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Happy 4th of July! 10 Quotes to cherish your freedom and independence
Happy 4th of July, folks! In honor of the US Independence Day we're sharing quotes from literature about freedom, liberty and independence referring to all life fields.
Remember, be free, be happy.
Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country...
Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell’s narrative is timelier than ever. 1984 presents a startling and haunting vision of the world, so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the power of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions—a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time...
They say that the cure for Love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them. Until now. Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.
Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History - Rhonda Garelick
Certain lives are at once so exceptional, and yet so in step with their historical moments, that they illuminate cultural forces far beyond the scope of a single person. Such is the case with Coco Chanel, whose life offers one of the most fascinating tales of the twentieth century—throwing into dramatic relief an era of war, fashion, ardent nationalism, and earth-shaking change—here brilliantly treated, for the first time, with wide-ranging and incisive historical scrutiny...
A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
"A Room of One's Own", based on a lecture given at Girton College, Cambridge, is one of the great feminist polemics, ranging in its themes from Jane Austen and Carlotte Bronte to the silent fate of Shakespeare's gifted (imaginary) sister and the effects of poverty and sexual constraint on female creativity.
A novel of intense power and intrigue, Jane Eyre dazzles and shocks readers with its passionate depiction of a woman’s search for equality and freedom. Orphaned Jane Eyre grows up in the home of her heartless aunt, where she endures loneliness and cruelty, and at a charity school with a harsh regime. This troubled childhood strengthens Jane’s natural independence and spirit—which proves necessary when she takes a position as governess at Thornfield Hall. But when she finds love with her sardonic employer, Rochester, the discovery of his terrible secret forces her to make a choice...
Invisible Man is a milestone in American literature, a book that has continued to engage readers since its appearance in 1952. A first novel by an unknown writer, it remained on the bestseller list for sixteen weeks, won the National Book Award for fiction, and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century. The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood", and retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be.
Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison
Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly. With this brilliantly imagined novel, Toni Morrison transfigures the coming-of-age story as audaciously as Saul Bellow or Gabriel García Márquez.
Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing...
Giovanni's Room - James Baldwin
Set in the 1950s Paris of American expatriates, liaisons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality. With a sharp, probing imagination, James Baldwin's now-classic narrative delves into the mystery of loving and creates a moving, highly controversial story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the human heart.
Happy Independence Day!
Left at the Altar in Contemporary Romance
Some Romances have a really unhappy begining to get to a happy ending.
Can't think of much worse that getting ready to walk down that aisle or worse already being there to have your fiancee call it off. This is what happen to all these heroes or heroines in these great Contemporary Romances.
Enjoy!
My lists are never in any particular order.
1. Just for Fun by Rosalind James
Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game. Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic’s concerned.
They have no history together, except one perfect week. Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all.
Getting together again would be messy. Complicated. Scary. And, just maybe, worth every risk.
2. Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz
After being jilted at the altar, librarian Faith West goes on her Italian honeymoon solo, but doesn't stay that way too long. And though her sexy rebound man has ulterior motives, feelings surface that neither of them are prepared for.
3. Love Kinection by Jennifer James
Love, romance, hearts, flowers, cupid…. Rubbish.
Abby Fine still hasn’t gotten over the pain of a year-old betrayal and plans to spend this Valentine’s Day drowning her sorrows with a ménage of men named Ben, Jerry, and Riesling.
Her plans are diverted when she drops and breaks her new iPhone and gives in to a momentary hormone surge, agreeing to let office hottie and tech god Tom Walker squirm his way into her condo to fix it.
Tom shows up with his Xbox, spicy Chinese food, and a habit of stealing kisses every time she lets her guard down.
Can a weekend of laughter, video games, and movies change Abby’s opinion of stupid Cupid?
4. Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz
Desdemona Wainwright didn't want to be in Sam Stark's office, but her catering business was at stake. Someone had to pay the bill, and she wasn't going to leave until she had a check from Sam Stark. It wasn't her fault he was jilted at the altar.
Stark can't believe he's sharing details of his life with a caterer. He's a private person, not one to have long, meaningful conversations with a complete stranger. So when Desdemona asks him, on a whim, to join her that evening for a play...he surprises himself by saying yes. A much bigger shock awaits -- he's about to meet Desdemona's unusual family...
