Summer Book Roundup

Do you like reading in the sunshine or in the air-conditioned house? Either way, be sure to add The Fairy Tale Magazine’s ocean inspired collection of books to your summer reading list!

Mermaids are at the heart of summer fairy tales, and you’ll find the shades of them in Kell Woods’ novel Upon a Starlit Tide, a mashup of The Little Mermaid and Cinderella. Filled with ocean imagery, this book is the perfect thing to quench your thirst for historical fiction and fairy tale. You can read my review here.

Mermaid Moon by Susann Cokal tells the story of a sixteen-year-old mermaid named Sanna who is searching for her land born mother. Like Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid, Sann must interact with a sea-witch, gaining the legs she needs to uncover the secrets of her family’s past.

One of my favorite Little Mermaid retellings doesn’t feature mermaids at all! My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl is the stunning novel by Rosa Guy that inspired the Broadway musical Once on This Island. This heartbreaking, tropical novel features a young, dark-skinned girl in love with an aristocratic young man. Guy’s descriptions of the people and gods who populate the island will delight readers, and her sophisticated exploration of transformation will make you think of the fairy tale in a new way.

Those looking for a more contemporary take on mermaids will enjoy An American Mermaid by Julia Langbein. In this book, a high school teacher has written a best-selling book about a mermaid and is attempting to take part in its film adaptation. What follows is a humorous and poignant look at disabilities and transformation. You can read my review here.

If you prefer selkies to mermaids, you must read Rose Sutherland’s beautiful novel A Sweet Sting of Salt. This sapphic retelling of selkie legends is set along the coast of Nova Scotia in the mid-1830s and it is dedicated to “anyone who has ever been lonely.” I love this book! You can read my review here.

The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford explores the selkie legends of the remote Scottish Islands. When the bones of a baby with fused tail-like legs are found beneath a house, the new owners must investigate the past if they hope to heal the future.

Although House of Salt and Sorrows does not feature mermaids or selkies, this Gothic retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses by Erin A. Craig is full of nautical details. From the wind swept cliffs to the haunting waves, the seaside settings will keep readers captivated, while the mysterious murders will keep them on the edge of their seats. 

Sara Underwood evokes tales and characters from Greek mythology in her novel Lies We Sing to the Sea. This book forces readers to consider the generational effects of patriarchal violence against women as they follow the story of a young oracle named Leto. You can read my review here.

Finally, The Wicked Deep, by Shea Ernshaw, takes readers to the cursed town of Sparrow where, two centuries ago, three sisters were drowned for witchery. Each summer they return, luring boys to the harbor and pulling them under. This spooky tale is sure to add some chills to the hot summer weather.

Kelly Jarvis is the Contributing Writer for The Fairy Tale Magazine. Her work has also been featured in A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard, Blue Heron Review, Corvid Queen, Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, Mermaids Monthly, The Chamber Magazine, The Magic of Us, and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers. Her first novella, Selkie Moon, comes out in 2025. You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

Cover Image by Pixabay