Happy Valentine’s Day, bookworms!
I’ve never hated this holiday. When I was little, it was a day of candy and overly decorated shoe boxes, ready for valentines. My mom always made it about her love for all of us, surprising my brother and I with cards and fuzzy socks and magazines when we came downstairs for breakfast.
As I got older, its magic changed. Senior year of high school, I happened to discover my boyfriend’s promposal on that day (it was in a book he lent me. I know, very me). I was at rehearsal for the winter play and was using some downtime to sit backstage and read when the book jacket slipped off and I discovered three post-it notes: “will you go,” “to prom with,” & “me?” Safe to say, I said yes (we didn’t end up going, but that’s a long story for another time).
Senior year of college, my roommate of all four years of school and I treated ourselves to a movie and brunch at our favorite spot in Durham. Through some fluke, we ended up having our meal completely comped by the restaurant. And the movie was silly but we loved it. Whether it’s been a meaningful night with a guy, a box of valentines from CVS and a day of crafting with mom, or an evening of wine and friends, I’m here for you, Valentine’s Day.
So, I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite love stories – some picture perfect, others not. Organized by mood, of course!
- For the one to break your heart: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
- For the letter writers: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- For the dreamers: The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill
- For the one you will have to finish in one sitting: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
- For the adventurous one: Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge
- For the high school romance wish you had: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
- For the one to make you believe that love is magical: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- For the mix-tape creators/CD burners/playlist makers: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
- For the hopeless romantics: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- For the steamy one: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Huang
- For the love that takes work: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- For the complex, imperfect relationship: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
- For the unusual one: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
- For the patient lovers: Persuasion by Jane Austen
- For the one that spans time and continents and all different kinds of love: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
My favorite love story is The Price of Salt 🙂