Love Overcoming Obstacles (Or Not) - List of all recommendations
Apologies for the delay in getting out the recommendation lists. Everyone who signed up should have received one - you have until January 6th to read and post about one book on the list you received. Or, if you can't find any of those books, you can read another one of the books recommended for this round instead.
LOVE OVERCOMING OBSTACLES (OR NOT):
Persuasion by Jane Austen - Two lovers are given a second chance when they meet again, years after Anne rejects Wentworth's first proposal. Love overcomes time and family objections. Part of list: LOVE WINS.
A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle - if I also recommend a 200 page book that is mostly dialog, will it and A Suitable Boy cancel each other out? This is a cute (though also slightly depressing) story about two ghosts who fall in love. Obviously the obstacle is that they're both dead! There is also a parallel plot about the gravekeeper, who falls in love with a widow, so the book has the structure of one of those romantic comedies with multiple plotlines set in New York City etc. Anyway, it's short.
Son of Avonar by Carol Berg - First in the Bridge of D'Arnath series. Told in combination of flashbacks and present time scenes.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - A love story between a governess and her employer, of a love that should not be and the choices one has to make.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - I think this book hardly needs to be summarised. XD Two lovers bring misery and pain to the people around them as they play out their intense, mad affair. Part of list: LOVE FAILS.
Possession by A.S. Byatt - Two researchers uncover a love affair between two Victorian poets. Nice for the theme because one romance doesn't overcome its obstacles while the other does. Part of list: Romances that failed.
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card - A fairytale-modern crossover/redux, made even better since Card is using the Russian versions of the tales. Contains: a sleeping beauty, time travel (sorta), culture clash, awkward moments with parents/in-laws, and absolutely no tragic gay (for once).
Love in the Time of Choleraa by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - another one about a married couple. Florentino Ariza declares his all-consuming passionate love for Fermina Daza, who rejects him to marry the cold/aloof/rich doctor Juvenal Urbino. The love triangle continues for 50 years - again, I won't spoil the ending.
Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley - Classic "coming of age" love story between two schoolboys growing up in the rural American South. Except, not. Contains: graphic sexual content, disturbing subject matter, lushly overgrown atmosphere, and (between this one, "Winter Birds" and it's sequel "Comfort & Joy") scared contemplation of what the author's childhood must have been like.
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer - The obstacles are mostly internal (characters not realizing they're in love with each other), but I think this is the most charming romance novel I've ever read (admittedly I haven't read many) because of the unlikely romantic hero. Part of list: Novel of manners/mannerpunk.
Havemercy by Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett - Follows the PoVs of four men, combined with metal dragons and exploding magic. Has content of homosexual nature, though nothing explicit.
The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox - A lovelorn vintner befriends a fallen angel...with sexy results. Just kidding, it's not that cheesy (though it is sexy in some parts). Over the course of fifty-odd years of meeting (more or less) every midsummer eve to share a bottle of wine, the relationship between Sobran and Xas shifts and changes, as they and the world around them fall in and out of love, marriage, birth, death, madness, war, Heaven and Hell.
Forrest of Dreams by Sophie Masson. From the cover: On the death of her husband, a Breton lord, Marie ventures forth into the medieval courts of France, Brittany, England and Wales, where she is feted by Eleanor of Aquitaine and takes Richard the Lionheart as her lover. But the courts of English royalty and the mysterious magical Otherworlds are strange and dangerous places for a young poet, and Marie’s journey is destined to be an adventure she will never forget...
The Scar by China Mieville - Two lovers brings their city and people to the brink of destruction over the course of an epic, dangerous quest. Part of list: LOVE FAILS.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami - Narrator fails to surmount largely self-imposed obstacles that lie in the way of his love for two girls. Part of list: Romances that failed.
Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett. From Amazon: In his latest effort, Pratchett skewers the hard-boiled detective novel as effectively as he's satirized fantasy fiction all these years. Set on Discworld, there are a few more gargoyles and exploding dragons than Sam Spade ever had to deal with. But there's a trail of corpses and a hero named Carrot determined to track down the killer. His partners-the token dwarf, troll and werewolf on the police force-must overcome discrimination as well as the occasional rampaging orangutan.
Mort by Terry Pratchett. From Amazon: In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse -- especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory. As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.
Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx - Ok, I actually just wanted to rec the novella/short story "Brokeback Mountain" because even if you've seen the movie or know the epic gay cowboy romance story already, the original story really is quite different, much more gritty and sparse and Wyoming-y and less epic gay Hollywood romance, in tone.
