The Valentine's Day Project
What more enduring expression for someone you love, like, or admire this Valentine's Day, than the thoughtful gift of a book? Below are a few ideas that will help express your sentiments.
When you purchase a book at a retail book store, The Literacy for Hope Project donates one of our used books to a homeless shelter or hospital ICU waiting room with a note inside acknowledging your thoughtfulness by your first name.
This way you give twice: Once to the person you buy the book for, and again by getting a used book into the hands of someone who needs to open those pages and be filled with hope.
BOOK IDEAS FOR VALENTINE'S OR ANY DAY
Corduroy's Valentine's Day
byLisa McCue
Corduroy's Valentine's Day by Lisa McCue
Synopsis: It's almost February 14th, so Corduroy and his friends decide to celebrate Valentine's Day by making their own beautiful cards. Then Corduroy walks to the mailbox and sends his letters. When he gets home, he finds a wonderful surprise--special valentines just for him! This brightly colored, shaped board book is perfect for the youngest fans of Corduroy, one of the best-loved characters in children's books for nearly 40 years.
Other People's Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See by Bill Shapiro
Synopsis: Fevered notes scribbled on napkins after first dates. Titillating text messages. It's-not-you-it's-me relationship-enders. In Other People’s Love Letters, Bill Shapiro has searched America’s attics, closets, and cigar boxes and found actual letters–unflinchingly honest missives full of lust, provocation, guilt, and vulnerability–written only for a lover’s eyes. Modern love, of course, is not all bliss, and in these pages you’ll find the full range of a relationship, with its whispered promises as well as its heartache. But what at first appears to be a deliciously voyeuristic peek into other people’s most passionate moments, will ultimately reawaken your own desires and tenderness…because when you read these letters, you’ll find the heart you’re looking into is actually your own.
Flirting 101 by Michelle Lia Lewis
Synopsis: Every party has a stand-out - a guy or gal who breezes into a room and instantly attracts everyone’s attention. It’s not always about looks or money, so what’s their secret? It’s all about flirting! A good flirt knows how to make anyone around them feel good, and that’s a very powerful skill. Luckily, it is a skill that can be learned. THE STREET GUIDE TO FLIRTING will show you how to attract a life partner, improve business, or just have a little fun. This book is packed with useful tips, stories, practical exercises, and quizzes to help you transform into the most fabulous flirt you can be.
Jefferson in Love: The Love Letters Between Thomas Jefferson and Maria Cosway by John P. Kaminski
Synopsis: In 1784, the recently widowed Thomas Jefferson set sail for Paris. As the new nation's minister to France he was expected to deal with the politicians in the court of King Louis XVI, but he was not prepared for the likes of Maria Cosway. Enchantingly beautiful, sophisticated, and witty, this Italian-born woman captured the handsome Virginian's heart. Their romance--lasting more than three years--is recorded in these private billets-doux between the shy American minister and his precocious bonne femme.
Whether a lover of history or a lover of love, this book speaks to passion and intellect like none other.
Haunted Love: Tales
of Ghostly Soulmates, Spooky Suitors, and Eternal Love by Chris Gonsalves
Synopsis: With settings ranging from southern Florida
to South Korea, Haunted Love delivers a rich and varied collection of tales
that touch the heart and tingle the spine.
Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, Sheila McGraw (Illustrator)
Synopsis: A young woman holds her newborn son, And looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to him: "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living, My baby you'll be." So begins the story that has touched the hearts of millions worldwide. Since publication in l986, Love You Forever has sold more than 15 million copies in paperback and the regular hardcover edition (as well as hundreds of thousands of copies in Spanish and French)
Committed: A Skeptic
Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert (Author of Eat, Love, Pray)
Synopsis: A sequel to her bestselling memoir, Eat,
Pray, Love, Gilbert’s new book is the story of how she and Felipe, the man she
met and fell in love with at the end of Eat, Pray, Love, grapple and ultimately
make peace with the notion of marriage, long after each of them has endured an
ugly divorce and sworn off the institution.
Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman
". . . I wanted you more than you’ll ever know,
. so I sent love to follow wherever you go. . . ."
Love is the greatest gift we have to give our children. It’s the one thing they can carry with them each and every day. If love could take shape it might look something like these heartfelt words and images from the inimitable Nancy Tillman. Here is a book to share with your loved ones, no matter how near or far, young or old, they are.
A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton
Synopsis:
"Together they stand on the hill, telling each other stories and feeling the
warmth of the sun on their backs. And that, my friends, is how it is with
love.” —Edward Monkton
Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett. Ozzie and Harriet. Jay-Z and
Beyonce. Great couples often find togetherness by embracing their individual
differences. In this modern-day fable, Edward Monkton pens an irresistible love
story about a fiercely funny but distant Dinosaur who falls in love with a forgetful
but free-spirited (and shopping-savvy) Lovely Other Dinosaur.
Faeiries by Brian Froud
"The nicest thing that has happened to faeries since
Peter Pan."-Chicago Tribune "Fascinating tales . . . extraordinary
illustrations . . . A charming thing."-The New York Times
From Publisher’s
Weekly: Twenty-five years ago,
self-proclaimed "faery authorities" Froud and Lee published the first
edition of their imaginative faery field guide. Since then, the two have gone
on to publish numerous faery books and contribute their ideas to such fantasy
films as The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Legend and the new Lord of the Rings. Besides
faeries, the authors include renderings of many other denizens of faery
land-goblins, dwarves and leprechauns, for instance-as well as stranger breeds,
such as the Fachan, a one-armed, one-legged oddity from the Scotland highlands
and the Jack-in-Irons, a "Yorkshire giant who haunts lonely roads."
