Lovely Love Books 🥰💝✨❤️

Happy Valentine's Day, Friends! 😍💕💕

A wonderful Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow book by Molly Clavering!

How has February been treating you so far? It's still pretty cold here in New Hampshire 🥶❄️ (single digits at night and highs of 30s during the day) and we've still got over a foot of snow on the lawn. Trying to go to the backyard compost area is a challenge because the snow is literally up to (or over!) my knees 😂 

I've been loving chatting with Liz (@pony.books) about our upcoming trip to London in April (yippeeee!), buddy reading vintage YA and romances with Andrea (@sorrythankyou79) and talking to Gina (@gina.stanyer.books) about our planners/traveler's journals and all things cozy! 

Stories for Lovers by the British Library Women Writers Collection!

On Saturday, Ian and I are planning on going to our favorite local coffee shop (Sunny Cafe!), watching a show together (Downton Abbey...again!) and maybe getting Thai for dinner (yumm!). I'm sure Ian will also want to spend some time with his new-to-him pinball machine, Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man (Did I ever mention that Ian has an arcade/pinball/movie room in our house? See end of post for a photo of his pinball machine. Let me know if you want me to share a video or more photos of his arcade room!) and I'll probably knit on my Harry Potter-themed scarves while re-watching a favorite movie. 

Full of poignant short stories of so many lovely British Women Writers!

What are YOUR plans for V-Day this year? ☺️💓🎁 

Okay...onto the BOOKS! 

Here are all of the books in my collection that have "LOVE" in the title! I know I post a lot of these subject/season themed collections, but it's definitely a passion of mine - lol. Do you like having books organized by theme or season? I also like to organize my bookshelves by author or genre (vintage middle grade, children's, holiday, etc.). So...for now...here are my love books with ratings—I will add links to my reviews on Goodreads soon!

Beautiful Emma Bridgewater mug from Gina and Lovepop card from Ian!

LOVE BOOKS & RATINGS:  

💝 Love Comes Home by Molly Clavering 4🌟
💝 Stories for Lovers by British Library Women Writers 4.25🌟
💝 How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry 4.5🌟
💝 Paris—And My Love by Mary Burchell 4🌟

Lovely vintage Harlequin romances by Mary Burchell and some of my vintage makeup collection!

💝 The Love Child by Edith Oliver 4🌟
💝 Love by Elizabeth von Arnim 4.5🌟
💝 Loves Music, Loves to Dance by Mary Higgins Clark 4.5🌟
💝 Love by Susan Branch 5🌟

Susan Branch books never fail to make me happy!

Best book everrrr! It's one of my all-time favorite books!

💝 No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym 3🌟
💝 The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford 4🌟
💝 Book Love by Debbie Tung 5🌟

Such a sweetly illustrated book about book love!

💝 Love is in the Earth by Melody 4🌟
💝 Caitlin Love Trilogy by Francine Pascal 4🌟
💝 The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman 5🌟
💝 A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott 5🌟
💝 The Ladies of Covington Send Their Love by Joan Medlicott 3🌟
💝 Paris in Love by Eloisa James 5🌟
💝 Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 3🌟
💝 Love Over Scotland by Alexander McCall Smith 4🌟
💝 Peony in Love by Lisa See 3🌟
💝 Live with the Things You Love by Mary Randolph Carter 2🌟
💝 No Lovelier Spring by Lida Larrimore 3.5🌟

Lida Larrimore's vintage romances are so thoughtful!

The cutest book in the whole world!!

💝 Raggedy Ann: A Thank You, Please and I Love You Book by Norah Smaridge 5🌟
💝 Come Back to Me, Beloved by Kathleen Norris 5🌟

A 5🌟 Kathleen Norris novel - sooo perfect! A buddy read with Gina Stanyer.

💝 French Girl in Love by Maysie Greig 3.5🌟
💝 Odds on Love by Maysie Greig 4🌟
💝 The Laurel Bush: An Old-Fashioned Love Story by Dinah M. Craik 4.5🌟
💝 Love and Friendship by Jane Austen 3.5🌟
💝 The Book of My Beloveds by Esmerelda Little Flame 5🌟

I have poetry in this lovely book! Available on Amazon! 

