Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Annie, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, making it prime time for all things love and romance. Although I believe this is also a time to celebrate platonic and self love, romance typically takes the spotlight. In the spirit of the holiday, here are some romance recs to get you feeling festive.

If you have 5 minutes…and want your faith in humanity restored, read the latest “Tiny Love Stories” from New York Times.

If you have 15 minutes…and want some ideas for Galentine’s Day (or to learn more about Galentine’s), read this article. Galentine’s Day, observed Feb. 13, is all about platonic love and celebrating your friends (and despite the name, it’s not just for female friendships).

Photo by Ed Robertson on Unsplash

Bonus: if you have a Peacock subscription, you can watch the Parks and Recreation episode that popularized this holiday.

If you have 1 hour and 42 minutes…and love the classics, watch Casablanca, available to stream online through Falvey.

Bonus: if you want to watch a newer classic, watch Clueless, available to stream online through Falvey.

If you have 7 hours…and want to support Black romance authors during Black History Month, read You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi, available in our new Popular Reading Collection. While this romance novel (obviously) involves somewhat steamy romance, it also focuses on healing from the trauma of loss.

If you have 9 hours…and haven’t already jumped on the bandwagon, read Red, White & Royal Blue, also available in our new Popular Reading Collection.

Bonus: Yes, obviously if you’ve read the book, you should watch the film adaption of Red, White & Royal Blue, starring Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez. But if you want to watch another queer romance rife with similar angst (just the right amount), watch The Wedding Banquet, available in our DVD Collection.

If you need a date night idea for Valentine’s Day (or the rest of the week), check out Villanova Theatre’s latest production Crazy for You, a romantic musical set in the 1930s directed by Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. Tickets are available here. 

Annie Stockmal is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library.