For the child learning the pleasures of magical worlds, or for adults who never
forgot, this book remains a delight.
Say Something Dirty
to 45 Friends, Lovers, and Mailmen by Brook Lundy
Synopsis: These
45 postcards could make anyone blush! The seemingly innocent art, paired with
uproarious sayings that range from down-and-dirty to naughty to outright
raunchy makes for some shockers that will tickle anyone pink.
Recommended Romantic
Inns of America by Julianne Belote, Suzi Forbes Chase, Bob Puhala, Elizabeth
Squier, Eleanor S. Morris
Synopsis: Candlelight dinners. Breakfast in bed. Bubble
baths in sunken tubs. Champagne and firelight. These delights and more await
those who escape to the 154 love-inspiring and soul-soothing inns profiled in
this guide. From simplicity to luxury, from solitude to convivial
companionship, from sunshine and fresh air to whispered secrets at the
fireside, a romantic ambiance pervades these gentle hostelries. For romantic
getaways on honeymoons, anniversaries, birthdays or any day, lovers young, old,
and in-between will be drawn to these inns of every style for every romantic
taste. You can rely on this guide-only the best inns are included; each inn has
been personally visited by the authors; accurate sketches depict each inn's
charms; rates, directions, e-mail and Web site information are up-to-date; and
at-a-glance indexes list inns by their special features.
Romantic Massage by Randy J. Nikola
Synopsis: Give your partner the gift of a romantic
massage. A true act of love, it relaxes the body, expands the relationship, and
creates intense physical pleasure. Explore your lover's body as never before-a
licensed massage therapist tells you how! You'll find: unique ideas for
creating the perfect ambiance, the location of sensitive nerve receptors, a
variety of strokes to use for maximum enjoyment, and how to massage each
section of the body, with the erogenous zones given special attention.
Fragrant Candles: A
Practical Guide to Making Candles for the Home and Garden by Rhondda Cleary
Synopsis: The only thing more romantic and mood
enhancing than a flickering candle is a candle with the heavenly scent of
essential oils. Craft your own which will beautifully combine color, shape, and
fragrance. In addition to instructions for melting, molding, and dyeing the
wax, an aromatherapy guide will help you choose the right scent for that
special ambiance. Then make magic with unusual ideas for decorating,
displaying, and enjoying your candles--and your holiday tips, too.
The Heart Speaks: A
Cardiologist Reveals the Secret Language of Healing by Mimi Guarneri
Synopsis: Every day, 2,600 Americans die of
cardiovascular disease — and despite remarkable interventional and surgical
procedures, over 650,000 new heart attacks occur annually. In The Heart Speaks,
Dr. Mimi Guarneri reveals groundbreaking new research that the heart is a
multilayered, complex organ, possessing intelligence, memory, and
decision-making abilities independent from the mind — and that healing the
heart can have more to do with healing the mind and soul than we ever knew. From childhood in a family riddled with heart disease to a
medical career facing the pounding heartbeats of cardiac emergencies, Dr.
Guarneri draws us into the intimate moments of life and death, and leads us on
a riveting exploration of the heart's many mysteries. Through her compelling
memoir we see that it is only by knowing the whole heart — its mental,
emotional, spiritual, and universal aspects — that we can truly heal.
Knitting a Kiss in
Every Stitch: Creating Gifts for the People You Love by Nicky Epstein
Synopsis: Knitting superstar Nicky Epstein knows:
when you knit something for those you love, there’s a kiss and caring in every
stitch.The popular author of the blockbuster Edge books has now
created more than 30 original projects for friends and family to give as gifts.
There’s bunting for a baby, toys for a toddler, cute sheep slippers for boys
and girls, a hobo bag for tweens, and hats, gloves, scarves, and other
accessories for men and women. Plus, Nicky’s come up with unique ideas for the
holidays, for knitting groups to work on together, and projects to make for
those who might be sick, injured, or have special needs. All projects are
one-of-a kind pieces, knit in Nicky’s signature style and destined to become
heirlooms.
Blessings by Good Housekeeping
Synopsis: Thirty-five of the world’s best-selling
writers reveal their deepest, most profound moments of gratitude and joy in
this beautiful keepsake volume.Through this compilation of poignant essays from beloved
authors such as Maeve Binchy, Jodi Picoult, Kate Jacobs, and Luanne Rice take
us into their hearts. Each one shares a special moment when she became aware of
exactly how blessed she is—because of someone’s kindness and generosity,
because of a family’s love, because she has so much in a world where others
sometimes have so little.These personal stories remind us just how lucky we
are—making this the perfect gift book for anyone who wants to stay connected to
what’s truly important in life. The emotionally powerful essays include:
- People Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn’t Throw Stones:
Alice Hoffman realizes what her misfit mom—whom she long resented for not being
“normal”—taught her about tolerance
- Sacrifice Play: Sascha Zuger recalls how her father traded
one of his most precious assets just to make her smile again
- Mad About the Boy: Seen-and-heard-it-all gossip columnist
Liz Smith meets her newborn godson…and her life fills with a brightness she
hadn’t known was missing
