A relationship with reading: 28 book recommendations for the month of February | By: Izabella Zadra and Sara Guymon | PG. 4

embraces self-expression and creativity. Other books like, “Every Last Word:” “Made You Up,” “My Heart and Other Black Holes,” The Way I Used to Be”

22. “The Road” By: Cormic McCarthy, Science Fiction/Post-Apocalyptic Usually I’m not a huge fan of post-apocalyptic novels or universes; however, this book is an exception. It tells the story of a father and his son who are fighting to stay alive and holding onto the hope that humanity will prevail even after everything that has happened. They journey toward the sea and avoid other humans who pose a threat to their survival. Unlike my previous recommendations, this book evokes a different level of suspense that makes you want to keep reading. Other books like, “The Road:” “The Children of Men,” “Last Man Standing,” “Station Eleven”

23. “Lord of the Flies,” By: William Golding, Science Fiction I couldn’t make this list without throwing a classic on the list. Lord of the Flies is an unusually dark story about children who get stranded on a deserted island. The presence of mob mentality throughout the story is well presented and leads to the downfall of major characters. I think the idea that children will also do what it takes to survive is a very compelling plot that stuck with me since I read the story in my 10th grade literature class. Other books like, “Lord of the Flies:” “Clockwork Orange,” “The Hunger Games,” “Annihilation” 24. “Emergency Contact,” By: Mary H. K. Choi, Fiction This book is a modern day love story. The author plays with the idea of having one person who can text you at any moment in time and you would drop everything to respond to them. It’s the sweet late night conversations about anything and everything or the early morning texts for no reason at all. The story revolves around Sam and Penny who talk to each other about everything despite barely knowing each other at all. Through the texts and small interactions, the two grow closer and the line betweens platonic and romantic feelings blur. Other books like, “Emergency Contact:” “Alex, Approximately,” “The Unexpected Everything,” “We Are Okay”

25. “The Help,” By: Kathryn Stock ett, Fiction This novel is a moving story about racism in the south during the 1960s. When Skeeter comes home from college, she decides to continue to pursue her dreams of being a writer. Instead of focusing on the usual and more a cceptable topics of the 1960s, Skeeter decides to interview black women about their experience taking care and working for upper-class white families. I think this novel is beautifully written and moving. Other books like, “The Help:” “ Hidden Figures,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Secret Life of Bees” 26. “Room,” by Emma Donoghue, Fiction This book is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy who has never left the room that he and his mother live in. The naivety of the boy is heartbreaking throughout the novel as he only knows what is contained within this small space. We watch him and his mother’s experience through this child’s eyes and have to put together the rest of it. It paints a somber picture of what one person’s nightmare can look like through the innocence of a child. The perspective is so unique.

27. “Milk and Honey,” By: Rupi Kaur, Poetry Poetry and creative writing are something that I hold close to my heart. I read this collection of poems during high school, and I’ve always loved this book. It is filled with relatable anecdotes about pain. The book itself is divided into four sections and each section tackles a different topic. This book is inspiring and touching in a beautiful way. Other books like, “Milk and Honey:” “The Words I Wish I Said,” “Pillow Thoughts,” “You’ll Come Back to Yourself”

28. “The Hate U Give” By: Angie Thomas, Fiction This book was inspired by the recent Black Lives Matter movement and is a powerful, moving story about the gun violence we still witness in America. The novel covers the incredibly delicate topic of racism and police brutality in an elegant and respectful way. The way the author wrote this story is inspirational. I think that everyone should read this book and keep an open mind when learning about the perspective of a whole different person and race. The desire for equality really resonated with me. Other books like, “The Hate U Give:” “All American Boys,” “Dear Martin” “Anger is a Gift”

28 Book Recommendations

Sweeter Than a Box of Candy Hearts

How Much Do You Really Know About the Weird and Uncertain History of Valentine’s Day?

By: Izabella Zadra

When you hear Valentine’s Day, what do you think of — boxes of chocolates, candlelit dinners, a chubby baby shooting arrows? All those things are modern symbols of Valentine’s Day, but this lovey-dovey holiday hasn’t always been as sweet as a box of candy hearts.

Origins

Valentine’s Day dates back all the way to the fifth century and has extremely foggy origins. One of the first traces of this love holiday started with the Lupercalia feast celebrated by the Roman people. The feast was a celebration of the new spring to come and the fertility of

both crops and women (yes, you DID read that right).

One of the most exciting parts of this festival might also be the most disturbing. Roman priests were known to sacrifice dog and goat hides and run around the town naked lightly hitting the townswomen with the bloody hides. This was thought to be the best way to get the women fertile for the spring season.

There was also a Hunger Games-like draw where the names of all the town’s females would be put into a big jar and men would pick out names. The chosen women were required to ‘date’ the man throughout the weekend of the festival and if things went well during the fest, love would blossom and the couple would end up getting married down the road.

Where did the name “Valentine” come from?

There are a lot of different theories on where the name Valentine actually came from, but the most famous story is that of St. Valentine who married couples illegally in the name of love. Therefore, that’s how Valentine’s Day got its romantic tendencies.

Another story that is told is that of Priest Claudius Gothicus II who fell in love with a girl to whom he wrote a letter signed, “From your Valentine.”

The final theory that has been tossed around is that Pope Gelasius I made up the holiday of Valentine’s Day to replace the obviously weird holiday of Lupercalia Fest.

No matter what story you choose to believe, the holiday itself didn’t truly become romanticized until Shakespeare started showing how romantic he thought the holiday was in his works. This eventually

brought the sweet tradition of exchanging cards with people you loved.

Valentine’s Day Traditions and symbols

There are a lot of different symbols and traditions that came along with Valentine’s Day, but how did we start to associate these weird things with a holiday based on love?

Going back to Shakespeare, after he started exaggerating the romance of Valentine’s Day in his plays, people started to exchange Valentine’s cards with one another. This ritual eventually made its way into the New World and started to grow in popularity.