DNF: My Un-Fairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski

I used to post my DNF explanations in my weekly recaps because they're not really reviews and I didn't want them to be confused as "real reviews." But, since I'm not doing weekly recaps anymore (sorry, they're getting cut with the new year!), I had to decide what to do with my DNF explanations.

I considered getting rid of them completely, but I didn't for three reasons:

• I know some of you like them.

• I'm nosy. If I see someone reading a book and then they don't review it, I wonder why. Did they hate it? Was the review just not coming? Did they even finish the book? I figure if *I* want to know, maybe other people do too.

• Just because I couldn't finish a book, doesn't mean someone else might not love it. Chatting about books is what Small Review is all about, so why should a book get hidden away just because I didn't finish it?

So they're staying (unless, of course, you don't want them to). But instead of getting posted in a recap, I'll post them on an "as needed" basis.

Please remember, these aren't "official" reviews. These DNF explanations are simply me chatting about why I didn't finish a book and, as you'll see, I DNF books for all sorts of reasons (and not all of them because I didn't like the book).

Enough babbling? Ok, onto the DNF explanation! 

My Un-Fairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski

Received: ARC from publisher, via NetGalley

Pages read: 100 of 192

My Un-Fairy Tale Life really is very cute. There are unicorns (at least in the first scene) and it IS funny, though I think younger readers would laugh out loud more than I did (I sort of snickered once or twice).

But it's also bizarre, with clowns and magic spells that remove mouths, and a kingdom of talking sheep (that I kept picturing like those sheep in the Serta mattress commercials). I can see kids enjoying these more unique features, but it was all a little too weird for my tastes. I'm not one of those readers who appreciates weird. I like my standard fare, thank you.

I also am far too old for this book. Some MG books work well as YA or even Adult crossovers, but My Un-Fairy Tale Life is not one of those books. This would be perfect for a 8-10 year old, and they'd probably get a kick out of the zany events, fast-pace, and emotional issues touched upon. But for me, it all rang a little too thin and young. Tweet

Recap 12/3 to 12/9

In case you missed anything, here's a recap of what was posted Saturday, December 3rd through Friday, December 9th. 

The winners from the Historical Fantasy Jubilee have been announced on the HFJ blog. All winners have been contacted and confirmed.

Reviews

Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2) by Jennifer Estep
(Click on the links to go to my reviews)

Memes

In My Mailbox

Features

Author Interview: Jennifer Estep + Giveaway

No More Waiting

Spotlight List: 2012 Books I Can't Wait to Read

What's Your Status?

A meme created by Zakiya from Butterfly Feet Walking on Life where we recap our reading week. Feel free to visit her site and link up your own What's Your Status Posts. Here's how my week went:

Finished

Borrowing Abby Grace (Episode #1) by Kelly Green

These are so much fun! They're like television episodes, with a shorter story resolved in each episode, but a larger arc spanning across the series. The first episode and the sequel are on sale right now for only $0.99 each!

Review to come

Currently Reading

The Red Queen's Daughter by Jacqueline Kolosov
The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
Legend by Marie Lu 
(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

I've been in kind of a reading slump and nothing has been clicking with me...until Legend. Now THAT I'm into! I might DNF the other two until I'm more in the mood for them (they are both good, just not what I want now).

Miss anything last week? Click here to read a Recap. 

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Waiting on Wednesday (36)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating.


I've altered things a little to include one book that hasn't come out yet and one that has already been published but I still haven't gotten around to reading yet.

My Very Un-Fairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski
A Curse as Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce


Goodreads description of My Very Un-Fairy Tale Life (November 1, 2011):

"You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies."—Twelve-year-old Jenny has spent the last two years as an adventurer helping magical kingdoms around the universe. But it's a thankless job, leaving her no time for school or friends. She'd almost rather take a math test than rescue yet another magical creature! When Jenny is sent on yet another mission, she has a tough choice to make: quit and have her normal life back, or fulfill her promise and go into a battle she doesn't think she can win.

Why I want to read it:

This book sounds positively made of win! I've been pining over it ever since it was a tiny little blurb with no cover. We've got fairy tales, humor, adventure, battle! I'm thinking I have a pretty cool fairy godmother who cooked up this book for me and planted the idea in Anna Staniszewski's brain because it just screams READ ME, SMALL!! I'm pretty sure this is a MG book.

Goodreads' description of A Curse as Dark as Gold (March 1, 2008):

Upon the death of her father, seventeen-year-old Charlotte struggles to keep the family's woolen mill running in the face of an overwhelming mortgage and what the local villagers believe is a curse, but when a man capable of spinning straw into gold appears on the scene she must decide if his help is worth the price.

Why I want to read it:

Are you sensing a theme today? Yes, I am hopeless in the face of fairy tale books. They call out to me and I find myself ignoring basic things like feeding myself and sleeping in order to devote all my time to reading as many fairy tale retellings as I can.

This retelling is about Rumpelstiltskin and if my feelings for Elizabeth C. Bunce's fantasy book Starcrossed or my book soulmate Sierra at Yearning to Read are any indication, then I think I'm going to love A Curse as Dark as Gold.  

Have any of you read either of these books? Would you recommend them? 

Click here for a chance to win an audiobook copy of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan.
Not sure if you're interested? Click here to read my 4 star review.

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