Tag Archives: love

Book Review: Listen to Your Heart

15 Friday Feb 2019

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Kasie West’s Listen to Your Heart makes a fun Valentine weekend read. Kate doesn’t excel at talking to people but ends up hosting her school’s new advice podcast. Finding herself better than she expected, she gains confidence in her voice. Her development in her craft as well as her crush bring the elements of a teen romantic comedy. Wondering if she or her crush would speak up during their playful banter and if the anonymous caller would get revealed on the show keeps me smiling as I turn the pages.

 

Other Kasie West Recommendations:

PS I Like You

The Fill-In Boyfriend (my review)

Love, Life, and the List (my review)

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Bookish Shipping

12 Tuesday Feb 2019

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As the Twilight phenomenon blew up across the globe, the prevalence of shipping, fans seriously rooting for a fictional couple, increased. People discussing Twilight wanted to know if the other joined Team Edward or Team Jacob. I started my Twilight reread and started contemplating what bookish couples had me pulling for them.

 

Bella and Edward in Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: Say what you want, but this story obviously appeals to a lot of people, including my own dad. The beautiful vampire falls in love with a human, and all the danger of forbidden love breaks loose. Their interest in each other gets intense before they even have a relationship. Teenage angst and immortality meet to give a love story for the ages. Plus, invitations to high school dances abound.

Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing by Shakespeare: My favorite Shakespeare line comes from this play. It begins with Benedick’s greeting to Beatrice: “My lady disdain, are you yet living?” Their witty banter lives on in romantic comedies throughout the ages, including my favorite When Harry Met Sally. Benedick and Beatrice make suffering love so comedically fun and sweet.

Laura Jean and Peter in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han: Laura Jean makes such a relatable role model worthy heroine. Her love story with Peter captures all the awkwardness of learning how to talk and relate to boys. Not to mention, the story starts with love letters. Han beautifully blends traditional aspects of romance with modern culture.

Ruby and Nate in Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen: In her usual fashion, Dessen writes another realistic teen story. Ruby and Nate end up as neighbor friends, finding they understand each other’s family situations. They learn how to trust a friend and how to face parents who don’t fulfill their roles. This falls a little outside the Valentine theme, but it has depth and hope.

Jamie and Landon in A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks: It wouldn’t be Valentine’s season without some Nicholas Sparks in the mix. Jamie and Landon get the intensity of the eternal teenage love. Plus, they show the transformation of a perceived bad boy once someone gives him positive feedback and a chance to improve. Love really opens doorways for growth, and Jamie’s adherence to her faith allows that.

 

What book couples would you add to this list? Share your favorites in the comments.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Monday Motivation – Bye Bye Bye Strings

11 Monday Feb 2019

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While “Bye Bye Bye” may capture the heartbreak side of Valentine’s Day, it sure has a peppy side. It keeps me moving on my runs when I listen to it, doing the hand motions and sometimes even singing along. A fun song, accompanied by singing and dancing, can boost mood. These activities can happen alone or with friends. Consider starting the week with a Valentine inspired jam to boost your mood for the start of a week of love. Say goodbye to the winter blues and the doubt holding you back and say hello to a confident step forward during a fun holiday season.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: No Escape from Love

08 Friday Feb 2019

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Now we’ve reached the last week until the big day, it seems like we can’t get away from the red and pink hearts displayed in stores and homes. As Enrique Iglesias sings in “Escape,” “You can run/ You can hide/ but you can’t escape my love,” we too find ourselves surrounded. I even find myself (coincidentally) following the mail truck during my actual runs and smile at the thought of the notes my best friends have sent and that others may soon find in their own mailboxes. Some people convince themselves this holiday only works for couples but, as I’ve mentioned previously, it celebrates all love. Consider an opportunity to celebrate with a friend who may feel more like hiding due to loneliness. Really, Galentine celebrations have always ranked as my favorite get togethers, so I’ve invited a girl friend to join me this year.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Everyday Fairytales

07 Thursday Feb 2019

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Mega hit pop star Taylor Swift notoriously writes songs about love, and they’ve held universal appeal since her debut as a teenager. Her song on the Valentine’s Day movie soundtrack “Today Was a Fairytale” makes no exception. The sweet ballad holds a simplicity in its love story. Life gets heavy, and so does love. However, the sweet small details surround us. Take a moment today to remember the people who love you, who “told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess.” Feel that magic in the air as love notes travel miles, love songs hit the airwaves and loved ones call just to say, “I love you.” We need not live in a fairytale to experience the loving details of one.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: A Winsom Woman’s Wisdom – Galentines Is Where the Heart Is

06 Wednesday Feb 2019

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The hit book Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts captures the spirit of community, and thus Galentines, in the story about young Novalee moving into a Wal-Mart and having her baby there. Abandoned by her boyfriend and the father of her child, Novalee finds herself in an unfamiliar small Oklahoma town. Yet upon leaving the hospital with her new baby Americus, she finds a new home and mother figure who opened her home after one brief meeting. She develops a close knit group of girl friends who show up for each other in times of need and times of celebration.

