Must-read Monday: Books for Valentine's Day

These are seriously yummy!

Why, yes, it is that time of year again, when commercialism and the chocolate and flower industries reign supreme.  It's Valentine's Day, my friends.  And whether you're swooning from the grand passions of love, planning an Anti-Valentine's Day party like I did in grad school, or somewhere in between, we've got the books for you.  Books for friends, books for lovers, books for family.  The Odyssey has got you covered, whether you're looking for something traditional (dark chocolate covered caramels with sea salt.  trust me -- they're amazing!) or something unexpected, so call or drop by if you see something here you like. 

 I like you 

And I know why

I like you because 

You are a good person

To like
Perfect for that platonic friend, or a friend you hope might become something more, or for your children, or for your parents, or for anybody else you really, really like.  The line drawings are charming, but it's the verse that's so great.  Here's the introductory verse, but it also goes on to celebrate shared silliness, laughter, anger, and quiet time.  Really, it's a perfect gift book for anybody, but especially on Valentine's Day.

 Or maybe something a little unusual, like The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan, which is a novel told strictly through dictionary entries.  Marika McCoola, Odyssey children's bookseller, recommends it:

"Some of the words are what you might expect, others are surprising. The story (and there is an overarching narrative) is not arranged chronologically, but alphabetically, as a dictionary would be.  Love stories are easily overdone, but I found this story sweet.  Then again, sometimes a quietly sweet book is wonderful!"

If you'd like to read a longer entry on this lovely book, please check out our former children's bookseller blog entry from Rebecca at Wildly Read. 

And for a book of poetry that is just different enough to set it apart from the love poems that usually circulate today, take a look at Bright Wings: An Illustrated Anthology of Poems About Birds, edited by Billy Collins with images by David Allen Sibley, recommended by Emily.  This lovely collection features selections ranging from Chaucer & Catullus to Walt Whitman & Emily Dickinson to Mary Oliver & James Tate, interspersed throughout with Sibley's gorgeous bird portraits.The book is beautifully designed and fits in the hand so nicely & intimately, that even if you're not a birder, you'll be immediately drawn into this world of flight & fancy. 


~Emily