M9B/Tantrum Books TWO FOR THURSDAY BLITZ: Two and Twenty Dark Tales & Very Superstitious + GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday! #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that will tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!
You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Title: Two and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose Rhymes

Authors: Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Shannon

Delany, Max Scialdone, Karen Mahoney, Lisa Mantchev, Georgia McBride, C. Lee McKenzie, Gretchen McNeil, K.M. Walton, Suzanne Young, Michelle Zink, Leigh Fallon, Angie Frazier, Jessie Harrell, Nancy Holder, Heidi R. Kling, Suzanne Lazear, Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, Leah Cypess. 

Forward by: Francisco X. Stork.

Publication Date: October 16, 2012

Publisher: Month9Books

Pages: 340

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble  | iBooks | Goodreads

Synopsis: In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall. The authors include Nina Berry, Sarwat Chadda, Leigh Fallon, Gretchen McNeil, and Suzanne Young.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

"As a whole this is an inspired and enjoyable nibbler for those days leading up to Halloween. If you love dark retellings, especially when they involve murderous fiends there's more than one here that will leave a wicked gleam in your eye."~ Rhi Reading

"Twenty-two authors. Twenty-two stories. Twenty-two rhymes. This is an anthology of

twenty-two Mother Goose Rhymes that will have you shuddering in your reading

nook, crying in public and looking over your shoulder during the day. These are

not the silly rhymes that you used to sing as a child or watch on Barney. These

are creepy tales with no happy endings (or bittersweet at the most). From

fantasy to paranormal, twenty-two authors dive into the dark side of Mother

Goose rhymes."~ Dark Faerie Tales

"The stories in this anthology are

dark & sometimes twisted retellings of nursery rhymes we all remember from

childhood. The stories are wonderful, not one leaves you bored. This is a book

I will definitely purchase a physical copy of. It is perfect for the YA readers

right now who crave worlds with a supernatural twist. The variety of this

collection is great; each author takes a completely different approach in their

re-telling.."~ Little Miss Trainwreck

Title: Very Superstitious: Myths, Legends and Tales of Superstition

Authors: Shannon Delany, Pab Sungenis, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jennifer Knight, Mari Mancusi, Michelle E. Reed, Jackie Morse Kessler, Dianne K. Salerni. 

Edited by Georgia McBride

Publication Date: March 17, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books

Pages: 297

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

Read this book FREE via Kindle Unlimited!

Synopsis: As told by some of today's most admired young adult authors—and a few newbies—this charity anthology boasts stories that will make readers scream, laugh, and tremble with fear, and all for a good cause!

Proceeds from the sale of the first 5,000 copies will be donated to the SPCA International. Based on stories long-told by the campfire, superstitions passed down through the generations, creatures who exist in legend, literature, and film, and those myths that raise the hairs on the back of our necks, these tales are sure keep readers up late at night with lamps lit and covers over their heads. 

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

"A collection of spook-licious tales that will taunt, and in a few cases, tickle the

fear bone in any reader. "~ Author S.A. Larsen

“VERY SUPERSTITIOUS is a fine anthology for fantasy readers looking for something

slightly creepy for Halloween reading.” ~In Bed With Books

“A timely collection for a good cause, with some delightful surprises, 

full of myths and superstitions, and a vast array of

stories that will make you laugh, cry and think."

~  Books, Bones, & Buffy

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive an eBook of TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES

& VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. International!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Paul's Review pt.3)

This is the third and final post for this collection of short stories. Check out the links below if you haven't read my earlier posts.

Two and Twenty Dark Tales -- Part 1
Two and Twenty Dark Tales -- Part 2

My overall review of the collection at the bottom!

