My Favourite Romantic Quotes from Fiction

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm a bit of a grump when it comes to Valentine's Day - I've always thought that if you love your significant other you should tell them every day of the year - but I can understand why it's a lovely day for a lot of couples, whether they've been together for years or they're going on their first date.

I'm ill, so I'll be spending today feeling sorry for myself and eating raspberry ripple ice cream out of the tub, but I figured I couldn't let Valentine's Day pass by without sharing with you some of my favourite declarations of love/quotes about love from fiction. There are only a few here, but they all fill me with the warm fuzzies.

I'm not the biggest fan of Wuthering Heights, mainly because I think Heathcliff is romanticised a ridiculous amount for someone who's actually a terrible human being. That being said Cathy isn't exactly a paragon of goodness herself. Regardless of how unhealthy their relationship is though, there's no denying that it's passionate, and there are some gorgeous passages throughout.

Some books don't deserve all the hype, but The Miniaturist most certainly does. It's one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, and the above quote is one of many stunners.

I think we've all come to terms with the fact that I'll mention Signal to Noise whenever I can. This book means a lot to me, and so does this quote.

Ah, Saba and Jack. I love these two. Blood Red Road is so much fun to read, I still need to read the rest of the books in the trilogy, though; I've heard that the second and third books aren't quite as good as this one, which is why I've been putting them off.

There's a special place in my heart for Sabriel, and for Garth Nix who was the first fantasy author I came across in my late childhood/early teens who showed me female-led fantasy didn't have to revolve around romance. While there is romance in Sabriel it's a very minor part of the overall story, and it's lovely.

What are some of your favourite love related quotes from fiction?

Top Ten Tuesday | Recommended Halloween Reads!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is a Halloween themed freebie, so I thought I'd recommend some books that I think are ideal to read as Halloween creeps closer!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: There's a reason this is Daphne du Maurier's most famous novel, and it's almost certain that if this had been the only book she ever wrote du Maurier would still be a famous author today. Rebecca is so atmospheric and beautifully written; you open the first page and you fall into Manderley. There are no 'boo!' moments here. If you're not a fan of slow reads this book might not be for you, but whatever your taste I recommend at least giving it a try.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson: Shirley Jackson is my favourite horror writer, and in all honesty anything she wrote would be a great read for Halloween. Still, you can't go wrong with a good ol' haunted house story, can you? If you'd rather read something shorter, check out 'The Lottery'.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters: The Little Stranger is quite similar to The Haunting of Hill House in its mood, and another great book if you want to read a haunted house story that, like Jackson's book, is genuinely creepy.

Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant: Rolling in the Deep is like a literary version of a found footage horror movie. If you like movies like Trollhunter, The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield then I think you'll like this, but if found footage movies aren't your thing I still recommend giving this novella a try. I read it in one sitting, and really enjoyed it.

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield: This is another very slow book, and one that I'm still not 100% sure that I understood. It's a difficult book to describe, and one that I think was marketed in a misleading way; Bellman & Black has been described as a ghost story, but it isn't really, although there is a kind of haunting. I recommend reading this one, though, because Diana Setterfield's writing is beautiful. Even if you come out of this book a little confused, the act of reading it is enjoyable.

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu: Carmilla is one of my favourite classics, and one of the most interesting things about it is that it's actually a pre-Dracula example of vampirism in Victorian literature. I've tried reading Dracula several times, for pleasure and for university, but I've never been able to finish it. Carmilla, on the other hand, I devoured. I think it's fantastic.

Misery by Stephen King: I'm not really a Stephen King fan, so the fact that I enjoyed this book says a lot if your tastes happen to be similar to mine. I know King has a humungous fan following, but for the most part I don't think his writing style is particularly great, I really don't like how the majority of his main characters are white male writers (seriously, Stephen, can't you try writing about someone other than yourself?) and I feel like a lot of his stories just go too far. IT is scary enough if it's just about a clown that kills children, so why does there have to be a supernatural element, too? Anyway, I did enjoy Misery; Annie Wilkes is terrifying, and the film adaptation starring Kathy Bates is very good if you'd rather watch that than read the book.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman: In all honesty The Graveyard Book would be another wonderful read for Halloween, but Coraline is short and sweet - if you're looking for something to read in one sitting, then Coraline's for you. Henry Selick's film adaptation is also well worth checking out, especially at this time of year!

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland: This one's less spooky and more fun, although there's a lot of fascinating detail about autopsies, but it's the start to such a brilliant urban fantasy series that I had to stick it on here.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: I'm not actually the biggest fan of Wuthering Heights - I'm forever going to be on the 'Heathcliff is NOT a romantic hero' side of the argument - but it is one of the pinnacles of Victorian Gothic literature. It's very atmospheric, and very wild, and very fitting for Halloween because it's full of despicable characters.

