While there are so many strange holidays in the world, February 26th is one of my favorites: Tell a Fairy Tale Day! While it might be a little bit made up of a holiday, we are still going to celebrate because there are so many amazing books out there that celebrate the fairy tales we know and love. So I have taken some of my favorite fairy tale retellings and created a list of the ones you should use to celebrate today's silly holiday.
1. Snow White: Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron
Snow White has never been one of my favorite fairy tales, which stems from the fact I watched the end of the Disney movie far too young and it gave me such incredible nightmares my parents lovingly gaslit me into thinking the movie ended when she and the dwarves were dancing. However, Sleep Like Death made me have a new appreciation for the fairy tale, because it strengthened all of the relationships within the book. The Queen and Eve's relationship is the backbone of this story, one of true love and the dark magic that was trying to separate them. And it starts to set up what I have been calling the Magical Princess Avengers, so I hope that Kalynn Bayron keeps writing more books in this universe.
2. The Goose Girl: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher is an amazingly weird and wonderful author, and all of this is showcased within her novel A Sorceress Comes to Call. And as this is a retelling of my all-time favorite fairy tale, I absolutely had to use it for this list. Evangeline, the Sorceress mentioned in the title, exerts total control over Cordelia, her daughter. She magically takes over her daughter's body to force her into total obedience. After Evangeline's latest affair ends in the man's death, they are forced to flee - with the Sorceress setting her sights on marrying one of the country's richest happily unmarried bachelors. Despite not having the identity theft aspect of the original, this book is a delightful look not only at fairy tale stories in general but the way society and its rules allowed Evangeline to control everyone around her.
3. Cinderella: An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn
While the rest of the Bridgerton stories are original, Benedict's is special because it is a retelling of Cinderella. Only, instead of ending at the ball, it starts there. However, alongside the fairy tale nature of the story, it's also a fascinating look into the differences in social classes of the Regency period. It takes the Cinderella story, makes it much more realistic, and shows exactly how those tropes would have worked in the real world.
4. Beauty and the Beast: The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde
The dedication for this book reads, "To the girls who fell for the library before the beast." And let me tell you, the library in The Wren in the Holly Library is truly fantastic. While the others on this list are truly fairy tale retellings, this book is more inspired by Beauty and the Beast. While some of the more traditional moments are present, this story very much stands on its own. The worldbuilding is so fantastic and makes the world seem so real that I have a countdown for its sequel which comes out later this year.
5. The Little Mermaid: A Prince of Song & Sea by Linsey Miller
A Prince of Song & Sea is the cutest of the books on this list, and that's because it was put out by Disney as a part of their Disney Prince series. This is a retelling of the animated The Little Mermaid - but from Prince Eric's point of view. But my absolute favorite part is that Eric has a secret of his own: he's also been cursed by Ursula! This is such a fun way to relive the classic moments of the movie, but in a completely new light - and is a super fast read so you could easily finish it in a day.