novel dress: brandon sanderson

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson // Galileo Embroidered Midi Dress

Brandon Sanderson has very quickly and easily become one of my favorite authors of all time. I recently finished his book Warbreaker, and because of the vibrant colors and societal impressions of fashion and dyes in that world I was inspired to create another Novel Dress post. This one features dresses from both Ruche and Modcloth, and is dedicated solely to the literary works of Sanderson.

I've only included books of his that I've actually read, although there are some that are missing from this list. To date I have read 12 of his stories (including 2 of his short stories and 3 of his novellas). The Emperor's Soul is one of his novellas that I have included here, because it's brilliant.

If you've never been introduced to the world(s) of Brandon Sanderson, there are a few things you should know about him. First of all, he's known for his incredible world-building skills and his talent with magic systems. He is endlessly creative. Secondly, he writes like a dang machine. He typically has 2-3 books being released every year, and those books range from light teen fiction to his epic fantasy series. He has written and published 30-40 books and stories in 10 years. The number varies depending on whether you count his short stories and graphic novels. Either way, jumpin' jehosaphat.

The last thing you should know about Sanderson is that he has his own literary universe, called the Cosmere, in which all of his fantasy books are based and connected. While you can easily read his books in any order and enjoy each world on its own, there's a much bigger, galactic-sized story happening behind the scenes if you desire to see it. There are hints and crossover characters and mind-blowing revelations all swirling around within the Cosmere, and it's a pretty thrilling fandom to be a part of. 

So go ahead and plan out your next trip to the bookstore to pick up a copy of The Way of Kings - but in the mean time, enjoy these fantastical novel dresses. :)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson // Parfait Party Dress

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson // Emma Maxi Dress

Legion by Brandon Sanderson // Aubree Dress

The Final Empire (Mistborn book 1) by Brandon Sanderson // Peachy Queen Dress

The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson // Goldie's Groove Dress

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn book 2) by Brandon Sanderson // Endless Entertainment Dress

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson // Amirah Maxi Dress

**see all novel dress posts**

novel dress: be bright

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli // Martina Printed Dress

This collection of Novel Dresses is inspired by books that encourage their characters (and the individuals that read them) to be strong, honest, loving, and true to themselves. My book club finished Stargirl back in March, and that's probably the main inspiration for this series. Stargirl is a charming and interesting outside look at the fictional life of a very unique young girl in the midst of a normal (and un-accepting of her peculiarity) high school environment.

The rest of these featured books have various themes and content skirting along the same lines, some of them covering more controversial subjects like interracial marriage (a poignant side story in Holes) and cloning (in The House of the Scorpion) while others focus more on lighthearted themes of uniqueness and the power of words (like The Story of Ferdinand and Haroun and the Sea of Stories). While The Order of the Phoenix is one of my least favorite books in existence, and reading it ruined my young life for many-a-day, it does have a bright side: the character of Luna Lovegood is introduced, and she is as bright as it gets. A total gem in a very dark place. I chose to feature the book for her beloved quirkiness.

We often experience pressures from society and from others, but these books are great illustrations of the value and importance of sticking to your guns and staying strong in your beliefs. Love, loyalty, strength, belief, happiness.

Quite basically, be yourself, ladies and gents.

(Bonus: Take $30 off $100+ at Ruche this week, including all of these dresses, to celebrate their new lookbook "An Afternoon Alfresco"!)

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll // First Love Heart Dress

Coraline by Neil Gaiman // Froisse Scalloped Dress

Ferdinand by Munro Leaf // Tuscan Sun Printed Dress

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling // Rahima Floral Dress

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie // Building Blocks Dress

The Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling // Margherite Dress

Holes by Louis Sachar // Desert Sunset Maxi Dress

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer // Nastro Dress

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle // Rising Moon Maxi Dress

**see all novel dress posts**

novel dress: teen fiction

the fault in our stars by john green // ariel colorblocked dress

One of the funniest things about teen fiction is that the majority of readers I know that are indulging in that genre are definitely not teens. Because really, young adult (YA) literature is actually just a catch-all for a bizarre in-between category of story. It doesn't seem to strictly adhere to its age assignment. Everyone from teendom and beyond can relate to coming-of-age tales, because we've all been there. They're still applicable and relatable to a much wider audience than ages 12-18. It's a tricky category, really. These books are not 1,000 page epic fantasies, but they're not really children's books either. There's probably a better name for this genre somewhere, but I'm not sure what it would be.

In my last book club in Virginia, we would often lament that the "YA" label can take a lot away from the expectations of reading. It turns some people off from reading these books altogether. Sometimes it even seems like a downgrade - a truly extraordinary book that gets put in the "YA" category seems to be getting the short end of the stick. It seems like this genre is simply too large to contain all of the vastly different books that are included in it. What characterizes a book to be young adult? Is it the content, the age of the characters, the quality of writing? The answer is that young adult books are so named because they focus on the problems and experiences of youth. Even so, books like The Book Thief are jumbled into this nebulous category, but I would never describe that book as juvenile. Reading it at age 25 pretty much changed my life. To be honest, I'm not sure I could have handled it or truly treasured it 10 years ago.

Regardless, young adult/juvenile/teen fiction is prevalent and well-loved in the world, which I am happy about. I am an advocate for reading at all ages. This post is mostly for us old folk lovelies that continue to read these YA books despite their ageist tendencies, and continue to love them for their virtues, their lessons and their flaws.

