Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 11

For Retelling I read Classics Mutilated which was an anthology of mash-ups between well-known classics and other classics or contemporary concepts like Twilight meeting Norse mythology or Alice in Wonderland and Snow White

My favorites were Death Stopped for Emily Dickinson, The Happiest Hell on Earth, From Hell's Heart, and The Green Menace. I liked some of the small touches in Frankenbilly and Dread Island that helped set the voices of the characters, like Cut Through You. It took me a little longer than I'd like to admit to make that connection.

Despite having very different themes and voices, these stories all went together very well. The only time I was 'meh' about a story was when I lacked a connection to the source material like Little Women in Black. I've never read Little Women so I couldn't tell what exactly was being mutilated about that classic.

I loved the section at the end about why the writers chose the mash-ups they did. The Happiest Hell on Earth is described as the place between "Are We Not Men?" and "Why Is That Dog Wearing Pants?" It was fascinating to hear why the writers chose what they did.

This book won't change your life but if you like the mash-up idea, you'll enjoy this.

1) Another World – Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin

2) Learned Something – Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin

3) Movie Book – The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol. 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust – You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark

6) Nonfiction – A Little F'ed Up by Julie Zeilinger

7) Reread – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (as read by Wil Wheaton)

8) Shorts – 20something Essays by 20something Writers

9) Fiction – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling – Classics Mutilated edited by Jeff Connor

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: 300 Violin Orchestra by Jorge Quintero