Can you believe we’re already one month in to 2018? I hope your reading goals are progressing nicely, and if you still haven’t set a goal for 2018, it’s never too late! Join in with us as we read books relating to this month’s theme, “The Greatest of These is Love.” But before we get to February’s suggestions, here’s a look back at January.

January Wrap-Up:

It was fun to read a bit more thematically this month. I think that in some ways, every book I finished in January could be connected to the theme of “A New Chapter.” The book that captured this theme the best was Caroline by Sarah Miller. You can read my full review here, but in nutshell, I think this novel spoke to the idea of fresh starts as both exciting and overwhelming. It showed me that new chapters come to us all the time, and they aren’t always as pleasant or hopeful as we’d like. Caroline, and some of the other books I read this month, taught me that the new chapters we enter in to are defined by our reactions to them, rather than by the circumstances they bring.

And with that final note, it’s time to move on to February!! Our theme this month is “The Greatest of These is Love,” which can be interpreted in a lot of ways. I have mostly fiction suggestions for you this month, but I’ve tried to sprinkle in a few other options. Don’t forget that you can shop this list by browsing the Amazon collection I’ve made. You can find that list here.

Sarah’s Top Three Must Reads

• Persuasion by Jane Austen
  • Just about any Jane Austen novel would qualify for this post, but Persuasion is my absolute favorite. I’m planning to re-read it this month, and I’m giving away an annotated, 200th anniversary edition over on my Instagram! Be on the lookout for that giveaway, which starts tomorrow.
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  • Jane Eyre is one of those books that provokes strong reactions in people. I love it, and I think it’s such an endearing story. It’s a bit of a commitment, but well worth the effort.
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
  • Are you tired of me recommending this book to you yet? Well, sorry! It’s just that good. Written in letters, this novel tells a historical-fiction story with a literary twist. Just read it–you won’t regret it!

Fiction

• All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
  • This novel won won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it carries the weight of that award well. I loved this novel set during WWII–the prose is beautiful, the characters are interesting, and the story is captivating. If you’ve ever considered buying this one but haven’t made the leap yet, now’s your chance!
    
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Is there any love story more classic than Pride and Prejudice? From the entire Bennett family to Bingley to Mr. Darcy, there’s no more enduring story about overcoming misconceptions and finding love. If you’re an Audible subscriber, I highly recommend Rosamund Pike’s recording of this classic.
• Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
  • This novel took me several months to read and digest, but it left me in tears (in the best possible way!). There’s so much good in this book that it’s really hard to pick out a few key features. I’ve heard someone say that if you can get past the first 100 pages, it will change your life. That’s an absolutely true statement. If you aren’t interested in reading a 1,400 page French novel (I get that it’s not for everyone), try an abridged or adapted version.
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
  • I am reading A Tale of Two Cities right now, and it has the makings of a great love story. I’m only 150 pages in, but I’m really enjoying it. Despite my sometime dislike of Dickens’ style, this book has captured my attention!
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  • Another Dickens novel, Great Expectations tells the story of little Pip, who receives a mysterious gift from an even more mysterious benefactor. Love, whether undeserved, unappreciated, or unrequited, is a central theme of the book.

Poems and Plays

• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
  • There may be a lot of famous love stories listed in this post, but I’d venture to say that Romeo and Juliet is perhaps the most famous love story of all time. If you’ve never read any Shakespeare, this is a great place to start. The language isn’t that difficult, and you’re probably already familiar with the premise. You’ll have to decide for yourself if Romeo and Juliet were actually in love, or if they were silly teenagers who acted in the heat of the moment.

Nonfiction

• The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone
  • I am listening to this book on Audible right now, and so far I’m really enjoying it! It reads like a novel, and it’s about a woman named Elizebeth Friedman, a cryptanalyst who helped the United States in both WWI and WWII. The book tells her real life story, which is a tale of spies, codes, and love.
• We Two: Victoria and Albert, Rulers, Partners, Rivals by Gillian Gill
  • This biography serves as an excellent introduction to the lives of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and also discusses their life and relationship in depth. I listened to this one as well, and learned quite a bit from it!

Kids and Teens

• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
  • This story about a selfish toy rabbit is perfect for kids, teens, and adults. It definitely made me shed a tear or two as I watched Edward Tulane learn how to love.
• Anne of Green Gables Series
  • Also great for grown-ups, there’s no better love story than this one. In fact, these might be some of my favorite books of all time!
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
  • This sci-fi book for young readers stresses the importance of family love and devotion in an effort to drive out darkness. The whole series is great, but start here if you’re new to L’Engle’s work! There is a new film version of this book coming out soon, too.

Sometimes listening to classic books can be as much fun as reading them!

Well, there you have it–a pretty long list of great love stories. There are so many others out there, but these are just some of my personal favorites. I hope there’s something on the list you can read and enjoy, but if not, I added a few more titles to my Amazon list for this month, and I’ll keep adding more as I think of them!

Let me know in the comments how your January reading went, and share what love stories you’re planning to read this month!

Keep Reading,

Sarah