5. One in a Million by Jill Shalvis
As the brains behind wedding site TyingTheKnot.com, Callie sees it all: from the ring to the dress, the smiles...to the tears. It's that last part that keeps her single andnot looking. Getting left at the altar will do that to a girl. But when Callie returns to her old hometown, she finds that her sweet high school crush is sexier than ever. And he makes it hard to remember why she's sworn off love...
6. Strike Zone by Kate Angell
Faced with the love of her life waiting at the altar, thrill-seeking adventure guide Taylor Hannah lost her nerve and ran. Three years later, the gutsy blonde is back in Richmond to reclaim handsome Rogues pitcher Brek Stryker before he makes another trip down the aisle. From dressing as a giant baseball to pummeling the other team's mouthy mascot, this former fiancee is pulling out all the stops. Trouble is, her ball player refuses to believe she's finally ready to play by his rules.
Stryke hasn't forgiven the woman who left him on their wedding day, but he can't ignore the chemistry that sizzles every time he and Taylor meet. The fireworks between them could light up the ball park, but Stryke won't lose his heart again unless he knows the score. If Taylor steps into his strike zone, she'd better be ready to go past third base and all the way home.
7. Take Me, Cowboy by Jane Porter
When Jenny Wright's fiancé leaves her standing at the altar in a Vera Wang bridal gown she can't afford, she's humiliated and heartbroken. To have Marietta hero bull riding champ Colton Thorpe witness her shame - makes the rejection even more devastating.
Jenny and Colton grew up in the same rough neighborhood and they both left home right after school to pursue big dreams. Now they're both back, with Colton as the celebrity chair for the 75th Copper Mountain Rodeo, and Jenny in disgrace.
Sexy, rugged Colton didn't get to be a national champion by chance. He's a man that takes risks and goes after what he wants. During the rodeo weekend, Colton makes it clear he wants Jenny. Flustered but flattered, Jenny finds it difficult to resist his charm. But what happens when the rodeo ends and Colton leaves town? Will she dare to dream again?
8. Underfoot by Leanne Banks
Trina had one night of wild consolation sex with advertising contractor Walker after he was dumped at the altar, and now, a single mom, she is assigned to work with Walker on a new ad campaign. How is Trina going to tell him that the one thing he never wanted in life, the thing that he took surgical measures to prevent, has happened? Anxious to keep her daughter to herself, Trina is glad that Walker refuses to believe that he could be a father, but when Walker's uncle hears about the baby's bright orange hair, he encourages Walker to take a DNA test. Trina's mom is a bit of a problem, but once she gets together with Walker's uncle, she has less time to interfere in Trina's life.
9. Into The Wild by Beth Ciotta
When River Kane's fiancé abandons her at the altar for being too conventional, she's heartbroken. But everything changes when her estranged archaeologist father sends her his journal—filled with cryptic maps and a note indicating he's in mortal danger. Worried, River faces her greatest fears and flies to the Amazon to find him. But she needs a guide. Someone completely unlike danger-seeker Spenser McGraw.
A charismatic treasure hunter who thrives on risk, Spenser hosts the popular TV show Into the Wild, dedicated to locating lost treasures and mythical icons. But River's father's life depends on discretion, and too-sexy Spenser is all about publicity. Forced to team up, they embark on a jungle adventure ripe with temptation and danger…ultimately discovering a hidden treasure that could alter history—and a steamy love neither expected.
10. Everything But a Groom by Holly Jacobs
Every Hungarian grandma knows that words have power. Nana Salo never meant the words she said in anger to become a family curse, but that's just what happened. Her granddaughter Vancy is just the newest victim. Vancy's fiance has left her at the altar, and now the press is after a hot grandma-curses-granddaughter's-wedding story. Vancy doesn't believe in the Salo Family Wedding Curse, but when her groom ditches her and the press is hot on her heels, she's not quite so sure anymore. She's hiding out with Matt Wilde, owner of the Everything Wilde landscaping business, helping out with his two newly-inherited nephews as she figures out what to do. Matt doesn't believe in curses either, but he seems cursed with thoughts of Vancy Salo that he just can't seem to shake. A hoard of reporters, a guilty grandma, a gaggle of other family members, and two four-year-olds prone to stealing hearts and wreaking havoc: it's not exactly a classic situation for falling in love...but that's just what may be happening for Vancy and Matt.
Did I miss your favorite jilted bride or groom? Let me know! Vote for the best of the best on my Goodreads list: Left at the Altar in Contemporary Romance.
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