Try Reading One Of The Following Books With Your Boyfriend Or Firlfriend!
Looking for an exciting new way to spend quality time with your beloved? Instead of attending a sporting event, seeing a movie, or taking a trip around the world, consider embarking on one of the most stimulating and fulfilling adventures you can enjoy together: reading a book.
Yeah, I know – this millenia-old activity sounds about as exciting as the hay ride your great-grandparents took on their fourth date ever.
But reading with a significant other can be a supremely intimate event, giving you a chance to share a common experience, and see what he or she thinks about interesting ideas. Whether you take turns reading out loud over the course of several dates, or carve out time to discuss chapters after having read each one on your own, here are five of the best novels to read as a couple:
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Set both in Poland during World War II and in modern New York City, The History of Love parallels various different characters’ attempts to find and hold onto love. The novel explores the evolving nature of devotion as well as its enduring power across generations. Reading it with your partner will remind you that your feelings for each other are part of a much larger story – one of a universal, deep, emotional connection that has sustained millions of people throughout history.
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie
A novel exploring the depths and heights of human nature, Shalimar the Clown follows the plight of two Kashmiri lovers, Boonyi and Shalimar, as their relationship and community fall apart.
The novel is full of indispensible lessons about the importance of fidelity and the all-encompassing role that love plays in people’s lives. Though a heavy read, the story ends optimistically, which will give the two of you the chance to reflect on the value of forgiveness. You’ll connect over Rushdie’s writing style, wisdom, and wild sense of humor.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Few novels exemplify so vividly how love can triumph under even the most hopeless of circumstances as The Fault in Our Stars. Green’s bestseller follows Hazel and Augustus, two youths suffering from cancer. Gradually, they teach one another to see past the tragedy of their own situations, finding joy at every opportunity. The book will inspire you to value every moment spent with your companion. But be warned: reading it will induce a flash flood of tears, so have tissues at the ready.
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
A novel of intrigue, romance, and cross-cultural communication, The English Patient follows four war-weary travelers who come together in an Italian villa at the end of World War II. By falling in love, two of these characters – Kip and Hana – overcome the horrors of war and rediscover happiness. The beautiful prose teaches us the importance of love, and how lucky we are to find it.
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
After so much heavy reading, end on a lighter note with Laura Esquivel’s hilarious magical realist romance. Like Water for Chocolate tells the story of Tita de la Garza, a young woman in early 20th century Mexico who uses enchanted cooking to rebel against her family’s conservative restrictions on romance. Reading this book will give you and your partner a chance to laugh, providing relief from the stress of daily life. Ideally, the novel will inspire both of you to cook for each other – and it doesn’t get any more romantic than that!
