Image by skalekar1992 from Pixabay
“They f**k you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do…”
Philip Larkin’s "This Be The Verse" gets straight to the point. Parents, no matter how hard they try, are only human and mess up sometimes when it comes to raising children. But Larkin’s pithy poem isn’t just about laying blame, but understanding. Parents aren’t perfect, and Forgive Mom and Dad Day encourages kids to see the ones who raised them not just as parents, but as people.
So this March, which literary parents might deserve a little forgiveness? Are these moms and dads actually sympathetic people, struggling to do their best and failing despite good intentions? Or perhaps, have these book-based parents gone so fictionally far that there’s just no forgiveness possible?
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
The world could always do with a little more kindness, which is what Random Acts of Kindness Day is all about. The whole week of February 14–20 is devoted to the idea of spreading a little kindess, and it doesn’t have to be big, either. Sometimes, the only thing needed is to help out a neighbor, donate a little something, give a loved one a gift, or just be kind to yourself!
In a month that is so often centered on romantic love, the idea of focusing on kindess for everyone is a wonderful balance. If you need a little extra inspiration, these characters are a fantastic choice, as they are some of the kindest in pop culture.
Image by jamesoladujoye from Pixabay
Everyone knows how good a delicious, comforting slice can be. There’s a pizza for everyone, too. Whether your pizza looks like a classic greasy slice, a Chicago Deep Dish, or a vegan-cheese pizza on a cauliflower crust, everyone can fall in love with a slice of ‘za.
And of course, just as there is a kind of pizza for every eater, there is a kind of book for every reader. In honor of the slice, we decided to see where these might line up! (Although, of course, who cares if your page and pizza line up, just enjoy them…and try not to get tomato sauce on the pages!)
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It’s possible to learn all kinds of things from someone’s handwriting. If we had to guess, if it slants to the left, this may point to a more private person, if there are narrow spaces between words, it suggests someone who doesn’t like to be alone, and if it is so messy that it is unreadable, the person probably went to med school…
Of course, these days, handwriting is becoming rarer and rarer, as we use computers, phones, voice commands and more for day to day communication. Typing is the way forward, and handwriting is fast becoming a lost art. However, with National Handwriting Day this month, it's the perfect time to celebrate those who still love to loop their letters or print by hand. Whether it is calligraphy TikToks, a carefully penned note, or books like these that include handwriting in their pages, script still has a place in our lives.
Image by Mohamed Chermiti from Pixabay
In literature, authors love to create flame-headed heroines, using this beautiful shade to suggest characters who are independent, different, fierce, and firey. From Pippi Longstocking to Ariel from The Little Mermaid, redheads in children's books are spunky and free-spirited, but in more adult fiction, red hair usually comes with a side helping of passion (because of course, anyone with flame-colored tresses must be afire with emotion, too!).
So for Kiss A Ginger Day, an annual celebration that sees redheads the world over celebrated (and dodging any unwanted smooches!), we’ve pulled together some of the best redheads in romance…whether you are looking for a YA love triangle with a supernatural twist, some superhero adventures, or a classic tale of star crossed lovers.
