Friday 4 February 2011

Random Magic Tour: Romantic Reads



About: Random Magic
Tour organization: Lyrika Publicis
Contact the tour: @RandomMagicTour

RANDOM MAGIC

Valentine's Day is upon and we are celebrating love through literature. It is what this February book tour is all about! I will begin this post with Random Magic by Sasha Soren.

Random Magic is not a love story, primarily, but it does feature romance and a few lovely and quirky couples. I chose Count and Lady de Morgue, the vampire couple of the novel, because it was so amusing to read that part of the novel. They are vampires, but they have every parents' problems - currently, their teenage daughter who is nothing like her parents. So, the vampire couple are all doom and gloom, yet there are still grace and beauty present in them. They seem to be loyal companions and I value that. A very interesting (undead) couple, indeed!

MY 5 FAVOURITE ROMANTIC READS:


(as in, my favourite romantic stories)

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: I can never get tired of this story. It is beautiful written, with passages that make me think, with passages that make me feel as deeply as the heroine, Jane.

I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously arrived, green and strong! He made me love him without looking at me.

2. A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss: This is historical romance is a guilty pleasure of mine. It is a loose retelling of The Beauty and the Beast, sizzling with romance and passion.

Fear not, Sweet Jo, amoulderin' on the moor.
The winter's rose doth promise in the fading runes of yore,
That true love once found will again be restored.
(last stanza of the poem before Chapter 1)

3. If You Could See Me Now by Cecelia Ahern: My favourite Ahern novel, with such beautiful romance that's not meant to be, but while it lasts, it can easily bring a tear to a glass eye.

When you drop a glass or a plate to the ground, it makes a loud crashing sound. When a window shatters, a table leg breaks or when a picture falls off the wall, it makes a noise. But as for your heart, when that breaks, it is completely silent. You would think as it is so important it would make the loudest noise in the whole world. [...] But it s silent and you almost wish there was a noise to distract you from the pain. If there is a noise, it is internal. It screams and no one can hear it but you. It screams so loud your ears ring and your head aches. It trashes around in your chest like a great white shark caught in the sea; it roars like a mother bear whose cub has been taken. That is what it looks like and that is what it sounds like: a trashing panicking trapped great big beast roaring like a prisoner to its own emotions. But that is the thing about love, no one is untouchable.

4. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger: Imagine not always being in the same dimension with the person you are meant to be with for the rest of his life. You need him, but can't always have him, yet your love for each other is one of the most real things that ever existed.

Clare, I want to tell you, again, I love you. Our love has been the thread through the labyrinth, the net under the high-wire walker, the only real thing in this strange life of mine that I could ever trust. Tonight I feel that my love for you has more density in this world than I do, myself: as though it could linger on after me and surround you, keep you, hold you.

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: It's a classic romantic story, hard to keep it off any romantic list. Love can overcome any obstacle. Ask Darcy and Elizabeth, they'll be happy to confirm it.

In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

*****

Check out other bloggers participating in the Reading Circle! They have already posted wonderful things:

My Love Affair With Books
TinasBookReviews
A Reader's Adventure

Visit the next stop on the Romantic Reads reading circle:
My Love Affair With Books: Take me there!

*****

Announcement:
February 12 I am posting my list of Top 5 historical lovers. Stay tuned!

11 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

I still haven't been able to watch the Time Trav movie, cos I do hate hate the ending :( Once is enough

Anonymous said...

TTTW is one of my favorites as well...Great picks! Ill have to check out the first one..Ive never heard of it..:D

Jo K said...

A great selection, these would be my picks, too.

Audra said...

I think I'm the only person on the planet who found TTTW not only unromantic, but creepy! Still, love your list -- varied and interesting -- with two new-to-me books to check out!

vvb32 reads said...

i like the theme in a rose in winter. may give that one a try.

Misha said...

I completely forgot Jane Eyre in my list! I have The Time Traveller's Wife - I am planning to read it soon.

Jen said...

You have some lovely books here! Would definitely make for a great weekend of staying in and reading. :)

Kulsuma said...

Great selection! P+P's a given right?:) Really want to read Time Traveller's Wife!

Zombie Girrrl said...

Time Traveler's wife sounds really cool. Great list!

Kiwi Ivashkov said...

I heart you post!!
I've read If you could see my now and i am currently reading Pride and Prejudice and the rest are on my TBR. That quote from Ahern's books is my favorite!!:D
Cheers,
xx

paigeliberty said...

I absolutely LOVE A Rose In Winter! Good choice :) Christopher...*sigh*

x