Thanks to The Broke And The Bookish for always bringing topics to make me think. This week bloggers are revisiting childhood characters, imagining just what they would be doing all grown up. To check out all the participating bloggers, click HERE.
This week, I have a two-parter — characters I want to see all grown up and characters that have been re-imagined already. You see, I spent my childhood immersed in fairy tales. I re-read these classics over and over. I did emerge long enough to have a few favorite contemporary books (that phrase being relative since I am now 50+ đ ). So here are my Top 10 picks.
Childhood Favorites All Grown Up
Nancy Drew —Â Nothing in my book can top a Nancy Drew mystery. My much older sister had quite a collection of these books when I came along. I had a great library at my fingertips. I would love to see Nancy as a grandmother with a teenaged granddaughter-sleuth. Wouldn’t that be a fun mystery solving pair!
Box Car Children — This series always intrigued me. I loved the independent Alden kids determined to stay together. Their adventures kept me riveted. I’d like to see them all grown up with families, perhaps taking to the road in tricked out RVs.
Eloise — I discovered Eloise at the dentist. I always hoped that the my mom’s dental exams would take a long time so that I could get to the end of the book before it was time to leave. I don’t know why I never borrowed the books from the library — kids! I’d like to see an adult Eloise still living at the Plaza maybe working in fashion, or diplomacy or as a spy!
Landslide! — I got Veronique Day’s novel as part of the Scholastic readers program and I still have my treasured copy. The 5 Colson and Berthier children must not only survive but somehow escape from the landslide that has imprisoned them. This book is, sadly, out of print, and quite expensive in the second-hand market, so I am thankful I held on to my copy. I would love to see these children at a reunion with their families. And since I am evil that way, I would love for them to face another disaster and survive and triumph by their wits!
Fairy Tale Re-Imaginings
Fairy tales were a staple in my home. I am so glad that my favorite stories have now been retold by author Melanie Dickerson. I have read a couple of these books; the rest are on my wish list.
Beauty And The BeastÂ
The Merchant’s Daughter —Â An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice. Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulfâs bailiffâa revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past. Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiffâs vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulfâs future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart.
Snow White
The Fairest Beauty —Â Sophie desperately wants to get away from her stepmotherâs jealousy, and believes escape is her only chance to be happy. Then a young man named Gabe arrives from Hagenheim Castle, claiming she is betrothed to his older brother, and everything twists upside down. This could be Sophieâs one chance at freedomâbut can she trust another person to keep her safe?
Gabe defied his parents Rose and Wilhelm by going to find Sophie, and now he believes they had a right to worry: the girlâs inner and outer beauty has enchanted him. Though romance is impossibleâshe is his brotherâs future wife, and Gabe himself is betrothed to someone elseâhe promises himself he will see the mission through, no matter what.
When the pair flee to the Cottage of the Seven, they find helpâbut also find their feelings for each other have grown. Now both must not only protect each other from the dangers around themâthey must also protect their hearts.
Rapunzel
The Golden Braid —Â Rapunzel can throw a knife better than any man. She paints beautiful flowering vines on the walls of her plaster houses. She sings so sweetly she can coax even a beast to sleep. But there are two things she is afraid her mother might never allow her to do: learn to read and marry.
Fiercely devoted to Rapunzel, her mother is suspicious of every man who so much as looks at her daughter and warns her that no man can be trusted. After a young village farmer asks for Rapunzelâs hand in marriage, Mother decides to move them once againâthis time, to the large city of Hagenheim.
The journey proves treacherous, and after being rescued by a knightâSir GerekâRapunzel in turn rescues him farther down the road. As a result, Sir Gerek agrees to repay his debt to Rapunzel by teaching her to read. Could there be more to this knight than his arrogance and desire to marry for riches and position?
As Rapunzel acclimates to life in a new city, she uncovers a mystery that will forever change her life. In this Rapunzel story unlike any other, a world of secrets and treachery is about to be revealed after seventeen years of lies. How will Rapunzel finally take control of her own destiny? And who will prove faithful to a lowly peasant girl with no one to turn to?
Cinderella
The Captive Maiden —Â Giselaâs childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her fatherâs death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the dukeâs son, Valtenâthe boy she has daydreamed about for yearsâis throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if itâs only for a taste of a life sheâll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valtenâs eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.
Sleeping Beauty
The Healer’s Apprentice —Â Two Hearts. One Hope. Rose has been appointed as a healerâs apprentice at Hagenheim Castle, a rare opportunity for a woodcutterâs daughter like her. While she often feels uneasy at the sight of blood, Rose is determined to prove herself capable. Failure will mean returning home to marry the aging bachelor her mother has chosen for herâa bloated, disgusting merchant who makes Rose feel ill. When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions sheâs never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Roseâs life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.
I have two other book buddies that I have never met, at least in person. 
of the interwebs. I love their insights, their passion and am thankful for the real friendship that we have developed.
