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

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 ...

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...