The Giveaway, The Tag, And The Valentines

Jessica Greyson and Katherine Sophia are hosting a Book Lover Giveaway, in which 15, read it: FIFTEEN (!!!) dee-lightful, wonderful novels from amazing self-published authors make up the ultimate prize. And, of course, there's also the addition of a $5 Starbucks card and a booklight, but to me, that's trivial compared to FIFTEEN BOOKS! Go check it out now!

Oh, and before I forget, Jessica posted tag questions for all of us to answer, share, and all that good stuff... so, here's that. 

Yes, yes, I know. The shock! Tag questions became trivial... but, hey! FIFTEEN books!!

Anywho...

What book do you love but everyone else seems to hate (or dislike)? For some reason, I seem to think there are a lot of those... Ben-Hur, The Silmarillion, and most of the older classics. I know most of my friends will concur with me and say they like them as much as I, but for the general populace, the older classics are just that... old. It's the old part of it that makes me love them so.

What book does everyone else seem to love, but you just can’t get into? Most new-ish fiction. Entwined, The Goose Girl, and other books of that sort. They're... well, for a lack of a better word, shallow. The characters are superficial, and the dialogue is weak. I like stories with substance, and for most modern fiction, it just doesn't cut it for me.

Love in books—love or hate it? I don't mind it, but I despise the way the modern, average author protrays it. Love is so much more than ooh-it's-a-thrill-I-feel-it-he's-so-handsome, and that's the love we see so much in our world today. Yes, I know that I'm coming down rather hard on modern literature, but it's sad to see the state we have degraded to. No one appreciates good literature now, and that's a pet peeve of mine. I adore novels by Austen and Dickens, and for those who know those tales, romance is not a stranger to those pages. So, yes, I do like that kind of romance - Emma and Mr. Knightley, Bella Wilfur and John Harmon, Rose and Mac Campbell - those are *real* romances, relationships that are more than just a fleeting passion. The couples grew together and learned to love despite flaws. Mr. Knightley scolded and lectured the vain Emma, and she bore it like no other woman could have. John Harmon came home to marry a mercenary woman he'd never met, and he tested her before he let her know his true character and fortune. Mac Campbell thought of Rose only as his friend and cousin at first, yet as they grew closer, he was determined to show himself worthy of her. Love is a self-sacrificing desire to meet the needs of the one loved; it's not a cheap show that can be bought and sold at the expense of others. And this is officially a huge answer for this question... but I do have some pretty opinioned thoughts on the topic of love. One reason why I'm holding the Dear Love Valentine Party (to which I invite you all!). Moving on...

What is your favorite friendship/brotherhood/sisterhood in a book? One of my favorite friendships would have to be the relationship between Gimli and Legolas in The Lord of the Rings. And if you need a "why" on that, I'd suggest you read this post, for I did talk about it a bit there.

Do you “ship” couple when you read? What are some of your favorite ships—that sailed or didn’t? Shipping, shipping... my thoughts on shipping. Well, honestly, I don't normally "ship" people the way most readers do. I love reading, but I don't entangle my life and my happiness to be hinged on the lives and happiness of fictional characters. I hate to say it, but that's the truth. However, that does not mean that I have opinions about the aforementioned characters. I do occasionally feel that two characters belong together, and on that note, to be fair to the question, some of my favorite "ships" would be... oh, gracious, I shall have to think about this... ships that sailed... Eowyn and Faramir (LOTR), Bardon and Kale (DragonKeeper Chronicles), Caroline Tucker and Charles Ingalls (I always loved the Caroline books WAY better than Laura, and yes, I know they're not fictional), Shasta and Aravis (The Horse and His Boy), and John and Bella (Our Mutual Friend). Ships that didn't... umm... probably Dan and Bess (Jo's Boys), Peter Pan and Wendy (who didn't?), and Arrietty and Spiller (The Borrowers; 'tis a pity that Mary Norton cut off the series so abruptly). 

