Love Me Like You Do

Happy Valentines Day!!  It's time for another batch of some of my favorite literary couples.  I've been doing this for several years now and it is honestly one of my favorite posts to do.  Here are this year's picks!

Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

It is one of the greatest tragic romances in all of literature.  It is something we all hoped would be, but would never happen.  It is the green light, forever just out of our reach.  In so many ways, the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy embodies everything that was beautiful and sad about the Roaring 20s.

“His heart beat faster and faster as Daisy’s white face came up to his own. He knew that when he kissed this girl, and forever wed his unutterable visions to her perishable breath, his mind would never romp again like the mind of God. So he waited, listening for a moment longer to the tuning fork that had been struck upon a star. Then he kissed her. At his lips’ touch she blossomed like a flower and the incarnation was complete.” 

Rudolf Rassendyll and Princess Flavia in The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope

The struggle between love and duty is as old as anything, and we see it played out here again in Anthony Hope's famous swashbuckler.  Though Rassendyll and the Princess love each other intensely, they never lose sight of how their own desires could harm so many others.  It is both heartbreaking and inspiring to watch them selflessly let each other go.

 “There are moments when I dare not think of it, but there are others when I rise in spirit to where she ever dwells; then I can thank God that I love the noblest lady in the world, the most gracious and beautiful, and that there was nothing in my love that made her fall short in her high duty.”

George Emerson and Lucy Honeychurch in A Room With a View by E. M. Forster

For a good girl like Lucy Honeychurch, George Emerson was not the kind of man to be in love with.  His and his father's brash and radical ways upset everything about her proper English upbringing.  But one moment in a meadow outside of Florence changes everything and Lucy is forced to deal with some overwhelming feelings.

“It isn't possible to love and part. You will wish that it was. You can transmute love, ignore it, muddle it, but you can never pull it out of you. I know by experience that the poets are right: love is eternal.”

George Knightley and Emma Woodhouse in Emma by Jane Austen

It is always worth including an Austen pair on a "Best Couples" list.  It takes Emma FOREVER to realize that George Knightley is the perfect man, but she eventually figures it out.  After lots of missteps along the way, Emma is able to recognize true love and gives her heart to the one man who knows how to handle it.

“I cannot make speeches, Emma...If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."  

Who are your favorite literary couples?  Share with us below!

Welcome 2015

I say it ever year, but I can't believe we are entering a brand new year.  It seems like only yesterday I was making plans for what to read in 2014.  I had an excellent year in reading, though I'm afraid my posting over the last few months may not reflect it.  I read 26 books in all and completed 2 challenges (Back to the Classics 2014 and the 2014 Shakespeare Reading Challenge).  Here is a ranking of my favorite reads for 2014:

Honorable Mention: Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.  This is a story that touches you to your core.  Tess Durbeyfield is probably the most real character in all of the stories I read this year.  She is sad, beautiful, strong, vulnerable, and brave.  She is a victim of her times and yet in the end she manages to rise above it all.  This isn't a story that will leave you smiling, but it also won't leave you the same.

#5: Night by Elie Wiesel.  This is another story that will change you.  Wiesel's account of his family's experience in the Holocaust is painful, horrifying, and raw.  Watching these people be systematically stripped of their humanity is difficult, but it is necessary.  The ultimate tragedy would be for us to turn away from theses victims' stories and to forget what atrocities the human race is capable of.

#4: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.  This was my second Agatha Christie novel and there is no disputing that she is one of the best (if not the best) crime writer ever.  While the stories happen in the most peaceful and idyllic of settings, they are filled with a suspense that is almost palpable.  This particular story is fast paced and intriguing, and the ending (though a little convenient) is one you won't see coming.

#3: The Black Count by Tom Reiss.  This story of Alexandre Dumas' father and the inspiration for characters like the Count of Monte Cristo was spectacular.  I was hooked from the very beginning and I learned so much.  It covers not only the story of General Dumas' life, but also slavery and race relations in 18th century France as well as one of the best overall accounts of the French Revolution that I have ever read.  It's a shame that it took so long for this story to be told.

#2: Richard III by William Shakespeare.  Of all of the Shakespeare plays that I have read, this one stands out as my overall favorite.  It has a gripping story, immortal lines, and one of literature's best non-heroes.  Richard is one of the most intriguing characters I have ever come across and you can certainly see his influence in our own modern storytelling.  If you don't read any other Shakespeare history play, make it this one.

#1: Lila by Marilynne Robinson.  Of all of the modern writers that I have read, none has touched me quite like Marilynne Robinson.  This is the third book in her Gilead series and it was everything that I hoped it would be.  We get a look at the past of the series' most intriguing character, and we see how love and grace given freely can change a person's life forever.

