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. A disclaimer that this column is intended for reflection and entertainment (not for academic research, for example), and infuses scholarly content as possible.

Maybe it was the neon fever dream of Lisa Frankenstein a couple months ago, but the ’80s have been on my brain. Whether they were your formative years, you grew up on re-runs, or you just like the aesthetic, the 1980s make a lot of people feel nostalgic. Plus, with the rise and relative hold of Strangers Things, the ’80s are reaching new audiences.

Photo showing Cyndi Lauper, Studio Badge, and Sweatshirt issued to all attendees at A & M Studios, Hollywood California on January 28, 1985. Attribution : © Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com. Image sourced from Wikicommons.

As we approach the end of the semester, I think we could all use some lighthearted nostalgia (and a bit of campy fun) to help give our brains a  break. So, this weekends recs are all about the ’80s.

If you have 7 minutes…and want to listen to performances from some of the most iconic ’80s artists all in one song, watch the “We are the World” music video.

Bonus: You can also watch the The Greatest Night in Pop documentary about the behind-the-scenes scoop on “We are the World” and the artists involved.

If you have 15 minutes…and want the sparknotes of the 80s according to History, read this article.

If you have 30 minutes…and want to reminisce on the year 1985, flip through People’s “Celebrating the ’80s” edition, available through Falvey. If you think you remember 1985 like it was yesterday, there’s even a quiz for you to test your memory.

If you have 1 hour and 49 minutes…and want to watch one of the best horror movies of the ’80s, watch The Thing, currently free to stream on Tubi.

Bonus: if you want a less scary alien movie, watch E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you have 2 hours and 6 minutes…and like (kind of ridiculous) superhero movies, watch Batman (1989), available to stream online through Falvey.

Bonus: if you want to watch 2 other iconic movies from ’89, watch Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, available to stream online through Falvey, or Heathers, currently free (with ads) to stream on Youtube.

If you have 6 hours…and like dystopian books, read Margaret Atwood’s iconic The Handmaid’s Tale, available at Falvey.

Bonus: for more ’80s book recommendations, check out this list.

If you have 10 hours…and need a new playlist to jam out to, listen to Spotify’s “All Out 80s” playlist.

Interested in a ’90s throwback? Swing by our 90s-themed Stress Busting Open House on Friday, May 3 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. More details are available here. 

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

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. A disclaimer that this column is intended for reflection and entertainment (not for academic research, for example), and infuses scholarly content as possible.

After seeing Dev Patel’s Monkey Man and Villanova Theatre’s production of The Spanish Tragedy in the course of a week, it’s safe to say revenge stories have been on my mind, and given the fact that the theme of vengeance has captivated storytellers and audiences for centuries, I’m certainly not alone in this.

This weekend’s recs will focus on the theme of revenge in fiction, from movies to plays to short stories.

If you have 10 minutes…and want to read a (only slightly spoiler-y) review of Dev Patel’s directorial debut read this article. Personally, as a casual Dev Patel fan, I was honestly blown away by this movie. It’s very John Wick-coded–which Patel nods to–it’s definitely the best movie I’ve seen this year.

Bonus: if you want a non-spoiler-y review of the film, read this review.

If you have 20 minutes…and like short stories, read Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, available online through Falvey.

If you have 1 hour and 32 minutes…and you’re not a fan of bloody, gory revenge flicks, watch Legally Blonde, available to stream online through Falvey. It might not seem like a traditional revenge film, but Legally Blonde is rife with revenge themes, with characters like Elle, Paulette, and even Chutney going down various paths of vengeance.

Bonus: if want more woman-centric vengeance that’s a bit more gritty, you can also watch Promising Young Woman, available to stream online through Falvey.

Photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash

If you have 1 hour and 41 minutes…and want a supernatural revenge tale, watch The Crow, available to stream online through Falvey. I know this movie is kind of tainted due to Brandon Lee’s tragic death, but I think it’s still worth watching. Plus, for a revenge action film, it also manages to sneak in a surprising, yet refreshing amount of heart and emotion.

Bonus: Not a fan of the supernatural? You can also watch John Wick, available to stream online through Falvey.

