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Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: What Would Belle Read?

This week's Top Ten Tuesday from That Artsy Reader Girl is a freebie!  That means we get to choose our own topic, which is always fun.


A friend recently sent me a reel on Instagram listing books that one bookstagrammer thought Belle from Beauty and the Beast would enjoy.  I didn't know any of the books they listed, so I decided to do my own list, based on these lyrics from her song at the beginning of the movie:
Oh, isn't this amazing?
It's my favorite part because -- you'll see --
Here's where she meets Prince Charming,
But she won't find out it's him 'til chapter three...

Obviously, Belle wants to read books that involve sweet romances where the characters don't fall in love immediately, but take a while to get to know or even to like each other.  So, I made my own list of ten books I think she would like.  All titles are linked to my own reviews if you want to know more about them!


The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery -- Doctor tells shy, withdrawn woman she is dying.  Woman sets out to live as much as she can in the time she has left and gradually falls in love with someone she supposedly shouldn't.

Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster -- Young woman is granted scholarship to go to college, with stipulation she must write letters about her progress to unknown benefactor.  Falls in love with man who is more than he seems.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis -- Girl falls in love with frog who is actually royalty, but also her father's enemy in this fascinating YA fantasy book that combines ever so many fairy tales into one heady mix.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte -- Young governess falls for employer who has dark secret that might separate them for ever.

Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge -- Two sisters move to Texas, open tea shop, fall in love in this retelling of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.


North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell -- Young woman moves to the city with her impoverished parents, clashes with wealthy man over every subject possible, learns lessons about life.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen -- Two sisters fall in love with two friends, but it takes the whole book for them to actually get together for good.

A Room with a View by E. M. Forster -- Conventional young woman touring Italy meets an unconventional young man, shares enchanted moment, parts with him, then meets him again back home in England.

Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George -- Determined young woman spends summer at cousin's house, sparring verbally with another house guest in this retelling of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.

Yesterday, or Long Ago by Jenni Sauer -- Two friends sneak into royal ball, dance with handsome guys, fall in love, discover handsome guys are actually really important men in this gender-swapped "Aladdin" retelling.

21 comments:

  1. I love this prompt. Belle is my favourite. I actually have a book called Belle's Library with quotes etc that she likes.

    I loved Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, and like the look of Jane of Austin

    Have a great week!

    Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
    My post:
    https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/07/19/top-ten-tuesday-storylines-settings-that-make-me-think-of-summer/

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    1. Thanks, Emily! I have heard of that book -- I bet it's really cool :-)

      Thanks for the link to your TTT. Have good week!

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  2. I'm reading Yesterday and Long Ago right now!

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    1. Katie, that is so cool!!!! What a crazy random happenstance :-)

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  3. Such a fun idea for a topic!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2022/07/19/top-ten-tuesday-377/

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  4. The Blue Castle is one my favorite books so yeah, Belle would like that.

    I don't know about Daddy-Long-Legs as I find that story just didn't all that enjoyable to me.

    Pride and Prejudice - another one of my favorite.

    Good list but I think Belle would also like to read adventure books.

    Have a lovely day.

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    1. Lissa, glad you liked some of these too! I'm sure Belle would like a variety of books, but I had to settle on ten somehow :-)

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  5. Oh yes, Belle would love these!

    I just put a hold on Enchanted. Somehow, I missed it when you first posted your review.

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    1. Eva, oooooooh, I want to hear what you think of Enchanted! It is a really unusual and delightful book.

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  6. ooh fun choice of topic! I think Jane Eyre is the only one I've read of these.
    Lisa Loves Literature

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! Jane Eyre is my favorite novel, so I'm glad you've read it :-) Thanks for the link to your TTT!

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  7. I love Pride and Prejudice, North and South, and Jane Eyre! Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!

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    1. Poinsettia, how cool you like so many on this list! Thanks for the link to your TTT :-)

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  8. I loved Enchanted - maybe one day I should finish the series.

    Check out my TTT

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    1. Lauren, I haven't read the rest of the series either. Enchanted just ended so perfectly I didn't want to read more, somehow. Thanks for the link to your TTT!

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  9. This is such a fun post! I love the idea.

    I can especially see Belle loving The Blue Castle, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and A Room with a View, but all of these choices sound very accurate. ;)

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  10. Belle has always been my favorite Disney princess!! And this is such a good list. I'll have to check out the ones you mentioned that I haven't read yet...

    Btw, The book Belle is reading in the beginning of the film is Sleeping Beauty. A nod to Walt Disney's favorite fairy tale!

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    1. Juliette, I'm so glad you enjoyed this list :-)

      How cool that they put that little nod to Walt Disney there! I love that. My family and I went to Walt Disney World in March, and we were at Epcot the first day they had people in costumes start walking around mingling with the customers again, after not doing that for two years due to the pandemic. They chose Mary Poppins to be the first costumed character to be out in the streets because she was Walt Disney's daughters' favorite, according to a conversation I overheard between two workers there. And that made me cry. Such a beautiful way to honor Walt Disney.

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