Valentine's Day
Love in the Time of Corona
Make Valentine’s Day 2021 a romantic one with our loved-up guide to books, cards and gifts!
(Also, check out our Spotify Valentine’s playlist to get you in the lovin’ mood!)
KID’S BOOKS
Loveblock by Christopher Franceschelli, illustrated by Peskimo
Learn how animals around the world show their love in this addition to the bestselling Block Book series!
Love is strong. From European mute swans to South American two-toed sloths, animals show their love in so many ways! This interactive board book, with its chunky, die-cut pages and surprise-filled gatefolds, is perfect for young readers to pore over again and again.
More Kid’s Books about Love:
Love by Corrinne Averiss
Love from the Crayons by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
Love is Powerful by Heather Dean Brewer
Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer
Peekaboo Love by Camilla Reid and Ingela P Arrhenius
YOUNG ADULT
The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough
A funny and heart-warming queer Indigenous YA novel, set in a rural Australian community, about seventeen-year-old Jackson finding the courage to explore who he is, even if it scares him.
It's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson's Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city—but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them… As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret—a secret he thought he'd locked away for good.
Compelling, honest and beautifully written, The Boy from the Mish is about first love, identity, and the superpower of self-belief.
Buy the book…
More YA Romance:
Kind of a Big Deal by Shannon Hale
Loner by Georgina Young
Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim
Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
BLIND DATES
Stuck for a gift idea? Why not give the gift of a 'Blind Date With a Book'.
Each one is a hand-picked favourite, a beloved book that we know will touch your mind and heart.
Romantic Blind Dates:
Blind Date: I am a perfect balance of beauty & danger, tragedy and romance.
Blind Date: I am a forbidden pleasure and know your intimate self. I may leave you broken hearted.
Blind Date: I am a cozy historical novel featuring intriguing legends and a dishy vicar.
Blind Date (Young Adult): I am a whirlwind of laughter, tears and everything in between.
Blind Date (Young Adult): I am heartache in book form.
Find our full range of Blind Dates instore.
NEW FICTION
It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian
A quirky, feel-good romantic comedy about creating the life you want.
Noni didn’t expect to be starting over again at the age of thirty-six. But eighteen months after the end of her long-term relationship, she knows it’s time to find out what’s next.
While an encounter with a sexy blonde firefighter is a welcome entry back into the dating world, Noni soon realises she’s looking for more than just a series of brief-if pleasurable-encounters.
That’s how she finds herself travelling to Europe to track down the one that got away—the alluring, elusive Molly. But Europe has other surprises in store, not least of which is Beau, a tall, sexy, tattooist from Edinburgh…
More New Love Stories:
Bridgerton: The Duke And I (new TV tie-in edition) by Julia Quinn
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Insatiable: A Love Story for Greedy Girls by Daisy Buchanan
Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.
You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat
CARDS
You’re Better Than a Hot Cross Bun Slathered in Butter by Able and Game
Yes, this is the love we’re all looking for. Hot, delicious, buttery love.
From much loved Melbourne company Able and Game, who’d go to Zone 2 for you. Find more from this range in store.
More of our fave V-day cards:
I’m Bananas About You by Jo Clark Design
RuPaul “If You Can’t Love Yourself…” by Candlebark
To the Jerk That Stole My Heart by Things By Bean
You Are My Favourite Notification by Counting Stars
You’re Quite the Catch by Idlewild Co.
Find our full range of Valentine’s Day cards in store.
GIFTS
Love Poems by Pablo Neruda
Sensual, earthy love poems, now in a beautiful gift book. It’s the perfect way to say 'I love you!'
Charged with passion, Pablo Neruda's love poems are the most celebrated of the Nobel Prize winner's oeuvre, captivating readers with earthbound images and reveling in a fiery reimagining of the world. Mostly written on the island paradise of Capri, Love Poems embraces the seascapes surrounding the poet and his love, Matilde Urrutia, their waves and shores saturated with a new, yearning eroticism.
More Lovey-dovey Gifts:
The Gingerbread Kama Sutra by Patti Paige
Love Oracles Cards by Anna Higgie
Love Trivia by Chronicle Books
Living in Love: 24 Messages from the Heart for a Passionate Life by Affirmations
Reading Love Keyring by Idlewild Co.
RELATIONSHIPS
Sex Ed by Ruby Ware
Written by sex educator and body-positivity advocate Ruby Rare, Sex Ed is the practical and fun guide to sex that you've always wanted but never known how to ask for.
This is the information you should have been taught at school: a no-holds-barred roadmap that covers everything from how the brain is the most important sex organ and how to communicate what you want to yourself and a partner, all the way down to the messy stuff. After all, sex education shouldn't start and end with putting a condom on a banana.
More Books to Spice Up Your Love Life:
The Astrology of Love + Sex by Annabel Gat
Higher Love by Jordanna Levin
How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
Kama Sutra: A Guide to the Art of Pleasure Translated by A. N. D. Haksar
Mating in Captivity: Sex, Lies and Domestic Bliss by Esther Perel
BOOKS TO IMPRESS
Dessert Person by Claire Saffitz
Dessert is the food for love, and this cookbook is full of sweet recipes that will win any heart.
Claire Saffitz is a baking hero for a new generation. In Dessert Person, fans will find Claire's signature spin on sweet and savory recipes like Babkallah (a Babka-Challah mashup), Apple and Concord Grape Crumble Pie, Strawberry-Cornmeal Layer Cake, Crispy Mushroom Galette, and Malted Forever Brownies. She outlines the problems and solutions for each recipe, as well as practical do's and don'ts, skill level, prep and bake time, and foundational know-how. With Claire at your side, everyone can be a dessert person.
More books to impress your loved one:
The Illustrated World of Couture by Megan Hess
The Kinfolk Garden by John Burns
Sapiens: A Graphic History - Volume 1 - The Birth of Human Kind by Yuval Noah Harari
Space is Cool as Fuck by Kate Howells
Truth Bomb: Inspiration from the Mouths and Minds of Women Artists by Abigail Compton
Need some ideas? Give us a call on 03 9699 2292 for personalised suggestions!