Favorite Romantic Read

"I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."

When I leave this world, the one thing that I will always be most proud of is that I have lived a life of love. "I have loved another with all my heart and soul." This quote is from one of my all time favorite novels by Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook. If you are not a book reader, you are lucky in that this book was also made into a movie. The story line is, of course, a bit different in the movie, but still very enjoyable.

The Notebook is a love story. It shows that sometimes love really can last a lifetime. Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson fall in love the summer of 1935. Allie's parents are unhappy with the match. They are from different backgrounds and Allie's parents don't think that Noah is suitable for their daughter. Pulled apart by Allie's parents and World War II they go through many changes, but never forget the love they had for each other. After the war, Noah returns home and buys the house that he and Allie had dreamed of owning some day. He fixes it up just as he promised her he would. Allie in the meantime is engaged to a successful lawyer. She sees an article about Noah and the house he has restored in the paper. Allie knows she must see Noah one more time.

The twist to this story is that the story is being told by an older man to an Alzheimer's patient living in a nursing home who often times doesn't remember him. Every morning, he brings a notebook and reads a romantic story to her in hopes of bringing her back to a lucid state. He tries each and every day and does not give up. The Alzheimer's patient is Allie; Noah's sweetheart.

This romantic story is an emotional roller coaster ride which will make you laugh and cry. It is a heartwarming love story of two souls connected and how even a disease such as Alzheimers cannot break that bond. Nicholas Sparks unfolds the story skillfully by using flashback techniques. The notebook bridges the past and present parts of Noah and Allie's lives. Sparks is creative writer who uses simplicity to make the best of wording. Filled with passion, the love letters are sure to tug at your heartstrings.

I hope you enjoy some of my favorite quotes from this wonderful, romance novel.

"I finally understood what true love meant....love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be."

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me....everyday."

"I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours."

"You are and always have been, my dream."

"We fell in love despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that's why every minute we spend together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it."

"You are my best friend as well as my lover, and I do not know which side of you I enjoy the most. I treasure each side, just as I have treasured our life together."

"You are the answer to every prayer I've offered. You are a song, a dream, a whisper, and I don't know how I could have lived without you for as long as I have."

"They didn't agree on much. In fact, they didn't agree on anything. They fought all the time and challenged each other every day. But despite their differences, they had one important thing in common. They were crazy about each other."