Staff Picks: Love is in the Air | Mechanics' Institute

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Staff Picks: Love is in the Air

It’s February, so that means love is in the air, right? The lovers mythos surrounding the obscure Saint Valentine may have been created by Chaucer & friends in 14th century England, but the damage is done: we tend to get just a little bit twitterpated around February 14th.

This month, Mechanics’ Institute staff will be choosing some little bundles of love for you to peruse – but we’re not limiting it to romantic love, so even if you would like nothing better than to avoid romance and romance novels, you might be surprised at the literary Valentines we’re adding to our staff picks display this month. Of course, there will be plenty of love stories too. We’re human after all, and what is more human than the relentless pursuit of love?

Diane recommends: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (FIC)

The story sounds like a trite remake of a 1940's tearjerker - down and out girl looking for a job, handsome and successful young man in a terrible accident, she takes a job as his caregiver and they fall in love.  However, this is not your classic Hollywood film with a syrupy soundtrack and a necessarily happy ending.  It is a heartfelt and heartwarming book that makes the reader think about what "to love" someone really means.

Anrey recommends: Blue is the Warmest Color by Julie Maroh (Graphic Novel)

This heart-wrenching coming-of-age story reminds us that pain and loneliness can often accompany the pursuit of true love.

Taryn recommends: Belle Cora by Phillip Margulies (FIC)

What can you learn from one of the world's most notorious prostitutes? A lot about love and dedication. A rich story set in Gold Rush San Francisco, settle in for a good long read!

Chris recommends: This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz (FIC)

Yunior, a character familiar to fans of Diaz's Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, opens this book on the defensive; "I'm not a bad guy" he says. In the stories that follow, we're given a quick, funny, and frank tour of Yunior's life. Beginning with a relocation from Santo Domingo to New Jersey in the middle of the winter, Yunior looks up to his older brother, Rafa, while his father busies himself with work. Rafa, who is an energetic charmer but moves too quickly and erratically to honor the responsibilities of his family and girlfriend, may not be the best model for Yunior. Following in his brother's footsteps, Yunior begins a series of romantic relationships that have him uttering the opening line more than a few times. In a fast paced and conversational mix of English and Spanish that is heavy on creative use of swearwords, Yunior leaves no detail or frustration unaired. While the reader may tire of Yunior's unarguably Bad Guy behavior, his empathic development, as slow as it may be, ultimately reveals a sympathetic person.

Posted on Jan. 31, 2014 by Heather Terrell