💝 A Fine Romance: Falling In Love with the English Countryside by Susan Branch 5🌟
💝 Enid Blyton's Nature Lover's Book 3.5🌟
💝 Learning To Love Yourself by Gay Hendricks 4🌟
💝 The Last Letter from Your Lover by JoJo Moyes 5🌟
💝 The Demon Lover by Victoria Holt 3🌟
💝 The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold 4🌟
💝 Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith 3🌟
💝 Sweet Valley High books by Francine Pascal (too many to list with love in the title - lol!) generally all 3-4🌟

Love-titled books on a pink bamboo lace shawl that I knit myself!

LOVE BOOK TBR:   

Here is a list of all the books I'm hoping to read within the next year or less. Any favorite books listed here? See above photo to see some of the covers!

Photo from Dean Street Press Ltd. website. 

❤️ Love in a Mist by Susan Scarlett
❤️ First Love by Gay Head    
❤️ Look Back with Love by Dodie Smith
❤️ All for Love by Tasha Tudor
❤️ The Lovely Day by Dorothy Evelyn Smith  
❤️ The Long Love by Pearl S. Buck
❤️ How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh  
❤️ The Love Child by Fiona Hill
❤️ A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen
❤️ Love for Lydia by H.E. Bates 

I would LOVE to know your favorite books with "love" in the title or any books that just give you that loving feeling 😊💓 

Wishing you the most wonderful Valentine's Day (no matter who you're with or even if you've taken a self-care day of your own!) and sending lots and lots of love from meeeeee! 

As always, I'll try to keep this list updated as the months (or years!) go by. If you ever use my list for anything fun, please tag me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or anywhere on social media. You can also email me: babsbelovedbooks at gmail dot com! ☺️✨🌸 

Ian's new-to-him 1980s pinball machine is so cool!

Ian playing his new Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man pinball! 

My Favorite Autumn Books 🤩🧡🍁📙🍂

Happy Almost-Autumn Equinox, Book Friends! Before I leave for Prince Edward Island (yippeee!), I wanted to share my favorite books for autumn—by title, season and/or book cover. Autumn is my all-time favorite season (with spring being 2nd) and I love getting cozy and cuddly with these fall-ish books, movies and activities. 

Let's get started on the lists! (Note: See if you can spot the handmade crochet pumpkins and hand-carved fox in these photos—both such thoughtful gifts from my dearest friend Caro of Carosbookcase.com!)

Lots of lovely autumn books on my new kitchen tablecloth with pumpkin place mats!

AUTUMN-TITLED BOOKS: 

🍁 Autumn by Susan Branch 5🌟
🍁 Autumn Story by Jill Barklem 4.5🌟
🍁 Cranberry Autumn by Wende & Harry Devlin 4🌟
🍁 Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym 3🌟
🍁 The Autumn Rose by Fiona Hill
🍁 Tangled Autumn by Betty Neels 
🍁 The Autumn’s Brightness by Daisy Newman
🍁 Autumn Term by Antonia Forest (a gift from Caro!) 4🌟

Autumn-Titled Books in my Current Collection

AUTUMN BOOK COVERS: 

🍂 True to You by Viola Rowe 3.5🌟
🍂 Diana Takes a Chance by Catherine Christian 4.5🌟
🍂 Buttered Toast by Marjorie Stewart 5🌟
🍂 He Went for a Walk by Dorothy Evelyn Smith
🍂 A Flute in Mayferry Street by Eileen Dunlop
🍂 Scarlet Royal
🍂 September by Rosamunde Pilcher 4.5🌟
🍂 A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater
🍂 Golden Books' Trees of North America 

My Favorite Autumn Book Covers

FAVORITE COZY FALL ACTIVITIES: (not Halloween-related)

🧡 Picking apple and pumpkins
🧡 Cracking bonfires in the backyard
🧡 Sunset walks in nature
🧡 Hot apple cider
🧡 Homemade soups and stews (with oyster crackers!)
🧡 Chilly nights and snuggling with Ian
🧡 Colorful leaves and leaf pressing
🧡 Moonlight hot tub nights
🧡 Sitting my my comfy chair with tea, book and handmade blanket 

(If only someone made vegan-friendly apple cider donuts!! Maybe someday!) 