Do you still exchange Valentines? Not necessarily; I mean my little sisters sometimes enjoy making Valentines for each other, and when they do make them, it's impossible not to join them, but generally, we don't do much in the way of Valentines. And they are rather dangerous things... just look at poor Cranford in the hands of the ruthless Jack Marshland.

Your favorite Valentine gift, chocolate, flowers or something else? Chocolate, dark, milk, white—other? Hmm.... I'm allergic to chocolate and the smell of flowers gives me asthma... how 'bout a book? *grins*

Your personal views on Valentine’s day? Valentine's Day is a holiday like any other. It doesn't hold any particular special meaning for me, and while we kids usually try to set up a nice, formal dinner for my parents, we've never really celebrated Valentine's Day like the rest of the world. I'm not against it, but I'm happily single and loving being a part of my own family. I have absolutely no reason to despise or otherwise regret my present situation. This holiday isn't just about the mushy love between a boy and a girl, even though that's what everyone makes it out to be. And if I'm celebrating any love at all on the holiday itself, it's the love I share with my family. 

Favorite sweet Read? Umm.... let's say Rose In Bloom by Louisa May Alcott. Definitely a favorite.

Favorite fairytale and why? I know it's redundant, but Beauty and the Beast, because it's a tale that has more than just, "Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy, but you're incredibly handsome, so let's get married." Beauty and the Beast took the time to actually know each other before they even thought about falling in love. And that's not usual for a fairy tale. More about BatB here, if you're interested. Another less-known favorite is The Bremen Town Musicians. Why? Hello! It's about music! Sure, the "town musicians" are awful singers, but it's hilarious. You know, I once wrote a script based on that fairy tale... that was fun.

Favorite romantic gesture in a book? *insert Winnie the Pooh's voice* Think, think, think. I know there must be one, but I can't think of one off the top of my head. Umm... I would say Amy's overall treatment of Arthur Clennam, but I have yet to finish Little Dorrit, so that can't be entirely true. Probably Mr. Knightley's offering to make Hartfield his home for Emma just so that her father would feel at ease. There's not many a gentleman who would give up his own comforts to please his beloved's father. 

Do you have a favorite “romantic movie” for that you like to watch? Does period drama count? 'Cause that's about it. Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Bleak House, and all those wonderful stories. Ever After would be another.

Favorite Literary couple and why? Emma and Mr. Knightley... best friends and worst enemies at times, and they got married so as to continue on in the same manner. Almost. But that's pretty much what happened.

Favorite opinion about love from a Character? (like Jo in little woman...to her it was an awful idea).  I know this is where I'm to insert some hilarious thoughts of a small boy or girl determined never to engage in the sport of love, but frankly, none come straight to mind. In reality, I'm reminded greatly (not of the morning room at Maple Grove, of course) of a quote from everyone's favorite Elizabeth Bennet: "I am convinced that only the deepest sentiment of love would induce me into matrimony." 

Favorite quote about love? Love is not love when alters when it alteration finds, nor bends with the remover to remove. O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken. ~ These are some of my favorite words by Shakespeare, and I think it nails love on the head. True love doesn't change whenever it feels like it; true love doesn't fly away when trials beat about it; true love is forever.

~*~*~*~*~*~

And since Jessica is also holding a marvelous make-your-own-valentine contest, I thought I'd include my contribution here to keep the idea of Valentine's Day going in this post. The theme for this contest is fairy tales, and in all truth, I could have made loads of valentines, but I did limit myself to three. I'd encourage you to enter! Go here to check out Jessica's post.

Inspiration: Aladdin

Inspiration: Sleeping Beauty

Inspiration: Rapunzel

(with a bit of The Princess Diaries)

And on another fun rabbit trail, I guest posted yesterday for Jessica and Katherine's party over at Seek Him First. Much fun, and I know you'll love the post. Please read. :)

God bless!