If you have 3 hours…and want to do something fun on campus this weekend, attend Villanova Theatre’s latest production, The Spanish Tragedy. You can also read my review here.

If you have 5 hours…and want to take a scholarly dive into revenge tragedies, read Kerrigan’s Revenge Tragedy: Aeschylus to Armageddon, available online through Falvey.

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

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. A disclaimer that this column is intended for reflection and entertainment (not for academic research, for example), and infuses scholarly content as possible.

Photo by Trnava University on Unsplash

This week, April 7-13, is National Library Week, a week dedicated to appreciating what libraries do for communities. Whether it’s a university library like Falvey or a public library, libraries are absolutely vital for our communities to learn, research, create, and gather. They provide books, yes, but also technology, expert librarians, digital resources, and so much more. Even the physical spaces provide people with accessible spaces, whether it’s to work on homework, meet with peers, or curl up with a good book.

In celebration of National Library Week, this weekend’s recs are all about libraries.

If you have 2 minutes…and want to stay up-to-date on Library news and events, subscribe to our newsletter. More details here.

If you have 10 minutes…and want to read about a current problem many libraries across the country are experiencing, read this article about the increase in book bans.

Bonus: for more information on banned books, including the 10 most challenged books of 2023, check out the American Library Associations’ Banned & Challenged Books page.

If you have 15 minutes…and want to learn about how libraries are building and bettering communities, listen to this TED Talk. Not only are the books and academic resources that libraries provide vital, libraries also serve as accessible, safe spaces and community hubs for people to gather, create, and learn.

Bonus: if you want to see some of the things Falvey patrons had to say about what they loved about the Library, check out this “Curious Cat” blog post.

If you have 1 hour and 38 minutes…and want to watch a movie that makes you want to go to the library, watch Matilda, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. I might be biased because this is one of my favorite movies, but this movie shows how important libraries can be for providing safe spaces and, of course, lots of books. (You can also stream the musical movie version of Matilda on Netflix).

Bonus: check out my “Libraries Go to Hollywood” blog post about the library in Matilda.

If you have 1 hour and 45 minutes…and want to watch a movie with a fun library twist, watch Ghostbusters (1984), available to stream for free through Sling TV.

If you have 5 hours…and like mystery novels, read Agatha Christie’s The Body in the Library, available at Falvey. It might be a private library, but it still counts.

Bonus: if you want to read another library-centric book, read Ruth Ozeki’s The Book of Form and Emptiness, available at Falvey.

If you want to celebrate Falvey Hall becoming a hub for Villanova’s academic resources and scholarship as the University’s Library, swing by our 75th Anniversary celebration on Monday, April 22 from 1-3 p.m. on the Falvey Hall Patio for some sweet treats and festivities. More details can be found here. 

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

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. A disclaimer that this column is intended for reflection and entertainment (not for academic research, for example), and infuses scholarly content as possible.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

It’s officially April, which marks the beginning of National Poetry Month, a month dedicated to the art of poetry–whether it be writing, reading, performing, or studying it. Poetry is an art form whose end product can look and sound a nearly endless possibility of different ways, but its meanings often resonate with us, even for generations. It can also be deeply personal, feeling a certain allegiance to the poets whose words speak to you, whether it be Poe, Shakespeare, Plath, or Angelou. In celebration of National Poetry Month, this Weekend’s Recs will take a dive into the world of poetry, poems, and the poets who create them.

If you have 3 minutes…and like the political commentary of slam poetry, watch the “Lost Voices” slam poem. It may have gone viral a few years ago, but it continues to be relevant today.

If you have 12 minutes…and are a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, listen to late actor Christopher Lee’s narration of “The Raven.” Not only is this poem arguably one of the most iconic of all time, Christopher Lee’s distinctive voice really brings the poem to life.

Bonus: if you want to explore the poetic works of Poe, read this collection of his poetry.

If you have 16 minutes…and like TED Talks, watch this talk by Pages Matam, who blends typical TED-talk-style lecturing about how poetry can offer a unique opportunity to use your voice with interspersed spoken word poetry.

