Matthew Dicks

A Bit of Book Love

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

Since Valentine’s Day is only a few days away, I thought I would use this week’s blog post to share books in my collection that contain the word “Love” somewhere in the title.

I believe the world desperately needs more love. So, with that, I present to you this week’s blog post — a sort of Bookish Valentine to readers and writers. 

This photo features:

P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Twenty-One Truths About Love by Matthew Dicks

Love & Saffron by Kim Fay

Somehow: Thoughts on Love by Anne Lamott

Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

A Brush with Love by Mazey Eddings

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook

The Love Simulation by Etta Easton

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Friends, which books would you add to this list? Within your own collection, do you have any books that have the word “Love” in the title? Feel free to list them in the comments.

Wishing you a day of love and friendship and enjoyable reading time — on Valentine’s Day and every day!

Please note: I am including a link to buy the books that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.


Lists, Lists, and More Lists

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

I’m a list-maker.

Daily to-do lists. 

Grocery shopping lists. 

Writing assignments lists. 

Gifts list (gifts to buy, gifts already bought). 

And, of course, my A to Z Lists.

(Check out my Published Work page to be re-directed to some of my published A to Z Lists including “The A to Z List of Verbs Teachers and Students Practice Daily,” “The Alphabetical Prescription for Living with a Chronic Medical Condition,” and “The A to Z List of Boys,” to name just a few.)

And then I discovered Twenty-One Truths About Love, a novel written by Matthew Dicks. 

A novel written entirely in list form. And through these lists the reader learns about Dan – a former teacher, current bookshop owner, a husband, and soon-to-be dad.

These lists are honest. Charming. Amusing. Authentic. 

Here are just a few tidbits from the book’s lists I’d like to share with you this week:

“Reasons I quit teaching

– Couldn’t continue to witness bad decisions at the expense of children

– Couldn’t stand one more minute of professional development that was neither professional nor developmental”

“My teaching beliefs

– Teachers must be reading and writing on a regular basis in order to be effective teachers of reading and writing.

– Teachers must think of parents as full and equal partners in the eduction of the child.

– The most important lessons taught by teachers often have little or nothing to do with academics.”

“Words that belong on a child’s T-shirt

– Are you really going to rob me of my precious childhood with this meaningless worksheet?”

“21 Truths About Love

– To truly love someone, you must love the person you never knew, the person you know today, and the person that will someday be.

– Love does not make everything better, but it makes everything a little easier.

– ‘I love you’ are three simple words that we whisper to lovers in the dark, say to dogs that don’t speak English, cry out during sex, speak to the dead while standing over their gravestones, tell parents before hanging up the phone, and repeat again and again to the people whose lives are gloriously intertwined with our own.

– Love makes you do the stupidest, bravest, most ridiculous and idiotic things in your life. It makes you scared and crazy and crazed and joyous. Love is all the feelings.”