Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Love Stories in Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, a state that you don't have to worry about being deprived of more books as long as you're near a library. ;) This week's Top Ten is:

Top Ten Favorite Love Stories In Books

1.  Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Imagine being trapped within the icy grip of winter, always longing for and waiting for the warmth of the summer sun.  When you finally see the sunlight and feel it's glorious warm rays wrap around you, it just makes you want to catch the sunshine and hold tightly to it.  What person doesn't feel that wonderful emotion when they see their beloved?  That is Sam and Grace's story and more, especially when Sam is trapped in werewolf form by each winter's chill.

2.  Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
How far would you go to be with the one you loved?  What would you do in order to become one of those that is prized among other women?  Sayuri's story is one of a powerful love that does stretch over the course of her lifetime, and it is amazing to see her journey from being a poor fisherman's daughter to a maiko to a servant back to a maiko and finally a geisha. 

3.  The Nymph King by Gena Showalter
This is one book that I will say attracted me because of the cover.  For the longest time, I'd go past the Romance section to get to the Science Fiction/Fantasy section of the bookstore, but this cover always caught my eye.  Finally, I surrendered and bought my own copy and dove right in, loving the entirety of the story.  I knew right away that Shaye and Valerian would be together; it was only a matter of getting through the UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension).  However, it was the secondary story involving a love triangle between Joachim, Brenna, and Shivawn that drew my interest.  Watching Brenna have to choose between these two nymph warriors that are on totally opposite ends of the spectrum was intriguing, yet somehow I knew who she would choose in the end. 

4.  Gold Unicorn by Tanith Lee
The love story within Lee's Gold Unicorn is more on the subtle side, and I think that's what I appreciated about it.  While it is not the fiery passionate love readers would hope for, this soft-spoken love between the main character, Tanaquil (whom I adored from the prequel Black Unicorn), and Honj, a warrior in her half-sister's army as well as Lizra's betrothed.  As this is the second book in Lee's Unicorn trilogy, the overall resolution does not come until the third book, Red Unicorn.  I highly recommend all three books if you really love fantasy series with slight science-fiction undertones. 

5.  Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova
This is one of my favorite manga (that's not originally from Japan) and the love story that plays out between main characters Christy and Matt.  The first part of the book is their first meeting, at an anime convention no less, the second part involves their struggles to express their feelings to one another, and the third part...well, you should really give the book a read! ;)

6.  Beastly by Alex Flinn
The fairytale of "Beauty and the Beast" is retold and updated in this young adult novel by Flinn.  I was a little surprise with Flinn's choice of a "plain-Jane" Beauty in Lindy, but by today's standards, having someone that is called "Beauty" would probably not have a heart as willing to love a beast.  Watching Kyle's transformation from rich, handsome snob to a beast with an actual caring heart was enjoyable, especially when he chose to change his name to Adrian.  Highly recommended to all who love the traditional story of "Beauty and the Beast."

7.  Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt
Sometimes searching for your true love can place a lot of pressure on a person.  And that pressure would be magnified ten-fold if that pressure comes from Lord Death himself.  Keturah is determined to find the one she is meant to be with in twenty-four hours, and while on this task she must assist her friends and neighbors as the king is coming to visit the village.  It isn't until Keturah is confronted by Lord Death once more in the presence of John Temsland, one that adores her, that she realizes who is indeed her true love. 

8.  Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause
I will freely admit that from the moment I started this story, I did not care for Aiden, Vivian's human love interest.  Granted, there are times when I do appreciate the brooding man who is interested things of the dark.  For some reason, I just couldn't buy that Vivian and Aiden would be together, but it was fascinating to watch the story events unfold.  Klause manages to distinguish Vivian's school life from her pack life, which I found helpful especially when those lives seemed to draw ever closer and more entwined.  Although I was sad for Vivian when all the cards were laid on the table, I was thrilled when she was finally able to see the truth about who she was destined to be with as her love. 

9.  Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
This was one of my favorite classic plays to read in school, simply because of the anxiety I felt when it came to whether Roxane would indeed realize Cyrano's true feelings of love for her.  While it is his poetic words that are intended for her, these words come from the mouth of handsome Christian de Neuvillette and one with a less protruding proboscis (namely a big nose as is Cyrano's).  This love triangle is one worth reading, or watching if given the chance to see it performed upon the stage. 

10.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
This is more of a familial love story, though there are several different love stories linked together within Little Women.  The main love stories seem to focus first on Jo and Laurie before she refuses him as a lover, Amy and Laurie after Amy has expressed that she will not be a substitute for her sister, and then Jo and Professor Friedrich.  More important to me than even these love stories is the wonderful love that all four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy share for one another, their mother and all who come into their lives as their family gradually grows beyond the Marches.