Little Miss Muffet:
This one was very unusual. It is about a family that has a secret that involves spiders. The ending is super creepy. This story left me confused with many questions. 2/5

Sea of Dew:
So at one point in my life, when I was approximately 4 years old, I had this whole rhyme memorized. My parents would recite it to me as I drifted off to sleep. So, this story was very morbid for me. It took a nursery rhyme that I was very familiar with and definitely made it dark. Now although this may sound like I disliked it, I didn't. I thought the writing was done well and re-imagining these characters as survivors on a lifeboat was a very interesting take. I like stories involving survival, especially in very bad conditions. Also, there were many clever references to the original rhyme, involving the moon and such.The ending was just so very morbid. 4/5

Tick Tock:
This one was just straight up creepy. It is a common story of babysitter and unruly children, but these 4 children are so completely creepy, from their clothes to their actions. This story was very well written. It is an instance of a scary story with no explanation. There are so many open ends. 4/5

A Pocket Full of Posy:
This story did not go where I thought it would, knowing the original references in this rhyme. Although, another classic monster is used. A boy wakes up to find blood on him and an empty memory of the night before. I thought this was written well, but I'm not that fond of the way it ended up playing out. 3/5

The Well:
This story features the familiar characters of Jack and Jill, only they are nothing like the childhood images you have in mind. They are no longer chipper, sing-songy siblings. Instead, a virus has killed pretty much everyone in the world except these two. It was interesting how the well comes into play. This one was very disturbing, although I think that's what it was going for. 2.5/5

The Wish:
This one deals with the simple idea of wishing on a star...to be dead. I thought this one was well written, but it was a little too predictable and teen angsty for my likings. 2/5

 A Ribbon of Blue:
The main character in this one is a teen girl with Cerebral Palsy. I thought it was a very interesting read. I loved the way her handicap was dealt with. I thought her grandmother having emphysema was a nice addition to the story, as well. The carnival really gave good imagery. The fortune teller was interesting and I really liked the way the story played out. 4/5

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OVERALL REVIEW: 
This was a well put together collection. There was a good amount of variety between the stories. Some were very dark, while others just slightly twisted the original rhyme. I would suggest this book to anyone familiar with the original Mother Goose nursery rhymes who is prepared to see some wholesome characters in very creepy and scary situations. 

By averaging my reviews for each individual story, the mean rating for a story in this collection is 3.175/5. So, I'll give this collection, as a whole, a 3/5.

-PAUL

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Ashley's Review pt. 3)

Here's the final part of my review for Two and Twenty Dark Tales! And, if you missed them, the first two parts can be found by following these links:

Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Part 1
Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Part 2

My review of the collection as a whole is at the end!

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Little Miss Muffet: I kind of thought this story was pretty terrible. The incorporation of Miss Muffet and the spiders was strange, and it didn't really flow at all. Plus, the ending was horrifying, and not in a good way. I don't really like spiders anyway, and this just made that worse. Seriously, huge spiders? Not necessary. 1/5

Sea of Dew: This was another that got off to a great start! And then... totally didn't deliver. I guess I can see where the author was trying to go with it, but if you take out the boys and make them animals, including one tiger, it's almost Life of Pi. Only not as good. 2/5.

Tick Tock: I'm pretty sure this one will win the award for "Creepiest Story" in this collection. The kids are terrifying, and I'm glad I never babysat for children I had never met before. As scary as this one was though, I think it fits perfectly with the whole dark re-tellings of  nursery rhymes theme. The whole scary kids, unknowing babysitter thing might be over played, but I thought this was written well. 4/5

A Pocket Full of Posy: I totally didn't see the direction this one was heading from the beginning, but it's a really interesting take on the nursery rhyme. It has nothing to do with any sort of plague, and I think it was refreshing to read something completely different. Although elements of this story are definitely over-done, I didn't think it was too much or too cliche. 4/5 for this one as well.

The Well: I really don't know how I feel about this one. I didn't like Jack or Jill, or connect with them in any way. And, since I wasn't emotionally invested, I really didn't care when they fell down the hill. I wish it had been a little bit different, and not pretty much an exact version of the nursery rhyme... but I guess it could have been worse. The virus thing was strange though, and I'm not sure it was entirely necessary. 2.5/5

The Wish: The way that the whole wishing on stars thing is dealt with here is actually pretty interesting. I loved the character of Peter and the way he makes Lauren feel like living again after she wishes she was dead. I thought the ending was a little bit predictable, but it was delivered well. Plus, who's to say she can't still be with him? I give this one a 4/5.

