A Sea of Ink

So...I'm a bit of a sucker for a good re-imagining of a classic story. Here are a few of my top picks: The  Scarlet series by A. C. Gaughen [Robin Hood...and Maid Marian *wink*] The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer [Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Snow White] The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson* [Sleeping Beauty] *And this author has a whole slew of lovely fairytale retellings set in medieval times with a Christian-centered spin! The  Princesses of Westfalin series by Jessica Day George [The Twelve Dancing Princesses, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood] Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine* [Cinderella] *Levine is another very successful fairytale re-teller. The  Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan [Greek mythology exported to modern day] The Grimm Legacy series by Polly Shulman [Grimm Brothers, H. G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, and other literary masters' artifacts stored in a modern-day repository...yes!] Bella at Midnight by Dian...

I am extremely pleased to finally announce the launch of my fashion blog! Check out my newest project,  Chicer Than Sneakers . The site will explore ways to stay trendy on a budget, style tips and tricks, fashion alerts, and more! I've thoroughly enjoyed working on the website so far, and I hope you all will enjoy and be able to learn from it. (I will still be working on posts for A Sea of Ink, even as I build Chicer Than Sneakers. No need to worry about inactivity on this blog.) Have any requests for either of my blogs? Let me know in the comments below! Thank you, as always, for your readership.

*Spoilers* What a disappointment. First of all, how can you expect me to root for a protagonist whose entire voyage of development is just a gradual slide into antagonism? Am I supposed to like a character who begins with admirable goals and ideas, and slowly is denied her dreams and makes ridiculously terrible decisions? This book is about the backstory of the Queen of Hearts (of Alice fame) so, of course, we know what the ending will be: she becomes a villain. And yet why would anyone write about a villain if not to showcase redeemable qualities? Cath (the eventual Queen) does, at first, seem to possess some virtues. She has goals, confidence, and a relatively independent spirit in an antifeminist, oppressive society. Cath wants to become a baker, although her family wants her to marry the very silly, not-so-smart king. Then along comes Jest, the attractive court jester who sweeps her off her feet, even as she is being courted by the king and wrestling with her desires versus...