Sartorial Lit: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Sartorial Lit is a new feature at Forelsket that combines fashion with fiction.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver, is about a girl named, Lena, who lives in a world quite similar to our own, but with one difference...Love has become the fatal disease, Amor Deliria Nervosa, with a cure that all citizens are expected to undergo when they turn 18. Lena is excited for her own cure...until she meets, Alex, and experiences this troublesome force called Love for the first time.

Delirium has had my mind in the clouds! I've thought of revolutions and serendipitous meetings that make you want to conquer the world. It made me wonder what it would be like to live in a world where, Amor Deliria Nervosa, is cured, and one must experience love, music, and pretty much anything that produces a strong sentiment, underground. As much as this could be problematic, think of the adventure that this could pose? Secret concerts, discussions of banned literature, long walks in the woods, galaxies of glowing stars waiting for you and your soulmate, with the threat that it could all vanish with the slip of the tongue. As crazy as it seems, it also seems beautiful if you know where to look.

Romance can imbue your ways of life. It can cloud your mind, stain your books, or flow through your wardrobe with pastels, neutrals, and strong bursts the color of wine. After being inspired by the novel, I decided to attempt to give you a sartorial interpretation of Delirium.

Etsy designer, River of Romansk, has perfectly captured my experience of Delrium. Taking in the beauty that Lauren Oliver describes of Portland: glowing sunsets, stars so close you can reach up and place them in a bottle, and the whisper of love, I thought that neutral or soft colored fabric would be lovely. Wispy fabrics that undulate in the wind, with delicate details offering just a touch a femininity and the wonder of change. I imagine Lena as a natural beauty who's presence comes into shape with the passage of time. I can imagine she and Alex having a meeting in one of these gorgeous garments.

Where the garments would imbue a kind of romantic chimera, I thought that with the novel's many layers, the accessories would be more edgy to showcase the threat of the government's rule.

Marty White Designs

Iloniti

DebbieChoo

SecretCharm

These beautiful accessories give a hint of edge without going overboard. The necklace and earrings retain the theme of a light and airy chimera. The ring and bracelets show the beginnings of an edgy rebellion. All choices retain their delicate nature, but they also have a touch of dissonance that reeks of a silent rebellion.

I imagined that nail varnish and makeup would give this style an edgier quality. Instead of being completely romantic by adding creme's, I thought that metallics, dark burgundy's, browns, or violets, lighter grays and other deeper colors would give this style a drama that would enhance a natural look with the aura of discovery.

With the natural terrain explored throughout the novel: booties, combat boots, and flats would finish off this Delirum style.  I thought that these selections made for a truly eclectic outfit, blending romance and weathered styles. Nothing delicate here, as anything can happen at any moment. Yet, it's still imbuing a feminine beauty.

Delirium is potentially a wealth of outfit inspiration, and I would love to hear your suggestions. If you were living a romantic adventure tinged with mystery, and threatened by penalty of death, how would you translate this into style?

To read my recent book review of Delirum, check it out at Novel Days.

Sources: Brushes used in photo collages by: Stardixa.

A Rainy little evening at the Blue Note + Updates

Tonight was quite a beautiful night indeed. My Sis, Ashley, took me out to see the lovely Jane Monheit at the legendary Blue Note lounge. The Blue Note is an iconic jazz lounge in New York City. Every jazz great has stepped inside of its' walls with their bass,' saxophones, and lulling piano melodies to perform.

Jane Monheit has one of the most classic voices...almost like the Judy Garland of our time, except in Jazz. It was lovely to sit merely steps from her, and her band, and hear the most beautifully smooth music. She performed one of the greatest renditions of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," that I've ever heard. At the end of the night, Ash and I even got her to autograph our books and cd! She's a wonderfully down to earth person, it's refreshing to see!

I'm sure that a great deal of my wedding songs will be collected from her portfolio of masterpieces! You fall in love, you dance a jig, you dream...all of the things done when in the presence of an Artist with clearly God given talent.

Here's a video of Jane Monheit singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow':

During the past week, I've also achieved a huge goal of mine: Interviewed an author for a Q&A! Novel Day's has only been open for one week and already it has 21 followers, 4 book reviews, and an interview with the awesome Rebecca Donovan. Rebecca has written an ambitious, heart wrenching, and astounding novel called Reason to Breathe, about a young woman dealing with abuse and the people in her life who remind her to love. I couldn't put it down, and the ending is mind-blowing. After I finished I had to seek out the author to discover more answers about her cast of characters and writing process, and I was blessed to get in contact and have her gladly accept my request of an interview! It was a brilliant experience.  By God's Grace, there will be many more to come!

Have a lovely week, and keep on dreaming!

