Great books for Valentine's Day
In anticipation of Valentine's Day, the Butler Eagle asked Jean Shumway, reference librarian at Butler County Community College's Beck Library, to recommend books she finds romantic. Her picks are:
• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
“This book stands out to me as the classic romance story with the heroine and hero initially being antagonists. It is well-written with excellent dialogue and character development. In addition, it's also an interesting period piece looking at society in Victorian England.”
• “Like Water for Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel
“This romance would be categorized as magical realism. It brings to this list a story from the Latino culture. It is a love story set in Mexico and interspersed with recipes. A quirky magical device in this story is that when Tita (the story's heroine) cooks, her emotions become unintentionally mixed into the food and affect those who eat it, which is a great vehicle for elements both poignant and amusing.”
• “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway
“This is a terrific story that the guys will enjoy reading as well. It is a war story with a romance. Hemingway has a terrific straightforward writing style that is imbued with richness and depth.”
• “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier
“In addition to classic works, I wanted to include something more contemporary, and I love this story. Great story, good writing, great movie.”
• “Twilight” (and the Twilight series) by Stephanie Meyer
“I'm throwing in a contemporary one for the teens and young adults. Especially the first book in the series, it is all about anticipation and desire. The Twilight series will never be included in lists of great literature, but they are very romantic books.”
• Additional romantic books/stories on Shumway's list included “The Notebook” by Nicholas Sparks, “The English Patient” by Michael Ondaatje, “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel García Márquez and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë.
Joy Walsh, who teaches “The Bible as Literature” at BC3, recommended Song of Solomon.
