With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, maybe you want to get an early start on feeling the love in the air — and there’s no better way than a good book to do it.
The stories we’ve collected for you this month have soul, in each recommendation you’ll feel the characters’ hearts beating and you’ll definitely fall in love with the settings and stories they have to share.
The Postman, Antonio Skármeta
Romance novel
Published: 1985
Pages: 128
Author’s nationality: Chile
A young mailman on Isla Negra has only one job a day: to receive and send mail from Pablo Neruda, the only person who uses the service on the island. The free time, and admiration he feels for the poet, make him take the first step to start a particular and lovely friendship.
The postman never misses an opportunity to ask Neruda for favors; he wants to court a girl from the village and there is nothing better than a few words from the poet to convince her. But when you fall in love, you become a poet too, and the postman learns this.
I read this novel after seeing the Italian movie based on this story. I was totally in love with the characters and the charisma of the actors, but if you want to go deeper into the story (especially the convulsive decade of the seventies in Chile), you must read Skármeta’s book, which deliciously plays with metaphors to bring out the love.
Who’d like this?
Anyone who loves poetry (Neruda’s in particular). But it’s equally captivating for anyone looking for a simple story of love, friendship and intelligent humor.
Quotes
- “Poetry doesn’t belong to those who write it; it belongs to those who need it.”
- “There was once a poet who fell in love with a certain Beatrice. Beatrices produce immeasurable loves.”
Readers say
- “It is a short novel, gentle and charming. You can read it in a few hours, and the time employed will be well spent,” says an Amazon user.
- “Funny, sad, sweet, beautiful. Skármeta is one of the greatest,” says an Amazon user.
Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
Non-fiction, memoir
Published: 2007
Pages: 384
Author’s nationality: U.S.
To have a healthy love life, we must start with ourselves. Elizabeth Gilbert’s personal quest teaches us how to prioritize ourselves. You don’t have to travel the world as she did, you can find enjoyment in life, peace of mind and self-love anywhere.
You’ve probably heard a lot of positive and negative things about this book; some people think it’s enlightening and others think the writer is too self-absorbed. However, you don’t need to agree with everything Gilbert says, give it a chance if you are searching for something, including self-love.
Who’d like this?
People who are looking for books to make their own way. Some readers say they feel ashamed to read these kinds of books in public for fear of being judged. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, we shouldn’t feel guilty about what we enjoy, no matter what others think.
Maybe Gilbert’s story isn’t for everyone, or maybe you should only read it at the right time. But just think, there’s a reason more than 10 million people recommend this book, according to Amazon.
Quotes
- “Many times in romance I have been a victim of my own optimism.”
- “Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.”
Readers say
- “It’s what I’m giving all my girl friends,” says Julia Roberts.
- “I sat down and read this one Sunday… I devoured the different sections like a pizza. It’s not often that a book comes along that I’ve connected with,” says a Waterstones user.
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Romantic novel
Published: 1813
Pages: 448
Author’s nationality: British
To talk about love we always need Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. This timeless classic is my favorite book by Jane Austen and could not be missing among the recommendations for those days when you feel you need a little romance in your life.
The great thing about Austen is that she doesn’t talk about romance in a superficial way, she masterfully, and with humor, describes everything concerning human relationships in her time.
Pride and Prejudice is a romance icon that has been adapted many times, which means something: it is still relevant despite being more than 200 years old. Austen weaves the story in an ingenious way, engaging the reader to uncover the truth.
Who’d like this?
As a true classic, this is a novel that everyone should read at some point in life. Whether you are picking it up for the first time or revisiting these pages, you won’t be able to look away from Austen’s brilliant narrative.
Quotes
- “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
- “I have not the pleasure of understanding you.”
- “He is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman’s daughter. So far we are equal.”
Readers say
- “I was convinced that although this book is amazing, I didn’t like it as much as I had on my first reading. But then I reread it this summer. And it is even better than I’ve ever thought it previously!” says a Waterstones user.
- “It really is worth dedicating your time to one of England’s most loved novels, and readers that do will be thoroughly rewarded by Austen’s witty, biting and humorous social satire,” says a Waterstones user.
Image credits include: Cody Chan and Jacqueline Brandwayn