Golden men and lace hearts...

February is here, and with it comes the season of award shows and stores full of pink and red. I've heard Valentine's Day described as a holiday designed to make anyone depressed. If you don't have a special someone, let's admit... it's a little bit disheartening. If you do, then there is the stress of finding the right gift, the exorbitant amount of money one is asked to spend on flowers that will die in less than a week, and the fear that comes when you've picked the wrong thing. None of which sounds fun. Altogether an odd choice of things to celebrate. Still, looking at the bigger picture what we really hope to celebrate is love. Not just any love, mind you but the idea of that immortal, enduring, passionate type of love that we all wish defined our lives instead of living on the edge of our dreams. So in honor of that, I've decided to share with you what I think are the best love stories out there. Now, I'm not talking about paperback romance, or "bodice-ripper" novels with more steamy scenes than conversations. No, I'm talking about agonizing, seemingly hopeless, heart-aching yearning love that prevails all odds and ends with such utter satisfaction that the world feels like a better place in the end. Guaranteed to put you in the mood for Valentine's Day and fill your heart with hope.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Little Women by Louisa May Allcot
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Les Miserable by Victor Hugo
and The Year of Yes by Maria Headley (because it's fun!)
Honorable mentions would include The Great Gatsby, The Way We Were, The Notebook, Gone with the Wind and The Thorn Birds. So if you are in the mood for love...
And as for those little golden men who become suddenly popular this time of year, we've recently added several Oscar winning films to our collection. Stop by our display of winning movies and the books that started them.