Any good love stories?

raychensmith · 08-23-2012, 07:51 PM

I'm thinking of reading a love story next and was wondering if any of you have any recommendations? Please, no Nicholas Sparks books (the man doesn't write love stories; he writes 300-page Hallmark cards) or Robert James Waller's cosmic claptrap. Something realistic but potent. Interestingly, I felt The Time Traveler's Wife to be a very realistic depiction of a loving relationship. Yeah, I know the guy travels through time, but besides that, how the couple react to each other was very, very nice. And that ending! Wow!

So . . . any recommendations?

vertex11 · 10-01-2012, 08:10 PM

Lilith
by J. R. Salamanca
written in 1962

Its on Amazon for $6.99 right now. The writing is brilliant. Here is my short review from a while back:

This is a story of a young man, Vincent, who falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Lilith. She is a patient in a mental institution where he is employed. Her beauty, and the captivating effects of her personality, perhaps partly caused by her mental illness, pose a personal and professional dilemma for Vincent.

The story, as told by Vincent, is full of beautiful prose and remarkable imagery of a small town in rural Maryland. You enter his world and come to appreciate his growing enchantment with Lilith. She has developed a remarkably lucid and beautiful imaginary world, but she also has tremendous presence and a beguiling effect on Vincent and others around her. You come away marveling at this sensitive portrayal of a young man, his joys and woes, and his developing, but dangerous, involvement with a wild, young madwoman.

vertex11 · 10-01-2012, 10:07 PM

The novel "Lilith", by J. R. Salamanca, was made into a motion picture in 1964. It starred Jean Seberg in the title role and a young Warren Beatty as Vincent. Its a good movie, but the book is even better.

Jozawun · 10-02-2012, 06:19 AM

Hemingway A Farewell to Arms

LucyLu · 10-07-2012, 04:10 AM

"Somewhere in time" by Richard Matheson.

The book, written in first-person narrative, tell the story of a dying writer who falls in love with a photograph of a turn of the century actress, becomes obsessed with her and then finds a way to travel back in time to meet her.

The book is also known with is original title "Bid Time Return".

purple_fishy · 10-09-2012, 12:35 AM

Are you looking for contemporary fiction or books that you can get from the Mobile Reads library?

CatherineStewart · 10-10-2012, 06:35 PM

If you don't mind YA then you might like "Seductions and Snacks" by Tara Sivec and the follow up "Futures and Frosting" also "Slammed" and "Point of Retreat" by Colleen Hoover and Breathing series by Rebecca Donovan. And sort of Twilight-ish is the Providence series by Jamie McGuire but with Angels and Demons instead of Vampires.

08-23-2012, 07:51 PM	#1
raychensmith Member Posts: 19 Karma: 330010 Join Date: Jul 2012 Device: Kindle	Any good love stories? I'm thinking of reading a love story next and was wondering if any of you have any recommendations? Please, no Nicholas Sparks books (the man doesn't write love stories; he writes 300-page Hallmark cards) or Robert James Waller's cosmic claptrap. Something realistic but potent. Interestingly, I felt The Time Traveler's Wife to be a very realistic depiction of a loving relationship. Yeah, I know the guy travels through time, but besides that, how the couple react to each other was very, very nice. And that ending! Wow! So . . . any recommendations?

10-01-2012, 08:10 PM	#2
vertex11 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 497222 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle PaperWhite	Give "Lilith" a try Lilith by J. R. Salamanca written in 1962 Its on Amazon for $6.99 right now. The writing is brilliant. Here is my short review from a while back: This is a story of a young man, Vincent, who falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Lilith. She is a patient in a mental institution where he is employed. Her beauty, and the captivating effects of her personality, perhaps partly caused by her mental illness, pose a personal and professional dilemma for Vincent. The story, as told by Vincent, is full of beautiful prose and remarkable imagery of a small town in rural Maryland. You enter his world and come to appreciate his growing enchantment with Lilith. She has developed a remarkably lucid and beautiful imaginary world, but she also has tremendous presence and a beguiling effect on Vincent and others around her. You come away marveling at this sensitive portrayal of a young man, his joys and woes, and his developing, but dangerous, involvement with a wild, young madwoman.

10-01-2012, 10:07 PM	#3
vertex11 Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 497222 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle PaperWhite	Lilith was made into a movie in 1964 The novel "Lilith", by J. R. Salamanca, was made into a motion picture in 1964. It starred Jean Seberg in the title role and a young Warren Beatty as Vincent. Its a good movie, but the book is even better.

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10-02-2012, 06:19 AM	#4
Jozawun Fanatic Posts: 519 Karma: 2693434 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Australia Device: Cybook Gen 3, Pocketbook 902, Sony 650	Hemingway A Farewell to Arms

10-07-2012, 04:10 AM	#5
LucyLu Bookaholic Posts: 70 Karma: 210104 Join Date: May 2012 Location: Italy Device: Cybook Opus, PocketBook Touch	"Somewhere in time" by Richard Matheson. The book, written in first-person narrative, tell the story of a dying writer who falls in love with a photograph of a turn of the century actress, becomes obsessed with her and then finds a way to travel back in time to meet her. The book is also known with is original title "Bid Time Return".

10-09-2012, 12:35 AM	#6
purple_fishy Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 33812 Join Date: May 2011 Location: The land of sand and sun Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook STR, iPad Air 2	Are you looking for contemporary fiction or books that you can get from the Mobile Reads library?

10-10-2012, 06:35 PM	#7
CatherineStewart Mom, Wife, Reader! Posts: 235 Karma: 530706 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Glo, Kobo Aura One	If you don't mind YA then you might like "Seductions and Snacks" by Tara Sivec and the follow up "Futures and Frosting" also "Slammed" and "Point of Retreat" by Colleen Hoover and Breathing series by Rebecca Donovan. And sort of Twilight-ish is the Providence series by Jamie McGuire but with Angels and Demons instead of Vampires.