A Ribbon of Blue: Another kind of predictable story, but this one was also done well. I think the fact that Ruby has Cerebral Palsy makes this one even more interesting. She doesn't really fit in anywhere, and even though she's been handicapped since birth she's still very high functioning and can manage to care for herself and her grandmother. She's a very strong young lady, and I really enjoyed reading about her. I think the ending was a very nice release. Also a 4/5 on this one.

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As a whole, I think this collection was put together well. Some stories were lacking, and others were very good, but nothing was too similar to make it very difficult to read through. Some stories weren't as dark as I had hoped for, but others were much darker than I expected. It ends up being a nice balance of completely scary/horrifying and nice stories with a few dark elements.

I would recommend this anthology for any fans of Mother Goose rhymes looking for new takes on them. Some of these aren't for the faint of heart, but I think young adults who grew up with the original nursery rhymes would really enjoy this. As an overall collection, I would give this a 3/5.


--Ashley

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Paul's Review pt.2)

This is my second post since there were quite a few stories in this collection. My third post and final overall review will be posted tomorrow.

Two and Twenty Dark Tales -- Part 1

I Come Bearing Souls:
This story finds Egyptian gods in the form of teenage kids living in a funeral home. I loved the way the ancient Egyptian mythology was connected to modern day. The feel of this story reminded me of Dead Like Me. I definitely could have read more about these characters. 4/5

The Lion and the Unicorn, Part the First:
I liked how this story took a real time in history. The witch hunts are brought up with a very interesting explanation. The main character hears voices from angels. This was a well written short story that left me aching for Part Two, which unfortunately wasn't in the eARC. I can't wait for this collection to be released so I can read the end of this story. 4/5

Life in a Shoe:
This story kept to the spirit of the original rhyme. It was interesting to see how this rhyme was placed into a dystopian future with forced children. The wall tv reminded me of the walls in Fahrenheit 451. 3/5

Candlelight:
This was a very predictable story that held to its rhyme. Upset teenagers escape their "mom" mom using magic. Although predictable, I thought this story was nicely written. 3/5

One for Sorrow:
This story felt like Edgar Allen Poe turned into a paranormal romance. There were many things that happened in this story that I did not suspect. I am not a fan of insta-love and I thought there was a little too much of that. 2/5

Those Who Whisper:
This story was a nice one. It was interesting how the birds communicated. It was also interesting how this story showed nature providing. 3/5

-PAUL

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Ashley's Review, pt. 2)

Since there were so many stories in this collection and the reviews of all of them are probably a lot to read in one post... Here are the next 6 stories! The reviews for the last bunch of stories and a summary of the whole book will be up tomorrow!

Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Part 1

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I Come Bearing Souls: I love when mythology is mixed with contemporary settings, and I think this story was done pretty well. I wish more information had been given about the brother and sister, and how they always ended up back together on Earth, but the main character's story and struggle were well defined. I enjoyed how characters from the beginning related to the overall plot, and the irony of the situation at the end. I wish there had been more after she goes back to the heavens though. What happens next? 3.5/5

The Lion and The Unicorn: Part the First: This story started off really interesting - a girl dressed as a boy, on a mission from the angels. Plus, throw in a king and some witches, and it's got so much potential. I thought the writing was done very well, and the characters and the world are introduced very nicely. However, I wish the second part was in the eARC! I'm so anxious to find out how this story ends. 4/5 for this first part though, especially for making me want to read the second part.

Life in a Shoe: This story was very short. I felt that it could have used so much more detail about the world, and about all of the characters. Why, other than creating more soldiers, were women required to have so many babies? Why wouldn't they be taken care of better if they had so many children? Why don't the older siblings move out when younger ones are able to take care of the youngest ones? I feel like this story had too many unanswered questions and not enough character or plot development. 2/5.

