The Best YA Books to Read This Valentine’s Day
What’s not to like about Valentine’s Day? There are flowers! There’s chocolate! If you’re a weirdo who doesn’t like chocolate, there are Edible Arrangements, a.k.a. Overpriced Fruit On Sticks! And there are HEART-SHAPED PIZZAS. The only thing better than a regular pizza is a pizza in the shape of a heart. See?
If looking at that picture doesn’t make you want pizza, then check your pulse, because you might be dead (or you might just be lactose intolerant. Whatever.).
But there are actually perks to Valentine’s Day that don’t involve pepperoni, believe it or not. If you’ve ever read this column before, then you probably know that I love romance more than just about anything (even heart-shaped pizza). And Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to revisit some of my favorite books that feature plenty of swooning, kissing and romancing.
And if you’re not so into romance? I get it. I mean, I don’t get it, but I will still humor you. I’ve also included my favorite books about friend love and breakups. Don’t forget to share your favorite YA Valentine’s Day reads in the comments!
- The Best YA Romances to Read this Valentine’s Day:
- –Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
- It’s right there in the title. Kissing! What could be more romantic? Okay, so this book is actually pretty sad in parts and it will almost definitely make you cry (a lot), which may not sound particularly romantic to you. Well, sorry. This is my list, and I love this book!
–Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
A road trip. Many, many cheeseburgers. And tons of situations in which two people are forced to sleep in the same bed and deal with tons of sexual tension. It’s like Morgan Matson wrote this book especially for me!
–The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
So much flirting and so much hot chocolate. Pretty much perfect for Valentine’s Day.
–The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
An airport might not seem like the most romantic place in the world, but this book proves it totally can be.
–Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.
I wasn’t sure which of Stephanie’s amazing books to include, but this one has the word kiss in the title, so I guess it wins. And Paris is romantic, right? You can’t go wrong with this book. There’s a swoony foreign guy, a ton of delicious French food and plenty of romantic situations.
-Basically anything by Sarah Dessen.
Duh. I recommend starting with The Truth About Forever or This Lullaby.
The Best YA Book to Read If You’re More into Galentine’s Day
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
The love you have for your friends should be celebrated, too! Okay, so you probably won’t be able to read the entire series in one day, but you can at least get started. While there’s plenty of romance here, the books are mostly about the super-strong bond between Tibby, Carmen, Lena and Bridget. It will make you thankful for your own friends, and then hopefully you’ll make portraits of each of them out of crushed soda bottles.
The Best YA Book to Read if You’re So Over Love and Just Want to Read About a Breakup
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
So based on the title alone, you kind of know what’s going to happen in this one. Hint: there’s a breakup. But the whole story leading up to the breakup is exciting, heartbreaking, magical and totally worth reading. Full disclosure: this is one my favorite books ever because it is so emotional. If you feel like going through a roller coaster of emotions this Valentine’s Day, this is the book for you.
Whether it’s about romance, friendship or heartbreak, be sure you pick up a book on February 14th! What will you be reading this Valentine’s Day? Let me know in the comments!
And, as always, I love to know what books you’d like to see featured in Young Adult Education. Leave a comment, send me an email at [email protected] or find me on Twitter @KerryAnn.
Pizza image via Serious Eats
Featured image via Shutterstock
Related posts:
Can YA Books Ever Be “Inappropriate”?