The end papers to The Autumn's Brightness by Daisy Newman—so pretty!

MY FAVORITE MOVIES/TV SHOWS TO WATCH IN AUTUMN: (not Halloween-related)

🎬 When Harry Met Sally
🎬 Wolfwalkers
🎬 Persuasion
🎬 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
🎬 Harry Potter Series
📺 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
📺 Doc Martin 
🎬 Over the Garden Wall
🎬 Kiki’s Delivery Service
🎬 Mystic Pizza 
🎬 The Trouble with Harry
🎬 Mermaids
🎬 St. Elmo’s Fire
🎬 Coraline
🎬 Bedknobs and Broomsticks

My signed copy of September by Rosamunde Pilcher! Love!! 😍

Oops! I forgot to add a few books! The first is...The Willows and Beyond! I loved buddy reading this series by William Horwood with Caro last year! I hope we'll do this again soon (if only my TBR wasn't so huge! lol!) I was so lucky to receive three of these books as gifts from Caro. I love them! 

My William Horwood Book Collection...3/5 books gifted by Caro! 

These two books are also MUST READS for September and October! 

🍁 Tasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts 5🌟

This is a gorgeous book, even if you're not a crafty person. It's SO good and very cozy!

🍁 October, October by Katya Balen 5🌟

A very touching book that had me crying at the end!

My vintage Sears Pioneer Woman kitchen canisters from the 1970s. I love them so much and I use them every day! 😄

I would LOVE to hear your favorite autumn books, movies and activities—please comment below!  Many, many warm and cozy hugs until my next post! 🍁🧡🤗🧡🍁

50+ Vintage Summer Books Extravaganza! 🤩💛☀️🌼✨

Hello Friends! Happy Mid-September! 

Before the summer comes to a close, I wanted to share all of my Books with Summer in the Title. This post is just in the nick of time because Summer ends in just a little over a week! As always, I'll try to update this book list as I find (and read) more summer-titled books! 

What I Love About Summer 

☀️ Bright golden sunshine
☀️ Farmer’s market flowers, veggies and fruit
☀️ Queen Anne's Lace, roses and wildflowers
☀️ Reading at the beach
☀️ Sound of the waves crashing
☀️ Daylight until late
☀️ Not having to wear a coat
☀️ Bird song
☀️ Watermelon, corn on the cob and garden veggies 

What do YOU love about summer? 

 

(Note: If you're on Goodreads, you can read all of my summer-titled book reviews! Also, a some of the books on this list are not shown—either they were from the library, audiobook reads, or I donated them.) 

Maybe someday, I will create a Summer Book PDF with notes and suggestions, too. Would you be interested in that? Let me know in the comments!

 

Until then, here is my Summer-Titled Book List by STAR RATING 😄📔🌟 

5 STARS 🌟

• The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim
• Black Forest Summer by Mabel Esther Allan
• The Summer Book by Susan Branch 
• Summer Story (Brambly Hedge) by Jill Barklem 
• An Edwardian Summer by John S. Goodall

 4.5 STARS🌟

• Milestone Summer by Nicolete Meredith
• Holiday Summer by Decie Melwin
• Voices in Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher
• Stories for Summer by British Library Women Writers/Simon Thomas
• Barbie’s New York Summer by Cynthia Lawrence
• Showboat Summer by Rosamond du Jardin  
• Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden 

4 STARS🌟

• Summer Pudding by Susan Scarlett
• Summer at Fairacre by Miss Read
• Mrs. Lorimer’s Quiet Summer by Molly Clavering
• The Adventurous Summer by Mabel Esther Allan 
• The Tucker's Turnabout Summer by Jo Mendel 
• Summerhills by D.E. Stevenson
• The Summer House by Marcia Willett
• The Enchanted Summer by Grace Gelvin Kisinger 
• Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
• Paris Summer by April Lynn Kihlstrom
• Blueberry Summer by Elisabeth Ogilvie 
• Sierra Summer by Doris Schroeder 
• Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
• Summer Sisters by Judy Blume
• The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