Yes, 2014 was a terrific year in my reading life and I am so excited for what I'm going to read in 2015.  Here is a look at what I have planned for the first part of this year:

- Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
- A Moveable Feast by Earnest Hemingway
- Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill
- Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
- The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell
- Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
- A Passage to India by E. M. Forster
- Stardust by Neil Gaiman
- The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

What was your favorite read of 2014?  What big plans do you have for 2015?  Share with us.  And happy New Year!
        

Celebrating America

Today is Independence Day!!  Here in America we are awash in red, white, and blue.  We are gathering with family and friends, grilling our favorite foods, and capping the night off with spectacular displays of fireworks.  We are celebrating the essential American values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  And also the general a** whooping we gave the Brits!  This is honestly one of my favorite holidays in the year and I will be partying hard with my fellow citizens.

No matter how much fun you are having, there is always time for a good book.  I wanted to highlight some books that are American classics or that portray the incredible and complicated thing that is the American experience.

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.  Though many would argue that the proverbial "Great American Novel" has yet to be written, this gem by one of the best known American authors could be a contender for that title.  Tom Sawyer made his debut in America's centennial year and he remains popular to this day.  Whether he is tricking other boys to paint the fence, searching for buried treasure, or showing up late to his own funereal, Tom embodies many qualities of the American spirit.
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.  If Tom Sawyer is seen as a "book for boys", then Little Women is its female counterpart.  The joys, struggles, love, and loss found in the home of the March sisters are remembered by all who encounter them.  Jo March is especially memorable as she pursues her dreams of being a writer with a frankness and spirit that is inspiring and endearing.
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  The pioneer spirit is a large part of the fabric of the American identity.  Whether it is reaching the Pacific Ocean or landing on the moon, Americans have a tradition of pushing onward to the next achievement.  In this series, Wilder captures life as pioneer on the plains and the determination and sacrifice needed to win the West.
• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Just as Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe became beloved the world over for it's anti-slavery message, so Lee's novel became beloved for speaking out against racism.  It's portrayal of life in the American south resounds with readers from many different cultures and backgrounds and is taught in schools around the world.
• Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.  Though many disapprove of the romanticized portrayal of the antebellum south and slave culture, this remains one of the most popular books in America.  In some ways, one must read Gone With the Wind in order to understand America's relationship with the dark parts of it's past.  
• Flower Drum Song by C. Y. Lee.  We are a nation of immigrants.  Our identity is made up of pieces from every country on the planet.  From the Mayflower to Ellis Island to the Mexican border, the immigrant experience has been one of joy, pain, struggle, and sacrifice.  In this novel, C. Y. Lee highlights the struggles of Chinese Americans in San Francisco and the struggles as the different generations grapple with what it means to be American.

What about you?  Do you have a favorite work of American literature?  Share with us!  And if you are American, how will you be celebrating today?

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - John F. Kennedy
         

They Still Say "I Love You"...

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!  As in years past, it is time for another round of my favorite literary couples.  Here are a few fictional couples who continue to make me laugh, cry, and swoon with their stories:

Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters in The Fault in Our Stars

Hazel's and Augustus' lives intersect under the worst of circumstances.  Hazel is dying and it is obvious that their time will be brief.  At first, Hazel keeps Augustus at a distance, but he insists that loving each other will be worth it no matter how little time they have.  Their story will make you laugh and cry, but more than anything it will encourage you to open yourself up to love and life, no matter what pain you might be facing.

"I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina

Not all literary couples have happy endings and Anna and Count Vronsky's story is a cautionary tale if nothing else.  They are people completely consumed by passion.  And while their lives seem complete while this passion burns bright, things begin to fall apart when the sparks die down and real life stares them in the face.  A relationship founded completely on emotional passion often becomes consumed by it's own flames.

“They've got no idea what happiness is, they don't know that without this love there is no happiness or unhappiness for us--there is no life.”

Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars in Sense & Sensibility

Elinor and Edwards's relationship is rather maddening since what makes them such great people are the very things that threaten to keep them apart.  Edward is an honorable man who fulfills his promises and his duties.  This of course means that he will not break his engagement to Lucy Steele even though he loves Elinor.  And Elinor is a woman who can hold herself together under very trying circumstances, but this control deceives Edward into thinking she does not care for him.  It's kind of funny that their happiness is only brought about by the weak characters of other people.

“I come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is and always will be yours.” 

Kitty and Walter Fane in The Painted Veil

Though many love stories end with a wedding, this one begins with it.  Kitty Fane is a self-centered woman and is incapable of recognizing or appreciating the deep love that her husband has for her.  When she breaks his trust (and his heart) their life together becomes one long and torturous road of revenge and heartache.  But their isolated life in a small Chinese village forces them to see not only their own failings but also the good in each other.  The story ends, if not with true reconciliation, at least with personal growth for Kitty.

