out there!

I was assuming the collection needed to be of original folklore pertaining to the theme. But The Green Man anthology is excellent, and it's a YA anthology, so maybe you could nominate it as YA.

Margaret wrote: "Hmm, I do have a tendency to lump middle grade and YA together. Is that not okay? They're very similar to me--and there's so much good middle grade out there!

I was assuming the collection needed..."

That okay , We have read Middle Grade books here before. Like Wildwood The most important here is the Fairy Tale, Folk Tale or Mythology content.

Kathy wrote: "An Original Tale

The Dryad by Hans Christian Andersen


Yes, good fit. I've read this short story...about 30 pages long.

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Hmm, I do have a tendency to lump middle grade and YA together. Is that not okay? They're very similar to me--and there's so much good middle grade out there!

I was assuming the ..."

Good!

Alicia wrote: "After really searching around, I found Feynard which looks like it might be really good. I read the first few lines on the Look Inside on Amazon and it seems to flow well."

That does look good Alicia!
Now I really don't know what I'll be voting for!

I'll put polls up tomorrow!

Shomeret wrote: "Here's a Listopia resource: /list/show/8..."

Did you want to nominate anything Shomeret?

Chris wrote: "I'll put polls up tomorrow!"

Thanks Chris!


Anyone else?

The Polls are up!
/poll/list/3...

The winners are:
Original tale: The Dryad
Adult: In The Forests of Serre
YA: Seven Wild Sisters
It was very close this time!

Wow! That was close! 3 polls and the biggest margin was just 2 votes and the other 2 polls had a 1 vote margin.

We'll see which ones get renominated next month.

We had really good choices this time.

Mary wrote: "We'll see which ones get renominated next month."

Kathy wrote: "We had really good choices this time."

As always, don't hesitate to start a new thread for any of the other books you want to read!

Eh, if we started a new thread, we'd rapidly run out of things to nominate.

I have read the Dryad and Sad though it is, I found it full of life and colour, and a better understanding of the role of a Dryad. I love trees and felt very sorry for the Chessnut tree. HCA knew how to draw out emotion but with a tendacy to melancholy I think , also preaching of rights and wrongs, of dity and non duty etc.

Mary wrote: "Eh, if we started a new thread, we'd rapidly run out of things to nominate."

There is so much out there to read, so I don't think so. Already in this last read I ended up reading another book that was nominated but did not win l Selkie Dreams and also The New Moon's Arms which also has a water creature theme.

Carole wrote: "I have read the Dryad and Sad though it is, I found it full of life and colour, and a better understanding of the role of a Dryad. I love trees and felt very sorry for the Chessnut tree. HCA kne..."

Carole I look forward to reading it!