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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
1977 | Fantasy, Sci-Fi

"Star Wars reminds me of my mother, who didn’t let me see color movies until I was 12. I was raised on Alexander Nevsky and Chaplin and all of these insane movies that would just put a 10-year-old to sleep quicker than a shack of sheep. But Star Wars was my first departure from that rule, and it just blew my mind. It was the first color film I saw, and it just knocked me out. I don’t think I ever forgave my mother after I saw that film. But also just the kind of iconoclastic myth retelling that combined with science fiction, which has always been huge to me."

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Richard Jewell (2019)
Richard Jewell (2019)
2019 | Drama
I presume that most people have all but forgotten the crazy story of Richard Jewell and the events surrounding the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bomb. This retelling is done very well with a cast that fires on all cylinders.

There are some times that the moving gets a bit slow, but it almost has to in order to tell the story it's conveying.

Sam Rockwell deserves far more credit that he received for his role, and Kathy Bates might have been shunned for a supporting actress award, as well as Jon Hamm for supporting actor.

If you have any interest in history or events from American (or world) history, this movie is definitely worth the time.
  
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Morgan Sheppard (1037 KP) created a post

Dec 22, 2025  
❄️ As December draws in and the world turns quiet, Sealed with a Curse invites you into a kingdom shaped by loss, grief, and the dangerous touch of divine magic.

Once, Selene walked the halls of Melthkior as a companion to its Princes. Now, she endures their cruelty as a swan herder—alone but for her beloved swans and the kindness of the kitchen folk. When the gods intervene and a terrible curse strikes the six Princes, Selene faces an impossible choice: help those who hurt her… or leave them to their fate.

A haunting, emotional fairytale retelling woven with Welsh mythology, perfect for reflective winter reading. 🦢✨

https://books2read.com/SealedwithaCurse

#DecemberReading #WinterFantasy #SealedWithACurse #FairytaleRetelling #MythicFantasy #BookishWinter
     
The Odyssey
The Odyssey
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Odyssey.

Homers epic poem, about the travails of Odysseus on his return from the siege of Troy.

It's probably one of the most well-known of ancient saga's, but - from my memory of trying to read it whilst at school - boy, is it a slog to get through.

That is where this comes in, in what is - basically - a graphical retelling of the story in a visual medium (graphic novel), with this covering all the key points of the story, including the fact that Odysseus wasn't exactly faithful to Penelope in the 10 years it took him to get home to Ithica (after spending 10 years at this siege of Troy) ...
  
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Morgan Sheppard (1037 KP) created a post

May 19, 2026  
There's a particular kind of romance that starts not with grand gestures but with someone simply deciding that you matter 🤍 Conway doesn't sweep Selene off her feet. He just keeps showing up, and for someone who's learned not to trust what feels good, that's everything.

SEALED WITH A CURSE is the first book in the Brodyr Alarch series, a Welsh gods and Brothers Grimm retelling where the love story grows quietly underneath a curse that asks Selene to make an impossible choice 🌿

Have you ever loved a romance where the hero's greatest quality is just that he genuinely sees the heroine? 🤍

#FantasyRomance #FairytaleRetelling #WelshGods #BrothersGrimm #RONEAwardNominee
➡️ payhip.com/b/xJR0T
➡️ books2read.com/SealedwithaCurse
     
The Silence of the Girls
The Silence of the Girls
Pat Barker | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A retelling from a different direction.
This isn't just a straightforward retelling of the Iliad. In fact it's not that at all. This is the story of Briseis (I even googled how to pronounce her name), the queen of one of Troy's neighbouring kingdoms. When her kingdom is sacked by Achilles, she is taken as a slave along with the women and girls who survive, whilst the remaining men and boys are killed. Briseis becomes Achilles concubine - a prize of a battle won.
The violence of war is so graphically described in this novel. Briseis, along with the other slave women, are supposed to care for these mens wounds and fulfil their every (sexual) wish - the very men who had murdered their husbands, fathers and sons.
I've never read a Greek myth from the point of view of the women - they were supposed to be silent. Their stories are forgotten, but Pat Barker brings them to life in this book. We hear their sadness, their worries, their opinions of their masters. I could almost smell the filth, smoke, food and sweat of the Greek camp (in reality, I would imagine that I'd walk in the other direction!).
I've always loved the Greek Myths: I read them as a child and a teenager, and I'm really enjoying the resurgence of these stories at the moment. This novel adds another dimension to these stories, which I really loved. I'd highly recommend this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hamish Hamilton for my copy of this book.
  
My Swan Prince
My Swan Prince
Maria Vickers | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
MY SWAN PRINCE is a retelling of The Six Swans where one of the main characters (Max) is a descendant of the original swans and hates the story. The other MC (Lourde) is part of the witch's line, being brought up to know his destiny is to kill the last swan and rid the world of their influence.

Max is very wealthy but works hard. His only friend is his bodyguard, Fizz. He does a lot of work for charity and ends up getting roped into storytime at a library. That would be okay except he has to read The Six Swans. Lourde goes to Chicago from London, determined to find and kill the last swan shifter. These two have a history and bond that neither are aware of at first. The story unravels a complicated history and motives.

This is a fast-paced story with a lot of backstory/history to understand. I'll be honest, I didn't get it all as I kept having to go back and figure out just who was which name. Although Max and Lourde were protective over each other, I didn't feel much of a connection between them other than what I was told had happened.

It was a good retelling of an underrated Brothers Grimm story.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 1, 2025