Listen to Your Hearts

Conversation hearts: that chalky sweet reminder of Valentine’s Day that lingers (in your molars) long after the chocolate has melted away. Their phrases are by turns charming and mystifying, but we love them just the same. So much so, that it’s time we do a little Reader’s Advisory love match for these desperately seeking sweets. Here, I do my best to match the title to the treat.

	Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley The last night of school, Lucy is determined to meet Shadow, the graffiti artist and underground celebrity in her town who she is sure would be her soul mate. Ed, a guy with whom Lucy had a disastrous first (and last) date with knows where he is. All night they hang out, bond over art and poetry and life, looking for what is already there.
	Au Revoir Crazy European Chick / Perry’s Killer Playlist by Joe Schreiber You know that person you just can’t give up, even though you know it’s totally not in your best interest? Yeah, Gobi is that person for Perry. You don’t need to read the first before the second, but it’ll help, it’s a page turner, and it’s a heckuvalot of fun. This pair asks the question: exactly how many times can love overcome death?
	Hooked by Catherine Greenman When New York teens Thea and Will meet at their prestigious high school, settling down with a baby is the last thing on their minds. They’re so in love… but when baby makes three, things are bound to change.
	Belonging by Karen Ann Hopkins In this forthcoming sequel from Harlequin Teen, Amish Noah and “English” Rose have met and fallen in love. Now Rose has decided to uproot her modern life and become Amish so she can be with Noah. Her father expects she won’t last, but Rose is determined that this will be forever. What she finds within her new community and within herself is surprising in many ways.
	After Hello by Lisa Magnum Like a scene in a movie, Sarah snaps a photo of Sam finding a book at the beginning of her one and only day in New York City, and the two strike up an adorably flirtatious friendship as Sam trades one thing for another in hopes of finding exactly what his hotheaded celebrity employer wants and Sarah discovers a world of possibilities.
	Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz Both Aristotle and Dante are just completely solid guys. The kind of guys you want in your life, the kind of guys you’re lucky to meet and hope to hold on to for a while. As their friendship grows and develops into something more, the two discover that they are, indeed, lucky to have one another.
	Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral She’s a brilliant piano prodigy. He’s a troubled student with an artistic flair. She’s headed on a European tour. He’s from Argentina. She’s missing. And he is… well, I’ll let you figure that one out. This is a beautiful book, and a compelling love story told almost exclusively through photographs.
	The Difference Between You and Me by Madeline George What could be more romantic than finding love and lust in the library bathroom? Well, probably lots of things, but when Jesse and Emily sneak off together to make out each week, those kisses make it all seem just about perfect… until the girls find themselves on opposite sides of a community conflict.
	Going Vintage by Lindsay Leavitt When you find that your boyfriend is cheating on you with a cyber wife, there is only one thing you can do – swear off all technology and return to a time where life was simpler. That’s right, Mallory is Going Vintage. Back to 1962, to be exact, to complete her grandmother’s unfinished to-do list from Junior year.
	The Immortal Rulesby Julie Kagawa Oh come on, we had to have at least ONE vampire book on here, right? Well this is a good one. Allie lives on the outskirts, trying to stay hidden, in a future society ruled by much reviled vampires. But when she makes the decision to let a vampire turn her instead of dying, her secrecy takes a new direction. This first in a promising and much anticipated series has both action and romance that both build slowly, forcefully, and very darkly.

Want to make your own hearts? I used this brilliantly simple site and you can too!
Want to build on this and host a conversation heart fest? Here are Fourteen Conversation Heart Crafts, and you can always just see who can stack them the highest too.

Happy Valentine’s Day, from everyone here at the Teen Librarian Toolbox!

-Heather

Filed under: Booklists, Harlequin Teen, Love Stories, Reader's Advisory, Romance, Valentine's Day