“How can I be reasonable? To me our love was everything and you were my whole life. It is not very pleasant to realize that to you it was only an episode.”

Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man

It isn't often that you find a married couple in literature who are just plain fun.  Nick and Nora Charles are just that.  They each have a razor sharp wit that they love to use on each other.  They are game for any adventure and will face any danger together.  They trust each other implicitly.  They can hold more liquor than seems humanly possible.  All in all they are smart, fun, and glittering and embody the spirit of the Roaring 20s. 

She grinned at me.  "You got types?"

"Only you, darling - lanky brunettes with wicked jaws."

Picture credits:
Shailene Woodley & Ansel Elgort in The Fault in Our Stars
Keira Knightley & Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Anna Karenina
Hattie Morahan & Dan Stevens in Sense & Sensibility
Naomi Watts & Edward Norton in The Painted Veil
Myrna Loy & William Powell in The Thin Man

Turning the Page

Can you believe that it is already a new year?  It seems like only yesterday we were welcoming in 2013 and already it is time to say goodbye.  Once again, I had a year filled with wonderful books.  I revisited old favorites and discovered some new ones.  I read some authors for the very first time, and I finished the works of others.  Here is a look back at my favorite books of 2013:

Honorable Mention: The Professor by Charlotte Bronte.  Reading this was bittersweet as it was the last Bronte novel that I had left to read.  In many ways, it epitomized all of the aspects that I loved about the other works.  It was a wonderful opportunity to see an author work out the themes and plots that would become her later novels.  An excellent way to finish reading the works of this amazing sisterhood.

#5: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Though I wouldn't say that I "connected" with this story or the characters, it is indisputably a fine work of American literature.  Fitzgerald's gorgeous writing and heavy symbolism are the stuff that readers' dreams are made of.  It speaks not only to a specific generation, but also to the idea of the American dream as a whole.  There is a reason they force you to read this in school.

#4: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.  This story is fantastical, magical, and fascinating.  It is not entirely a novel nor a picture book, but rather combines the great aspects of both as well as those of other mediums.  It is great family reading and is a must for anyone who loves film history, or loved the film Hugo.

#3: The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel.  This book tells the remarkable true story of a small group of men whose responsibility it was to protect the great art and architecture of Western civilization.  They worked in the worst conditions, were hampered by members of their own military, and put into harm's way time and time again.  All in an effort to save European culture from utter destruction.  If you have ever been to the great cathedrals or museums of Europe, you owe it to these men to learn their stories.  

#2: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  Any book that leaves you asking questions and thinking about it weeks after you have closed it has got to be good.  And this novel certainly did that for me.  It left me thinking about life and death, about love, about the way we treat the dying, and about our desire for life after death in some form or fashion.  And all the while, Green tackles these big questions within the lives of two ordinary teenagers.  This was one that really surprised me.

#1: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.  If there was one thing that Wilkie Collins could do, it was tell a story.  Once you get caught up in the mystery of the story, you won't be able to put the book down.  It was so easy to get caught up in the suspense and the fate of the characters.  It was also interesting to see a novel that championed the rights of women coming from a man in the mid-nineteenth century.  Rarely does a novel of the Victorian era truly capture the true spirit of womanhood as Collins does with Marian Halcombe.  This is a classic that deserves to still be read 150 years later.

This year promises to hold some wonderful discoveries as well.  I have the books for the first third of the year lined up and can't wait to experience them.  I am currently reading Our Mutual Friend, the next novel in my quest to read all of Charles Dickens' works.  I'll be reading Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, a modern favorite that will soon be hitting the big screen.  Elie Wiesel's Night will serve as my first foray into Holocaust literature.  I'll prep for my upcoming trip to Scotland with Sir Walter Scott's Rob Roy.  And I'll finally get around to a classic that I have been meaning to read for a long time, Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.  If you have read any of the above books, please share your thoughts on them below.  And don't forget to tell me about your favorite books of 2013 and what you are looking forward to in 2014.  Happy New Year!
 

Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in America.  A day we set aside each year to remember the good things we have in life.  To honor those who risked everything to seek freedom in a new land.  To spend time with family and friends.  To indulge our tastebuds with a large meal.  And to gather around the TV for a parade, football, and classic movies.

Even if you are not an American, I hope you'll take a few moments to remember the things you are thankful for.  I'm thankful for family members who listen to me drone on and on about the book I'm reading, for library cards, for leather bound editions, for old book smells, and for classic stories that change peoples lives.  I'm also thankful for each of you who take the time to read my insignificant thoughts on books.  Happy Thanksgiving! 

