Today, we celebrate the hallowed Hallmark holiday of Valentine’s Day. In observation of this holiday, we offer to you different types of books to read! We’ve broken up our list into diverse romances, queer romances and anti-Valentine’s Day books for those of you that want to recognize singledom. Enjoy, and let us know what you think if you read any of these! Don’t forget to use our affiliates links if you buy any and check out our Bookshop list to easily access any of them.
Diverse Romances
Jackpot by Nic Stone
Last week, we wrote to tell you that you should read Dear Martin – Jackpot is a book that displays Nic Stone’s absolutely amazing range when it comes to writing. In this book, Rico works at a gas station and sells a winning lottery ticket. When that ticket is a winner, Rico makes it her mission to find the person who bought it to let them know. She takes rich and popular classmate Zan along on the ride. Jackpot is a young adult book but don’t let it fool you – it does an amazing job of examining race, class and privilege.
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami
Finalist for both the National Book Award and Kirkus Prize, as well as longlisted for the Aspen Literary Prize, The Other Americans is a worthy read – and it’s not just me telling you that. Romance is not at the forefront of the plot, as it’s a story about a woman trying to solve the hit-and-run death of her father. But it is a notable subplot of the book with two somewhat broken people trying to support and understand one another. What else can you ask for in a romance?
Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
Charlie Vega is a teenager who is growing up in a white suburb. She’s also working through her relationship with her body. On top of all that, a guy has started to notice her – but he noticed her best friend first. A best friend who is slim, popular and sporty. The relationship between them nonetheless develops and it’s a cute young adult romance. As someone who also deals with negative self-talk around my body, I would call this one #relatable.
Everything, Everything by Nicola and David Yoon
Remember Bubble Boy? Nicola and David Yoon took that story and made it a “what if Bubble Boy was a girl and fell in love with her neighbor?” story. Seriously. Madeline, the narrator, has SCID and is severely immunocompromised. When she sees her new neighbor, Olly, she immediately falls for him. Although a bit saccharine, it’s a cute-sy read that’ll make you smile until your cheeks hurt.
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Perhaps a bit more adult than the other books on this list, The Wedding Date is sure to fill quite a few of your favorite romance tropes. Alexa Monroe has her meet-cute with Drew Nichols while stuck in a hotel elevator. Her quick wit and intelligence make him invite her to his ex’s wedding the next day and she agrees. Thus begins a whirlwind and steamy romance between the two that you don’t want to miss!
Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi
This is one of those scenarios that we have all thought about at one time or another – what if you were just living your normal life and your celebrity crush hits on you? Pablo is working at a deli to pay off his student loans and meets Leanna Smart, the ultra-famous singer and actress. A romance begins between the two but can they overcome their very different backgrounds?
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
This saccharine young adult graphic novel is sure to make you have lots of fluffy feelings. Deja and Josiah are best friends but only during the fall season when they both work at a pumpkin patch together. This year is different from the rest because they are finally seniors in high school and it will be their last fall working this job. With the finality of their high school careers coming, they both are thinking about how to explain their feelings. It may be winter where you are but this graphic novel will remind you of falling in love and the sweet smell of autumn.
Queer Romances
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Sometimes, you need a bit of political escapism. We know Casey McQuiston knew that when she wrote Red, White & Royal Blue, a queer love story about an English Prince and the son of the POTUS. This book won a 2019 Goodreads Choice Award and rightfully so – it is a hallmark queer romance that’ll make you squeal with joy.
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
For those of us that have read Red, White & Royal Blue already and don’t know what to do next, give this book a try! This queer love story starts with Luc O’Donnell needing to clean up his image after a compromising photo has begun to circle the tabloids. What better solution to this problem than to start fake-dating the most normal person he can find? Luc and Oliver both need each other’s help and find themselves falling in love along the way.
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
Ben comes out as nonbinary to their parents and is subsequently thrown out. They find refuge at the home of their older sister whom they haven’t seen since she left their family home. In a new place, Ben comes out to few people, feeling anxious due to their parents’ reactions. Enter Nathan – a love interest that threatens Ben’s security in being woefully alone. Mason Deaver is nonbinary, just like Ben, and that makes this book all the more personal.