Summer, Invisible Dissertations, and Newbies

Hello Dreamers!

How's your summer coming along? Mine has been pretty busy as I've returned home at the end of July! It's been a real kick to see my family and friends after being away for so long.

Updates

The first thing I did when I arrived back in NY was get my hair relaxed (Thank God!) and cut into a cute little bob. I've been having such fun doing Dita Von Teese inspired hairstyles. I totally see myself making the transformation to vintage living bit by bit. There's a sense of romantic drama that comes with curling your hair for no reason save to look and feel beautiful. I purchased my subtle cat eye sunnies from Urban Outfitters in pink for $14. A few years ago you couldn't catch me wearing sunglasses! Loving this change! I've also been wearing more flowing dresses, yet in the past, I was a bit self conscious about my legs. I think I'm living my most confident summer yet!

Novel Days

I've really started to consider my reasons and purposes for blogging. I'm constantly inspired by Casee Marie (The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower) and Jen of Style Through Her Eyes, and Gabrielle of Cinderbella's. They each have a way of imbuing their personality into their content, all the while maintaining a professional presentation. I tend to frequent loads of fashion blogs because I adore them, however I never felt completely at home enough in this genre to pursue it professionally. I've wondered where to place Forelsket, and I've decided that it is truly a place for my inspirations with hopes that it will inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. Nevertheless, I wanted a blog that could be used as a portfolio of sorts on a professional level. I have no idea why this came as such an epiphany, but the thing that comes most naturally to me is reading and writing. What's the best choice for me? Book Blogging. I'm sure none of you are surprised!

I wanted to find a community kind of like the Independent Fashion Bloggers, as they have done a fantastic job of creating a networking haven for bloggers. After scouring the net, I learned that book bloggers have tons of similar communities. I'm very excited about this because there's nothing I would love more than to work with books for the rest of my life (When I'm not writing them, of course)! There's an event called Book Blogger Appreciation Week that just happens to start on my birthday this year. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is!

With this in mind, I've gone ahead and made my Novel Days category into an actual blog! It feels so right. I've been making goals of where I would like to see it (God Willing) a year from now. I would love to have the opportunity to interview authors, receive Review copies of novels before their release, a chance to be a nominee during Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2012, and the opportunity to go to book conferences. I'll share my journeys with you every step of the way.

From now on, all of my book reviews will be posted at Novel Days...speaking of Reviews: I have one up for Passion by Lauren Kate, feel free to check it out!

Question: If you follow Book Blogs, what suggestions would you have for someone starting out? What else would you like to see on a blog of this nature? (Thanks to all who help!)

In the Midst of all of this, I've a 20,000 word dissertation due by September 30th. It's funny how these lovely little distractions come to blind you to what you should be focused on.

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer, and wish you many blessings in all of your goals for this season!

Stay Dreaming!

Novel Days Book Review: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Amber’s life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell he’s also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she’s drawn to him. And the more she’s troubled by his darkness. Because Cade’s not just living in the now—he’s living each moment like it’s his last.

-Simon & Schuster

he's a good example

It's like 

the silence

that follows

    the beautiful song.

Or

the darkness

that follows

    the glitter in the air.

He knew 

what to do

to make it better. 

-Amber, The Day Before-Lisa Schroeder 

What would you do the day before your entire life could change? Wallow...stress out over the bits and bobbles...or celebrate? Lisa Schroeder's novel, The Day Before, chronicles one girls' day of fear-busting celebration and unrelenting support.

This novel is full of tender moments that I could back and smile over. Amber, a girl seeking to leave 'making sense of things' for the next day, was a great character to follow. She's inspiring, interesting, and relatable in her desire to be swallowed up in her day of refreshing exploits. Amber meets Cade whilst watching for jellyfish in an aquarium. Cade is intriguing in his immediate (but believable) connection with Amber. Yet, he is troubled which adds to his dynamic. I wondered at the circumstances that seemed to haunt his character even as he met with the effervescent spirit that Amber carries.

Overall, the novel is simplistically lyrical. It is such an awesome experience to read a novel written entirely of verse. It takes a wonderful writer to write in this manner! I loved the romance between Amber and Cade...not overly dramatized but just enough to engage in a once in a lifetime experience. It was apparent how much they meant to each other even after having met up for a day.

The novel inspired me to decide on an adventure of my own where I take along a backpack, a book and and open heart.

The Day Before is a refreshing read, and just the reminder needed to get you appreciating every facet of life.

Suggestion: As Lisa Schroeder, herself, suggested to me, read whilst downing a bag of Jelly Belly beans.