What did you talk about this week?

The Cinderella Book Tag!

I saw Mel @ The Daily Prophecy do this tag and I just had to join in because it's adorable!

Evil Stepsisters

A book with a character you hate

Heathcliff is literally the worst. He's a fantastic character, but a terrible human being.

Prince Charming

A book with a gentleman

Atticus Finch: the original DILF.

Look at that dapper bastard

Cinderella

A character that is graceful, kind and defiant

I really like Agnes. She's often accused of not having enough gumption, but it's nice to see a heroine with a quiet kind of strength. When her family is destitute she becomes a governess, despite both her parents and her sister doubting her capability, and she sticks with the job even when it's tough. If you haven't read Agnes Grey I recommend checking it out, particularly if you're a fan of subtler classics like Persuasion.

Fairy Godmother

A character who always has someone looking out for them

If it wasn't for Samwise Gamgee - the ultimate hero - Frodo would have died as soon as he stepped foot out of The Shire. Thank God Frodo has Sam.

Helpful Creatures

Something that makes you happy when you're sad

It's not a book, I know, but I absolutely love The Mummy. Next to Beauty and the Beast it's my favourite film, and it always makes me smile. I could watch this movie over and over and never get bored, and it's never failed to cheer me up!

Ashes

A book you didn't care for

I really, really, really didn't like Legend. June and Day were basically the same person with different genitalia, and Marie Lu spent way too much time explaining what everyone was wearing. It just wasn't for me.

Pumpkin

A character with a transformation

We all always knew that Neville was a hero, but Neville's transformation was one in which he realised what he was capable of doing himself. He went from the little boy who was terrified of his Potions Professor to the young man who slays horcruxes in a cardigan because he's Neville Longbottom.

Impossible

A book with an ending you didn't see coming

Just Breathe

Something that inspires you to be courageous

Something else that isn't a book, but is based on a book! I love the music from the Little Women musical, and this song in particular has always filled me with gumption.

Happily Ever After

A book with a perfect ending

Everything about Signal to Noise is perfect, and I desperately want more people to read it because it's so good.

I tag:

Natalie @ Orchestrating a Sea Change

Mallory @ The Local Muse

Deanna @ Deanna Writes

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight

ORIGINAL | The Brontë Tag!

Hi everyone! Today I'm here with something pretty exciting: my very own tag! I've always wanted to create a tag, but I'd never been able to think of one. Until now!

I feel like I've been posting a lot of tags lately, so I apologise to any of you who are sick of the sight of them - and to my blogging friends who I so regularly tag, hopefully you guys don't mind...

So without further ado, here's the Brontë tag!

Jane Eyre

A Book/Series with a Twist You Didn't See Coming

Which book took you completely by surprise and left you reeling?

Will I ever be over Feed? Who can say? Probably not. It's so hard to talk about how much I love this book because there's so much I can't say without spoiling the book for people who haven't read it yet and want to. You'll be sick of me saying this by now, but just read it.

Shirley

A Book/Series with More Than One Protagonist

This could be anything from a book with a dual narrative to a companion series!

I love The Lunar Chronicles for many reasons, and one of them is for the fantastic selection of heroines the series offers. There's a heroine for everyone, and none of them are pitted against one another. We need more books - especially in YA - with positive friendships between women.

Villette

A Book/Series Set at School

This can be boarding school, normal school or even college/university, and the main character doesn't have to be a student, either. Maybe there's a book about a teacher or professor you'd like to talk about.

I'm cheating a little here because I haven't actually read Gail Carriger's Finishing School series yet, but they're on my TBR. I just had to mention them because these covers are so gorgeous - not to mention they're set in the 19th century, so they felt rather fitting for the Brontë tag. I'm hoping to finally cross Etiquette & Espionage off my TBR soon!

The Professor

A Book/Series You Didn't Like by an Author You Love

We all have our favourite authors, but did any of yours ever release a book that ended up disappointing you?

I didn't dislike Stardust entirely, but I didn't like it anywhere near as much as I was hoping to. I think I'm in the minority, though, because I know a lot of people who love this one!

Agnes Grey

A Book/Series with a Positive Female Friendship

Spread the womance! What's your favourite all female friendship in a book/series?

I love this series so darn much. If you haven't read Rat Queens yet - regardless of your view on graphic novels - I can't recommend it enough, it's just brilliant. As I'm sure you know by now I love positive relationships between women in books, particularly friendships, because so often women are pitted against one another or the main character feels the need to distance herself from other women by claiming she's 'not like other girls'. Breaking News: all women are different, and this series illustrates that beautifully.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

A Book/Series with a Protagonist Who is a Parent

So often the books we read feature relatively young protagonists who still rely on their parents a lot, and it's a lot rarer for us to read books which feature a protagonist with a child of their own - particularly if you primarily read YA. You can use books such as Harry Potter and The Hunger Games if you really can't think of any other books, but I'd love to see some books with main characters who are parents at the beginning of their story!

