10 Books for Every Valentine's Scenario

No matter if you are single or taken, engaged or emotionally unavailable, if you have a boyfriend or a cat, if you are in a serious (although quite unsustainable) relationship with a fictional character…Whatever your situation is, here are ten books that are going to get you through Valentine’s Day. Love it or loathe it, it is just one day of the year, and it is another excuse to spoil yourself or your loved ones with chocolates, sweets and presents. Here are ten books that are going to be perfect for your situation, whatever it is.

1.     If you are in love: Pride and Prejudice

Romantic books and especially period pieces make a perfect read if you are already happily and blissfully in love. Anything by Jane Austen might usually feel too optimistic (and to some people that means not realistic enough), but it is Valentine’s Day and you are in a happy relationship, so reading about other happy people being in love should be the ultimate romantic experience. I would go for a book that has your favourite romantic hero in it, as a girl with a major crush on Mr Darcy, I definitely recommend Pride and Prejudice (however, if we go out of the Austen domain, I would choose Mr Thornton, naturally).

2.     If you are single: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl by Belle De Jour

Being single on Valentine’s should not be something to bring you down. This is a day for love in general. So, get out of your moody behaviour, stop making fun of the couples in love you see on your news feed, don’t start binge watching some soap that’s going to make you cry, and pick up one of Belle De Jour’s books instead. The original one, The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl, is the best one – Belle is funny, refreshingly honest and quite informative even. Not only is her book going to take your thoughts away from Valentine’s, but it is also going to entertain you so much, you will forget why you were moody at the first place.

3.     You have just gone through a divorce? The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

A divorce, or a nasty break-up, is never great, but it is even worse if you are presented with your first Valentine’s as a newly divorcee. Staying in with a book and a glass of wine might be more enjoyable than you thought, especially if you do it with The Paris Wife. The story about Hemingway’s first marriage is told from the perspective of his first wife, Hadley. Beautifully written and mesmerizing, this is a story about love that was not to be. However, a disastrous first marriage, does not mean that Hadley’s life did not get better after Earnest.   

4.     You are feeling lonely and a little bit lost, basically you begin to believe you will be forever alone: Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

The star of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the charming Holly Golightly embraces her freedom as the independent woman she truly is. Forget about the film for a second and reach for the book as the plot is quite different to what you have seen on the screen. The movie is a masterpiece in its own terms, but if you are feeling rather lonely, the novel is your better option. Holly is a heart-breaker, a perplexer, a traveller, a tease, an inspiration. Because Holly Golightly does what she wants.

5.     If you just got engaged: Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard

If you are happily engaged, there is one book I would definitely recommend and that is Elizabeth Bard’s Lunch in Paris. A delicious love story about American girl (Bard) who falls in love with a gorgeous Frenchman (Gwendal), moves in with him in Paris – “a heavy mix of blood sausages, pains aux chocolats and irregular verbs.” You not only get to read a real, and very romantic, love story, but you also get a few recipes along the way (there are three at the end of each chapter), making this one of the best recipe books, too!

6.     You just had your heart broken: Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

 A broken heart does not need dramatic tear-jerkers that are going to have you stuffing your face with Ben & Jerry’s and drowning your sorrow in cheap red wine. Say no to that cliché now, please, for your own good. Instead, pick up something funny and interesting enough to keep your mind away from that nasty heart-breaker. Enter Starter for Ten – a well-written book, full of humour that is bound to at least bring a smile to your face. Situated in 1985, the story is about Brian who has just started his first term at university and is looking forward to fulfilling one of his biggest dreams – appearing on quiz show University Challenge. Do yourself a favour and opt for this one – it will make you laugh and that is all you need right now.

