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February 7, 2018 , Wed | Book Couples Countdown | 0 or add you thoughts!

Welcome to Day 1 of Book Couples Countdown! My first pick is Beauty and the Beast. I decided to make them the Day 1 pair because I’ve loved them since childhood, and their relationship has therefore remained somewhat simplistic to me.

Art by MinaLima. This is a page from Harper Design’s 2017 edition of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s original story.

But last year I finally read Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s original version (La Belle et la Bête, which was translated to English by J.R. Planché), and it only furthered my love for them!

Art by Walter Crane. This illustration acts as the cover for Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s version.

The faith Beauty has in the Beast despite his appearance is, of course, the very essence of this story. It’s something I never seem to tire of, and I know I’m not the only one, as the tale has been told and retold for centuries. The story as we know it was first written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740. She is believed to have been inspired by the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, and that influence came full circle in 1956, when C.S. Lewis published Till We Have Faces. This, a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche myth, is often thought to be a Beauty and the Beast story. It’s possible that Lewis was influenced by the evolution of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale as an extension, of sorts, of the original myth. In between Villeneuve and Lewis, countless retellings of the fairy tale have been put out into the world. Notably, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (whom many mistakingly believe to be the original author) and Andrew Lang (a master of fairy tales) have versions to their names. A tale as old as time? Almost! read more

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December 30, 2017 , Sat | Hauls | 0 or add you thoughts!

Ahhhh to be a bibliophile at Christmas! My friends and family did SO WELL this year. Seriously, not only did they get me a lot of the things I had mentioned wanting, but they surprised me with things I’ve never heard of that are perfect. I’m only including the bookish gifts here, but everything was so thoughtful. I think the greatest gift was how known my loved ones made me feel by giving such perfect gifts. Feeling understood has always been something I struggle with, so these sorts of gestures mean everything to me.

My mom and dad got me two of the books that were highest on my list—the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter: A History of Magic. The second of these is the companion to British Library’s exhibition, and even though there is a beautiful paperback version here in the United States, I just really wanted the UK hardcover. Being giant hardcovers, these are both quite pricey. They’re also books that I know I’ll cherish forever. Not that I don’t feel that way about most all of my books, but you know what I mean. Gorgeously illustrated, Harry Potter-related books equal lifelong treasure! So, I’m obviously quite thrilled to have been given them, which of course makes them even more special. read more

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