I give the novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Novel Days Book Review: The Subterraneans by Jack Kerouac

Written over the course of three days and three nights, The Subterraneans was generated out of the same kind of ecstatic flash of inspiration that produced another one of Kerouac's early classics, On the Road. Centering around the tempestuous breakup of Leo Percepied and Mardou Fox--two denizens of the 1950s San Francisco underground--The Subterraneans is a tale of dark alleys and smokey rooms, of artists, visionaries, and adventurers existing outside mainstream America's field of vision.

-Grove Press 

"...no girl had ever moved me with a story of spiritual suffering and so beautifully her sould showing out radiant as an angel wandering in hell and the hell the selfsame streets I'd roamed in watching, watching for someone just like her and never dreaming the darkness and the mystery and eventuality of our meeting in eternity, the hugeness of her face now like the sudden vast Tiger head on a poster on the back of a woodfence in the smoky dumpyards Saturday no-school mornings, direct, beautiful, insane, in the rain.--We hugged, we held close---it was like love now, I was amazed..."

-Leo Percepied, The Subterraneans by Jack Kerouac

The Subterraneans is an exciting, frantically paced novel written as if driven to get it all down and out before it simply dissipates. Kerouac is known for his spontaneous prose, and this novel is one of the greatest examples of this practice: fragmented, unformatted paragraphs, and sentences that seem to run on for days and days. Nevertheless, these are the facets of Kerouac that I cannot help but be intrigued by.

One of the most important factors of this novel is Kerouac's depiction of an interracial relationship in the 50s, a time when it was unheard of, or kept in shadows. It was most fascinating to read of Leo's attraction to Mardou and also his internal struggle with possibly loving a Afro-Cherokee woman. I appreciated this depiction even more as the novel didn't focus on their obvious differences. 

Mardou is depicted as this elusive 'Queen' of the Subterranean subculture. She is intelligent and fiesty, a figure that the characters seemed both intrigued and put off by. Beyond this mythologized figure, Mardou is broken---often fearful of nervous breakdowns, sewed to her therapist like a misplaced hemline. She, like many in the subculture, battles drug addiction, and although living the life, often strapped for cash.  I found her to be just as fascinating as the other characters seemed to. I felt that as much as Kerouac divulged of her, there was so much more that we didn't know or understand about her upbringing and her own aspirations. 

Leo and Mardou are two broken people in a fragmented love that everyone knows is doomed from the start, but it doesn't stop them from diving in. By the end, it seemed Mardou would be a woman that haunts his psyche as time passed. Each seemed a lesson in relating to people: Regardless of good intentions, they would eventually hurt one another. 

Kerouac included great ponderings on what it meant to be in a relationship with someone, jealousy, and the power that a woman has over a man: "...a man may act stupid and toptippity and bigtime 19th century boss type dominant with a woman but it won't help him when the chips are down--the loss lass'll make it back, its hidden in her eyes, her future triumph and strength--on his lips we hear nothing but 'of course love.'" Beautiful fragmented prose, bursting of prisms and beat. I also loved reading of Leo's interactions with the many characters with in the Subterranean world. What can be more fascinating to an artist, than read of trips to crazy/beautiful jazz clubs, discussing novels, music and art? Some of their more negative behavior had me shaking my head.

Overall, Kerouac made me fall in love with him, want to read everything he's ever written, and discover the other characters of the novel. One awesome facet of his novels is that they are semi autobiographical, so you can always discover them in a real context. 

I give the novel 4 out of 5 stars- Rated R...obviously!

Happy weekend, dreamers!

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!

Forelsket Presents: Novel Days Blogging Event

About a month ago, I was privileged to participate in the Show Me Your Buns Blogging event hosted by Stephanie of The Loudmouth Lifestyle. It was my first event, and I had so much fun that I thought I would try my hand at it. These events are a wonderful way to get to know other bloggers, and to discover hidden gems within the community! 

I've been in a huge literary mood lately, and I thought it would be fantastic to get the community talking about their favorite books! Hence, Novel Days!

Here are the rules:

• All participants must submit a photograph showcasing your favorite or recent read. Get creative! Kindles/E-Readers are acceptable! (Though the event's called Novel Days, it can be on any book you like!)
• You must also submit a little blurb, no longer than a paragraph, stating why the book inspires you and your blog information! Be as creative with this as you'd like. Does it have that awesome Eau de Novel? Has this novel/author intrigued you from a young age or recently grabbed you? Did you buy it from an obscure indie bookshop? Has the love of your life written love letters to you in the margins? Do you purposely weather your paperbacks (**looks over shoulder**, I do)? Do you have special anniversary readings of it?...
• Deadline: July 1, 2011- Email me!

See, nothing intense, just lovely literary frivolity! 

Everyone's invited to participate, and please feel free to invite your friends! It puts a smile on my face to see others as excited about books as I am!

Keep On Dreaming!

Source: We Heart It