7.     You hate men: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

It could happen to anyone – you are just at this phase in your life when you, quite frankly, hate men. No judging here, each to their own. You probably cannot be bothered with Valentine’s anyway, so why don’t you spend it at home with a novel as humongous as The Count of Monte Cristo? You get bonus points for choosing a classic here. As you might already know, it is about Edmond Dantès, who is wrongly imprisoned for a crime he has not committed. Determined to escape and to bring the three men who plotted against him to destruction, Edmond is the ultimate romantic hero. Now, in this one, you get to see a lot of men getting what they deserved for all the wrongdoings in their life – you, being the ultimate man-hater, should love it. Who knows, you might even completely disagree with the Count’s ways, and hate him as a bonus, too?!  

8.     You suffer from unrequited love: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Another classic on this list, The Age of Innocence is not about unrequited love, though I do recommend reading it if you are in this situation. The beautiful, blooming love between Newland Archer and Countess Ellen Olenska is deemed impossible from the beginning as Newland is set to marry her cousin May. On the border between surrendering to their passions and keeping their duties, these two are living in the unforgiving society of Old New York, where scandal is the biggest crime. It is a great novel that is going to take your mind off the object of your affections. However, it will also show you, that even if two people are in love with each other, that does not mean that everything will be cream and peaches.

9.     Happily married: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

You do not need an excuse to read this book but being happily married, you might enjoy it even more. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” A tragic love story, a brilliant novel, a spot on study of human nature, Anna Karenina has everything you will ever need to know about life. Anna Karenina is life. You will not be able to put it down or to let it go, its characters are going to haunt you as you slowly grow attached to them. Ultimately, you are going to care about each and every one of them. Why to read it now? Because why not.

10.  Playing the field, no strings attached: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence

There is certainly nothing wrong with playing the field, especially not in this day and age. However, you might not be in the mood for dating on Valentine’s Day of all days, so staying in with a book as hot and scandalous as Lady Chatterley’s Lover should be able to compensate for your staying in. What’s the big deal with the novel famous for scandalizing people with its explicit sex scenes and daring language? Read it and find out for yourself. 

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5 best: Quotes from Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens. His humour has proven timeless just as his books - some of the most loved ones in English literature. He is the brilliant writer who has left us with such endearing characters such as David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickelby. In this post, I have decided to share with you five of his best quotes (as there are so many good quotes from his work, choosing just five was a struggle, but you have to begin from somewhere).

1.  'Love, however, is very materially assisted by a warm and active imagination which has a long memory, and will thrive, for a considerable time, on very slight and sparing food.'

     - Nicholas Nickelby 

2. '...we know, Mr Weller - we, who are men of the world - that a good uniform must work its way with the women, sooner or later.'

    - 'The Gentleman in Blue' The Pickwick Papers

3. '... although a skillful flatterer is a most delightful companion, if you can keep him all to yourself, his taste becomes very doubtful when he takes to complementing other people.'

     - Nicholas Nickelby

4. 'No one who can read, ever looks at a book, even unopened on a shelf, like one who cannot.'

    - Our Mutual Friend

5. 'Tell Mrs Gamp to come up-stairs,' said Mould. 'Now Mrs Gamp, what's your news?'

 The lady in question was by this time in the doorway, curtseying to Mrs Mould. At the same moment a peculiar fragrance was borne upon the breeze, as if a passing fairy had hiccoughed, and had previously been to a wine-vault.'

   - Martin Chuzzlewit

So, what are some of your favourite quotes from Dickens?

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Five Perfect Summer Reads

As it is almost the middle of July and with that, it is time to hit the beach (or at least enjoy the sunshine in the park), bookshops everywhere put old classics behind, and push light-hearted summer reads to the front. To be honest, I have to agree that when you are relaxing in the boiling weather outside, reading the likes of Tolstoy’s War and Peace and Dante’s Divine Comedy might be a bit overwhelming.  However, that does not mean you should completely abandon your better judgement and jump into a poorly written book, sporting a glittery-colourful cover (and usually exclusively targeting women, promising them the ultimate romantic story of a cute but shy girl running into the perfect, yet grumpy, man, while she is having a coffee in her favourite charming café).