…for some of us, books are as important as anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid pieces of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet you or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die. They are full of the things that you don’t get in life…wonderful, lyrical language, for instance. And quality of attention: we may notice amazing details during the course of a day but we rarely let ourselves stop and really pay attention. An author makes you notice, makes you pay attention and this is a great gift. My gratitude for good writing is unbounded; I’m grateful for it the way I’m grateful for the ocean. -Anne Lamott

Book Gifting Recommendations from John Green

In which author (and vlogger, and awesome nerd, and brother to a co-creator of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries) John Green recommends some of the best books nerds can gift (or get) for the holiday season.  This is from last year, so please note some information is a little out of date (like Veronica Roth's Divergent series now has an ending...one that just about made the internet blow up).  Use it to add books to your reading list, or to get gift ideas for that special nerd in your life.  There are only 44 days until Christmas people!  Start shopping!

Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite!

Today is Bastille Day, the day that the people of France celebrate the moment they overthrew a tyrannical king and created a democratic society (for a while, anyway).  The French Revolution is perhaps one of history's most confusing, dichotomous, and riveting moments.  And it makes for some great literature.  Jonathan Grimwood over at The Guardian has created a list of his choices for the top 10 novels about this epic moment in western civilization.  They are:

#1: Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
#2: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
#3: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy
#4: The Duel by Joseph Conrad
#5: Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini
#6: The Glassblowers by Daphne du Maurier
#7: Napoleon Sympathy by Anthony Burgess
#8: A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
#9: Our Lady of the Potatoes by Duncan Sprott
#10: Pure by Andrew Miller

Are any of your favorites on this list?  Do you have another favorite novel set during this period?  Let us know, and take a moment to celebrate the good things the French have given us.  Vive la France!
   

Roses Are Red....

Today is World Poetry Day, a time to reflect on what is probably the most beautiful (and often the most overlooked) genre of literature.  When prose fails us, we can often find true expression in the lyrical beauty of a poem.  There is a poem for every occasion: great epics telling stories of old, poems of grief and lament, poems that express love in all of its forms, and poems that capture the beauty of the world around us.  To celebrate this day, here is a video clip from the 2003 BBC visual anthology Essential Byron.  Hugh Dancy reads "She Walks In Beauty"...

You Must Permit Me to Tell You...

It's Valentines Day!  Time to celebrate with roses, candy, champagne, and kisses.  If you've been following my blog for awhile, you'll know it has been a tradition over the last few years for me to highlight some of literature's most enduring couples.  Here are this year's picks:

Fancy Day and Dick Dewey in Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

You can't usually look to a Thomas Hardy novel for a couple who happily end up together in the end, but this is one of them.  Fancy's father had much higher expectations for his daughter's marriage, and Fancy herself wasn't sure if life in the village as a poor man's wife was what she wanted.  But the sweet and simple Dick wins her heart and convinces her that a simple life with the one you love is better than any amount of riches.

   "Come here, sir;--say you forgive me, and then you shall kiss me;--you never have yet when I have worn curls, you know. Yes, just where you want to so much,--yes, you may!"

Marianne Dashwood and Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Col. Brandon was smitten the first time he saw her, but it took a long time for Marianne to see what an amazing person he was.  Impulsive and romantic, Marianne learns the painful lesson that steadfastness and constancy mean more in a relationship than "romance".  Readers the world over rejoiced to see her find happiness in the arms of a man who truly loves her.

Marianne Dashwood was born to an extraordinary fate. She was born to discover the falsehood of her own opinions, and to counteract, by her conduct, her most favourite maxims. She was born to overcome an affection formed so late in life as at seventeen, and with no sentiment superior to strong esteem and lively friendship, voluntarily to give her hand to another!- and that other, a man who had suffered no less than herself under the event of a former attachment, whom, two years before, she had considered too old to be married,- and who still sought the constitutional safeguard of a flannel waistcoat! 

Marius Pontmercy and Cosette in Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

It didn't take words for these two to fall in love, just chance glances while walking in the park.  Though it seems that circumstances and the tumultuous life of revolutionary France will keep them apart forever.  But Cosette's "Papa" Jean Valjean discovers their attachment and eventually gives his aid to bring them together.  Happiness and hope are found at the end of this dark and tragic novel.

On the day when a woman in passing sheds light for you as she goes, you are lost, you are in love. There is only one thing to be done, to fix your thoughts upon her so intently that she is compelled to think of you.  

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark in "The Hunger Games" Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Katniss has always been a survivor, life has demanded that of her.  But her time in the Hunger Games proves that sometimes you can't depend solely on yourself.  You need someone to be your support when you feel like you can't go on.  This is what Katniss and Peeta are for each other...a piece of safety and reality in a world gone mad. 

"My nightmares are usually about losing you,” he says. “I'm okay once I realize you're here.” 

What are your thoughts on these couples?  Do you have other favorites?  Celebrate the day with us and share your favorite romantic moments in literature.

Picture Credit:

#1 Keeley Hawes and James Murray in Under the Greenwood Tree
#2 Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman in Sense and Sensibility
#3 Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne in Les Miserables
#4 Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson in The Hunger Games

One Christmas was so much like another, in those years around the sea-town corner now and out of all sound except the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep, that I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six.

