5 Best Books … About Love

This meme is organised by Cassandra of Indie Reader Houston. Every week, a different topic is suggested by Cassandra and participants list what they think are the 5 best book for that topic. Click HERE to see the topics for the next few weeks.

This week, the topic is 5 Best Books About Love. 

I don’t read a lot of books where love is the main ingredient, but there are enough books where it does play an important role in the story…

Click on the titles to see my review (only organge titles have reviews behind them).

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

In the late 18th Century, a Dutch clerk, Jacob de Zoet spends some time in Japan, where he falls in love with a midwife, Orito. She reminds him of his fiancée back at home.

He is fascinated by her and would like to get to know her better, which is not officially allowed and very hard to achieve.

Very well written, interesting era and location, beautiful book.

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Ferney by James Long

Mike and Gally are looking for a new house in the English countryside when Gally falls in love with a dilapidated cottage. With the cottage, it seems, comes an old man, Ferney.

There is something odd about Ferney. He seems to know things that he could not know. Soon it becomes clear that Gally and Ferney have a long history in past lives. In fact, they used to live in the house that Gally and Mike bought.

An intriguing story!

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The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnival

Historical Fiction in 1920s China. 17-year old Russian girl, Lydia, is living in destitute circumstances with her alcoholic mother. She steals whenever she can, and one day ends up in a back street where she is attacked by some Chinese men. A young Chinese, Chang An Lo, saves her life and they fall in love.

Of course, their love is forbidden, which makes for a great and adventurous read (and if you like this, there are a few sequels, too).

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Rosie Meadows Regrets by Catherine Alliott

Rosie Meadows regrets marrying her good for nothing husband. When he dies, the story becomes a whodunnit, but it’s also the story of a widow starting a new life in the country side where she meets a new man.

Things don’t go easy for Rosie, though.

It’s written very fluently and very often I felt compelled to keep reading. Definitely a book for when you have a lot of time, plane, beach, illness, etc.

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Soulless by Gail Carriger

This is such a fun book about vampires and werewolves and a bit of steampunk.

Set in Victorian London, Alexia Tarabotti is a preternatural, whose touch will temporarily take away the supernatural powers of vampires and werewolves.

Alexia kills an unregistered vampire and both she and Lord Maccon of the Bureau of Unnatural Registry are looking into the case. Such a pity they can’t stand each other! Lord Maccon is a big, Scottish werewolf and they come across each other the whole time during the investigation.

A real pity they can’t stand each other! Yes, they really can’t!  A very funny and original book (with a few sequels, too).

What’s your favorite book about love?