With Valentine’s Day coming up, here are a selection of books and prompts to embrace self-love. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to a bookstore date with the best person around – yourself.
Self-Love for Small-Town Girls – Lang Leav
One of my favorite poets, Lang Leav, has inspired my own writing to look inward and release any self-doubt. Last year, she released a new collection of poetry and prose. This piece has the ability to extract negativity out of our bodies. The small town is metaphorical for our mindsets, where we can feel lost and trapped within our own minds, and learning how to grow out of that space. Whether you are sharing Valentine’s Day with someone or not, this read will comfort you. The audience may be for “girls,” but anyone and everyone can be in tune with their emotions through Leav’s writing journey.
Lang Leav’s Self-Love for Small-Town Girls
Check out her inspirational talk from this collection:
Youtube: Lang Leav on Self-Love for Small-Town Girls
Everything I Know About… Love – Dolly Alderton
This touching memoir (2018) by Dolly Alderton immediately caught my eye by its cover. We are taught not to judge books by their covers, but this book’s cover crosses out “parties, dates, friends, jobs, life” and leaves “love” uncrossed. The honesty in acknowledging that it is okay to not know everything really resonated with me as a 21-year-old who is constantly learning new things about myself and life around me. Alderton describes back-to-back rough and dark experiences in life from break-ups to job losses; but, at the end of the day, her closest friends are who she can always trust, respect, and love. Our friends and loved ones are the people that witness our growth, and our worst sides to ourselves, but they continue to show endless support for us.
Feeling lost this upcoming 14th? Alderton’s memoir will have your back and help you find yourself in the midst of chaos.
Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About… Love
Loveless – Alice Oseman
From the creator of Netflix’s show, Heartstopper, Alice Oseman brings out a new story of LGBT+ identities and romance, or rather, lack thereof. Oseman’s 2020 YA fiction novel, Loveless, embarks on Georgia’s self-identification journey as an aro-ace teenager. Like many people out there who feel indifferent towards romance and sexual activities, Georgia finds, and represents, community within a confusing time in her life. Community offers us support and unconditional love, so journey with Georgia on her adventure for identity and friendship.
You may just tear up like I had done because the writing is so heartwarming.
Self-Love Writing Prompts – Rupi Kaur
Looking to write more than read? These 70 curated prompts will help guide you to regain a daily connection to yourself. Rupi Kaur crafts each card with intention, creativity, and guidance towards self-love. A journal can be your best friend on such a day like Valentine’s. My favorite card in the deck has to be, “Right now, what my body needs most is ___” to which I would answer, “Care. A day at the pool and a warm croissant.” The simplest activities can be the biggest mood changer and enhance positivity in hard times.