The holiday of love is approaching, and as usual, it has caused some division between those celebrating and those abstaining. Couples and singles alike have planted themselves on one side or the other, so why not let your reading reflect the same? Here is a list of recommendations that anyone can get into, whether you’ve been hit by Cupid’s arrow or you’ve broken the bow in half. Happy reading!
Valentine’s
With its origins in Christian and pagan festivals, Valentine’s Day is one of the longest-running holiday traditions. It’s a time of appreciation for those you love, romantic or platonic, and to be appreciated in return. Here are some recommendations to get you in the loving mood.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
One of the most famous and well-known love stories, Pride and Prejudice is worth all of the love and more. Set in 19th century England, the story follows Elizabeth, an adventurous young daughter of the middle-class and marriage-obsessed Bennett family, who finds herself thrown together with the gloomy Mr. Darcy, a wealthy member of the gentry who seems to hate Elizabeth just as much as she hates him. Romance ensues. Make sure to also watch the 1995 BBC adaptation (available on Hulu and Amazon Prime) and the 2005 film (available on Amazon Prime) for extra Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy content.
- Beach Read by Emily Henry
Emily Henry has gained enormous popularity in the past two years for her lighthearted rom-com books, especially People We Meet on Vacation, but I personally prefer her 2020 novel Beach Read. It follows January, a rom-com writer, and Augustus, a somber literary fiction writer, two published authors with vastly different tastes. January and Augustus find themselves next-door neighbors in the beach town they both summer in, and bet each other they can’t write the other person’s genre. What I love about Beach Read is that it does not shy away from heavier subjects–like grief, cheating, and death–while still telling a great love story.
Anti-Valentine’s
The anti-Valentine’s Day tradition has become more popular in the last few decades, a celebration of all things horror, grit, and pessimism. Some critics believe Valentine’s Day has become too commercialized, with its current emphasis on buying chocolate, flowers, and presents for others. For all those that celebrate not celebrating, here are some truly dark books to read in protest.
- Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin
Set in a post-apocalyptic United States, this book follows two trans women, Beth and Fran, as they try to outlive the T-dominant people turned zombie-like creatures trying to kill them. This novel transforms the popular ‘gendercide’ trope, where one gender disappears from the earth, by instead focusing on the trans women and men that must fight to survive. Manhunt is gory and disturbing while also addressing the subject of love, though in a more balanced and realistic way that addresses trans romance and desire.
- I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
What begins as a story about a man named Jake bringing his girlfriend home to meet his family turns into a suspenseful thriller that leaves you at the end of the book thinking: What did I just read? All the reader knows for certain is what the main character, the unnamed girlfriend, continues to voice: I’m thinking of ending things. Horror fans will love the surprising twist ending and read it again to pick up on clues they may have missed the first time around.
-Hannah Eaton, CambridgeEditors team
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