February 14, 2021
This Sunday is Valentine’s Day! I know many view February 14 as a “Hallmark holiday” and don’t care for it, let alone celebrate it. In fact, I’m probably the only person who weirdly loves this holiday and always has. Even as a kid, I looked forward to crafting my Valentine box for school and handing out homemade Valentines to all my classmates and friends, each of my creations adorned with a hefty flourish of glitter and stickers.
My parents only fueled this interest by giving me and my sibling little treats each Valentine’s Day that I would relish—a few pieces of candy, a carnation, maybe a Beanie Baby if we were lucky. As I got older and dated on and off, I would get a thrill of excitement planning a gift for my significant other and anxiously awaiting their gift to me. But regardless of my dating status, I always looked forward to the opportunity to express to the people in my life how much I loved and appreciated them—whether it was through a homemade card, candy, flowers, or simply just telling them.
I’ve always found the holiday to be a nice reminder and outlet to show affection to my loved ones, which I shamefully admit is easy for me to neglect in the busy-ness of daily life. If you’re looking for some good books or movies to put you in the Valentine’s Day (or anti-Valentine’s Day—you do you!) spirit, here are some Library-curated lists to get you started:
- A Candy Box of Romance – A box of candy and a good book sound like a perfect date for Valentine’s Day! Enjoy this list of contemporary romances, and get the most from your yummy happily-ever-afters! And remember, a candy box always has a few happily-NEVER-afters (anti-romance) too! You'll find them here as well.
- Isn’t It Romantic? (rom-com movies)
- If You Loved Bridgerton, Listen to These – People can’t stop talking about the new series on Netflix based on Julia Quinn’s novels! If you enjoyed the books or the show, this list of historical regency romance audiobooks has scandal, romance, mystery, oh my!
- Find Your Next Read – Explore the Romance Genre
If these don’t strike your fancy, search the MCPL catalog and explore the Library’s resources to find the right title to suit your mood! The perfect book or movie to curl up with awaits you.
As for me, I’ll spend the day FaceTiming with loved ones (my toddler nieces have made some excellent Valentines they want to show me), finding a good recipe to cook and enjoy for dinner, and then settling in with a feel-good book or movie.
Happy Valentine’s Day! …or, just another Sunday!
Emily B.
Marketing and Communications
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