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Murakami’s work is known for its surrealism, use of symbolism, and convoluted plots that usually end in an ambiguous yet meditative conclusion. Norwegian Wood is his most straightforward narrative, telling the story of a young Japanese man named Toru Watanabe, who’s grappling with the suicide of his high school best friend. Toru becomes close to his friend’s girlfriend, the shy and tortured Naoko. Their blossoming relationship is strained by Naoko’s unstable mental state. Toru also meets Midori, a vivacious and sexually liberated young woman who attends his college. Toru is torn between the hold of his past and the quickly surging changes around him. Murakami’s powerful ruminations on love and nostalgia will awaken tender memories between you and your significant other.
This novel is written in the form of a letter that the main character, Little Dog, writes to his illiterate mother. Vuong weaves a deeply moving story about intergenerational trauma, finding tenderness and love even in the most brutal of circumstances. The gorgeous prose in this novel will inspire sentimentality from even the most cynical of hearts.
This wildly popular novel about two young adults who fall in love in Ireland has touched so many people that it was adapted into an equally popular TV show. Connell, who comes from a working class family, meets Marianne, whose mother employs Connell’s mother as a cleaner. The two are deeply connected, but find themselves torn apart again and again by their differences. This heartbreaking saga will leave you and your Valentine grateful to be close to each other.
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If you want your new date to think that you’re an intellectual and a romantic, you’ll definitely want to gift this novel, a philosophical reflection disguised as a romance novel about complex relationships. This story takes place in Prague during the invasion by the Soviet Union in the 1960s. Kundera explores how four different characters with opposing political beliefs and romantic ideals approach life. The title refers to the “lightness” of love and being alive, as well as the decisions and moral obligations that weigh us down and make us “heavy.” It’s up to you to decide if you’d rather live a life with no attachments and total freedom, or if you believe that being responsible and accountable for others makes life worth living. Enjoy a passionate debate with your crush about all of this and more on a thoughtful and intense night.
This all-time classic love story by veteran romance novelist Jane Austen sets high standards for wooing a lover. Austen’s characters are so clearly drawn and alive that they have been adapted various times in film iterations. Pride and Prejudice focuses on the Bennet family’s endeavors to marry off their daughters. Elizabeth Bennet, highly intelligent and unabashedly honest, is offended by Mr. Darcy’s comments about her at a dance and writes him off, even as Mr. Darcy begins to develop feelings for her. But first impressions rarely tell the full story about people, and when you’re brave enough to embrace someone for everything that they are, the love between you becomes stronger. Nothing will make your partner swoon like how devoted Mr. Darcy is to Elizabeth. You might even be inspired to write your own love letter to your sweetheart.
This collection of erotic short stories is the perfect gift to get your honey in an amorous mood. Nin writes sexy little vignettes from a woman’s perspective, focusing on sensuality and female pleasure. There’s a variety of short and sweet little erotic scenes to choose from. Fifteen, to be exact, to titillate and stimulate every type of desire your sweetheart might have. Nin’s prose is sensual, yet exact and vivid enough to tantalize you and your partner. Read aloud to each other for extra fun!
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Baldwin might be most well known for his scathing meditations on class and race divisions in America, but his novels are equally vital reading. Impress your lover with this novel about two childhood friends who fall in love in 1970s Harlem. If Beale Street Could Talk offers a vulnerable and poignant narrative about Tish and Fonny, two young adults trying to follow their passions and build a life together. When Fonny is falsely accused of rape, they suffer through the racist criminal justice system, while Tish discovers that she’s pregnant and must bring their two families together. After reading If Beale Street Could Talk, you might find that love gives you the courage to endure any obstacles that life may throw your way.
A historical novel set in 1890s London, Tipping the Velvet tells the sweeping romantic journey of a young woman named Nan as she follows the object of her desire, a male impersonator named Kitty Butler. It’s not easy for the two lovers as they start a secret affair in an unwelcoming society, facing poverty and ostracization. Nan struggles to live life on her own terms and discovers that true love starts with being true to her inner self. Give your Valentine the gift of this sexy and inspiring tale of love and self-discovery.
D.H. Lawrence’s explicit and sexual Lady Chatterley’s Lover scandalized his readers when he privately published it in 1928. When Penguin Books tried to publish an uncensored version in 1960, they became subject to a landmark obscenity trial. The story is about a young married woman whose husband is well-off but impotent; as a result, she becomes increasingly frustrated by her situation. She pursues an affair with the groundskeeper of their land, often having passionate sex with him in the open air. If you want to turn your relationship up a notch or spark something new with your partner, read some of the explicit scenes to titillate you both.
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Brontë wrote this haunting gothic romance almost two hundred years ago, but its resonance has transcended generations. Wuthering Heights is a tale about the brutish and brooding orphan Heathcliff, who is in love with Catherine, the daughter of the man who adopted him. Their ensuing love affair is complicated by societal expectations and romantic rivals, as well as Heathcliff’s fervent jealousy and desire for revenge. Everyone in this story goes from zero to a hundred. No one is wishy-washy or even has time to think through their actions. Show your loved one your inner passion by reading them the most fervent quotes from this book, and you may just make them melt.
Sirena He is an editorial assistant and writer who focuses on media and culture. She is a lover of horror films and believes in the healing power of storytelling.