-from A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas

Wishing you and yours a safe and joyous holiday season.  Merry Christmas!

 

The Gift of Reading

As the Christmas shopping season begins to wind down, many of us have almost completed our purchasing and the gifts are beginning to stack up under the tree.  But there is still plenty of time to give to those in need, and as all of us know, books make the best presents.  Here are some ways that you can give the gift of reading to those in need this holiday season:

First Book: For 20 years, First Book has been giving books to existing programs that serve low-income families across the US and Canada.  More than 100 million new books have been distributed to children who may have never owned a book in their life.  You can help this organization by donating ($10 buys 4 new books) or volunteering with a local advisory board.  Check out First Book's website for more information. 

Local Toy Drives: When local organizations conduct toy drives (including Toys for Tots or the Salvation Army's Angel Tree) be sure to include a book.  I like to pick books that meant something to me as a child in hopes it will also mean something to them someday.

Give Through the Bookstore: I'm sure that most of us will be going to our local bookstore at least once this holiday season.  Many will have ways that you can help give books to people in your community.  My local store allowed you to purchase children's books which would then be given to children in our local hospital.  If they don't have a way to donate directly through the store, ask if they know of any book related charities in your area.

Donate to Your Local Library: Nobody gives book access to more people than local libraries.  Many libraries accept donations of gently used books that will either be placed on the shelves or used to raise funds through book sales.  Ask your librarian if there any particular books they could use. 

Give Straight to a Family: More than likely you or someone close to you knows of a family in need.  Sometimes the biggest impact is made when we give on a personal level.  You can help build up a local family's personal library and give them the joy of books.

 I know how much books mean to me, and I am so blessed to be able to own quite a few.  It's important for us to remember that not everyone is as lucky, and that we can give them a gift that will last a last forever...the gift of reading.  

That's Amore....

It's that time of year again! Today we celebrate that wonderful, maddening, passionate, and complicated emotion called love. Once again as in years past, I'm using this day to highlight some of my most favorite literary couples. The one's whose stories make our hearts flutter. Each story is so unique, and yet in many ways they are all the same...

Sir Percy Blakeney and Margeurite Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

At the beginning of the story, there seems to by no unlikelier romantic couple than the foppish, slow witted Sir Percy Blakeney and the witty, sarcastic Margeurite. But these two are actually much more alike than you would think. It is only their pride and lack of trust that cause an emotional rift. This is such a fun novel, and we are kept on the edge of our seats wondering, not really will Percy be able to outwit Chauvelin, but will he and Margeurite be able to rekindle their love for each other.

She loved him still. And now that she looked back upon the last few months of misunderstandings and of loneliness, she realized that she had never ceased to love him; that deep down in her heart she had always vaguely felt that his foolish inanities, his empty laugh, his lazy nonchalance were nothing but a mask; that the real man, strong, passionate, willful, was there still--the man she had loved, whose intensity had fascinated her, whose personality attracted her, since she always felt that behind his apparently slow wits there was a certain something, which he kept hidden from all the world, and most especially from her.


Dr. Peter Blood and Arabella Bishop from Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

What's a good swashbuckling novel without a helpless damsel finding herself entangled with a ruthless pirate. But Arabella Bishop is no helpless damsel and Capt. Blood is no ordinary pirate. Though they did not meet under the best of circumstances, their mutual respect for each other leads to a strong friendship and a passionate love. But fate is cruel and mutual misunderstandings soon threaten to separate them forever. Though their romance is not the main focus of the story, it is still a good one.

"Must I release ye? Must I let ye go and never set eyes on ye again? Or will ye stay and make this exile endurable until we can go home together?"

Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

There is nothing that guarantees that two people will fall in love at the end of a story like their profession of absolute hatred for each other at the beginning. Shakespeare's famous couple comes out swinging with all kinds of verbal punches but by the end of the story each finds him(her)self conquered by the other. There's nothing like a good fight to make you enjoy a romance...it makes for such wonderful "kiss and make up".

"In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it; and therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion."


Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Perhaps no literary couple is as iconic or exasperating as the one found in Mitchell's classic novel. It is obvious from the start that Rhett and Scarlett absolutely belong together. But both of them are so stubborn and blind that they just can't see it. This is definitely one of literature's more heartbreaking romances.

"When I first met you, I thought: There is a girl in a million. She isn't like these other silly little fools who believe in everything their mammas tell them and act on it, no matter how they fee. And conceal all their feelings and desires and little heartbreaks behind a lot of sweet words. I thought: Miss O'Hara is a girl of rare spirit. She knows what she wants and she doesn't mind speaking her mind--or throwing vases."

