HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
It is also International Book Giving Day. In this spirit of both days I bring you a swoon post and a giveaway.
On Tuesday I posted my TTT post on Books That Make Me Swoon. I wanted to do my own separate Valentine's post today and decided to go with favorite Declarations of the Romantic Sort, whether they are the first admission of love, a proposal of marriage, or an admission of the first attracted interest (or all three of those at once! Looking at you here, Lord Peter.)
In the interests of trying to be as non-spoilery as possible I will put the title of the book said declaration comes from but no other information. Just the quote and title with author.
"Don't you see Elisa? I love you the way a drowning man loves air. And it would destroy me to have you just a little."
-Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
"But given…the obvious road block, I'm not sure how much we can get to know each other." He rushes on. "As people, because you're an interesting person and I value that in friendship. That's seriously what I'm after, not that I'm after you and I'm not talking about, you know, 'knowing' each other. Like in a biblical way or anything, although you're obviously pretty, I mean , very pretty and totally worth knowing both ways…Okay, shut it, Oliver, Shut it."
-Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
"I think we should live happily ever after. It should be hair-raising."
-Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
"I've never thought of it like that. How could I? If you were any other woman, I could tell you I loved you, easily enough, but not you-because you've always seemed to me like a part of myself, and it would be like saying I loved my own eyes or my own mind. But have you ever thought of what it would be to have to live without your mind or your eyes, Kate? To be mad? Or blind? I can't even talk about it. That's the way I feel."
-The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
"In vain have I 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.""
-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
"The only, only thing I ever did wrong," he remarked. "It was in the green glass all along wasn't it?"
"I didn't know how to get the bottle out of my cloak without your seeing it," I answered, in a voice that was suddenly shaky and exhausted. "So the only chance was to let you see it, because you might think it was amusing to pretend you hadn't….And I shouldn't attempt to rise if I were you, Captain Sherwood. You'll be unconscious in another moment."
But Peaceable had risen already-to this day I don't know how he did it-swaying dizzily, with one hand clenched over the back of his chair, yet insanely, unbelievably, erect and unruffled.
"A gentleman can hardly continue to sit," he said in his serenest and most level voice, "when he asks a very remarkable young lady to do him the honor of marrying him. And-" he somehow contrived to grin at me wickedly, "I usually get what I want Miss Grahame," he added and pitched over in a tangled heap on the floor.
-The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Typing the entire scene of Peter's first meeting with Harriet in Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers would take up ridiculous amounts of space, and there is no one quote to fully capture the perfection of it, but it definitely belongs on the list. When a man known for his smooth moves and silver tongue manages to introduce himself and propose marriage in a most awkward fashion within a matter of minutes it is always good reading.
"Before you make a decision, I want you to know that I love you."
-The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Now for the Giveaway.
I will give away one copy of any book mentioned in this post or Tuesday's post to one reader. To enter simply comment below including which book you are interested in and a way for me to reach you if you win (email or twitter handle). Open to anyone who lives in a place Book Depository ships free to.
Giveaway closes at 8:00 PM EST Sunday, February 16.
It is also International Book Giving Day. In this spirit of both days I bring you a swoon post and a giveaway.
On Tuesday I posted my TTT post on Books That Make Me Swoon. I wanted to do my own separate Valentine's post today and decided to go with favorite Declarations of the Romantic Sort, whether they are the first admission of love, a proposal of marriage, or an admission of the first attracted interest (or all three of those at once! Looking at you here, Lord Peter.)
In the interests of trying to be as non-spoilery as possible I will put the title of the book said declaration comes from but no other information. Just the quote and title with author.
"Don't you see Elisa? I love you the way a drowning man loves air. And it would destroy me to have you just a little."
-Crown of Embers by Rae Carson
"But given…the obvious road block, I'm not sure how much we can get to know each other." He rushes on. "As people, because you're an interesting person and I value that in friendship. That's seriously what I'm after, not that I'm after you and I'm not talking about, you know, 'knowing' each other. Like in a biblical way or anything, although you're obviously pretty, I mean , very pretty and totally worth knowing both ways…Okay, shut it, Oliver, Shut it."
-Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
"I think we should live happily ever after. It should be hair-raising."
-Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
"I've never thought of it like that. How could I? If you were any other woman, I could tell you I loved you, easily enough, but not you-because you've always seemed to me like a part of myself, and it would be like saying I loved my own eyes or my own mind. But have you ever thought of what it would be to have to live without your mind or your eyes, Kate? To be mad? Or blind? I can't even talk about it. That's the way I feel."
-The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
"In vain have I 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.""
-Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
"The only, only thing I ever did wrong," he remarked. "It was in the green glass all along wasn't it?"
"I didn't know how to get the bottle out of my cloak without your seeing it," I answered, in a voice that was suddenly shaky and exhausted. "So the only chance was to let you see it, because you might think it was amusing to pretend you hadn't….And I shouldn't attempt to rise if I were you, Captain Sherwood. You'll be unconscious in another moment."
But Peaceable had risen already-to this day I don't know how he did it-swaying dizzily, with one hand clenched over the back of his chair, yet insanely, unbelievably, erect and unruffled.
"A gentleman can hardly continue to sit," he said in his serenest and most level voice, "when he asks a very remarkable young lady to do him the honor of marrying him. And-" he somehow contrived to grin at me wickedly, "I usually get what I want Miss Grahame," he added and pitched over in a tangled heap on the floor.
-The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Typing the entire scene of Peter's first meeting with Harriet in Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers would take up ridiculous amounts of space, and there is no one quote to fully capture the perfection of it, but it definitely belongs on the list. When a man known for his smooth moves and silver tongue manages to introduce himself and propose marriage in a most awkward fashion within a matter of minutes it is always good reading.
"Before you make a decision, I want you to know that I love you."
-The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Now for the Giveaway.
I will give away one copy of any book mentioned in this post or Tuesday's post to one reader. To enter simply comment below including which book you are interested in and a way for me to reach you if you win (email or twitter handle). Open to anyone who lives in a place Book Depository ships free to.
Giveaway closes at 8:00 PM EST Sunday, February 16.
Comments
oceanangel_92(at)hotmail(dot)com
Since I own all of the others, I'll say Sherwood Ring
My e-mail is lolathenolan@gmail.com
And Happy Valentine's Day to you!
(And that's saying something, since you've given me a lot of good recommendations :)