This Is Not a Love Story.

Posted byRoryPosted inListsTags:

Okay, okay, I lied. A little. There is a bit (or a bunch) of love in each of the following novels, but most are not intended to be a “love story” and certainly not genre romance.

Not Love Valentines

They are, instead, are a mix of novels I thoroughly enjoyed with some semblance of love involved. From the make you say “aww…” true love of The Future for Curious People to the coming of age first love in Steal the North to the this is not a love story, but a hero’s quest in High Fidelity to the didn’t quite get love rightin Love Is a Canoe, there’s something for everyone, whether you celebrate Valentine’s or participate in the newer Galentine’s Day (or pretend the holiday is like any other day of the year). I shamelessly used the former as an opportunity to request this gorgeous copy of Anne of Green Gables. I do hope the day comes with pizza.

(I’m easy to please – feed me and give me a book to read. Done.)

10. The Future for Curious People // Gregory Sherl. True love and a librarian. Do you need anything else? No.
09. The Republic of Love // Carol Shields. Two normal people meet and fall in love. It’s the average person’s love story. Quite refreshing.
08. Re Jane // Patricia Park. A modern Jane Eyre.
07. Heart-Shaped Box // Joe Hill. It’s named after a Nirvana song. Perhaps that’s all you need to know…
06. Steal the North // Heather Brittain Bergstrom. A coming of age love story and tale of family woe.
05. Charlotte Street // Danny Wallace. When boy stalks girl.
04. High Fidelity // Nick Hornby. It’s not so much whether the guy gets the girl, but more does the guy finally grow up.
03. The Rathbones // Janice Clark. If David Lynch crafted a gothic whaling family history…
02. Love Is a Canoe // Ben Schrank. Sometimes love doesn’t work, and that’s alright too.
01. Bag of Bones // Stephen King. A haunted love story.

What will you be reading this Valentine’s Day? For more lists, go here.

24 thoughts on “This Is Not a Love Story.”

  1. I adore the way you’ve taken on the list this week! A unique take. I love when love is included in a more subtle way and it doesn’t take over the plot.

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  11. These are new to me, except for Heart-Shaped Box, and I wouldn’t have dreamed that they would have a love interest or romance embedded in the pages. I like romance but have to take it in spurts; I actually prefer just a smidge of romance with my story instead of all out romance from beginning to end but have found some full blown romance enjoyable. I get tired of it sometimes because it can become very cliché.

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  12. “The Future for Curious People” had me at “librarian”! I’m also totally intrigued by the awesome cover of “The Rathbones.” I always find new-to-me books when I visit your blog! 🙂 My list didn’t include typical romance books either — I was pretty stumped, so I went with books about the love between humans and dogs!

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