You can’t escape it. The aisles are lined with nylon balloons, bouquets of flowers, cellophane-wrapped chocolates and plushies of all sizes. Retailers beckon us to share and proclaim our love for each other. 

I like to think of it as a time to share and connect with people closest to us. Instead of hearts and flowers, let’s celebrate enduring reads, new and old, that explore love from all angles and for all ages. 

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As you reflect on what love is and those you love this month, I invite you to share the love of books. A great book is perfect for cuddling up with little ones before bedtime, sparking a conversation with growing teens, or sharing with the special someone in your life who brings you joy. Books give us the opportunity to connect and grow together.

I Love You Because I Love You, written by Muon Thi Van, tells the story of how unconditional love shows up in the biggest and smallest ways. The vivid illustrations bring this tender read-aloud story to life with breathtaking scenes that represent and celebrate diversity in all its forms.

Love Makes a Family, a brightly illustrated board book, is sure to capture the imagination and hearts of little ones. Author and illustrator Sophie Beer uses vivid colors and shapes to bring to life a day full of love. Love shows up in a walk outside on a rainy day, a helping hand when things don’t go as planned, and getting tucked into bed with a goodnight kiss. This makes a perfect bedtime read.

Tweens and early teens will love Planet Middle School. It’s written in short poems that give an authentic voice to the chaotic and crazy feelings of adolescence and first crushes. Award-winning author Nikki Grimes has crafted a delightful, often hilarious, heart-tugging story. A great book to read alongside middle schoolers, it opens the door for meaningful conversations about all the changes that come with those formative years.

In young adult reading, Blackout: A Novel is a must read. Six award-winning authors come together to weave a heartfelt, unforgettable set of joyful love stories. A summer heat wave hits New York, leaving the city blanketed in darkness. A new kind of electricity begins to spark as six love stories unfold. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

Pablo Neruda’s Love Poems caused a scandal when they were first published anonymously in the 1950s. Today, they are some of the Nobel Laureate’s most celebrated works. Love Poems pairs the original Spanish poems with a translated version on the opposing page. The perfect gift for the romantic at heart.

Texas author Colleen Hoover’s new book Reminders of Him has romance fans in a flutter, describing it as tear-jerking yet heartwarming. It’s a contemporary emotional romance that tells the story of a mother trying to rebuild her life and reconnect with her daughter after five years in prison, while a relationship with a local bar owner that no one will approve of begins to surface. It’s a page turner that will take you on an emotional ride.

FIND THESE BOOKS AT WHOSE BOOKS, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOOKSTORE LOCATED AT TYLER STATION IN OAK CLIFF OR USE INDIEBOUND’S BOOKSTORE FINDER TO SHOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD BOOKSTORE SOME LOVE.