Recommendations based on Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beastby Robin McKinley

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Blue Sword

    by Robin McKinley
    A young girl embarks on an epic adventure, discovering courage, strength, and her true identity.

    This is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who becomes Harimad-sol, King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword, Gonturan, which no woman had wielded since the legendary Lady Aerin ... (Wikipedia)

  2. The Hero and the Crown

    by Robin McKinley
    A young girl's quest to prove her worth, culminating in a battle to save her kingdom.

    Aerin is the only child of Arlbeth, king of Damar, and his second wife. Aerin inherits her mother's pale skin and fiery red hair, setting her apart from all other Damarians and causing her to be ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Rose Daughter

    by Robin McKinley
    A retelling of the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" with a modern twist.

    A merchant loses all his money when his ships are lost at sea, and is forced to move his three daughters to a lonely countryside house called Rose Cottage which was left to his youngest, Beauty, in a ... (Wikipedia)

  4. The Goose Girl

    by Shannon Hale
    A young princess must overcome great obstacles to reclaim her rightful throne.

    When crown princess Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee was born, she did not open her eyes until her aunt held her. The woman became her nursemaid and constant companion, nicknaming her Ani and telling ... (Wikipedia)

  5. Howl’s Moving Castle

    by Diana Wynne Jones
    A young woman embarks on an adventure to break a curse and reclaim her identity in a magical world.

    18-year-old Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three sisters living in Market Chipping, a town in the magical kingdom of Ingary, where fairytale tropes are accepted ways of life, including that the ... (Wikipedia)

  6. The Ordinary Princess

    by M.M. Kaye
    A young princess who rejects her royal identity and embarks on an adventure to find her own special destiny.

    Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, ... (Goodreads)

  7. Princess Academy

    by Shannon Hale
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery and empowerment, finding her own strength and potential.

    Miri is a fourteen-year-old girl from Mount Eskel, an isolated territory of Danland, who has never been allowed to work with the rest of the villagers in the quarry that keeps the community alive. ... (Wikipedia)

  8. Dealing with Dragons

    by Patricia C. Wrede
    A young princess embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning to stand up for herself and others.

    Princess Cimorene is frustrated by her life and persuades the castle staff to teach her fencing, magic, cooking, Latin, and other interesting subjects that are considered very "improper" for ... (Wikipedia)

  9. Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot

    by Patricia C. Wrede
    Two cousins in Regency England exchange letters detailing their adventures with magic, romance, and a mysterious chocolate pot.

    A great deal is happening in London and the country this season. For starters, there's the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There's also the man who seems to be spying ... (Goodreads)

  10. Enna Burning

    by Shannon Hale
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery, unlocking the secrets to mastering her magical powers.

    Enna has returned to the forest to live with her elder brother, Leifer. After finding a vellum scroll, Leifer learns the secret of 'fire-speaking', the ability to control the element of fire. ... (Wikipedia)

  11. The King of Attolia

    by Megan Whalen Turner
    A young king's quest to reclaim his throne, aided by a mysterious thief.

    Eugenides, the one-handed former Thief of Eddis, has married the Queen of Attolia, bringing peace to the two countries and becoming king. He appears to sleep during important briefings, makes snide ... (Wikipedia)

  12. The Blue Castle

    by L.M. Montgomery
    A young woman's journey of self-discovery, learning to take control of her life and find true happiness.

    Valancy Stirling is twenty-nine, unmarried (and thus considered an " old maid "), and has lived her entire life with her nagging mother and gossip-minded extended family who actively discourage ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Alanna: The First Adventure

    by Tamora Pierce
    A young girl disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dreams of becoming a knight.

    Alanna of Trebond and her twin brother Thom may be twins , but are very different; Alanna is a tomboy who dreams of being a knight, and Thom wishes to become a sorcerer. Unfortunately, Alanna is ... (Wikipedia)

  14. Terrier

    by Tamora Pierce
    An adventure of discovery, as a young girl discovers her true strength and courage to save her beloved city.

    The story is told in the form of a series of journal entries made by Beka Cooper as she trains to become a Provosts Dog, a nickname for the police men and women in the employ of the Lord Provost of ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Calling on Dragons

    by Patricia C. Wrede
    An adventurous girl's mission to save an enchanted kingdom from the dangers of dark magic.

    This novel is the third in the Enchanted Forest series, told from the witch Morwen's perspective. Morwen, a witch who lives in the Enchanted Forest, is having trouble with people who believe that ... (Wikipedia)

  16. Crocodile on the Sandbank

    by Elizabeth Peters
    An intrepid female archaeologist uses her wits to solve a mysterious murder in the Nile Valley.

