Love-A-Stack (Valentine’s reading list)
Valentine’s Day Reading List
In honour of Caleb Azumah Nelson’s debut novel Open Water releasing this month, we have put together a little valentine’s day stack for you all. Make sure to tag us in any reviews using the #dopereadersclub hashtag!
You can shop our reading list here
1. Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Caleb Azumah Nelson’s debut novel is a beautiful love song to love. Set in south London, it follows the story of a Black British couple who try to find their way in a city marred by fear and violence. Open Water is definitely a book you need on your 2021 reading lists.
2. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
A funny, and at times heart-breaking take on the world of online dating. Ghosts tells the story of Nina’s 32nd year of life – a year that she will not forget anytime soon.
3. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Much like Open Water, Sally Rooney’s Normal People is a tentative depiction of the highs and lows of first love. It follows the story of Connell and Marianne as they navigate adulthood and the beauty and brutality that comes with it.
4. Tin Man by Sarah Winman
An utterly heartbreaking novel that depicts the beauty of male friendship and desire. Ellis and Michael meet as twelve-year-old boys whose friendship develops into something more as they grow up. For a long time, it is just the two of them, until Ellis marries Annie, and Michael is no longer in his life.
5. The Course of Love by Alain de Botton
A Scottish couple, Rabih and Kirsten, fall in love, get married, and have children. On the surface, their love story is complete, but Alain de Botton delves in deeper into the intricacies of a long-term relationship. A profoundly moving take on modern love.
6. Just Like You by Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby does it all in Just Like You. Tackling Brexit, love, and race, he tells the story of Joseph – a black, working-class man in his early 20s – and Lucy – a middle-class white mother in her early 40s. It is funny and warm, and at its core, it is a love story.
7. Writers & Lovers by Lily King
Writers & Lovers tells the story of 31-year-old aspiring writer Casey Peabody as she tackles dating and finishing her book. Lily King has created a heroine that you will find yourself rooting for as she is faced with the brutal realities of life.
8. Memorial by Bryan Washington
Bryan Washington’s novel recounts the story of a queer couple who are forced to reassess their relationship. Memorial is a funny and thoughtful story about love and family,
