Mythology & Folk Tales

Fiction Young Adult Young Adult - Featured

Dive Into the World of “Little Women,” Now With an Aquatic Twist

Picture Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March as mermaids adorned with long, graceful tails and pastel-colored hair, living under the sea. That’s what the niece of Megan Lois Whitehill inspired in the author when she requested a mermaid book for her birthday. The result is…

BookTribAugust 25, 2022

Nonfiction

Lee Child Knows What Makes a Hero

No one is better qualified to comment on the nature of the classical hero than Lee Child. After all, his Jack Reacher is not only the most popular series character in fiction today, but also an archetype of the mythic hero from times both long, and not so long, past.…

Jon LandNovember 26, 2019

Book Club Network Fiction Fiction - Featured

The Gods Must Be Crazy: Zeus and Crew Get With the Times on Reality Courtroom Show

Mount Olympus has a big PR problem. While the Greco-Roman names of its inhabitants still carry varying degrees of recognition among humanity, it’s evident that today's rank-and-file shmoes don't see them as the almighty forces they once were. At least, not the kind of forces that can control their fates…

Cynthia ConradMarch 22, 2022

Fiction Recommended Young Adult

Danger Lurks in the Shadows of New YA Fantasy Adventure Series

We all dream of adventure — but when tasked with fighting monsters and saving the world, wouldn’t you be a little nervous too? In the first installment of his debut series, Tales from the Glassvine Wilds: The Dark Knight’s Curse, author Samuel Gallew takes readers on an adventure fraught with…

Katie BloomerMarch 24, 2023

Nonfiction

“Warriors Witches Women” Explores the Fiercest Females Mythology Has to Offer

The world of women expands far beyond mortals. Diana, Princess of the Amazons, inspired a generation of adolescents to step forward and fight for truth in 1941. Then in 2017, Wonder Woman emerged once again to set off a spark inside today’s young women. In 1992, Joss Weadon’s film Buffy…

Chelsea CicconeMarch 20, 2020

Fiction Young Adult Young Adult - Featured

Whisked Away to Another Dimension, Long-Lost Siblings Discover Magic and Each Other

In the middle of an impending snow storm, Jeremiah attempts to take his family frustrations out on a ski slope. Across the country, Jamie prepares to face her father as he returns from a trip with his secretary-turned-fiancee. But before either of the teenagers have a chance to face their…

Nicole MaherDecember 13, 2021

Fiction

Greek Deities Become Star-Crossed Lovers in This Retelling of Classic Mythology

Greek mythology meets Romeo and Juliet in L.E. Stardust’s The Secret Love of Hades and Persephone. Persephone, the soon-to-be goddess of spring, is finally at the age where she can be initiated into Olympus and take her place among the other Greek gods. Along with coming into her power as…

Nicole MaherOctober 22, 2021

Fiction

“Beneath the Moon” Mesmerizes with Mythology from Around the World

In times of division and confusion, stories are the universal way we connect with each other. Stories show us our roots to the past and give us hope for the future. No matter how different or far away a culture, identity or tradition seems, stories have the power to connect, inspire and unify. Beneath the Moon recounts stories — many centered…

BookTribSeptember 2, 2020

Children's Books

“The Fabled Life of Aesop:” Stories Educating the World for Nearly 2500 Years

You’ve no doubt heard Aesop’s famous fables a few times: The story of the tortoise and the hare, which teaches us that “slow and steady wins the race,” or the tale of the boy who cried wolf, which advises against lying for fear that no one will believe you even…

Chelsea CicconeMarch 13, 2020

BooksToScreen Fiction

From Into the Woods to Grimm, fairy tales get real

The term “realistic fairy tale” gets thrown around a lot these days, used to describe gritty books or movies that take a Disney-style fairy tale and un-Disney it. For an example, look no further than the soon-to-be-released movie musical Into the Woods. The first act is all traditional fantasy tales,…

Rachel CarterDecember 23, 2014

Author Spotlight Author Spotlight - Featured Young Adult

Marianne Burgess on How to Create a Fantasy World

Shadow of the Spider by Marianne E. Burgess contains those magical elements of YA sci-fi fantasy that make for a surefire winner when done with a deft pen: curses, prophecies and quests. With this interview, BookTrib’s on a mini-quest to find out even more of its secrets, and spoiler alert,…

Judy MorenoDecember 27, 2021

Author Spotlight Author Spotlight - Featured Fiction Young Adult

Robyn Schneider Puts a Fresh Twist on Ancient Myth in “The Other Merlin”

What do King Arthur, Disney’s Mulan and She’s The Man all have in common? All three have a hand in inspiring The Other Merlin (Viking), Robyn Schneider’s bold new YA fantasy. In this fresh vision of the Arthurian Legend, Camelot hangs in a precarious balance. As warring kingdoms close in…

Cameron KimballSeptember 23, 2021