I haven’t read Uprooted, but Novik draws from fairy tales (among other things), and the Stockholm Syndrome concept is one that I’ve always associated with Beauty and the Beast. But, like all relationships…it’s complicated.
I was struck by that last paragraph because I feel like examining power, consent, and what constitutes beauty is a very strong part of Spinning Silver as well.
Yes, Beauty and the Beast is such an interesting tale. Has any one read Robin McKinley’s versions? She was so obsessed by the story she novelized it twice. I prefer her original take Beauty, but there is some lovely stuff in her second attempt Rose Daughter. I think the classic fairy tales endure because they have things to say to each generation.
On another note - food is a big part of the story. In chapter 6 there is a wonderful line, “and for once my mother dished out the good food without looking as though every bite would poison her.” In chapter 11 - there is a whole series of critical meals. It starts with Irina collecting a basket of food (for helping to get pregnant) so she will have something to take with her when she escapes through the mirror, then Miryam demands dinner from the Staryk lord, then Wanda and Sergey find food (potatoes) in the little house that they can eat.
I read Beauty and enjoyed it, although it was quite a while ago and I don’t remember the details anymore (beyond the basic story, of course). Rose Daughter is on my daughter’s bookshelf, but I haven’t read it.
Since it’s already December 11th, we can start musing about our February selection. If @Marilyn and others ever get off the hold list at the library for Spinning Silver, we’ll still be here, happy to further discuss the book!
@mathmom, re food and books…this is going to be a Christmas gift for one of my daughters: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Library-Cookbook-Recipes-Favorite/dp/1454930128/ref=pd_cp_14_1?pd_rd_w=4ruAv&pf_rd_p=ef4dc990-a9ca-4945-ae0b-f8d549198ed6&pf_rd_r=61P9GX1768N1F766TT0R&pd_rd_r=c436f209-fd56-11e8-aff9-7383e26ea114&pd_rd_wg=nBxTR&pd_rd_i=1454930128&psc=1&refRID=61P9GX1768N1F766TT0R
I got this book last Christmas: https://www.amazon.com/Voracious-Hungry-Reader-Cooks-through/dp/0316242977/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544546650&sr=1-1&keywords=voracious
We usually pick a long book to read during cold weather January, so:
Middlemarch - This one keeps popping up but, hey, January and a nice long classic seems right.
The Nix - Ditto on popping up again and on length
The Great Believers - Ditto again. Newest of the three and up for awards https://www.npr.org/2018/12/10/675277378/maureen-corrigan-picks-the-best-books-of-2018-including-the-novel-of-the-year
Hey Mary: It’s been a while since you’ve posted all the CC Book Club books. (Hint, hint.)
Thanks @Mary13 , still wAiting! I should have started sooner. I enjoy fairy tale and fantasy books, not so much slice of real life types.
Love thinking about what to read next. I’ve read all three of @ignatius 's suggestions and enjoyed them all in different ways. I read The Great Believers last month when it looked like our group wouldn’t read it-- but I’d be happy to skim it again and discuss. I think it’s a better book than The Nix but not as much fun!
For those who like lots of options, here’s a big list from NPR of 2018 books. (Note on the left, you can filter by “book club ideas.”)
https://apps.npr.org/best-books-2018/
The next book I am personally most psyched to read is The Overstory by Richard Powers. It happens to appear on the “book club ideas” subset, too, so I’m going to make that my suggestion for the group!
Wow! There are more than 300 “Best Books of 2018!” Are all of them really that good?
I read “Educated” for both my RL Book Club and for an online Club just started by my undergraduate alma mater. (That’s a story in itself; it’s not nearly as well run as this one. @Mary13, you’re doing a stellar job!!) I’ve also read “An American Marriage.” I enjoyed both books.
My RL Club is discussing “Where the Crawdads Sing” on Thursday – also an excellent book. Their book for January is “There, There,” but I already know I can’t make the meeting – so I may, or may not, read it.
As always, so many books; so little time …
@CBBBlinker , here’s a shorter list for you. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/29/books/review/best-books.html
You’ll notice some familiar covers!
Right now I’m about half way through An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. I’m REALLY enjoying it. I like Jones’ writing style and I find the themes in the book very interesting and thought provoking. I think it is a good “book club book”.
It’s not super long (308 pages) and thus far has been an easy read. If your tradition is to read longer books in the winter months, I propose pairing this book with one that is on the NYT Top 10 list posted above - American Prisons, which is nonfiction. I think the 2 combined would be very interesting and informative.
@jollymama thanks for that NPR link ! Nice searchable database.
Alright my friends, at @ignatius’s suggestion, I will post the CC Book Club history. I’ll have to divide it up into a few posts because of the length. Can you believe that 2019 will mark the tenth year we’ve been doing this? And hey, I’m totally legit at this site, because I STILL have someone in college. 
2009:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/722812-cc-june-summer-book-club-selection.html (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society)
2010:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/839908-help-february-cc-book-club-selection.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/874004-shadow-wind-april-cc-book-club-selection.html
2011:
2012:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1324495-cat-s-table-june-cc-book-club-selection.html
2013:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1461744-orchardist-april-cc-book-club-selection.html
2014:
2015:
2016:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1882027-the-dig-june-cc-book-club-selection-p1.html
2017:
2018:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/2056683-the-dry-april-cc-book-club-selection-p1.html
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/2074267-pachinko-june-cc-book-club-selection-p1.html
All the suggestions made so far for February sound good to me. Keep the ideas coming and I’ll hammer out a list tomorrow.
I’m interested in revisiting Middlemarch, I loved it in 1977 the summer I was alone in Europe doing research for my undergrad thesis. Tried to reread it in 1992 with two kids under four and got bogged down early on.
The Nix also gets some pretty rave reviews.
I’m reading another fantasy now (The Queens’ Poisoner), but plan to read Journey to the West/Monkey. (The latter is a well-regarded abridgement. It got mentioned multiple times as a Chinese classic when we were travelling on the Mainland. The other book that is on my to be read list for the same reason is The Dream of the Red Chamber/The Story of the Stone. (Title depends on the translator.) Another Chinese classic, but very long as well.
I heard Maureen Corrigan gush about The Great Believers on a podcast. Was it Fresh Air? Maybe. Anyways, I made sure to slide it onto my Wish List at Audible (serves as my reading queue).