Candlelight: As I was reading this one, I felt like there was very little depth to it. Two sisters are angry with their mother for punishing them and establishing rules... so they decide to run away. It was almost like "ok, here's the nursery rhyme, and here's this story where they pretty much follow the rhyme exactly and end up in Babylon." I didn't like the two main girls, and I wish we had known more about the mother. And Pamela is kind of creepy, and I wish her character had been more developed. Not a huge fan of this one either. 2/5

One for Sorrow: I think I might have known this nursery rhyme at one point in time, but I didn't really remember it when I started this story. I really liked how the crow was incorporated into the story, and especially having one for sorrow and two for joy. I wish we had gotten to know more about the father and about the accident, but I thought that Rose was very well depicted. The plot was interesting and had a pretty good pace. Nothing was really too slow or too fast. 4/5.

Those Who Whisper: I really enjoyed this story. I thought it was a really nice take on the rhyme, and I thought the ending was very fitting. I wish we had seen a little bit more of the main character, but it was a pretty decent amount for a short story. This one was one of my favorite. 5/5


--Ashley

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Paul's Review pt.1)

My Pre Reading

I'm following Ashley's lead and posting multiple posts on consecutive days, each of which will cover my review of a few of the stories. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. There were some very familiar nursery rhymes and others I had never heard. each of the contributing authors took their own twist on how to retell or re-imagine these Mother Goose tales. There were definitely some I liked more than others. I'll go into some brief details in these following posts. I must warn you that I have been slowly reading this collection over at least a month and I wasn't as detailed in my notes for the first few short stories. 

As Blue as the Sky and Just as Old:
I wasn't familiar with this rhyme. It was interesting how it dealt with destiny and whether destiny can be changed or broken.  3/5

Sing a Song of Six-Pence:
I really liked the imagery in this one. It brought to my mind a very interesting Tim Burton-esque world. The Blackbird was described well. The whole story was done well and creepy. Like Ashley, I had many questions after reading this one. I could see it expanded into a full novel, or maybe a novella. 3/5

Clockwork:
I thought this one had a really interesting ending. It deals with self sacrifice for the greater good. It was interesting the way the mouse from this familiar rhyme is shown as an enchanted human. 4/5

Blue:
This story had a very interesting concept. It reminded me of Gossamer by Lois Lowry. It may have been too conceptual to really come through to me, though. 2/5

Pieces of Eight:
This one was quite epic for a short story. I thought music was used in a very interesting way. I love when music is incorporated into written works. I liked The Wolf. The atmosphere of this one reminded me of Game of Thrones. 3/5

Wee Willie Winkie:
This one was truly creepy. This reminded me of Darkness Falls and I imagined it as a B-grade horror/thriller. The tension in this one was written so well. 4/5

Boys and Girls Come Out to Play:
I liked the way witches were incorporated into this story. I liked how metal rings were used instead of wands. Magic being genetic is always interesting, as well as children competing in magic trials at a young age. I would love to see this story expanded on. 4/5

-PAUL

Two and Twenty Dark Tales (Ashley's Review pt. 1)

My Pre-Reading

I know this seems like a really long review, and I apologize for that. I tried to review each story briefly, but when there are twenty stories it gets a little long winded. So, I split it into a few different posts. Bear with me on this one!

Overall, I liked how the original nursery rhymes are included before every story. It's nice to have a refresher for rhymes I already know, and to get an idea of what the story will be about for ones I  don't know. The titles of the stories don't always give away what nursery rhyme story is based on, so the inclusion of the rhymes really helps to see some of the correlations that I might otherwise miss.

