Itโs Valentineโs Day, which means spring is almost in reach, candy hearts fill the drugstore aisles, and rose petals seem to litter the sidewalks, at least in New York City. Whatever this pink-and-red-tinted holiday means to you, weโd bargain that thereโs always room for a book to be your Valentine.ย
Love can look many different ways on the page, thatโs for sure. There are the classic love stories that created the tropes we still love today (cough, cough, enemies to lovers), there are modern-day romances that have completely changed the definition of spice, and thereโs no shortage of psychologist- and social scientist-written explorations of love, relationships, marriage, affairs, attraction, and the like.ย
If youโve been keeping up with our recent newsletters, you know that Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn has been a favorite, which says a lot because our reading tastes tend to vary. Both Madeline and Barbara gave it five stars! Itโs a collection of interviews between the author and a variety of experts on love, ranging from authors Dolly Alderton and Roxane Gay to sex educator and researcher Emily Nagoski. Itโs the type of book you can easily pick up and put down; you can take what resonates and skip what doesnโt. If the aforementioned love holiday has you wanting to deepen your understanding of what love is, we canโt recommend this book enough. Conversations on Love also inspired a guest review from our dear friend Marissa Weiss (paid subscribers can access the archive here).
Since itโs our habit to ask our friends about the books theyโre obsessed with, we asked some of our favorite writers and book people, many of whom youโll recognize from our Suggested Texts interview series on Instagram, about books that instantly come to mind when they think about love. We hope you enjoy their picks and add them to your TBRs this love month!
โโญ๏ธโโญ๏ธ,
Barbara, Kelsey and Madeline
Share the newsletter with anyone you think would enjoy it! Follow us on TikTok and Instagram for more content between sends.ย
โI'm a romantic at heart and there are so many books about love that I love, but the first one that sprung to mind is Seven Days In June by Tia Williams. The love story between Eva and Shane is so captivating and their chemistry absolutely leaps off the page. This book is about second chances and it's one of my favorite romance books that I've read in the last few years.โ
๐ Nnenna Odeluga, @scsreads
โIโm going to go with Grip by Kennedy Ryan. The series follows Bristol & Grip as they meet, fall in love and face all of the obstacles life has to offer. Itโs a really powerful story of choosing one another against all odds and supporting each other through darkness.โ
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, @mackinstyleโEvenings and Weekends by Oisรญn McKenna (out July 16, 2024) was a recent read, and my first five star book of the year. I donโt know what it is about Ireland, but damn do they know how to write a novel about the human condition and love over there (honorable mention to all Sally Rooney books)! McKenna discusses all forms of love, love between family, between friends who become your family, and love for yourself in taking your hopes, dreams, and desires seriously and giving yourself space to accomplish them. I very much relate to the feeling of incapability to fully express the depth of your love for your loved ones. Reading Evenings and Weekends came with the realization that, while we might not be able to open our brains and let our loved ones peek inside to prove our love, love and the act of loving is often much more simple than that. The love you give is enough, and we all deserve it in return.โ
๐ Marisa Gates, @smallcasualbookstagramย
โIโve always got love on the brain, but thinking back through my 2023 reads, Iโll go Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napalitano. Itโs a love story about Chicago, sisterhood, first love and second chance love, unrequited or unmatched love (ugh!). As heartbreaking as this book can get, the Padavano sisters beautifully demonstrate the full spectrum of love while holding that old adage of โlove means never having to say youโre sorryโ to the fire.โ
๐Kaylen Ralph, @ladies_who_lit
โI think my favorite book about romance would have to be The Arc by Tory Henwood Hoen. Itโs a book about two adults in their late thirties coming together, flaws acknowledged, hearts hidden away after years of disaster, and still choosing to love. Itโs beautiful and hopeful but still mature and honest.โ
๐ Josh Lora,
, @tellthebeeesAll books can be found atย Books Are Magic,ย McNally Jackson,ย Greenlight Bookstore, and other independent bookstores, but if you donโt live near one, you can also click the links to support independent bookstores through Bookshop.org.
Love you guys!!