Nice by Jen Sacks. From Amazon: Grace is nice to a fault. She never picks fights, and doesn't like to criticize or hurt people's feelings. Problem is, the men in her life never seem to take a hint. And she just can't bear to tell them outright when she isn't interested. So she kills them. A clean break--no messy emotions, no heated arguments. But someone is onto her. His name is Sam, and...
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth - at nearly 1500 pages (softcover), this is one of the longest books ever published in a single volume in English, but I swear that it isn't too long or hard to read in a month. This is true especially if you skip over the post-partition Indian politics subplot to focus on the main plot, which is about a mother and daughter attempting to find the most suitable boy for the daughter to marry. There is quite a lot of historical detail and family drama in this book, but really it's 800 pages of the author comparing the relative merits of romantic vs. practical love.
The Lady or the Tiger by Frank Stockton. Can I just thank Qem for recommending this classic short story of love overcoming obstacles…or not. *g* Read online at http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LadyTige.shtml.
Breadfruit by Celestine Vaite - "professional cleaner" Materena Mahi plots to marry the father of her three children, with whom she has been living in sin for 12 years. This is the sequel to Frangiapani, which was a funny and heartwarming book of vignette-like short stories about their family life and life in Tahiti in general. Pito (the would-be husband) seems shiftless at first, but a lot of that is to do with their economic situation - he's actually a really good guy.
Veniss Underground by Jeff Vandermeer - When a man's former lover disappears, he follows her into the surreal, nightmarish underground of the city to find and bring her back. Part of list: LOVE WINS.
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton - Your typical Victorian romance except taking place in a dragon society (complete with inheritance operating as dragon cannibalism). Part of list: Novel of manners/mannerpunk.
Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer- Magical mystery solved by two cousins who in the process meet their romantic matches. Part of list: Novel of manners/mannerpunk.
Fire and Hemlocke by Diana Wynne Jones - A modern retelling of Tam Lin, where love overcomes magic, time and memory (my memories of this book are really fuzzy but I am reasonably sure it fits XD). Part of list: LOVE WINS.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - In tracking down the author of a mysterious book, the narrator discovers a love story that was successfully obstructed by parental disapproval (and a spoiler revelation). Part of list: Romances that failed.
Readers: lacewood, qem_chibati, shina_laris, shiorikazen, sub_divided, tarigwaemir, tryogeru, worldserpent
Recommenders: lacewood, qem_chibati, shina_laris, sub_divided, tarigwaemir, tryogeru
As always, you can still read for -- and participate in -- this round even if you didn't sign up.
LOVE OVERCOMING OBSTACLES (OR NOT):
Persuasion by Jane Austen - Two lovers are given a second chance when they meet again, years after Anne rejects Wentworth's first proposal. Love overcomes time and family objections. Part of list: LOVE WINS.
A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle - if I also recommend a 200 page book that is mostly dialog, will it and A Suitable Boy cancel each other out? This is a cute (though also slightly depressing) story about two ghosts who fall in love. Obviously the obstacle is that they're both dead! There is also a parallel plot about the gravekeeper, who falls in love with a widow, so the book has the structure of one of those romantic comedies with multiple plotlines set in New York City etc. Anyway, it's short.
Son of Avonar by Carol Berg - First in the Bridge of D'Arnath series. Told in combination of flashbacks and present time scenes.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - A love story between a governess and her employer, of a love that should not be and the choices one has to make.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - I think this book hardly needs to be summarised. XD Two lovers bring misery and pain to the people around them as they play out their intense, mad affair. Part of list: LOVE FAILS.
Possession by A.S. Byatt - Two researchers uncover a love affair between two Victorian poets. Nice for the theme because one romance doesn't overcome its obstacles while the other does. Part of list: Romances that failed.
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card - A fairytale-modern crossover/redux, made even better since Card is using the Russian versions of the tales. Contains: a sleeping beauty, time travel (sorta), culture clash, awkward moments with parents/in-laws, and absolutely no tragic gay (for once).
Love in the Time of Choleraa by Gabriel Garcia Marquez - another one about a married couple. Florentino Ariza declares his all-consuming passionate love for Fermina Daza, who rejects him to marry the cold/aloof/rich doctor Juvenal Urbino. The love triangle continues for 50 years - again, I won't spoil the ending.
Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley - Classic "coming of age" love story between two schoolboys growing up in the rural American South. Except, not. Contains: graphic sexual content, disturbing subject matter, lushly overgrown atmosphere, and (between this one, "Winter Birds" and it's sequel "Comfort & Joy") scared contemplation of what the author's childhood must have been like.
Cotillion by Georgette Heyer - The obstacles are mostly internal (characters not realizing they're in love with each other), but I think this is the most charming romance novel I've ever read (admittedly I haven't read many) because of the unlikely romantic hero. Part of list: Novel of manners/mannerpunk.