If you have 25 minutes…and want to read academic work on one of the most popular forms of poetry today, read this article about the poetry of modern hip-hop.

If you have 1 hour and 26 minutes…and want to learn more about Poe, watch “Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive” from PBS’s American Masters, available to stream online through Falvey.

If you have 1 hour and 43 minutes…and like the poets of the Beat movement, watch Kill Your Darlings, available to stream online through Falvey. This dark academia film follows the two early Beat poets Allen Ginsburg and Lucien Carr during their time at Columbia University, and like other works in the dark academia sub-genre, it involves murder, romance, and poetry.

If you have 2 hours and 5 minutes…and are a fan of Emily Dickinson, watch A Quiet Passion, available to stream for free on Pluto. Starring Cynthia Nixon, this biopic follows Dickinson from childhood to her death.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels

Bonus: if you have Apple TV, and want a more comedic and creative take–including her obsession with death–on Emily Dickinson’s life, watch the Dickinson series, starring Hailee Steinfeld. You can also read a collection of Emily Dickinson’s poems here.

If you have 4 hours…and like quick-reads, read Dead Poet’s Society, available in our Popular Reading Collection. The book was actually written after the classic movie starring Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke (among others), but the book is still largely a love letter to poetry.

If you have 8 hours…and want to take a dive into the study of poetry, read Poetry by John Strachan, available online through Falvey.

Bonus: if you want to check out books of poetry for some inspiration, browse Falvey’s collection.

For more library resources on poetry, check out the Poetry Subject Guide.

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

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. A disclaimer that this column is intended for reflection and entertainment (not for academic research, for example), and infuses scholarly content as possible.

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

It’s Shakespeare Week, a week dedicated to celebrating and engaging with the works of playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Of course,  Shakespeare’s famed works live on as people continue to read, perform, and analyze them over 400 years after his death, but they have also inspired a plethora of adaptations and retellings that have been modernized for new audiences today to enjoy.

Just recently, Much Ado About Nothing received a retelling in the 2023 rom-com Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Even the now iconic The Lion King is an adaptation of Hamlet. So, in celebrating of Shakespeare Week, here are some modern adaptations and retellings (and some might even surprise you).

If you have 5 minutes…and want to test your Shakespeare knowledge, take this quick quiz, released in celebration of the recent 400-year anniversary of the First Folio, a historic collection of Shakespeare’s works that might have otherwise been lost to history.

If you have 19 minutes…and like Youtube video essays, watch this video discussing how the 1990s and 2000s trend of Shakespeare retellings re-popularized Shakespeare among young people.

Bonus: For a more scholarly take, read this ebook on marketing “The Bard” to Hollywood during the same era.

If you have 37 minutes…and like feminist analyses, watch this video essay on how 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s the Man represent feminism and gender.

Bonus: To see an academic’s take on this subject, read this essay from Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation.

Photo by malavika on Unsplash

If you have 1 hour and 37 minutes…and want to feel a little nostalgic, watch 10 Things I Hate About You, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This beloved late 90s rom-com starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger is actually a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew.

If you have 1 hour and 45 minutes…and like Shakespeare’s comedies, watch She’s the Man, available to stream for free on Pluto. If you’ve read or seen Twelfth Night, you might not be surprised that She’s the Man is an updated (and somehow even more outlandish) retelling.

Bonus: if you want to watch an adaptation more faithful to the source material, watch 1996’s Twelfth Night, available to stream online through Falvey.

If you have 1 hour and 51 minutes…and prefer Shakespeare’s tragedies, watch Hamlet, the 2000s modernized retelling starring Ethan Hawke set in New York City, available to stream online through Falvey.

If you have 2 hours and 41 minutes…and are a fan of David Tennant, watch him and Catherine Tate star in a filmed production of Much Ado About Nothing, available to stream online through Falvey. It might technically be more of a theatrical production rather than an adaptation, but it stars two recognizable film actors, so I’m including it.

Bonus: If you want to check out any more filmed theatrical productions of works by playwrights like Shakespeare and beyond, browse our Digital Theatre+ subscription library.