Oh I love book club night! I belong to two book clubs — 
Book signings, book luncheons, book conventions, book field trips — I’m there! I have had so much fun exploring the world outside my books. Both my book clubs have gone on field trips — St. Simons Island for Eugenia Price books, Atlanta for Elizabeth Musser books. We have hosted a number of authors for meet and greets (see above picture for the Tracy Groot meet and greet). I’ve also attended the ICRS as media (yes book bloggers are media!) and met some fabulous people. The last book event I attended was hosted by the 
Can anyone have a list of bookworm delights without included book stores? I have an internal magnet that involuntarily draws me to any bookstore within walking distance. A vacation is really not complete without a visit to the local bookstore. In my second year of marriage we moved to a small town outside of Atlanta. I worked in a very small bookstore there — yeah, dream job! 
I am a sucker for the swag that accompanies books — bookmarks, postcards, bookplates. Thanks to all the authors that provide these little gems! I recently received a book bag, bookmark and keychain from 
Every two months 
The City of Tranquil Life
Farewell, Four Waters 
Jungle Sunrise
Side by Side 
Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens and widely considered to be his masterpiece. It was originally published in 20 monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853 and includes a vast, complex plot that has mesmerized readers for a century and a half. At the novel’s core is a long-running court case which has far-reaching consequences for all involved. The story is part mystery with a complex group of clues, motives, and suspects that readers must sort through and figure out and includes one of the first detectives in English fiction, Inspector Bucket.
In the four most bloody and courageous days of our nationâs history, two armies fought for two conflicting dreams. One dreamed of freedom, the other of a way of life. Far more than rifles and bullets were carried into battle. There were memories. There were promises. There was love. And far more than men fell on those Pennsylvania fields. Bright futures, untested innocence, and pristine beauty were also the casualties of war. Michael Shaaraâs Pulitzer Prizeâwinning masterpiece is unique, sweeping, unforgettableâthe dramatic story of the battleground for Americaâs destiny.
Despite being raised in a traditional Old Order Amish family, seventeen-year-old Hannah Lapp desires to break with custom, forgo baptism into the faith, and marry outside the cloistered community. Sheâs been in love with Mennonite Paul Waddell for three years, and before returning to college for his senior year, Paul asks Hannah to be his wife. Hannah accepts, aware that her marriage will change her relationship with her family forever.
Imagine that you are a believer living in a communist country. You live with the knowledge that at any time you could be imprisoned, tortured, or killed simply because you are a Christian. Beyond the Rapids is the true story of Ukrainian pastor Alexei Brynza and his wife, Valentina, who endured persecution in a culture that was hostile to their faith as they struggled to raise their four children as believers . From the Great Terror of the 1930s to the time when believing in Christ is no longer a crime, this close- nit Ukrainian family quietly persisted through the years, trusting God for everything. The Brynzas’ children, forced to choose between God and the communist system, wrestled with temptations of ambition, popularity, love, and wealth. For periods of their lives, one or more gave in. But God heard the faithful prayers of Alexei and Valentina, and eventually the Brynza family was able not only to survive while serving God, but to thrive. Their son-in-law, Igor Yaremchuk, adds his own testimony of coming to Christ with the help of miracles and atheistic propaganda. 
At 4:00 am, Leonida Wanyama lit a lantern in her house made of sticks and mud. She was up long before the sun to begin her farm work, as usual. But this would be no ordinary day, this second Friday of the new year. This was the day Leonida and a group of smallholder farmers in western Kenya would begin their exodus, as she said, âfrom misery to Canaan,â the land of milk and honey.
In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis, one of the most renowned Christian authors and thinkers, examines a universally applicable question within the human condition: âIf God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?â With his signature wealth of compassion and insight, C.S. Lewis offers answers to these crucial questions and shares his hope and wisdom to help heal a world hungering for a true understanding of human nature.
C.S. Lewisâ The Great Divorce is a classic Christian allegorical tale about a bus ride from hell to heaven. An extraordinary meditation upon good and evil, grace and judgment, Lewisâs revolutionary idea in the The Great Divorce is that the gates of Hell are locked from the inside. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewisâ The Great Divorce will change the way we think about good and evil.
Wilma Sue seems destined to go from one foster home to the nextâuntil she is sent to live with sisters and missionaries, Ruth and Naomi. Do they really care about Wilma Sue, or are they just looking for a Cinderella-style farmhand to help raise chickens and bake cakes?
Mu, a ten-year-old orphan, has lived his entire life in the heart of Africa. For as long as he can remember he has served in the household of a great-uncle where he is unloved and ignored. In his drudgery-filled life, Mu has little hope of happiness, and little hope that anything will ever change.
As far back as he can remember, the orphan Grady has tramped from village to village in the company of a huckster named Floyd. With his adolescent accomplice, Floyd perpetrates a variety of hoaxes and flimflams on the good citizens of the Corenwald frontier, such as the Ugliest Boy in the World act.
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