Tale as Old as Time

Some stories just stick with you, one of those is the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast.  Robin McKinley's Beauty is a retelling of that classic tale.

McKinley's version has all of the things I love about the original-a feisty heroine who loves books more than anything else (I mean really, how could I not like that person).  A romance that develops in the best way possible, distrustful strangers become tentative friends, then comfortable companions and gradually realize they can't live without each other.  And like all my favorite stories there is just a dash of magic.

Unlike the original Beauty doesn't feel that she lives up to her namesake, in fact she feels downright homely. Also Beauty has a much larger family to leave behind in this tale.  The changes just make the story more engaging .  McKinley somehow makes the tale fresh and new while still being old and familiar.

Beauty is the perfect book to read as you sip your coffee or hot coca all cozied up under quilts.  Actually it's the perfect book to read anytime you want to get sucked into a sweet story, but there is something about staying in on a cold day and reading good book-don't you think?

Looking beyond appearance...that's kids stuff