Henry Tilney and Catherine Moreland in Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

What's Valentine's Day without a bit of Austen? Perhaps no other Austen couple is as much fun as Henry and Catherine. She is so sweet and naive and he's so laid back and brotherly. I love how he can easily go from being Catherine's playful chum to giving her somewhat stern (though needed) correction. Theirs is a relationship that we can see lasting far beyond the end of the book.

"'I danced with a very agreeable young man, introduced by Mr. King; had a great deal of conversation with him -- seems a most extraordinary genius -- hope I may know more of him. That, madam, is what I wish you to say.'"

Pictures:

#1 Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour in The Scarlet Pimpernel
#2 Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland in Captain Blood
#3 Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in Much Ado About Nothing
#4 Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind
#5 JJ Feild and Felicity Jones in Northanger Abbey

Burns Night

Today is a big day for the Scots (and those of us who wish we were)! All over the world, people of Scottish descent will be coming together to celebrate the life and work of Robert Burns. Born on January 25, 1759, Burns would go on to right many poems that reflected Scottish heritage, traditions, and life. Today, his poems are still loved and recited by many and in 2009 he was voted the "Greatest Scot" by the people of Scotland.

The tradition of the Burns Supper began in the early 19th century, and occurs every year on or around January 25th. They are essentially gatherings (formal and informal) of Burns lovers who spend the evening eating haggis, drinking whiskey, and reciting Burns poetry. Though different people prefer one Burns poem to another, there are some that are his most popular. This year, over 1000 Scots voted his narrative poem "Tam o' Shanter" as their all-time favorite. Here is the opening portion of the poem:

When chapmen billies leave the street,
And drouthy neibors, neibors meet,
As market days are wearing late,
An' folk begin to tak the gate;
While we sit bousing at the nappy,
And getting fou and unco happy,
We think na on the lang Scots miles,
The mosses, waters, slaps, and styles,
That lie between us and our hame,
Where sits our sulky sullen dame.
Gathering her brows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.

Read the whole poem here.

Whether or not your family hails from the Highlands, this is a great time to revel in the tradtion and pageantry of being Scottish. So take a few moments to raise a wee dram to good ol' Rabbie Burns, whose poems continue to bring pride and pleasure to Scots and non-Scots alike over 200 years later.

Enter 2012....

It never ceases to amaze me exactly how fast a year can go by. It seems like only yesterday that we were ringing in 2011, and here we are welcoming 2012. Though I didn't get nearly the amount of reading done in 2011 that I had planned on, I still discovered a number of gems and new favorites that will remain with me forever. Here are my top 5 books of 2011:

Honorable Mention: The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. I just finished the book yesterday and have not had a chance to fully review it, but it is definitely worth a read. Though this 700 page tome was written in 1875, it could just as easily describe life in today's world. The preoccupation with money, the willingness to overlook falseness in those who have it, and a lack of respect for honest and trust is just a prevalent today as it was in Trollope's time. A must read Victorian classic.

#5: 84, Charing Cross Rd. by Helene Hanff. This classic is enough to warm the heart of any book lover. It tells the story of a brash New York writer and a buttoned-up British bookseller who begin a correspondence that lasts for many years. Though they never actually meet, their mutual love of good literature helps create a strong friendship that brings them together despite the ocean between them. This is a warm, comforting read that brightened up a slow rainy day at my office.

#4: Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata. Often described as a "haiku in prose", this sparse novel by Japanese writer Kawabata is painfully beautiful. Set in the hot springs resorts of Japan's snow country, it is the story of two people who simply cannot connect on an emotional level, no matter how much they want to. This was my first taste of Asian literature, and it left me craving more.

#3: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. I am a huge fan of Charles Dickens, and this particular book is certainly one of his better ones. Great characters, an intriguing pot, and relative lessons about life are all found in this one. Though it can be uneven at times, it still ranks up there with some of my most favorite Dickens works.

#2: The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham. A truly heart-wrenching story of love, betrayal, and self discovery. Set against the backdrop of 1920s China, Maugham's work removes the mask from his characters and shows us human nature as it really is. I highly recommend it.

#1: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. I knew the moment I finished this book that it would probably be my top book of the year. Paton's cry for truth, justice, and human dignity is as poignant today as when it was written. It is both a beautiful novel with a lyrical writing style, as well as a powerful story with wonderful characters who can move you to tears. This is one that I wish I had read years ago. If you have never read this jewel of a book before, I am telling you to do so now. You won't regret it.

So what is coming this way for me in 2012? I don't have as definite a plan of reading as I have in past years, but nevertheless I believe it will be a great year for me in books. First off, I plan on reading more non-fiction this year than I have in years past, so be prepared to see those kinds of reviews as well. I also plan on dipping my toes into the world of young adult literature by reading The Hunger Games trilogy (let's see how well that goes). And finally, I hope to post much more regularly this year. Though my days have gotten no less busy, I plan on making reading and blogging a much higher priority on my "things to do list". Hopefully I'll gain some lost ground this year.

