Let’s celebrate Valentine’s Day with some great love stories!
Now, by “love stories” we don’t mean stuff you can use to line the bottom of your bird cage. That’s not what this post is about. You won’t find any cheap dime store boiler plate trash here. This list focuses on timeless love stories that go above and beyond boiler plate “romance.” (Hint: A transcendent theme of selflessness and sacrifice appears frequently in this curated list.)
Some of these titles are relatively new. Others have been around awhile. All reach straight for your heart. So climb aboard. And settle in to stay. (B.Y.O. tissue. In no particular order):
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.”
One of our favorite travel writers in back. This time Terry Lister offers a collection of experiences and observations just in time for the Christmas season.
Titled Peace, Joy and Love: Christmas Across Africa, Lister’s newest collection covers Christmas traditions and celebrations in over a dozen African countries. These include both predominantly Muslim countries like Morocco and Tunisia to predominantly Christian countries like Ethiopia and Kenya. And all points in between, including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, the Gambia, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Cameroon.
It’s that time of year again. Time for celebrating and merry-making. Giving and gratitude. Caroling and cantatas. Sleigh bells. Snow. And the never-ending debate over whether or not Bruce Willis’s “Die Hard” is a “Christmas movie.” (We are speaking of the original.)
Image: Mirror Screen Grab
What’s a “Christmas Movie”?
We’re gonna settle that controversy once and for all today. Of course, it all boils down to: What makes a movie a “Christmas movie”?
Many would say a Christmas movie should focus on the Babe born in Bethlehem, angelic choirs and wise men from the East. Santa. Sleigh bells. Snow. The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. Festive trees and twinkling lights. Themes of peace, joy, love, and “a thrill of hope.” It goes beyond just tossing out the phrase “Merry Christmas” like confetti on New Year’s.
The Acid Test
Far as we’re concerned, the “acid test” of whether or not a movie is indeed a “Christmas movie” is pretty simple:
Is Christmas incidental or intrinsic per the movie in question?
Another way to look at it:
Can you take the movie’s essential elements, drop them into any setting other than the Christmas season and have the elements (and thus the movie) still work?
We’re up to our tinsel in book reviews. Our eyes need a rest. So today we’re taking a little detour into the Wonderful World of Christmas Cards. Cuz ’tis the season, ya know?
So grab a spring of mistletoe or another cup of eggnog and let’s dive in, okay? Like this:
Okay, wait a min. That’s not quite how the lyric goes. But who’s counting? Cuz around here we are So Excited! Because … Christmas!!
Mom and I? This time of year we like to snuggle into our favorite recliner with a hot cuppa and a blankie and read Christmas-themed books. But one of us – I won’t say who – also likes watching Christmas movies! We even made a list. Checked it twice. See our prior post on 14 Best Christmas Movies You Never Heard of (and a few you have).
A Little Diff
Well. This year we’re doing something a little diff. We’re gonna add to that list some movies we watched recently that we loved.
Now, we’re not exactly talkin “new releases” here, understand? In fact, most have been around awhile. (One of us is slow. Hi, Mom!) They’re just new to us. They’re a little different from your average holiday fare. But all feature solid storylines, sturdy characters, and themes of hope, joy, and love. Second chances. Forgiveness. Redemption. Grace. You know. Like CHRISTMAS!
Ready? Great! Here’s our new totally subjective list of 6 must-watch movies for Christmas (in no particular order)! How many have you seen?
We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Kimber: Someone is a Super Star. No, really. All you have to do is open this sweet little novella and turn to the Dedication page. See?
Remind you of anyone?
In case you’re wondering – and even if you’re not – this isn’t really a photo of Yours Truly. Naw.
It’s actually a photo “In Loving memory of Demerri,” the author’s “Dear Departed Rescued Dog” and “The Best German Shephard I Ever Knew & Loved.”
It’s me!
Probably a cousin. So when it comes to The Great Tree, I’m kinda biased. In a canine sort of way, if ya know what I mean. Here’s the 4-1-1 on this Christmas novella:
Never heard of Rachael Bloome? Poppy Creek? Ru and Sprinkles? Take heart, Buttercup. We hadn’t either. Until one of us – the two-legged one- randomly grabbed The Clause in Christmas off her Kindle e-shelf the other day. Maybe cuz it’s finally getting cold out. Just right for snuggling up in front of the fireplace with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. And a World Famous Bookish Dog. You know. Yours Truly.
‘The things I do for Mom.’ Sheesh!