    Amelia Peabody is left a wealthy orphan after the death of her studious father, who has left her everything in his will because she is the only one of his children who shared his interests, namely ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Fairest

    by Gail Carson Levine
    A tale of self-discovery, as a young girl learns to embrace her true beauty.

    In the kingdom of Ayortha, who is the fairest of them all? Certainly not Aza. She is thoroughly convinced that she is ugly. What she may lack in looks, though, she makes up for with a kind heart, and ... (Goodreads)

  18. Daughter of the Forest

    by Juliet Marillier
    Sorcha, a young woman, must complete an impossible task to save her brothers from a curse. She faces danger, love, and sacrifice in ancient Ireland.

    Sorcha, the youngest child of Irish Lord Colum of Sevenwaters, loses her mother at childbirth, and is raised almost entirely by her six older brothers. She is more or less ignored by her father. When ... (Wikipedia)

  19. The Phantom Tollbooth

    by Norton Juster
    A whimsical adventure through a magical land, searching for a way out of the boredom of everyday life.

    Milo is a boy bored by the world around him; every activity seems a waste of time. He arrives home from another boring day at school to find a mysterious package. Among its contents are a small ... (Wikipedia)

  20. King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian

    by Marguerite Henry
    A horse's journey of survival, finding friendship and loyalty along the way.

    The story starts in Morocco, as the fast of Ramadan is ending. Agba, a mute slave boy, tends to his favorite Arabian mare, who gives birth that night. The colt has a white spot on his hind heel, ... (Wikipedia)

  21. Much Ado About Nothing

    by William Shakespeare
    A comedic romance of misunderstandings and eventual triumph of love over deception.

    In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare includes two quite different stories of romantic love. Hero and Claudio fall in love almost at first sight, but an outsider, Don John, strikes out at their ... (Goodreads)

  22. The Screwtape Letters

    by C.S. Lewis
    A series of letters between two devils, providing a window into human nature and morality.

    The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of ... (Goodreads)

  23. Wildwood Dancing

    by Juliet Marillier
    A young woman's adventure in a magical world of fairies, where she discovers true love and her own power.

    One winter, Jena's father sets out to the coast of Constanța to recover from a serious illness that would kill him if he remained home for the winter. In his absence, he leaves his house, his younger ... (Wikipedia)

  24. The Complete Novels

    by Jane Austen
    Collection of six classic novels exploring the romance, comedy, and tragedy of life in 19th century England.

    This new, enhanced leather-bound edition includes all the completed novels of beloved author Jane Austen. Jane Austen’s stories of clever women, elusive love, and social mores have struck a chord ... (Barnes & Noble)

  25. To Say Nothing of the Dog

    by Connie Willis
    Time-traveling historian visits Victorian England in search of an artifact, amidst a comedy of errors.

    Ned Henry is a time traveler in 1940 studying Coventry Cathedral after the Coventry Blitz of World War II . He is specifically searching for the location of the "Bishop's bird stump ", a MacGuffin ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Fairy Godmother

    by Mercedes Lackey
    A young girl's journey to uncover her mysterious past and the magical power that lies within.

    It is about a young woman named Elena, the daughter of a wealthy gentleman. After the death of her mother, her father married a devious social climber with two daughters of her own. Not long after ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Graveyard Book

    by Neil Gaiman
    A young boy's journey through a graveyard, learning the secrets of the dead.

    The story begins as the man Jack murders most of the members of a family (later revealed to be the Dorian family) except for the toddler upstairs. Unknown to him, the toddler has climbed out of his ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Graceling

    by Kristin Cashore
    Adventure story of a young girl who discovers her extraordinary abilities and the risks she must take to protect her kingdom.

    This book tells the story of Katsa, a young woman with a "Grace", or power, which enhances her survival skills and makes her a highly efficient killer. It takes place in a world where Gracelings, or ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Sabriel

    by Garth Nix
    A young woman embarks on a quest to save her kingdom from an ancient evil, confronting her own mortality.

    The book opens with Sabriel raising a freshly killed rabbit from death. She is a young girl attending Wyverly College, an all-female boarding school in Ancelstierre. An undead creature enters the ... (Wikipedia)

  30. Mansfield Park

    by Jane Austen
    Social satire exploring morality and class in 19th century England.

    Fanny Price, at age ten, is sent from her impoverished home in Portsmouth to live as one of the family at Mansfield Park, the Northamptonshire country estate of her uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram. There ... (Wikipedia)