Hello booklovers,
Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine’s Day! Why not show your love through sharing a good story with loved ones or trying out a tale that you haven’t encountered before?
If you are struggling for inspiration, look no further than the Felixstowe Book Festival blog: we asked you a few weeks ago for stories that you love and you gave us some rather wonderful examples. Read on to find out more…
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
‘Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.’
Whilst I certainly wouldn’t aspire to the disturbing extremes of the passion of Cathy and Heathcliff, their love cultivated on those wild Yorkshire moors is undoubtedly the stuff of romantic legend. A thrilling tale mixing intrigue and gothic overtones is well worth an atmospheric read.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien was not noted for interesting depictions of his female characters, however one of our lovely festival fans quite rightly pointed out the ‘understated love’ of one of the novel’s heroes, Aragorn, for the Elvish Lord Elrond’s daughter Arwen. Tolkien’s depiction of love in his adventurous trilogy lies also in the depiction of binding friendships and the importance of home to those who wander far from it.
The Unseen by Katherine Webb
This was suggested to us by one of our fans purely because she found the story ‘gripping, the characters are so interesting and it’s so beautifully written, as are all of Katherine Webb’s books’. What an excellent recommendation!
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
‘You are, and always have been, my dream.’
This truly is an ultimate and sumptuous love story, packed with drama and romance, separation and grief, but ultimately fortitude and what it is for a couple to grow old together. Set from the Second World War to many years later, this truly is a novel to be swept away in.
We hope you have enjoyed our little guide to the books that our festival fans love – they just go to show that love can be found in all sorts of different forms. Maybe you have found some inspiration for your next read?
It seems appropriate to conclude our Valentine’s blog post with a quote from one of our best beloved authors, Jane Austen.
‘There is no charm equal to tenderness of the heart.’
Have a good weekend!
All our love,
the Felixstowe Book Festival team x