Fear not, here are five light, yet well-written novels that you can enjoy during your summer vacation.

For the ones who want something short but meaningful:

1.     Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

This little novel, written in 1958, is most well-known for its film adaptation (personally, I think one of the best book adaptations). Audrey Hepburn is the perfect Holly Golightly, combining in her performance girly charm and delightful absent mindedness, making us believe she is Holly. However, to fully appreciate this effect you definitely need to read the book. Truman Capote is a literary genius and Breakfast at Tiffany’s is no exception – offering quite strange and intriguing characters, the book is as fast read as it is fast paced. It never drags, it never goes off in long descriptive narratives, yet it is as alluring as Miss Golightly, and being such a short novel – it inevitably leaves you wanting for more. Also, if you have already seen the film, you will be interested to see how different the original story is. Really, you have no idea what the book is all about just yet, and sure as hell I am not going to spoil it.

For the ones who want to travel by a book:

2.     A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

… For summer reads can be written by Hemingway, too. A Moveable Feast is for the days when you want to imagine you are in Paris in the twenties and you can casually run into Hemingway, or Fitzgerald, or Pound, at some of their favourite cafés, up in Montmartre or down in the Latin Quarters. A book full of brilliant quotes, for Hemingway had quite a brilliant way with words: “We ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other.” It is the simple stuff that made his style – long sentences are a must, but no one writes them quite as Hemingway did, and his style is refreshing, and it is warm, and captivating, and it makes you want to keep reading. Anyway, if you are interested in Scott Fitzgerald’s manhood, or the saucy lives of the famous artists of the time, this one is a must.

For the ones who want to stick to period classics:

3.     Emma by Jane Austen

If you want to stick to the classics, Emma (or any other Austen novel for that matter) should be the perfect choice. England in the 1800s, charming women and charismatic gentlemen – this a dream for the period drama lovers. I would say that Emma comes up as the most appropriate summer read as it is one of the most light-hearted novels of the period (even by Jane Austen’s standards, whose books are quite happy-go-lucky). Indeed, compared to the Bronte sisters, or Marry Shelley, Jane Austen’s work is a bit more fitting when it comes to a read for the beach. Her well-written, sarcastic story about Emma Woodhouse is the perfect summer read. As she herself points out: "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." Well, you can see for yourself.

For the ones who want to stick to the chick-lit:

4.     Food of Love Cookery School by Nicky Pellegrino

Something more modern, and definitely something you can actually find in the summer books section, The Food of Love Cookery School might not be a masterpiece, but is a quite enjoyable read nonetheless. I have to point out the style needs to be polished and there is nothing literary striking about the book. However, the story is just delicious! The characters are quite engaging: starting from four very different women, who have enrolled on a cooking course in Sicily, to the charming Sicilian chef who teaches them, to all the other lovely Sicilians who make an appearance on the pages: you can tell Nicky Pellegrino loves Sicily with all its food and colourful individuals! Plus, when an author knows well the place they are writing about, you can feel it from the book - Pellegrino can easily take you on a walk around the island and make you want to spend your next holiday there. A very easy read, this is the ultimate book for the working woman, who finally has found some time off to enjoy a delightful read.

The Gender neutral:

5.     The Innocent by Ian McEwan

Now, this is another modern author, but his books could easily be regarded as classics one day (ahem talking about Atonement over here). The Innocent, unlike some of the previous suggestions, can be easily alluring to both male and female readers. Situated in Berlin in 1955-56, this is the story of young Leonard Marnham, who is assigned to a British-American surveillance team. That is, he wants to escape from his ordinary life and unwanted innocence – indeed, he soon meets Maria, a beautiful German woman. As you might have guessed things are never that cheerful in McEwan’s novels and this one will not disappoint the reader seeking for drama and twists. A light-read it might not be, but an enjoyable drama for the summer evenings it sure is.  

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