If you have 6 hours…and like Shakespeare’s dramedy The Tempest, read Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood. Yes, the Margaret Atwood wrote a Shakespeare adaptation in 2016. Not a traditional retelling, Atwood weaves the Shakespeare’s original work into the plot, following actor Felix as he seeks revenge for having his theatrical dreams crushed.

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

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 Viacom International Inc. on Wikimedia Commons

With the release of the live-action Netflix Original adaptation a few weeks ago, it’s safe to say that the Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) fandom is having a resurgence. Originally airing on Nickelodeon in 2005, ATLA has become a highly acclaimed cult classic (or, at this point, just a classic). Although its status as an anime is debatable—I’d personally say that it’s more of a gateway show to actual anime—the show has been credited as introducing a new audience of American children to anime. The series has also been praised for capturing intense emotional and political themes in a show made for children—though it’s definitely a show that is enjoyable at all ages.

If you have 10 minutes…and haven’t seen the Netflix Original yet, read this review. It’s largely received mixed reviews, though they do skew positive. In my opinion, while the casting is amazing (and it’s overall 10x better than the 2010 live action movie), the pacing and some of the characterizations were a bit off.

If you have 15 minutes…and like the original, read this New York Times essay about ATLA and its de-centering of whiteness.

Photo courtesy of Nickelodeon

If you have 25 minutes…and want read some academic work on ATLA, read “The Blending of Bending: How We Engage with the World of Avatar: The Last Airbender through Memes,” available online through Falvey. Inspired by ATLA memes during the pandemic, this article does a deep dive into ATLA, its fandom, and its memes.

If you have 1 hour and 32 minutes…and are a fan of Prince Zuko’s character arc, watch this deep dive video essay on his character’s psychology.

If you have 7 hours and 17 minutes…and haven’t already watched it, watch the first season of the live action series. It might not be perfect (or surpass the original), but it does have some bright spots—it’s visually stunning, the effects are great, including the bending, and Dallas James Liu really stands out as Prince Zuko.

Bonus: it almost goes without saying, but if you want to watch (or re-watch) arguably one of the best “children’s” shows of all time, watch the original animated series, also available on Netflix. If you don’t believe me, look at its glowing scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

If you have a free weekend…and want to explore more ATLA lore, read the books in the Avatar Kyoshi duology—The Rise of Kyoshi and The Shadow of Kyoshi—available online through Falvey.

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

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. 

Today marks the beginning of March, which means that it is officially Women’s History Month, a month dedicated to remembering and celebrating remarkable women in history. With midterms ending and Spring Break right around the corner, I think we all need a bit of a break from thick books and trying to cram your brain with knowledge. So, here are some recs from women directors, filmmakers, and writers to help you take a break and celebrate Women’s History Month.

If you have 10 minutes…and want the highlights reel of some of the most successful female filmmakers at the present, read this article.

If you have 14 minutes and 18 seconds…and want to watch something (a little) educational, watch this TED Talk about female directors from film writer, critic, and reporter Alicia Malone.

If you have 43 minutes and 4 seconds…and are an avid podcast listener, listen to “Hollywood’s First Female Directors” episode of the Stuff Mom Never Told You podcast.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

If you have 1 hour and 50 minutes…and like biopics, watch Sofia Coppola’s latest film Priscilla, available to stream on Max. This film will definitely give you a much different perspective on Priscilla’s relationship with Elvis Presley than Elvis (2022).

If you have 1 hour and 53 minutes…and like dark movies, watch Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, available to stream online through Falvey. I know it only came out in 2020 (and maybe the buzz from Saltburn is skewing my perspective), but I think it’s earned its place as a “classic.”

Bonus: although the satire sometimes gets lost in translation, if you like dark films, American Psycho, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection, was also directed by a woman.

If you have 2 hours and 11 minutes…and like queer cinema (or just like period pieces), watch Portrait of a Lady on Fire, available to stream online through Falvey. Per most lesbian period pieces, it’s a slow burn romance (in French), and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Bonus: I’ve recommended it before, but I believe it’s a must watch. If you like 90s queer cinema, watch The Watermelon Woman, directed by Cheryl Dunye, available to stream online through Falvey. It’s the perfect transition from Black History Month to Women’s History Month, as it deals with the unique history of Black queer women through a mockumentary style.

