Hearty Books

Valentine's day is just around the corner. In honor of this month I'd like to dedicate all book reads on love. I call these "Hearty Books". Anything connected to the 5 love languages: words of affirmation (encouragement), quality time (relationships), physical touch (romance), acts of service (kindness), receiving gifts (gratitude)...basically a book that gives you the warm fuzzy feeling. You know the one I'm talking about.

Love is experienced by all age groups & can be an emotion that is sometimes difficult to define. I believe finding a heart-felt book and reading together is a way we can connect and create an open discussion about what it means to love & to be loved.

5 Reads for various age groups:

1. Hug Machine by Scott Campbell

• This was actually one of the first books we bought for Declan. We were casually browsing for books at Half-Priced Books (we like to repurpose where we can) and knew we were looking for something that had a teachable lesson. We stumbled across Hug Machine. What a beautiful story about a boy's hugging adventures. Everyone deserves hugs!

2. Love Monster by Rachel Bright

• Last year I was looking for Valentine themed children's books on Thriftbooks and I saw this book. To be honest I was looking for Valentine themed books, but they also had to be predominantly red or pink. I was creating a color themed bookshelf...This book cover caught my attention. Love Monster is a hairy little monster who has a difficult time fitting in. He goes on a search to find others who will love him for who he is in his uniqueness. I didn't realize at the time, but this is a book series. I can do you one better. It is also a TV series that aired December 2020 on HBO Max.

3. Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

• So this one...I have no idea how my brain actually pulled this out of my memory files. I read this book back in high school. Let's just say a very long time ago. It must have made a huge impact on me to say the least. I do vividly remember I shut myself in my room and read for hours that turned into days. I even ate in my bed. I was sucked into this love story. However I do need to preface, it has some sadness too, but overall a beautiful love story. If you enjoy Young Adult books or have a teen that needs an age-appropriate read, this is it. Since it was written in 2008 I'm sure you can find it used. It is a trilogy, but you can read it like I did if you get the Collectors Edition that have all three books bound into one.

4. Happy Valentines Day Mouse by Laura Numeroff & Felicia Bond

• Once of my favorite children's book series is "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie". Mouse continues his adventures with Valentines day!!! This book focuses on the love of friendship. It is a great read for little ones who are being introduced to this fun holiday. A quick and simple read.

5. The Upside of Falling by Alex Light (Currently reading)

• So far so good. I dove into this one yesterday and my Kindle Paperwhite tells me I am 50% complete. This is one of those love stories you can see coming...we've all read, seen, or heard of friends who fall in love. It's the journey of getting there that may slightly differ in the details. The Upside of Falling is about young high school love. Two people from different social groups making a pact to pre-tend to be each others significant other...should I say more? The development of these characters and their side stories are very relatable. It connects with readers who have experienced various types of loves (romantic, parental, and friendships). Some love stories are forever, while others not so much. Alex Light reminds us love can be complex.

Bonus: Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

• I read this one on audible. Length was roughly 8 hours. The focus of the book was on a God centered marriage. What does that look like? The author asks "What if your relationship isn't as much about you & your spouse as it is about you & God?" I understand not everyone is religious. You don't have to be to get great tips from this book. I learned how to channel my love with a sense of purpose. Focusing on spiritual growth and honestly, loving people...I took this knowledge and applied it to all my relationships, not just my marriage.

All of these books can typically be found on Amazon, Audible, or Target. I'd love to hear which one(s) you end up reading. What are your current "Hearty Books"?