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
I whimsically read this book as an ARC in 2019, and it ended up being an amazing young adult debut novel. Marisol and her sister are caught attempting to cross the border into the United States without documents. In a choice between a better life or returning to a nightmare, Marisol chooses to take on an experiment as a grief keeper – taking someone else’s grief into her own body. What she doesn’t expect is falling in love with the person whose grief she’s taking away. The Grief Keeper is a queer romance, but it’s also a story of how immigrants are often dehumanized in this country.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
If you have already read Circe by the same author, this queer Greek romance is a must-read. Patroclus is banished from his home to be in the court of King Peleus. It is here that he meets Achilles. Their childhood bonds of friendship and competition slowly develop into feelings much deeper. You may be familiar with the story of Achilles but this book delves into the deep romance shared between the two and the ultimate tragic story of love in ancient Greece.
Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau
This blue monotone young adult graphic novel shows a love bloom between two boys as they learn to accept who they are. Ari is ready to move away from his tiny town to live in the big city with his band. He needs to hire his replacement at his family’s bakery before the big move. When he interviews Hector, Ari finds an enthusiastic baker and a potential love interest. The illustrations in this graphic novel are quite gorgeous and add to the overall beauty of this love story.
Our Dreams at Dusk by Yuhki Kamatani
I was very happy when this manga was finally published in English due to its importance for the LGBT+ community in Japan. This #ownvoices story by a non-binary author tells about Tasuku who is horrified at the idea of being outed as gay. He contemplates doing something horrible to himself due to the fear but meets a mysterious person at the right time that leads him to a sort of clubhouse where others like him gather. The heartfelt narrative is combined with stunning art that makes this manga a must-read.
Anti-Valentine’s
Love is a Revolution by Renée Watson
While you’re reading this you may think, “Hey? What gives? This is literally a romance. How is it anti-Valentine’s?” My friend, you are not reading between the lines! This is a story about familial love with a heaping of self-love. The love that is a revolution is the love we give to ourselves. Love is a Revolution follows Nala and the relationship she forms with a “woke” guy named Tye. She lies to impress him, but realizes that she is impressive all on her own, being exactly who she is – and that, dear reader, is an anti-Valentine’s day worth reading!
Outlawed by Anna North
Why celebrate Valentine’s Day with a significant other when you can read this tale of the Hole in the Wall Gang, a group of misfits and outcasts made up of women who are rebelling against society? Ada joins the gang after she is accused of witchcraft in her home village because she is infertile. In an effort to learn more about infertility, she joins the gang and quickly gets pulled into their schemes.
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Sometimes instead of a fluffy love tale, you want to read a love story that spans across a lifetime and shows the pain that one action can have on a whole family. Briony witnesses her sister, Cecilia, and Robbie, a servant on her estate, flirting and confuses it for something that it is not. This one action leads to a dramatic story of sacrifice, love and heartbreak that is intertwined with World War 2. An absolute must-read for those of us that like to have a good cry sometimes.
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
In this anti-Valentine’s narrative, we recognize unrequited love. Hemingway’s classic of the Lost Generation follows Jake as he pines after Lady Brett Ashley in the night clubs in Paris and the bullfighting rings of Spain. This short book is a true tale of debauchery and drunken nights with your friends.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
This stunning book shows a more sadistic side to love with the haunting of a former lover and a terrible secret. Our heroine finds her true love while working as a lady’s maid in Monte Carlo. She marries the widower Maxim de Winter and is taken back to his estate to discover that his late wife’s presence can still be felt through their beautiful manor. I read this book during the shelter-in-place in California and just tore through it. It’s a very readable classic that makes you want to know just what will happen next…
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
A tale of deceit and unrequited love, this story by Tolstoy looks at the life of Anna. She is miserable in her respectable relationship with her husband, a prominent figure in the Russian government. Despite all of this, she falls in love and lust with Count Vronsky. Their relationship exposes Anna to the true nature of high society as she gives up all she has for love.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
When you have no one special on Valentine’s Day, it’s important to recognize the other people in your life that matter – like your closest group of friends. Vivian Morris is about to be kicked out of college in her first year. To reform her behavior, she is sent to New York to live with her Aunt Peg. Her aunt runs a theater called Lily Playhouse, which attracts a rambunctious, charismatic and hilarious group of people that help Vivian to grow up and learn about what she really wants from life. Sometimes, the greatest love of our life is not a partner but the friends that allow for us to grow into who we truly are.