3.5 STARS🌟

• The Swiss Summer by Stella Gibbons
• Barbie’s Candy Striped Summer by Eleanor K. Woolvin
• Showboat Summer by Rosamond du Jardin  
• Honey Bunch: Her First Summer on the Island by Helen Louise Thorndyke 
• In A Summer Season by Elizabeth Taylor
• The End of Summer by Rosamunde Pilcher
• Champlain Summer by Marjorie Vetter
• Summer of Surprise by Helen Reynolds
• Deadly Summer by Francine Pascal
• Perfect Summer by Francine Pascal
• Malibu Summer by Francine Pascal
• What to Look For In Summer by Elizabeth Jenner

Photo from Dean Street Press Ltd.

3 STARS🌟

• The Growing Summer by Noel Streatfeild
• Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shin
• Patty’s Summer Days by Carolyn Wells
• Summer by E. Wharton  

Sadly, I wasn't able to find the credits for this book photo. All other photos are my own.

 

 2 STARS🌟

• A Poem for Every Summer Day by Allie Esiri

ROMANCE TBR:

1. The Most Marvellous Summer by Betty Neels
2. Uncertain Summer by Betty Neels
3. One Summer's Day by Catherine Airlie
4. The Summer Wife by Flora Kidd 
5. Summer in December by Essie Summers
6. A Summer in the Country by Marcia Willett
7. Seven Days in Summer by Marcia Willett 
8. Summer on the River by Marcia Willett
9. Indian Summer by Marcia Willett 

  

VINTAGE/HISTORICAL BOOK TBR:

1. Midsummer’s Eve by Philippa Carr
2. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
3. Summer Half by Angela Thirkell

MIDDLE GRADE TBR:

1. Laura’s Summer Ballet by Linda Blake
2. The Amethyst Summer by Bianca Bradbury
3. Fantasy Summer by Susan Beth Pfeffer 
4. Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson  

  

NON-FICITON TBR:

1. Mrs. Appleyard's Summer Kitchen by Louise Andrews Kent
2. My Summer in a Garden by Charles Dudley Warner 

If there are any wonderful summer-titled vintage books that you have enjoyed or can recommend to me, please comment below! I'm always searching for more! Thank you! 

 

I'm so grateful to all of my friends who gifted me summer books in the past five years...including Caro (@carosbookcase), Liz (@pony.books), Marjorie (@marjoriepaper), Beth (@littlebookbelle) and also my husband Ian (for the Barbie books!) and my daughter, Rose (for the Susan Scarlett books!)

 

Have a fabulous rest of the month and keep an eye out for a blog post including My Favorite Autumn Books. Many many hugs, friends! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕

 

Favorite 24+ Books of 2024! 🤩🌟🎉📖

Happy January, Friends!!! 

I wish I could give you all the biggest New Year's hug 🤗🤗 Grab a cup of tea (or fav beverage) and a little treat (wish I could share my homemade cranberry orange scone with you!) and let's get caught up with favorite books!

I had another awesome reading year with 241 books under my book belt - woo-hoo! 🥳 Here are the books that brought me the MOST JOY last year 🥰   

Find all of my Goodreads reviews HERE! 

REPUBLISHED BOOKS

🌟You know how much I love out-of-print books that are brought back to life by amazing new publishers. These Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow, British Library Women Writers and Manderley Press books stole my heart this year! Every single Ruby Ferguson book I read was a 5 star rating and I can't wait to read the last two Molly Clavering books in my collection.

