So You've Finally: Caught the Beauty and the Beast Excitement Bug

Perhaps seeing the clip of the Gaston song convinced you, perhaps you were always on board, however it happened, you're eagerly awaiting Disney's Beauty and the Beast and you want some reading material to tide you over until it comes out. Here you go:

You want to read the source material:

Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont

Considered the original story, it is only around fifty pages or so, so if you want to read the source material it shouldn't take you that long.

Beauty and the Beast: Classic Tales About Animal Brides and Grooms From Around the World

If you're looking for where the author of Beauty and the Beast may have gotten some of their inspiration from, this book is the collection for you.






You want books based around the actual movie, thanks:

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly

This book takes place during the movie timeline where Belle finds an enchanted book in the Beast's library.

Beauty and the Beast novelization by Elizabeth Rudnick

This is probably cheating, but the novelization of the movie is already out for those who just can't wait until it hits theaters.

The Beast Within by Serena Valentino

Based around the animated movie, this is the tale told from the Beast's POV.

Twisted Tales 3: As Old As Time by Liz Braswell

This is part of a series of books that takes the well known Disney tales and puts a spin on them. In this one, we get Beauty and the Beast, but if Belle's mother had been the one to curse the beast.






You're all about those Beauty and the Beast retellings:

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley

This is my personal favorite retelling of Beauty and the Beast ever. I highly recommend it (and McKinley's second Beauty and the Beast retelling: Rose Daughter).

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's POV.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

I confess, this is...not my favorite of the Beauty and the Beast retellings out there. It's a contemporary take on it and...it's fine. I'm just not as fond of it as most people seem to be.

Once Upon a Time-Belle: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Cameron Dokey

Part of a popular series of retellings. There is also a book in this series that combined Beauty and the Beast and Last of the Mohicans if you want a really different take on the tale...