Despite the media attention, blog spots and film ads devised to make you think otherwise, 50 Shades of Grey is not the only romantic book to read this year. From literary classics to new tales of young love, check out these 5 suggestions for romantic books you won’t be embarrassed to read in public. Warning: be advised that some of these may require tissues and chocolate for full recovery.
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you”
I thought long and hard about which Jane Austen book I was going to put on this list, and believe me, the decision was difficult. While Emma and Sense and Sensibility feature some of Austen’s finest work, Pride and Prejudice is the ultimate classic. In between relishing Austen’s impressive writing skills and clamoring for a love story of your own, you’ll find yourself wishing you were as smart as Elizabeth and as witty as Mr. Darcy. Pride and Prejudice isn’t just a classic to add to your library, it’s a fun read and a beautiful romance.
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
“I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”
If you’re one of the 5 people left on the planet who hasn’t read John Green’s novel about the love affair between two teenage cancer patients, you should really head on down to the bookstore to pick up a copy. Hazel Grace and Augustus are two funny, interesting and wise beyond their years teens whose story isn’t just about kids living in a difficult situation, but two souls that find each other at just the right time.
3. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
“…I told him a story of two people. Two people who shouldn’t have met, and who didn’t like each other much when they did, but who found they were the only two people in the world who could possibly have understood each other.”
Me Before You is the story of 26-year-old working-class girl, Lou Clark who takes the position of “care assistant” to an former playboy, athlete and adventurer Will Traynor, who has spent the better years of his 30s confined to a wheelchair after being hit by a motorcycle. What starts off as a combative relationship between the two quickly develops into so much more. Me Before You is all at once witty, charming and heartbreaking and shows just how important it is to find the humor and light even in the darkest of situations.
4. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give you forever”
No list of romantic books could be complete without a contribution from the reigning king of romance, Nicholas Sparks. The book-turned-movie that men are still wishing they hadn’t been forced to see is just as powerful on paper as it is on film. The tale of Allie and Noah’s hate-turned-love-turned-hate-turned-love relationship is literary proof that opposites do attract. And while the book chronicles a lifetime of hardships for the couple, they always manage to find their way back to each other.
5. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
“Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive.”
The story of two very different teenagers who just don’t seem to fit into the world or with each other, Eleanor & Park is the newest novel in the long line of Young Adult romances that have come before it. But despite this, Eleanor & Park still manages to sound new and different without turning into a cliché. With it’s innocence and humor, it’s a reminder of all the great parts of young love.