And then there's me...and my piddly 6 books. What's even sadder is that that's really not a bad month for me. Pretty average, actually. *Sigh* (Of course, this just makes it more apparent what a fool I am for signing up for all those book challenges, huh?)
In addition to the six books I did manage to cross off the list, I read a smattering of shorter works, mostly folktales and fairy tales. Annie and I have been reading folktales from around the world for school this year, and we are now embarking on a journey into the world of Grimms Fairy Tales. This is really quite a new experience for me...I honestly don't remember reading many even as a child.
Of the folktales I read in January, I would definitely have to say that "Tonino and the Fairies" was my favorite. This is a folktale from Spain, one I was completely unfamiliar with. It is the tale of Tonino, a goat herder with a hunchback. Despite his pain, he was the merriest of fellows and always carried with him a positive outlook. He was well-loved by everyone, except for a boy named Miquel, who also had a hunchback. Miguel was "as cross and resentful as Tonino was merry and forgiving." I'm sure you can guess the message conveyed in this folktale, but I won't ruin the specifics. So if you want to find out the role of the fairies, you'll just have to read this one yourself. (Many of the folktales we've been reading, including this one, are found in Best-Loved Folktales of the World, selected by Joanna Cole.)
It seems a bit sad that I've made it this far into my life without having read Grimms Fairy Tales. I suppose I should just consider it one of those better late than never situations. Thus far, I've only managed to read a handful of the tales. For me, they've been a mixed bag. "The Traveling Musicians," the tale of a quartet of "past-their-usefulness" animals heading for the city to make it as musicians, made me laugh aloud. "The Fisherman and his Wife," a tale of the evils of greed, has long been a favorite of mine. "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" was totally enchanting throughout most of it, but I was extremely disappointed in its ending. It seems the perfect tale for a re-telling. (And of course, it's entirely possible that that has been done already.) I read a few more as well, but those are the three that stick out most in my mind.
And finally, I did manage to knock off one of my stories for The Short Story Reading Challenge..."How to Sell the Ponti Bridge" by Neil Gaiman (from M Is for Magic). What can I say...I loved this story!
It begins...
My favorite Rogues' Club is the oldest and still the most exclusive in all of the Seven Worlds. It was formed by a loose association of rogues, cheats, scoundrels, and confidence men almost seventy thousand years ago.
...and what follows is the tale of how Stoat gained his entrance into this exclusive club.
Don't ask me why, but I just love the story of a good confidence scheme or clever heist. (But only in a fictional setting, of course!) Maybe it's the intelligence and cleverness involved?
And speaking of intelligent and clever...those are certainly two words easily applied to Neil Gaiman. He never ceases to amaze me with his versatility and brilliance.
Okay, despite my efforts to try to "beef up" my list for the month of January, it is still apparent that I'm quite an underachiever.
