CRP's Blog

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked: What book features your favorite literary romance? (According to our staff, the best literary romances were written before 1984.) If you have a favorite, let us know in the comments or on Twitter. #CRPreads

In case it’s not painfully obvious from my previous staff reads picks, my reading tastes veer toward British novels (thanks, Mom). A Room with a View is an old favorite. I remember being hypnotized by the film as a child, before I was old enough to really understand it (thanks, Mom), and when I finally read the book in my teens I realized it’s as much about Lucy finding herself as finding love. It’s charming, empowering, and incredibly satisfying. –Ellen Hornor, project editor

Well, my first thought would be to say Pride & Prejudice—Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy forever. They’re iconic, the book is one of my favorites, and I did just watch Pride & Prejudice & Zombies this weekend so Lizzie and Darcy are on the brain. For a platonic romance, Code Name Verity and best friends Julie and Maddie. “It’s like being in love, discovering your best friend.” –Mary Kravenas, marketing manager

Literary romance saves the day. Thank you to Entertainment Weekly for this (zombie-free) image.

It’s one of my favorite books, I’ve got to say Anne and Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables. Watching their relationship progress from hatred to love as they grew up made their romance seem so much more real. –Emily Lewis, editorial and marketing assistant

Perhaps not a “literary romance” by standard definition, Stuart Dybek’s short story “Pet Milk,” a snapshot of a young couple on the cusp of new adventures, gets me every time. And it’s one of those stories you can read a million times. (It originally ran in the August 13, 1984, issue of The New Yorker.) –Meaghan Miller, senior publicist and social media coordinator

My most beloved books are the Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle. At the start of A Wrinkle in Time Meg is struggling with her mother’s calm reaction to the town gossip about her father’s long unexplained absence, but Dr. Murry simply knows he’ll be home when he can find his way back. There was something so secure about that relationship between Dr. and Dr. Murry that resonated with me throughout the series. This carried over into Meg and Calvin’s relationship in later books. They certainly are not typical romance stories, but they are definitely love stories. –Michelle Williams, managing editor

-compiled by Emily Lewis