Valentine’s Day tends to be the day (but hopefully not the one day) you let your sweetie know just how much you care. But why focus on just one aspect of love? Here is a list of books that celebrates the many different kinds of love out there.
‘Code Name Verity’
The love between two friends:
After two, young English women working for the RAF crash-land in Nazi-occupied France, one is captured, and one escapes. Under a threat of execution, the girl known as Verity relates her story of her friendship with Maddy and her training during the war to her Nazi captors. But what is real and what is false? What’s clear by the end of the book is that the realest thing is the unlikely but bone-deep relationship between Maddy and Verity. Code Name Verity will make you want to reach out and hug your best friend.
‘Saga’
The star-crossed lovers:
She has wings. He has horns. They used to be on opposite sides of an intergalactic war and now they’re having a kid together. A smartly written graphic novel, Vaughan’s Saga explores the always-under-fire relationship between Alana and Marco in a crazy-exciting swirl of love, space, morality, action and tough decisions. Read the first volume, and you’ll be hooked.
‘The Captive Prince’
The unexpected bond:
The first novel in Pacat’s breathtaking and labyrinthine trilogy sets up the fraught relationship between Damen, a prince who is seized and turned into a pleasure slave, and Laurent, the nobleman who holds him captive. They start off hating each other for good reason — and Damen and Laurent couldn’t be more different in personality — but Damen gets entangled in a conspiracy that could end up killing them both unless they can work together. Grips your heart and won’t let go.
‘Becoming Nicole’
The love between parents and their children:
Not only does this book open your heart to the struggle of transgender people of all ages, Becoming Nicole puts a spotlight on the ways that parents will fight for their children’s happiness, even when they don’t completely understand the drive. A timely, important and darn good read about how one family defied a system that sorted people by their reproductive organs instead of their identity.
‘Beloved Dog’
Puppy love:
Dog lovers will curl up with their favorite furry friend and read this charmingly illustrated book about why dogs fill up Maira Kalman’s heart to the brim, and how dogs bring out the very best in us. Philosophical and wise.
‘The Girl With All the Gifts’
On loving the thing you fear the most:
Zombie-hating stories are easy to find, but what about zombie-empathic stories? It’s clear pretty early on in this sci-fi novel that our young heroine Melanie has been infected by a zombie virus of some sort, but the true revelation in this book is how a talented author can make you love the thing you fear the most.
‘All the Light We Cannot See’
Unexpected, young love:
I don’t want to give too much away about this book, except you should know that just about everyone loves it (20,000+ customer reviews on Amazon), and it’s about a blind French girl and a young German soldier whose paths intersect during World War II. Your own life’s travails will seem pretty OK in comparison.
‘Guess How Much I Love You’
For kids who love animals:
This sweet tale of a small rabbit explaining how much he loves his dad — and his father’s response — is the perfect gift for the youngster in your life or for a new parent.
‘All the Birds in the Sky’
Friends turned lovers:
This often absurd but never slight modern tale of witch Patricia and tech genius Laurence who grow up together, grow apart and finally reunite to save the world ultimately asks whether opposites have to be in opposition. The relationship between Patricia and Laurence is never easy, even when they band together, but that’s what makes it poignant and real.
‘Kama Sutra Connect-the-Dots’
For those who want to get more hands-on:
Everyone knows that adult coloring books are hot, but don’t overlook connect-the-dot — especially when it relates to truly adult activities. This book really should be given to your sweetie, or perhaps to a friend (a good friend) who is looking for hands-on advice.
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