For this I decided to go with Saga, because the whole storyline so far has primarily revolved around this couple who are trying to keep their child safe from both sides of an intergalactic war. Plus these two are perfect examples that a person's life doesn't end when they have children; these two are still Alana and Marko, not just Mum and Dad.

Wuthering Heights

A Book/Series with a Problematic Love Interest

I hate to say it, but YA in particular is a genre brimming with love interests that make my insides squirm, whether they're being possessive, abusive or hiding behind their daddy issues to excuse their rubbish behaviour. Which love interest - YA or not! - do you hate most?

I feel like I'm going to get a lot of hate for this, but I don't like Peeta Mellark. The epilogue of Mockingjay left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and to be honest it's not entirely Peeta's fault. I don't hate Peeta entirely, but he is bordering on a "nice guy". He makes Katniss feel guilty about her lack of feelings for him just as much as Gale does in Catching Fire, and poor Katniss, who is struggling with PTSD, the fact that she accidentally started a rebellion and the knowledge that Snow will kill her family if she doesn't do something to stop it, is constantly getting told how much she doesn't deserve someone as nice as Peeta. It drives me up the bloody wall.

Tales of Angria

A Book/Series that Reminds You of Your Childhood

This can be a book from your childhood, or a book you've read since becoming an adult that's made you feel nostalgic.

I didn't get around to reading The Secret Garden until I was in university, but the 1993 film adaptation was a favourite of mine during my childhood. When I did finally read the book it filled me with nostalgia, especially as I grew up in the Yorkshire countryside myself.

I hope you like this tag, and whether you're tagged or not feel free to do it and tag other people! Though if you do I'd really appreciate it if you linked back to this original post. Happy tagging!

(I'm gonna tag quite a few people in the hopes of spreading this tag around a little - I hope you like it!)

I tag:

Mallory @ The Local Muse

Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight
Deanna @ Deanna Writes
Chrissi @ Chrissi Reads
Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows
Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
Michelle @ In Libris Veritas
Leah @ Uncorked Thoughts
Cynthia @ Afterwritten
Allie @ Little Birdie Books

Top Ten Tuesday | Inspiring Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Inspiring Quotes From Books'. I had a lot of fun putting this list together, so without ado, here it is!

This is one of my favourite ever quotes from one of my favourite classics. If I ever got a tattoo, I'd get this quote tattooed somewhere on my body because I just love it.

There are plenty of quotes from Harry Potter to choose from, but I've always loved this one; it's such a good message for children, because when we're younger we'll often do a lot of things we don't want to to impress people. It took me a long time before I learned it was okay to tell my friends 'no', at which point I decided to go and make some better friends.

I'm not even the biggest fan of Wuthering Heights, but even I can't deny that this quote - and so many others - is just gorgeous. Cathy and Heathcliff's obsession with each other is so twisted, but it's fascinating.

I've always loved this quote. There's something so adventurous about it that makes me want to go and explore.

I don't think this is a quote from a book, but it's about books so that counts, right? I've always loved this one. That stunning piece of dragon art can be found here.

I'm going to be surprised if I don't see this on several lists today. Jane Eyre is just such a quotable classic, and this quote in particular is wonderful.

Macbeth is my favourite of Shakespeare's plays, and Lady Macbeth has some fantastic lines. This one has always been my favourite.

I've never actually read Uncle Tom's Cabin, but I love this quote.

I couldn't leave out Anne if I was going to mention Charlotte and Emily! Agnes Grey is full of lovely quotes. This one's one of my favourites.

I love this quote so much that I actually opened my MA reflective essay with it. I'm not the biggest fan of Woolf's fiction, sadly, but she's just so fantastically quotable.

What are some of your favourite quotes?

Top Ten Tuesday | Character Driven Novels

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find out everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books For Readers Who Like Character Driven Novels', so let's dive in!

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson: A gorgeous book that not enough people have read. The story is narrated by a former pornographer who survives a car crash, brought on by drunk driving, that leaves him horrifically burned. It's stunning, please read it.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: One of my favourite classics, and believed to be the very first English detective novel. The Moonstone's dense, but it's worth getting through; it has a brilliant array of characters, some you'll love and some you'll hate, who really drive the story forward.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë: Another of my favourite classics which, like the majority of the books on this list, has a spectacularly ordinary story. There's nothing groundbreaking about the plot, but Agnes brings this story to life. Highly recommended!

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood: For the most part this book tells us a story that we already know - or at least one that we think we know - but what makes it so fun to read is Penelope's narration. A great read for any lovers of Greek mythology.

