BOOKS

 

The month of love is finally here, which gives you the perfect excuse to read as many romance novels as you possibly can. That means pulling out your worn copies of John Green and Sarah Dessen books that have a ton of quotes highlighted, pages dog-eared and are possibly tear stained (*cough* The Fault in Our Stars). Those are awesome of course, but at some point you’re totally going to be craving a new story, or five. These are our recommendations for new reads that will absolutely get you in a lovey-dovey, Valentine’s Day mood. 

The Truth of Right Now

After a not-so-amazing end to her sophomore year Lily is returning to her Manhattan private school. She has friend troubles galore and can’t escape her own thoughts...that is until a mysterious transfer student shows up. Dariomauritius (say that five times fast), or Dari is a rebellious boy who is immediately attracted to Lily. He might be just the thing she needs to feel happy again, but could something as simple as skin color really keep them apart in modern times?

Crazy Messy Beautiful 

Teenage aspiring artist Neruda Diaz has been in love many times but no one has ever loved him back, which is ironic considering he’s named after famous love poet Pablo Neruda. He figures it’s only a matter of time before he finds “the one” and when he is paired with Callie for a school assignment, he is excited to learn that they have a lot in common. However, as he falls fast for the creative and edgy girl, he starts to understand how complicated both love and art really are. 

The Radius of Us

Gretchen is a girl traumatized by an incident in which a stranger held her to the ground and told her to run as a car sped towards them. Phoenix is a boy immigrating from El Salvador in search of safety for his brother. He has become one of “those people” that his new neighbors cross the street to avoid. And together they begin to discover the healing qualities of love.

Ronit and Jamil 

In this spin off of Romeo and Juliet, an Israeli girl, Ronit, and a Palestinian boy, Jamil, are separated not only by a concrete blockade but also generations of Middle Eastern conflict. Brought together by the distrusting business relationship their fathers have they quickly become star-crossed lovers. However, if their forbidden romance was discovered, it would create a huge rift between their two families and they can only keep the secret for so long. Will they choose to save their lives or the love they have?

Under Rose-Tainted Skies

Norah has agoraphobia (fear of leaving your home) and OCD, so when the groceries delivered to her house are left on the porch she uses a stick to try and snag the bags, and Luke catches her. She might not be able to leave but she can invite him in.  He doesn’t see a girl with mental health issues—he sees someone smart and funny and brave. But as their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes he deserves a normal girl who isn’t afraid of kissing and can walk beneath the open sky. Can she let him go or will she learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes and face her fears?

Which novel are you most excited to read? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo credit: Instagram.

by Maddie Smith | 2/3/2017