While visions of sugar plums and a nice, thick juicy sirloin dance in our heads. And the prancing and pawing of each little hoof… Wait. Where was I? Oh yeah. Got a bit carried away with the Christmas spirit for a min.
All things merry and bright twinkle and shine in this light-hearted, uplifting romance with a sprig of whimsy and a hearty batch of “edible kindness.” It has a homespun, folksy feel to it that’s warm and welcoming without being sappy. Delightful!
Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
‘Tis the season “for miracles and love” in this smooth and sassy light romance.
The Basics
Cheryl Calloway is in a seasonal slump. Recently divorced, the last thing she needs is for her chain-smoking, Vodka-drinking, wise-cracking Mama to move in with her. But move in Mama does, along with Nigel, a loquacious Amazonian parrot who’s “the love of Mama’s life.”
Settling the gregarious, geriatric Mama into Cheryl’s tiny cottage is like trying to “settle” a runaway freight train. Mama may be elderly, but she’s still a force of nature.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And what better way to ring in the day than with a love story?
Now, I could line the bottom of my bird cage (if I had one) with most of what passes for “romance” stories these days. That’s not what this list is about. You won’t find any cheap dime store boiler plate trash here. This list focuses on timeless love stories that go above and beyond basic romance.
Some of these titles are relatively new. Others have been around for centuries. All reach straight for your heart. Climb in. And settle in to stay. B.Y.O. tissue.
Here are 17 of the most unforgettable love stories of all time, along with memorable quotes. Many have been made into movies. Some might surprise you:
Jane Austen’s masterpiece of love and life among English gentility during the Georgian era. Mr. Bennet is an English gentleman living in Hartfordshire with his overbearing wife, one of the most ridiculous mothers in all literature. Mrs. Bennet’s chief goal in life is to see her five daughters married off and living comfortably. But fate intervenes…
This novel traces the lives and loves of its two tragic protagonists, Yuri Zhivago, a physician and poet, and Larissa Antipova. Pasternak’s epic love story takes place between the Russian Revolution of 1905 and World War II. First published in Italy in 1957.
Memorable quote:
“Oh, what a love it was, utterly free, unique, like nothing else on earth! Their thoughts were like other people’s songs.”
The powerful, poignant story of the unbreakable bond between a young boy and his two Redbone Hound dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann, reminds us what love really means. Set in the Ozarks during the depths of the Depression.
Once in a lifetime, a story comes along that inspires generations of readers. Where The Red Fern Grows is one of those stories. Bring Kleenex.
Note from Kimber:My personal favorite, friends! Even better than bacon! Mom always wants to snuggle up with this one. I’m a good helper, ya know. But I’m a World Class Snuggler and face-licker!
Memorable quote:
“I looked at his grave and, with tears in my eyes, I voiced these words: ‘You were worth it, old friend, and a thousand times over.’”
Set largely in Kenya, East Africa, this sweeping epic is a story of discovery, loss and love.
Karen Blixen followed her dreams until her dreams became reality. She came to Africa from Denmark to search for something inside herself. There, she discovers a man and a country. And life as she’s never known it.
Blixen published her autobiographical Out of Africa under the nom de plume, Isak Dinesen.
The 1985 movie won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. It stars Meryl Streep as Blixen and Robert Redford as her lover, Dennys Finch-Hatton.
Memorable quote:
“If I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plows in the fields and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me? Will the air over the plain quiver with a color that I have had on, or the children invent a game in which my name is, or the full moon throw a shadow over the gravel of the drive that was like me, or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills look out for me?”
A touching story about what we long for. What we settle for. And who we were meant for. Full of longing and wistfulness. Despair and hope. And unexpected plot twists. Vintage Nicholas Sparks.
“I read to her and she remembers.”
Memorable quote:
“We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that’s why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I’ll never forget a single moment of it.”
Don’t think this “children’s” classic is a love story? Think again.
Memorable quote:
“Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
A haunting story of the link between a man and a woman that transcends time. The novel upon which the movie Somewhere in Time is based.
My husband rolls his eyes every time I drag out my SIT DVD. I just smile and grab some more chocolate.
This story and the movie that followed starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour prove how little critics know and how even a predictable love story never fails to tug at the heart strings.
An unforgettable John Barry score doesn’t hurt, either.
Memorable quote:
“Come back to me.”
17. West Side Story
The original classic update of Romeo and Juliet set on the mean streets of New York during the 60s, with an unforgettable musical score.
Memorable quote:
“Tonight, tonight…”
What would you add?
This post was first published on Pages and Paws in 2020. But, hey! We figured it’s worth a re-run. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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