Emma

Title - Emma
Author - Jane Austen
Genre - Historical Romance; Fiction
Short Synopsis - Emma is a rich, spoiled, but good-natured girl in her 20s. She is a little snobby, but everyone seems to love her anyway. One of the ways that she chooses to entertain herself is by match-making all of the people around her. A very good friend of hers, who is also a good friend of the family, is Mr. Knightly, who has no problem telling Emma that she is spoiled and silly. This book focuses on the different match-making disasters that Emma faces and the problems that occur in her own love life.
Favorite Quotes -
"Mr. Knightly, in fact, was one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse, and the only one who ever told her of them; and though this was not particularly agreeable to Emma herself, she knew it would be so much less so to her father, that she would have him really suspect such a circumstance as her not being thought perfect by everybody."

"'My being charming, Harriet, is not quite enough to induce me to marry; I must find other people charming - one other person at least.'"

"'I cannot make speeches, Emma,' he soon resumed, and in a tone of such sincere, decided, intelligible tenderness as was tolerably convincing. 'If I love you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am. You heart nothing but truth from me. I have blamed you, and lectured you, and you have borne it was no other woman in England would have borne it. Bear with the truths I would tell you now, dearest Emma, as well as you have borne with them. The manner perhaps, may have as little to recommend them. God knows, I have been a very indifferent lover. But you understand me. Yes, you see, you understand my feelings - and will return them, if you can. At present, I ask only to heart - once to hear your voice.'"

Recommendation - This book is kind of a slow read, but it is worth it in the end. The different scenes in the book are most of the time quite hilarious. While I was reading, I wanted Emma to end up with her own happily ever after, even if she was a little snobby. The ending is just right. It's exactly how I pictured it to be. This is a great book.

The Raging Quiet

Title - The Raging Quiet
Author - Sherryl Jordan
Genre - Historical Romance; Fiction
Short Synopsis - This book is about a girl named Marnie. She marries this guy at the beginning of the book who is kind of a jerk. He dies because of an accident, but the people in the village Marnie lives in think that she killed her husband because she is a witch. Marnie meets this guy who is supposedly the "village idiot," but she discovers what is really wrong with him. Marnie and her new friend are basically social outcasts, and the rest of the book focuses on their relationship and how they deal with the hatred of the villagers.
Favorite Quotes -
"If I can see your face, he signed, I'll be happy."

What can I do to stop your hurt?
Nothing more, she signed. You do everything, and you make me all right. Thank you.
Very gently, he touched her sooty cheek. If there was a way, he signed, I'd take your hurt and carry it for you.

I don't want to stay here without you, he signed. I can't be without you. You are me. We are the same, in our hearts. He stopped, searching for words, frustrated and near tears. He went on: I feel...feelings too big, I have no words. If you go away from me, I will lie down and sleep, and not wake up again.

I have you, and you have me, he signed. A house is only stones and grass. We have all the stones, all the grass, the sea, and the sky. All the far fields, they are ours...We have everything we want for our journey, and we are together all times...

Recommendation - This was a totally excellent book. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was a great ending, and you aren't left hanging or wishing that it had worked out any other way. I could read this over and over again.