To all of my readers, thank you so much for sticking with me and taking time to read my thoughts on books. I hope that your 2012 is an amazing year both in reading, and in the rest of your life. Happy New Year!!

Holiday Swap 2011

Once again, the Book Blogger's Holiday Swap was a big success for me. I had so much fun giving (and receiving) bookish things and really do encourage other book bloggers to give it a try.

My "Secret Santee" this year was Michelle over at "The True Book Addict". She loves historical fiction, Christmas books, and cats, so I tried to hit all of these notes in the package. Here's what she received:

-Queen Defiant by Anne O'Brien (from her wishlist)
-Amaryllis: A Holiday Anthology by Pomegranate Writers' Group (a group of local writers in my hometown) with a matching bookmark.
-Two cat note cards
-Spanish Castile soap from Twisted Oak Farm

I had a great time putting Michele's package together, and I look forward of perusing more of her lovely blog.

Yesterday, the gift package from my own Secret Santa arrived. Erica works for Harper Perennial (part of Harper Collins Publishers) and she helps manage their blog "The Olive Reader". Here are the goodies that she sent me:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Anyone who has spent any amount of time on my blog knows that Jane Eyre is my all-time favorite book. It's so great to have a new edition, especially since the print is bigger than my other edition. Plus the cover is simply stunning!

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Though I didn't particularly care for this book when I first read it in middle school, it is now very dear to this Southern girl's heart. Having this lovely 50th Anniversary edition means that I can now give my mom's copy back to her.

Fifth Avenue, 5 A. M. by Sam Wasson

This is a book devoted entirely to the film Breakfast at Tiffany's which I saw for the first time this year. Wasson explores how this movie came into being, and how it (and Audrey Hepburn) help set the tone not only for future films, but for the 60s themselves. Really looking forward to this one.

The Heroine's Bookshelf by Erin Blakemore

This book explores the great heroines of literary history and the amazing women who created them. Blakemore also touches on how we as modern women can learn from these characters and writers of the past. Should be a very fun read.

Thanks again, Erica, for the amazing books. I can't wait to get started on them. It's time to build more bookshelves! If you are a book blogger and you have never participated in the Holiday Swap, I strongly encourage you to do so next year. It is a great opportunity to get connected with other readers around the world. Who knows...you just might be my secret santee next year.

Holiday Swap

It's that time of year again! All you book bloggers out there head over to the Book Blogger Holiday Swap site and sign up for this year's event. I had so much fun with this last year, and I look forward to shopping for my "Secret Santee". Be sure to sign up by midnight on Novemeber 11 to get in on the action. Let the holidays begin!!

Read a Book Day

Americans got not one holiday this week...but two. On the heels of Labor Day, today is National Read a Book Day. So yeah, most of us don't need a calender to remind us to pick up a book, but it's always great to bring some awareness to those who might need a jump start.

MSN.com is celebrating with a list of celebrities and their favorite books. Did you know that Ben Affleck loves the 1982 analysis of the last Shah of Iran called Shah of Shahs? Both Judd Apatow and Anderson Cooper love James Agee's novel A Death in the Family. And Gwyneth Paltrow's favorite novel also happens to be my favorite as well. Check out the entire slideshow here.

Be sure to find your own way to celebrate today! Be frugal and head to your local library to pick up a new read, or splurge and go to your local independent book store. Re-read an old favorite. Read a book (or two, or three) to a child you know. Tell us what you are currently reading and if you like it so far. You don't need an excuse to pick up a book, but this is as good an excuse as any! Happy reading!!!

Weekly Geeks 2011-6: Love on the Page

On Monday it's Valentines Day here in the US, which means love is in the air! Many of us have been talking about love all month, but I thought it would make a perfect Weekly Geek-ish type assignment to suggest a post that included anything about love that moves you.

Over the last couple of years, I've made it a Valentine's Day tradition to highlight some of my favorite literary couples and why their stories resonate with so many people all around the world. Here are some more of my favorite love stories found at your local library...

Captain Horatio Hornblower & Lady Barbara Wellesley from the Hornblower Series by C. S. Forester

At the beginning of the book Beat to Quarters, these two characters come from such different worlds that it is hard to ever imagine them getting together. But when two people are thrown together on the high seas in the middle of a war, sparks are bound to fly. Unfortunately, reality hits them once the trip is over, and love and passion must give way to duty and honor. It's a classic love story set in the middle of one of the most exciting periods for the British Navy, plus it gives me a great reason to post a picture of Gregory Peck!

It all might have come right in the end. If the calm had persisted for two or three days, so that Lady Barbara could have forgotten her wrath and Hornblower his doubts, more might have happened.