If you have 3 hours and 58 minutes…and want to watch a double feature from a Black female director, watch Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love and Basketball (available to stream on Paramount+) and The Secret Life of Bees (available to stream on Hulu and Paramount+). Gina Prince-Bythewood, who you may recognize most recently for The Woman King, is consistently a strong director for female-driven stories that center women of color.

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

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. 

Next Wednesday, Feb. 28, is Rare Disease Day, a day dedicated to spreading awareness about rare diseases. Suffering from a rare disease is an uphill battle, often both because of the actual symptoms and because of not being taken seriously by doctors or being treated differently. Although there are just too many rare diseases to cover in a blog post, this weekend’s recs will spread some awareness of what’s it’s like to live with one.

If you have 10 minutes…and are a fan of Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, check out this article about how she balances being a best-selling author with living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a “rare” (though, we’re slowly learning it’s much more common than previously thought) genetic connective tissue disorder. You might recognize some of Rebecca’s real life symptoms in her protagonist Violet.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

If you have 15 minutes…and want to better understand what living with long COVID is like (or if you can relate), read this New York Times article. Through impeccable graphic design, Giorgia Lupi’s essay is really able to convey how long COVID can take over your life.

If you have 44 minutes…and like medical dramas, watch an episode from the first season of House M.D. (or simply House), available in Falvey’s DVD Collection.

If you have 1 hour and 35 minutes…and want to experience what it’s like to be a medical mystery (if you haven’t already personally), watch Brain on Fire, available to stream on Netflix. The movie follows reporter Susannah Cahalan and her journey to being diagnosed with a rare brain disorder.

Bonus: if you liked the movie, you can also read the book, available in our Popular Reading Collection.

If you have 4 hours…and want to solve medical mysteries along with the author, read Playing the Ponies and Other Medical Mysteries Solved, available online through Falvey.

If you have 5 hours and 31 minutes…and like medical shows about real people, watch the first season of Netlifx’s Diagnosis. It’s both interesting to learn about new rare disorders while also humanizing the people going through the often grueling process of trying to obtain a diagnosis.

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

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. 

It could be an over-generalization, but everybody likes a good heist movie, right? Whether it’s the Ocean’s series, Money Heist, or a classic like The Asphalt Jungle. There are twists and turns, detailed plans that leave us on the edge of our seats, and usually a ragtag team of criminals that make for a wild ride. If you’re a fan of heist movies, here are some recs to keep you guessing this weekend.

If you have 4 minutes and 55 seconds…and want to watch a great heist scene, watch this clip from The Dark Knight. Although it’s not technically a heist movie, the Joker’s bank heist in the beginning is iconic.

If you have 18 minutes and 16 seconds…and want to learn about the biggest bank heist in history, watch this video. It details the 2022 bank heist in Iraq that stole $2.5 billion.

Photo by Visual Karsa on Unsplash

If you have 19 minutes and 49 seconds…and want to watch a former jewel thief rate heist movies, watch this Vanity Fair video.

If you have 1 hour and 55 minutes…and haven’t already seen it, watch Baby Driver, currently free to stream on Amazon Prime. It was probably one of the most popular heist movies to come out in the past decade.

Bonus: if you want to watch a slight more underrated heist movie from the same year, watch Logan Lucky.

If you have 2 hours and 5 minutes…and want to watch a classic film, watch Dog Day Afternoon, available in Falvey’s DVD Collection. This bank robbery movie starring Al Pacino is so iconic, it even inspired a Bob’s Burgers episode, aptly titled “Bob Day Afternoon.”

If you have 4 hours…and want to take a deep dive into the heist film genre, read Daryl Lee’s The Heist Film: Stealing with Style, available to read online through Falvey.

If you have a free weekend…and want to read a heist book with a fantasy twist, read Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, available in Falvey’s new Popular Reading Collection. From Bardugo’s fantasy Grishaverse (although the Shadow and Bone trilogy is not required reading to enjoy this duology), Kaz Brekker and the rest of the crows bring everything a quintessential heist book needs and will keep you guessing until the end.

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

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.