This story unexpectedly had me turning pages, imagining the bonds shared in the Oklahoma town. Though seemingly simple, Novalee shows a lot of growth as well as inherent wisdom as she devours books at the library and learns from her experiences. She possesses an admirable strength as she pushes forward despite knowing she may not have the ideal life situation. Her friends remain at her side to support her efforts to care for Americus, hones her skills to develop a photography career and opens up to an opportunity for love with a top pick of the litter.

Our Galentines can do the same for us. Just yesterday my friend showed up during a time of disappointment for me. We’ve been meeting regularly to support some mutual goals and provide support, but yesterday showed extra care. Not long after, we both felt better and witnessed improvement in our projects. Another friend has showered me with cheesy Valentine notes to join me celebrating my favorite holiday. My conversations with her already brighten my days regularly, but these cards add extra sunshine. With quality friends by our sides, we can stand stronger and move forward together.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Young Love Stories

04 Monday Feb 2019

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What says young love better than a young adult novel? The angst we associate with teenage years seems to continue to adulthood, so I enjoy the familiarity and nostalgia of high school. In honor of young love, I’ve compiled a short list of young adult stories I’ve read recently that fit a Valentine’s Day theme.

 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: This book ranks high on my all time favorite list, and I recently reread it for a book club. Eleanor and Park each fall into the misfit category, and they stand on their own so strongly and uniquely. Reading how they fall in love as they share comic books on the bus and start to spend time together makes me feel like I’m falling in love for the first time with all the thrill, agony and uncertainty that comes with it.

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han: My Galentine and I have wrapped up our reading of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and I recommend all three. The third installment moves from the original sweetness to the mix of fun and seriousness that befalls a high school senior. Lara Jean faces choices about college her relationship with the almost too good to be true Peter, and of course she goes to prom. I always say yes to reliving prom, and I can still relate to the weight of decisions about direction in life.

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West: Prom gets another mention here. In this story, a breakup just before the dance leads Gia’s to find a temporary fill-in. The relationship becomes more real as Gia gets to know her fake date. I love Kasie West for upbeat cute stories with a little relatability. This story gets that and reminds me I don’t stand alone in wondering how much to let people in and how to let go of a desire for approval.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Not So Clueless Galentines

04 Monday Feb 2019

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Clueless

 

For my Sunday Ritual this week, I’ve added silver and pink glitter to my manicure and watched Clueless. The movie ties into a Galentines theme with its focus on friendships and matchmaking. While we tend to get caught up in the romantic side of love for Valentine’s Day, love between friends counts just as much. Cher and her best friend Deon welcome Ty, the new girl at school, into their inner circle. Together they face the perils of driving lessons, grades and unrequited love. At the end, it’s the girls having a good time together that matters.

My love for love goes back many years. Well before I ever had a Valentine in the traditional sense, I eagerly awaited my favorite holiday so I could give sweet (or cheesy) notes and chocolates to my friends. Even now, my favorite angle of this season revolves around my besties. My email preview of my mail shows me I have another Valentine note arriving soon, so I feel excited to open it. It is a trade for the crafted notes I have outgoing for my friends to receive later this week. As we start a new week, let’s consider a friend who might enjoy a sweet note celebrating friendship’s love.

 

Fun Fact: Clueless has inspiration Jane Austen’s Emma. A Jane Austen novel or screen adaptation works perfectly for Valentine entertainment. Mr. Darcy does reign as a beloved romantic hero.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: Cheese Lovers

03 Sunday Feb 2019

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pepperoni

 

Fortunately, I have friends who know me well considering I have received my first Valentine no more than two days into the month. Soaking up the glory of all the small acts of love is like soaking the grease of a cheese lovers pizza into a napkin. Let that love ooze out in cheesy acts and words so those around us know they are loved. I know I feel loved, so I want others to feel the same.

 

Thank you to my awesome friends riding the Valentine high with me. Keep your eyes peeled for love notes and your ears ready for singing voicemails.

Countdown to Valentine’s Day: A Walk to Remember

02 Saturday Feb 2019

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As we reach the middle point between the 17th anniversary of A Walk to Remember’s theatrical release and Valentine’s Day, let’s take a moment to appreciate its legacy. The movie would reach its senior year of high school this year if it were a person. The young protagonists in this teenage love story find themselves caught up in an unlikely love story in one of the early, and one of the better, Nicholas Sparks novel screen adaptations. Jamie Sullivan models a lived faith where she willingly helps those around her regardless of their past, and Landon Carter shows us that with support people can improve themselves.

As we walk into the month of love, let’s consider how we can show love to others, maybe even to those society brushes off as hopeless. Landon asks Jamie to run lines with him so he won’t make a fool of himself in the spring play, and Jamie agrees so the whole production won’t suffer. She gives Landon a chance to live up to his challenge. Take a look around you. Is there someone who could use a loving hand to accomplish a task or who could use the company of someone supportive? Start with showing up and being willing to help even with what seems like a small favor. Big changes happen through a series of small steps.