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Duchess by Design cover

Heat Up Your Nights with Historical Romance

Need an escape from reality to get you through the long, not so chilly months until summer vacation? Try taking a trip through time with one of these great historical romances.   Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla by Lauren Willig

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?

Forget the Hallmark Card! Send some of these sweet words to your loved one instead this Valentine’s Day.

Ah, Valentine's Day. Love it or hate it, soon every store on your block is going to be covered in a regurgitation of red hearts, lace and little cupids. But if you really want to impress your lover or your crush this Valentine's Day, memorize one of these bad boys and find a balcony somewhere. It seemed to work for these prolific love poets (some of whom had lovers on every continent). 

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Hot Reads for a Cold Night

Sizzling books on romance

Romance is an experience that many can say they have encountered a time or two in their life. Let’s face it, as much as you may not want to admit it we all need a little love to shine in our lives and just in time for Valentine’s Day and as the temperature continues to drop, take the time to curl up with one of these steamy novels!  

One day book cover

Second Chance Romances

Another chance to consider love comes at almost the beginning of every year, after New Year's resolutions are set and as the days are stretching into something brighter as they pass. Valentine's Day is as good a reason as any to watch something romantic and full of possibility and questions. Some romances feel like an answer but some embrace uncertainty and give us the secondhand experience of happenstance and second chances.

Fumbled, by Alexa Martin

Dramatic Romantic Fiction

The course of true love never did run smooth . . .

Romance is comforting -- it reminds us all that there’s someone out there for everyone. While there are a lot of books that end happily ever after, couples tend to have a few roadblocks in their way before arriving at their destination. Here are a few recent releases that show couples finding their way to one another through thick and thin. 

Act Like It

Contemporary Romance Novels

Real world romance with no historical or magical obstacles

Contemporary romance is one of the hardest genres to pull off. Readers know a "happily ever after" is coming, unlike in other genres where the ending isn't guaranteed, which makes believable plot machinations that aren't too predictable or too stupid hard. It can be hard to generate conflict between characters that's believable and keeps you rooting for the ending. With historical or fantastical romance, writers can generate obstacles but when a book takes place in a recognizable world, the author has to make the conflict truly believable for the reader to care.

Pride and Prejudice

Modern Takes on Pride and Prejudice

The first sentence of Pride and Prejudice is: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The works of Jane Austen are as popular as ever, and in the past few years many new adaptations of Pride and Prejudice have been released.

Fifth Avenue Artists Society Cover

Gilded Age New York

Circa the late 19th century (Late 1800's)

After enjoying film The Age of Innocence and later reading the Pulitzer Prize winning book that inspired it, I became fascinated with late 19th century (late 1800’s) New York City, because Wharton actually came from a family that was a part of world depicted in her prize winning novel

My Sister the Serial Killer

Best Books I've Read This Year

The anniversary of my first year of being with DC Public Library was a few weeks ago, and I thought that a great way to commemorate this occasion would be with a book list! Since joining the Library I’ve been exposed to so many great books -- from board books that I use for my story time to graphic novels recommended by my coworker -- and I have a new favorite genre!

The Coldest Winter Ever Cover

Urban Fiction We Had No Business Reading...

... as kids

We all read things maybe we shouldn't of read as kids. But we were kids, and curious. But good news! Even though we had no business reading these as kids, they're much less enjoyable as adults. Take a look back at these tiles some of us were all so hot to read as kids. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

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