The Borrowed Rose: Beauty and the Beast Book Recommendations and Retellings

So, how was your reading year?  Did you set goals?  Follow your moods? I've shared that I'm a mood reader and that's definitely reflective of what made it to my "read" pile in 2025.  No themes, other than the obvious, Beauty and her Beast. 📌 Quick note:  I participate in affiliate marketing. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!  My goal in 2026 is enough to fund the move to a more user-friendly site. 📖  Kindle Unlimited  (KU) choices won the day this year, and surprisingly many of them were recommendations that also happened to be available on Kindle Unlimited .  That's a win.  I love shopping independent bookshops, I also appreciate the flexibility of Kindle Unlimited and the publishing avenue it allows all authors. 2025 Beauty and the Beast Retelling Round-up I definitely jumped moodily around with these Beauty and the Beast retellings.  I set a goal of at least one retelling per m...

I see you there.  I think you love Beauty and the Beast tales just as much as I do.  They are fun, challenge the status quo, and scratch that inner call-of-the-wild itch we don't want to admit.   I read an interesting book that well articulated why I appreciate a Beauty and the Beast story over other selections.  Why I gravitate towards a werewolf or shifter romance for an easy weekend read. Hey you!  I'm not the only one!  Beauty and the Beast is a tale as old as time (see what I did there), showing up throughout the ages in various forms and myths.  The oldest version is likely " Cupid and Psyche " from the second century AD.  "The Woman Who Married a Snake" was another early version in Indian culture, shared orally and finally appearing in print in 500 AD (p 15).  Each age and culture has it's version of Beauty and her Beast.  And it turns out we love it just as much in today's culture. In The Meanings of "Beauty & the Bea...

I've been thinking about this list for a while and having trouble making a commitment. As I reflect on the books I read in 2023, there are no titles that continued to visit me throughout the year - you know, those stories and characters that pop into your mind at random times or that you find yourself mulling over when you first wake up.  Sometimes I even think, how would "so-and-so" character handle this situation.  Oh, you don't do that?  That's weird. Even so, I read some great books in 2023. tea & books are always a good idea; image by Wallace Chuck via Pexels Favorite Books of 2023 (in no particular order) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone An interesting and lovely way to write a sci fi novel.  I loved the style and the story.  This is probably my favorite of the year. The Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni The Last Queen was a historical imagining of th...

Sooooo… that vacation. Yep, off the books due to Covid. I hate that. We love to travel and like to get away and see something new every few moths or so. In the meantime, I'm discovering some cool ways to explore the world. Phantom phans, this one is for you. BATB fans, the Phantom is a creepy cousin to the Beauty & the Beast tale. Well, both are rather creepy. Beauties and beasts, in their own fashion, so we're going with it. The Palais Garnier in Paris and Google Arts & Culture partnered to bring us a virtual tour of the Palais Garnier . Woot! There are views of the lake under the Palais, views of lovely Paris from the rooftop, the Library-Museum and the theater itself where you can see the fresco ceiling and famed chandelier. They also include pictures of the artwork and statues that adorn the Palais, inside and out. Every nook and cranny has a sculpture or painting to discover. The Wikipedia site on Palais Garnier includes a fun illustration indicating ...

As I mentioned in the  reading list for 2020 post , I'm endeavoring to change up my go-to genres for reading in general.  I've taken that to heart and added a bit of variety for the retellings read over the 2020 winter months.  A contemporary romance, sci-fi rendition, and an Amish retelling made the list this season. Of Beast & Beauty  by Stacey Jay - A dystopian, sci-fi-esque, young-adult retelling with a moral undertone encouraging acceptance of differences. Belle:  An Amish Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (An Amish Fairytale Book 1)  by Sarah Price - A sweet, clean romance between a disfigured recluse and a heart-strong Belle. Beauty & the Billionaire:  A Dirty Fairy Tale (Dirty Fairy Tales Book 1)  by Lauren Landish - A racy BATB-esque story. Masque (Two Monarchies Sequence Book 5)  by W.R. Gingell - A delightful read about a smart, savvy protagonist set in an environment evoking the Victorian era. 💖 Beauty and the Phanto...

I have had a revelation.  The Phantom of the Opera is creepy, and disturbing on so many levels.  That bothers me.  But what bothers me more is that I still really love it.  #sorrynotsorry I love the desperate, creepy obsession the Phantom bears for Christine.  I love Christine's struggle with her adoration and draw to the Phantom.  I really love the haunting music that sets my soul to shivering.  I love the costumes and creative sets and the golden, filigreed ornamentation of well, everything.  While I hadn't connected the two until I began blogging about Beauty and her Beast (yes, I can be slow), I realized that Phantom is an over-the-top, wonderfully gothic, tragic Beauty and the Beast .  And Stockholm syndrome discussions aside, I. love. it. Quentin Oliver Lee is a terrific (and quite tall) Phantom + Emma Grimsley as Christine (in our production) My Bestie invited me to see the latest American Phantom tour on its stop in our neck...