Ella Enchanted

I've always assumed that I read this book and have seen the movie but after listening to the charming audio version of it I really don't think I have. The story was new and fresh and fantastical. I loved it. I'm a sucker for fairy tale re-tellings and the superb narration (the narrator sounds like an honest to god kid!) kicked this middle grade fantasy into overdrive. When Ella was a newborn a fairy placed a curse on her - she would be obedient. Ella cannot disobey an order - which make it dangerous if the wrong people found out! After her mother dies she is sent to finishing school and two odious girls proceed to make her life a living hell. She runs away to try and find the fairy who cursed and along the way she has many an adventure. There is romance, action, adventure, humor, and fun. All around great storytelling. Empowering for young girls!

The Merry Spinster

This is exactly (and not quite) what I was expecting. Ortberg retells classic fairy tales and puts her own dark spin on them. From beauty and the beast, to the velveteen rabbit, to cinderella, and to the little mermaid; they're all accounted for and are all predictably creepy. She modernizes the stories a bit and brings them back to their true "Grim" roots. This collection is filled with death and unhappy endings, perfect for reading to your children at night ;) Overall, it was alright, but there were a few stories I couldn't get in to or went over my head a little bit. Beautifully written, but it's not a collection I think I'll ever re-read.