Faramir & Eowyn from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkein

I know that a lot of LOTR fans are more into the whole Aragorn/Arwen romance, but not me. I love seeing this beautiful and strong young women who has experienced so much pain in her life end up with the coolest guy in the book. A fitting end for the pair whose bravery helped defeat the armies of Sauron.

"Then, Eowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of our hills, there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither flower nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still."


Arthur Clennam & Amy Dorrit from Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

Dickens' novels are full of interesting, quirky, and fun couples, but so far I've found none to beat Arthur and Amy. After years of neglect and harshness from his own family, Arthur finds a woman who is more than willing to give him her support and devotion. And after spending her entire life looking after the needs of others, Amy finds a man who seeks to take care of her and truly recognizes and appreciates her strength and tenderness. And after reading 800+ pages the reader gets to see the couple we've been rooting for come together. It's a winning situation for everyone!

"I have nothing in the world. I am as poor as when I lived here. When papa came over to England, he confided everything into the same hands, and it is all swept away. O my dearest and best, are you quite sure you will not share my fortune with me now?"

Ray Singleton & Olivia Dunne from The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel

It wasn't a marriage that either of them saw coming, but life's harsh circumstances bring together an educated city girl with a quiet country farmer. Against the backdrop of WWII, Ray and Livvy struggle to overcome grief, shame, fear, and loneliness and in the process discover a love that is as beautiful as it is ordinary. This is such a poignant and touching story that highlights what true love is all about.

"In the past, I would’ve listed things such as common interests, mutual attraction, worldliness, and higher education. My freedom above all else. If I had found love, it would have had to be the kind that overwhelmed and overpowered all else."

Picture #1: Gregory Peck and Virginia Mayo in Captain Horatio Hornblower R. N.
Picture #2: David Wenham and Miranda Otto in The Return of the King
Picture #3: Matthew MacFadyen and Claire Foy in Little Dorrit
Picture #4: Skeet Ulrich and Keri Russell in The Magic of Ordinary Days

New Year...New Books!

I can't believe it's 2011! Where on earth has this year gone? 2010 was a great year in books for me. I discovered lots of new favorites and read lots more modern lit than I have in a long time. Here is a breakdown of my top 5 books for 2010:

Honorable Mentions: The Trial by Franz Kafka and Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. Though neither of these books quite made it into the top 5, I still felt that they deserved a mention here. The Trial was my first taste of Kafka and I loved every bit of it. Kafka's world is at once mesmerizing, haunting, and intense. Once you've been there you'll never forget it. And Agnes Grey is just another example of why the Brontes are often considered some of the best Victorian writers. Definitely a must read for fans of Jane Eyre and/or Wuthering Heights.

#5: The Flower Drum Song by C. Y. Lee. This Asian-American classic is a great read on many levels. Not only is it a glimpse into the drama and history of life in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1950s, it is also a wonderful story of establishing one's own identity, and accepting the changes time makes on cultures. Better than the musical!

#4: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Definitely one of the best Dickens stories I've ever read. The first half of the book is fresh, new, and unlike any other Dickens novel out there. Though this wears off by the second half, it is still great story-telling with many heart-wrenching moments. I'm still crying over Ham.

#3: I Capture the Castle by Dodi Smith. Absolutely wonderful book. Pure and simple. The writing, the characters, the setting, the story...all of it was to die for. I utterly enjoyed every second of this coming of age story. If you haven't read it read it NOW!

#2: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Wow. That is the only word to describe this book. Though on the surface the plot sounds rather dull, the hidden truths in this gem of a book make it achingly beautiful. Plus, Robinson's writing is so luscious and captivating. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

#1: Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann. So how good was this book? I finished it in less than 3 weeks. Yes, a 700+ pg book without having to renew it. Honestly, this book sucked me in from page one. I could barely tear myself away, and "wasted" (my mom's words) lots of time by laying on my bed reading it. It has been a long time since a book has grabbed me like that. A great intro to Mann, a great intro to German lit, a great book period!

I hope that your 2010 was great and that 2011 will be a wonderful year in books for all of us. Here is a sneak peek of the books I'll be reading during the first part of this year:

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens: My quest to read all of Dickens' works continues with his story of a young girl growing up in the Marshalsea Debtor's Prison. Though it involves many problems of the Victorian era, I think that even modern readers will recognize our own world in the pages of this classic.

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote: The well-known story of Holly Golightly, the country girl turned New York society woman who is perhaps Capote's most famous creation.

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry: Berry is an American poet/writer and member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Jayber Crow is part of his Port William Fellowship collection that tells the story of an aging barber in a small community in Kentucky.

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope: Back in 2009, Newsweek published a list of books most important for understanding our times. At the top of their list was this 1875 classic. This story of financial ruin and ultimate greed should look very familiar.