(Click here to see all novel dress posts!). 

harry potter and the goblet of fire by j.k. rowling // full of light metallic dress

sisterhood of the traveling pants by ann brashares // daylight blossom dress

the giver by lois lowry // on the riviera dress

the princess diaries by meg cabot // star hollow dress

the hunger games by suzanne collins // twinkling stars metallic dress

tuck everlasting by natalie babbitt // polly heart print dress

twilight by stephenie meyer // city striped dress

the chronicles of chrestomanci by diana wynne jones // sunset dance dress

divergent by veronica roth // manhattan skyway dress

novel dress: fairy tales

the little mermaid by hans christian andersen // esmerelda lace dress

Like many of you, I have received the majority of my folktale education from the workings of Disney. While Disney undoubtedly brings all kinds of magic to life, they don't have the best track record for translating their tales with any accuracy. Not that I'm complaining - I generally prefer their sugared down versions of these beloved fairy tales to the tragic and occasionally gruesome originals.

Even so, I am fascinated by them. I love that some of them have been circulating for centuries, their creators forever anonymous because they were oral storytellers. I have always been drawn to these adventures, even the macabre ones. I have vivid memories of poring over a beautifully illustrated book of Irish Legends that my dad bought us when I was a kid. Some of those stories are absolutely horrible (lovers beheaded, trapped for eternity, cursed, abandoned, etc.), but I loved them all.

These are the inspirations for this novel dress installment. Enjoy the nostalgia of these well-loved stories and their matching dresses on this rainy Monday morning.

(Click here to see all of the novel dress posts). 

thumbelina by hans christian andersen // beach stroll floral dress

goldilocks and the three bears by robert southey // golden age asymmetrical dress

beauty and the beast by jeanne-marie le prince de beaumont // loyal love floral dress

little red riding hood by the brothers grimm // finding love lace dress

hansel and gretel by the brothers grimm // corner shoppe gingham dress

jack and the beanstalk by steven kellogg (orig. by benjamin tabart) // mont rose striped dress

sleeping beauty by charles perrault // cheer me up lace dress

ali baba and the forty thieves from arabian nights // maura paisley dress

rapunzel by the brothers grimm // asymmetrical tank dress

novel dress: classics

romeo and juliet by william shakespeare // forbidden romance floral dress

I'm not sure how I unlocked this strange fascination, but I cannot get enough of matching dresses and literature (see my first and second novel dress posts!). I tried to keep it classic with these choices, which was a fun challenge. So far I've only included books that I know and love, but this collection includes two stories I haven't actually read yet -- Little Women and The Wizard of Oz. Looking through book lists, especially of classic books, always heavily reminds me of my ever-growing to-read list. I'm sure my life will be spent constantly adding to that list, which is both exciting and depressing considering the time restraints on life. I hope there's a very big library in heaven.

This post is partially inspired by Ruche extending their sitewide Perfect Match Sale for 1 more day! It ends tonight at midnight. Which means that every dress in these posts (including the sale dresses!) is an extra 25% off. Shopping is a great way to fight those midweek blues.

Enjoy!

the adventures of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle // night at the theatre dress

treasure island by robert louis stevenson // marcelline printed dress

the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald // constellation sequins dress

the wizard of oz by l. frank baum // pebble lane colorblock dress

little women by louisa may alcott // trixie polka dot dress

moby dick by herman melville // jemima dress

emma by jane austen // leanne lace dress

a tale of two cities by charles dickens // love in bloom floral dress

the hobbit by j.r.r tolkien // winter solstice dress

novel dress: children's books

a little princess by frances hodgson burnett // in the maldives printed dress

I couldn't help myself. After playing with books and dresses last Friday, I continued my pilgrimage for even more literary ensembles. This time around I focused specifically on children's stories (although to be fair, many of them hedge closer to young adult fiction). I'm currently reading A Little Princess for the first time, which was my first inspiration. I grew up watching the movie. It is such a beautiful book and it has only reinforced for me how much I love Sara and her story.

I love to read, and I've even shared my love for some of these books before. But it all had to begin somewhere. And for me, it started here. With some of these books. I feel a unique gratitude toward these stories that permeated my earliest reading years, and they remain most precious to me. They have stayed with me in a way that other books scarcely can.

There's something incredibly special and lasting about the first stories that blew your little mind, striking down those natural walls that arrive with adolescence and self doubt. I was lucky enough to have parents who loved my imagination and fostered it whenever possible. I remember Barnes and Noble trips where my mom would let me pick out new books, many of them chosen more for their front cover art than anything else. I would wander through the children's aisle for as long as possible, picking up smooth paperbacks and reading the back covers, breathing in the smell of the pages and being incredibly indecisive. It was impossible to choose just one.

There are hundreds of beautiful children's stories out there, so I am sharing some of my personal favorites here. I would love to know if you have ever read any of these. Even as an adult, these remain some of my favorite books and series. If you haven't read them, you should! They're very near to me. Enjoy!

a wrinkle in time by madeleine l'engle // paris streets printed dress

ella enchanted by gail carson levine // lamar ruffled dress

harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban by j.k. rowling // moore park trapeze dress

dealing with dragons by patricia c. wrede // leah lace dress

winnie-the-pooh by a. a. milne // endless love floral dress

deltora quest by emily rodda // empress garden printed dress

the book of three by lloyd alexander // garden paradise dress

inkheart by cornelia funke // you're invited floral dress

the giving tree by shel silverstein // lantana scalloped dress

(read novel dress: classics!)