As Blue as the Sky and Just as Old: I didn't know the original rhyme that this story is based on, but I was intrigued as to how author would approach it after reading it. I really enjoyed how it was done, although it seemed kind of jumpy and kind all over the place at times. Nothing really settles down long enough to get a real grip on this story. I found it hard to get to know the characters and decide who was good and who was evil, but I still liked the way the that the story played out. 3/5

Sing a Song of Six-Pence: I honestly had no idea what to expect when I saw that the story was based on "four and twenty blackbirds." How can you possibly make blackbirds baked in a pie interesting rather than gross? But I really thought that it worked here! The character of the maid was not as developed or relateable as she probably could have been, but the mystery of her was done well. I loved Blackbird, and how his four and twenty siblings were "baked in a pie." Very clever. I would have liked to know if Blackbird was supposed to be more man than beast, or more beast than man. Also, why were his siblings baked in the pie to begin with, and why wasn't he there with them? How did the maid know she would be dealing with him and not another demon? I want to know more about the world and the characters, but the information provided was good for a short story. 3.5/5

Clockwork: I loved this one! I had never thought of the mouse as enchanted human, but I really enjoyed that take on it. Plus the mystery behind who she was, who enchanted her, and why she was enchanted was done well enough that you could figure it out if you really try, but isn't terribly obvious if you don't. The story had good flow, and the incorporation of the clock and time was very interesting. Not too many questions were left unanswered, but I would love to know what happens to the girl after the end. 4/5

Blue: This one is VERY abstract, and a little too artsy for my tastes. I kind of see where author is trying to go, but I felt like I was missing something the whole time. The connections were a little too stretched for me, and I had to read it several times to figure out what was going on. An interesting concept, but it just wasn't my cup of tea. 1/5

Pieces of Eight: I wasn't familiar with this nursery rhyme either, but I still enjoyed how it was dealt with. The world is different, and I think it was built well within the realm of a short story. Not too much attention was given to details such that the story lagged, but enough were given to create a fairly clear picture of the world. I do wish that the conflict had been explained a little better. I liked the wolf/protagonist dynamic, and the last few lines were exactly the kinds of things I feel they would say to each other. I was kind of confused with the ship fiasco, but eventually figured it out after re-reading the scene. 3.5/5

Wee Willie Winkie: This was definitely one of the darkest stories so far, and also the scariest. I liked how the author took such a seemingly innocent nursery rhyme and turned Wee Willie Winkie into such a monster. In the amount of time, I think the world and the characters were developed very nicely. I didn't like that the main character and her parents lied about her age, but I did kind of like that the lie had its consequences. There were a few unanswered questions - did her parents know before they brought her to this town? What does Willie do with the children's spirits? Still, very good. 4.5/5

Boys and Girls Come Out to Play: I love that the story was twisted to be about witches. I do wish the witches had been further explored, and that it had been explained what they do other than call out children to come and play. Also, the world seemed to lack depth. I felt like the world could have been constructed with so much more detail. I didn't really connect with the characters either, and wish we had been given more about Maddox and Rhys. This story had a lot of potential, but never really got there. The ending was very interesting though! 3/5 


--Ashley

Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Pre-reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Month9Books, LLC on Netgally.com*

Title: Two and Twenty Dark Tales
Edited By: Georgia McBride & Michelle Zink
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis:  In this anthology, 20 authors explore the dark and hidden meanings behind some of the most beloved Mother Goose nursery rhymes through short story retellings. The dark twists on classic tales range from exploring whether Jack truly fell or if Jill pushed him instead to why Humpty Dumpty, fragile and alone, sat atop so high of a wall.

Why?: I love fairy tale re-tellings, and so I was pretty excited to see a new spin on the Mother Goose rhymes!

Expectations: I expect well known nursery rhymes to be followed loosely, but much with much darker tones than normal. Some might be very close, and others might be very different from what typically imagine, but I'm fairly certain that all be a new twist on classics. I don't know many of the authors, so I don't really know what to expect when it comes to writing style, but I'm definitely looking forward to discovering new authors in new genres.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover has a girl laying on the floor beneath a bunch of paper cranes. Is she dead? What significance do the paper cranes hold? I would probably look at this in a bookstore, especially once I saw the title.