Top Three Retellings to Change Your Point of View

Retellings of history, classical literature, and mythology have had a giant boom within the book industry lately. And as a reader, I have enjoyed this. I love getting to look at characters and events through different eyes - and seeing how my perspectives change based on these stories. It's a fun way to see familiar events, which is a necessity when you need something familiar but still have chances to be surprised at the same time. There are some of the retellings I have enjoyed recently and I think are top-tier examples of what a retelling should be.

1. Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield

A Retelling of Henry VIII and his Wives

Henry VIII has always had an interesting relationship with modern pop culture, from people debating which of his wives is most interesting (my opinion: Catherine Howard) to reimaging the wives into a powerhouse musical. Wife After Wife is an excellent example of this pop culture trend by reimaging Henry as a modern-day media mogul. It's an interesting look into modern looks into marriage, business, and social media - while keeping the personalities similar to the historical and fictional takes on these people that have fascinated people for generations.

Wife After Wife is available through Penguin Random House

2. The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub

A Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

Lydia Bennet has been a polarizing character in fiction, but this book allows her to tell her side of the story - with a magical twist! Lydia is a witch, whose magical education was questionable at best. When she gets the opportunity to get better training with a friend, she takes it - only to realize she had made a terrible deal with the father of the (LITERAL) devil we know as Mr. Wickham. In addition, we get to see what she gets up to after the story as she becomes friends with Georgiana Darcy, who has a magical problem of her own.

Also, Kitty Bennet is literally a cat. Which honestly is what got me to read this book in the first place.

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch is available through Hachette Book Group

3. Lore Olympus Vol. 1 - 6 by Rachel Smythe

A Retelling of Greek Mythology

It used to be that most people's Greek Mythology retellings came from Percy Jackson, but now it seems like the biggest entry point is through Lore Olympus - and for good reason! Taking the myths of Hades and Persephone and turning it into a love story is an interesting take, all while giving it a modern twist. I loved the way they incorporated social media and relationship power dynamics thoughtfully while giving us callouts to the myths that inspired the comics in the first place.

Lore Olympus is available through Penguin Random House