Forelsket Presents:The Novel Days Blogger Event

I'm so excited to present the reading picks of some of my best friends and blogger/entrepreneurs! It's inspiring to see how and why a novel inspires each of us in different ways. I hope that you enjoy reading through these awesome entries, and I thank every single one of you girls for submitting to Novel Days!

I am such a bookworm, with so many favorites to list, that I decided to share what I'm reading now instead of an all-time favorite. I'm currently re-reading Mary Balogh's novella A Matter of Class. I'm a sucker for romance, and if it's set in a historical time period I can finish a novel - no matter the size - in one sitting. Happy endings are the only kind of endings that make me happy. I guess I'm a bit optimistic and a bit of a dreamer, so that's why the books I read have to be able to transport me to another time and place. Life can be hard at times, and yes happy endings aren't always waiting at the end, but in a book you can find those things and rejoice with the characters. Sometimes I share my thoughts on what I've read at my blog. Though I cannot promise I'll make sense, I hope that my passion and excitement shows through.  

-Gabrielle of Cinderbella's Diary and Cinderbellas Etsy Shop 

I'm Venita V. Johnson and author of Musings of a Lovesick Rabbit. Follow me on tumblr for Vintage/Morbid/Thoughtful posts!

I am reading two books. I like to read several books at the same time, to me it's like channel surfing. Right now it is War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy and Extremely loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Because War and Peace is famously one of the longest novels, it would be way too heavy for me to carry around so the Kindle App on my android phone allows me to pick up wherever I've left off. I'm not sure what page I'm on but my Kindle app says I'm 3% done and I've read A LOT so far. There are so many characters to keep up with but the smooth dialogue feels natural and very much like listening in on a big conversation. Then I switch gears from 19^th century Russia to 2001 in New York. I did some internet research on Foer after he made an appearance at my college last year promoting his then new book Eating Animals. I felt like EL&IC was a good place to start with him and I was right. I've fell in love with smart little Oskar and all the quoteables in the book. "I regret that it takes a life to learn how to live." Ugggh that is CHURRRRCH! I'm on page 210 and excited to finish it up.

 -Venita V. Johnson author of the awesome poetry collection Musings of a Lovesick Rabbit

I’m re-reading AMERICAN GODS for the second time, but this time, it is my own copy and it happens to be the tenth anniversary edition. It contains more content from the author than previously published editions, so I’m excited to have it in my hands and be able to read it again. I received it in the mail while I was away on a trip, so I opened it when I arrived back at home. I started to read Neil Gaiman’s work, starting with CORALINE, when I was in high school, but I was introduced to SANDMAN while still in junior high school. Still, I didn’t start to read his writing until high school. Maybe I started a bit late? Who knows, and who cares? He’s one author whose books will be on my shelves for a long time. His writing is, admittedly, not the best but the stories still grab me. I love fairy tales and mythologies, so when I found out he’s an author who plays around with them in his writing, I got hooked easily. Alas, I bought this one from Amazon, since independent bookstores in my area are hard to come by, especially if you want to be economical with your driving at the same time. 

-Thesanica, Editor of the up and coming Literary Magazine Short Harbingers 

This photo encompasses one of my most adored combinations in life...Jane Austen and a steaming cuppa Joe! The romance of my favorite Austen novel, Emma, has delighted me for nearly two decades. I never get tired of reading about the precocious Miss Woodhouse and her dashing Mr. Knightley! Le sigh.

-Kristin of Bon Bon Rose Girls 

“A waft of wind came sweeping down the laurel-walk, and trembled through the boughs of the chestnut: it wandered away – away – to an indefinite distance – it died. The nightingale’s song was the only voice of the hour: in listening to it I again wept.”

I call Jane Eyre my favorite novel for many reasons, not least of which is Charlotte Brontë’s exquisite creation, the narrator, the protagonist: Jane Eyre. I see in her a small bit of myself, my reticence and the inner-tremendousness of my own being, but in her I also see a strong, fiercely loyal and determined woman – one that I greatly admire and strive to resemble in my day-to-day life. The way she grows in boldness throughout the novel inspires me to tap into my own valiance. We can all learn a lot from Jane – and from Rochester, for that matter. Besides their eminent romance (which is also a favorite element of the novel). Jane and Rochester both represent two very life-changing personalities. I never cease to be fascinated by the way they evolve, both together and apart, throughout the story. Meeting them all over again every time I revisit the world of Jane Eyre makes for one of the most enchanting reading experiences I’ve ever known.

-Casee Marie of The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower 

An now for your's truly:

I've decided to write about my first novel purchase since being confined to a Kindle. As Forelsket readers, you can tell that I have an affinity for Mr. Kerouac. Aside from thinking him a total dreamboat of whom I would've gladly danced with during the On the Road years, I find his writing absolutely magical.  Kerouac never fails to take us underground into the elusive, exclusive life of the Beats.  He always makes me want to find a lounge tinged in smokescreens and saxophones that lull you into relationships that you may or may not regret come daylight. So far, my reading of The Subterraneans is pretty trippy, what with the novel having been written over the course of three consecutive days in 'an ecstatic flash of inspiration.' There's nothing better than reading the work of someone who's decided to give us a sincere glimpse of life without the gleaning of editors. So far, I'm finding this novel pretty fascinating, and I might possibly blog a review of it once I've finished! 

Once again, a huge THANK YOU AND CYBER HUG to all you crazy awesome women who participated! I hope you had as much fun with this blogger event as I have! 

Happy Reading and have serendipitous week!