Persuasion by Jane Austen: Honestly I'm not a big fan of Austen, but there's no denying that in terms of plot Persuasion is probably the weakest of her novels. The story is very basic, but many Austen fans still love this novel dearly because of its character development.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: If you ignore the odd twists and turns in the plot of Jane Eyre, it's actually a fairly ordinary story. What makes this novel so popular is Jane herself.

Corrag by Susan Fletcher: Another horrendously underrated novel. This book is beautifully written and stars one of the most endearing heroines I've ever come across in historical fiction. It's slow and unassuming, but it's so worth the read.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: I'm currently reading Rebecca for the first time, and even though I'm only around 20% of the way through it's already a quiet, claustrophobic read. It's up to the reader to decide which character is driving this novel: is it our narrator, or is it Rebecca?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: Just like Agnes Grey and Jane Eyre, when you strip Wuthering Heights down to the bare bones there isn't all that much to it plot-wise. It's a story that can be easily summed up in a few sentences, but what makes it fascinating to read is its unapologetic protagonists, Cathy and Heathcliff.

The Unlikely Ones by Mary Brown: I have a lot of bookish friends, and through the blogosphere I know readers all over the world too, and yet I've never met a single person who's read this book. It's a traditional fantasy book; there are knights, witches, dragons and unicorns, and I love it. While it is a story about a quest, it's not a quest to save the world; the only thing at stake is the protagonists' happiness. If you're a fan of traditional fantasy then I highly recommend this book!

Which books made your top ten?

Top Ten Tuesday | Books That Were Hard to Read!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books That Were Hard For Me To Read'. So, without further ado, here are my ten!

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: I love the Brontës, always have and always will, but when it comes to their novels it's Emily's I've always struggled with. I think the main reason I struggle with Wuthering Heights (and often find the book a little boring!) is because of the narration; first we're told the story through Heathcliff's lodger and then it's Nelly. Personally I'd have found the book a lot more enjoyable if I could read from Cathy or Heathcliff's POV.

The Withered Root by Rhys Davies: To be fair I didn't read this book properly. I had to proof-read an edition of it in the summer during my publishing internship and I despised it. If I hadn't had the enjoyment of correcting all the little mistakes (yep - that's how boring the actual story was) then there's no way I would have read it to the end.

Green Rider by Kristen Britain: I tried reading this book earlier this year and I'd like to give it another try in the future. I bought it a few years ago because it had a pretty cover, and while I enjoyed it when I initially began to read it, it quickly began to drag. Maybe one day I'll try again!

Eragon by Christopher Paolini: I'm sorry Eragon fans, but I hated this book. I managed to get through about two thirds of it before I had to put it down and I have no intention of picking it up again. It was so boring. And before anyone tells me 'the second book is when it gets really good', I shouldn't have to wait until the second book in a series to enjoy the story.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling: This book was on the reading list for my Victorian Popular Fiction module at university. I tried to read it - I really did - but I had to give up after a few chapters. I found the writing style so difficult to read and I wasn't all that interested by the story either.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: I liked this book a lot and I did finish it, but gosh it was a challenge. It's not even a very big book, but it's so description heavy, even though the description is beautiful, that reading a couple of pages felt like reading a chapter. Finishing this book felt like an accomplishment, and while I did enjoy and I do think it's gorgeously written, I think it's pretty over-hyped.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: I tried reading The Count of Monte Cristo at the start of the year, but it's one of the few books I own that intimidates me with its size. I really want to read it, though - I've heard great things about it and I think it could become a favourite of mine if I could just get into it. If any of you are interested in reading The Count of Monte Cristo with me I'm going to host a read-a-long starting November 1st - there's a group that you can check out here if you're interested!

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin: This is another book I'd like to try reading again one day. I tried reading it last year and I was very excited by the premise; I love historical fiction and historical crime is a lot of fun, so the prospect of reading a historical crime novel with a female lead sounded fantastic to me. Unfortunately I found the book pretty disappointing; for a book set during the reign of Henry II there were a lot of modern ideas and terms being thrown about which threw me off a bit, so I felt more like I was reading a book about people in historical costumes rather than people in Medieval England.

Dante's Inferno: I enjoyed this read and I'm glad I can say I've read it, but it was hard work! It wasn't so much the language I found a problem (though it wasn't easy!) but the inclusion of people from Dante's life; I had to look at the footnotes a lot to understand the significance of various scenes, but it was worth it!

Persuasion by Jane Austen: This is another book I'd like to try reading again some day, but I first had to read this book when I was in sixth form and I really, really didn't like it. I had to force myself to finish it so that I could use it in my English coursework, and since then I've disliked Austen's novels. Now that I'm older, however, I'd like to give her another try - it's just hard to talk myself into reading the an author whose books I associate with boredom!

Which books made your top ten?