NON-FICTION BOOKS 

 🌟 I love reading memoirs, almanacs, nature journals and finding favorite quotes. These books were absolutely wonderful and lovely to read before bed. Month-by-month books are my favorites—The Shape of a Year by Jean Hersey is now a new all-time favorite! (I'm currently reading her first book, A Sense of Seasons, each month during 2025.) The Elizabeth Goudge memoir touched my heart so much and, after reading this book, my admiration for her has grown even more! (Note: The Elizabeth Goudge Book Club, hosted by Julie, will be reading The Joy of the Snow this June 💚)

🌟 Unearthing the Secret Garden by Marta McDowell was also amazing!! I had no idea that the life of Frances Hodgson Burnett was so fascinating! She is definitely a person (along with Agatha Christie, Gladys Taber and Elizabeth Goudge) that I wish I could go back in time to meet. I'd also love to add a few more Susan Branch books to my collection this year! (I think I'm only missing a few...)

VINTAGE BOOKS
🌟 I enjoyed SO many Kathleen Norris (loved buddy reading this author's books with Andrea @sorrythankyou79 😍) and Marcia Willett books (thanks to Caro @carosbookcase 😁) this year. Kathleen Norris writes vintage romances (primarily set in California) that are full of cozy and descriptive details, twists, turns and (usually) thrilling endings. Marcia Willett is a new favorite of mine with her compelling family dramas. You can really get lost in her stories! Also, it's no surprise that another Ruby Ferguson and DE Stevenson title are also featured here! (Blow the Wind Southerly is alternate title for Charlotte Fairlie.) Dear Mad'm was definitely a surprise—rustic, humorous and very charming!

VINTAGE CHILDREN’S BOOKS
🌟 More brilliant books by Ruby Ferguson and Frances Hodgson Burnett! I plan on reading at least a few more children's books by BOTH authors this year. Yay! Also, The Maida and Mary Jane series are adorable, refreshing and so fun to read. Thanks to Caro (again!) for recommending Castaway Christmas and for our lovely buddy read in December 🥰🎄

 

BONUS A: CONTEMPORARY CHILDREN’S BOOKS
📘 I loved reading the entire Willam Horwood's "Tales of the Willows" series with @carosbookscase 🥰  I'm so excited that we'll be doing a re-read this year - yes!! I was so happy to find more vintage childrens/middle grade lighthouse books that have become favorites. I'd love to read more. Do you have any suggestions for me? (I might look into getting a lighthouse shaped bookcase for my lighthouse books!)

The two Bushel & Peck books are so beautiful (both in construction and story) and they now have a permanent place on my favorites book shelf! Pansy Goes to Paris was absolutely adorable (especially after my trip to Paris this year with Beth and Liz!) I'd love to read Clarence Goes to The Chelsea Flower Show next 😄

BONUS B: CONTEMPORARY BOOKS
🌼 These six books were fabulous!!! Even though I accidentally shared a photo of the wrong Laura Wood book (I meant to share a photo of A Season for Scandal), this first book was awesome, too! I'm impatiently waiting for A Game of Scandal (due out mid Feb 2025!) Dying to read more books by Valerie Perrin (especially Forgotten on Sunday), Ginny Moyer, Barbara Matteson and Lynda Marron 🤩 If you haven't read any books by these talented authors, it's time!! You'll love them!

MY TOP FAVORITE VINTAGE AUTHORS THIS YEAR
💓 Ruby Ferguson
💓 Kathleen Norris
💓 Molly Clavering
💓 Gladys Taber
💓 Frances Hodgson Burnett
💓 Jean Hersey

Dean Street Press Furrowed Middlebrow Favorites!!! Love!

Love and thanks to all of my 2024 buddy reads with Bookstagram friends! ☺️📚💚
@carosbookcase
@sorrythankyou79
@beth.bonini
@pony.books
@marjoriepaper
@elizabethgoudgebookclub
@bagfullofbooks
@gina.stanyer.books
@sabines.literary.world

Such vibrant and brilliant books! I just love the Women Writers series!

Many thanks to The British Library for sending so many books for me to review this year!! ❤️

Love the gorgeous books published by Manderley Press!

Rebeka has been so kind to send me postcards and bookmarks for each of the Manderley Press books the past year or so! She's thoughtful, generous and so talented!! 🥰💕

Warm wintery hugs to you! 💕🌸🤗🌸💕 Let me know what you're currently reading and loving! (Stay tuned for a personal blog update in the next week or two!) Much love 😍