My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me

Edited by: Kate Bernheimer

First line: Baba Iaga had a daughter, a pelican child.

Why you should read this book: Lovers of fairy tales, timeless tropes, and embodied metaphor have reason to rejoice with this collection of forty modern fairy tales inspired by dozens of classic standards, and reimagined by some of the most magical writers of our day. There are many flavors to sample: some stories evoke the lyrical spirit of the old tales, while other bounce with updated language and expectations; there are stories where we instantly recognize the archetypal protagonist and stories the shine a spotlight on a minor character whose perspective we may never have considered; there are happily-ever-afters and gritty here-and-nows; there is realism, and surrealism. Imagination runs wild in a thick collection containing many wonderful and provocative pieces that remind the reader about the infinite possibilities in the world of once upon a time.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You never cared whether or not your prince would ever come.