Havemercy by Jaida Jones & Danielle Bennett - Follows the PoVs of four men, combined with metal dragons and exploding magic. Has content of homosexual nature, though nothing explicit.
The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox - A lovelorn vintner befriends a fallen angel...with sexy results. Just kidding, it's not that cheesy (though it is sexy in some parts). Over the course of fifty-odd years of meeting (more or less) every midsummer eve to share a bottle of wine, the relationship between Sobran and Xas shifts and changes, as they and the world around them fall in and out of love, marriage, birth, death, madness, war, Heaven and Hell.
Forrest of Dreams by Sophie Masson. From the cover: On the death of her husband, a Breton lord, Marie ventures forth into the medieval courts of France, Brittany, England and Wales, where she is feted by Eleanor of Aquitaine and takes Richard the Lionheart as her lover. But the courts of English royalty and the mysterious magical Otherworlds are strange and dangerous places for a young poet, and Marie’s journey is destined to be an adventure she will never forget...
The Scar by China Mieville - Two lovers brings their city and people to the brink of destruction over the course of an epic, dangerous quest. Part of list: LOVE FAILS.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami - Narrator fails to surmount largely self-imposed obstacles that lie in the way of his love for two girls. Part of list: Romances that failed.
Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett. From Amazon: In his latest effort, Pratchett skewers the hard-boiled detective novel as effectively as he's satirized fantasy fiction all these years. Set on Discworld, there are a few more gargoyles and exploding dragons than Sam Spade ever had to deal with. But there's a trail of corpses and a hero named Carrot determined to track down the killer. His partners-the token dwarf, troll and werewolf on the police force-must overcome discrimination as well as the occasional rampaging orangutan.
Mort by Terry Pratchett. From Amazon: In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse -- especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory. As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.
Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx - Ok, I actually just wanted to rec the novella/short story "Brokeback Mountain" because even if you've seen the movie or know the epic gay cowboy romance story already, the original story really is quite different, much more gritty and sparse and Wyoming-y and less epic gay Hollywood romance, in tone.
Nice by Jen Sacks. From Amazon: Grace is nice to a fault. She never picks fights, and doesn't like to criticize or hurt people's feelings. Problem is, the men in her life never seem to take a hint. And she just can't bear to tell them outright when she isn't interested. So she kills them. A clean break--no messy emotions, no heated arguments. But someone is onto her. His name is Sam, and...
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth - at nearly 1500 pages (softcover), this is one of the longest books ever published in a single volume in English, but I swear that it isn't too long or hard to read in a month. This is true especially if you skip over the post-partition Indian politics subplot to focus on the main plot, which is about a mother and daughter attempting to find the most suitable boy for the daughter to marry. There is quite a lot of historical detail and family drama in this book, but really it's 800 pages of the author comparing the relative merits of romantic vs. practical love.
The Lady or the Tiger by Frank Stockton. Can I just thank Qem for recommending this classic short story of love overcoming obstacles…or not. *g* Read online at http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LadyTige.shtml.
Breadfruit by Celestine Vaite - "professional cleaner" Materena Mahi plots to marry the father of her three children, with whom she has been living in sin for 12 years. This is the sequel to Frangiapani, which was a funny and heartwarming book of vignette-like short stories about their family life and life in Tahiti in general. Pito (the would-be husband) seems shiftless at first, but a lot of that is to do with their economic situation - he's actually a really good guy.
Veniss Underground by Jeff Vandermeer - When a man's former lover disappears, he follows her into the surreal, nightmarish underground of the city to find and bring her back. Part of list: LOVE WINS.
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton - Your typical Victorian romance except taking place in a dragon society (complete with inheritance operating as dragon cannibalism). Part of list: Novel of manners/mannerpunk.
Sorcery & Cecelia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer- Magical mystery solved by two cousins who in the process meet their romantic matches. Part of list: Novel of manners/mannerpunk.
Fire and Hemlocke by Diana Wynne Jones - A modern retelling of Tam Lin, where love overcomes magic, time and memory (my memories of this book are really fuzzy but I am reasonably sure it fits XD). Part of list: LOVE WINS.
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - In tracking down the author of a mysterious book, the narrator discovers a love story that was successfully obstructed by parental disapproval (and a spoiler revelation). Part of list: Romances that failed.
Readers: lacewood, qem_chibati, shina_laris, shiorikazen, sub_divided, tarigwaemir, tryogeru, worldserpent
Recommenders: lacewood, qem_chibati, shina_laris, sub_divided, tarigwaemir, tryogeru
As always, you can still read for -- and participate in -- this round even if you didn't sign up.