blogis librorum. A blog about books. Rare books.

When Pope Gelasius established Saint Valentine’s Day in 496 AD, he certainly had no idea that the holiday would persist for centuries. The holiday was first associated with romance and love during the High Middle Ages, thanks to the burgeoning tradition of courtly love in Geoffrey Chaucer’s day. And nothing says “love” like giving the perfect book! Here’s a look at some favorite Valentine’s Day gift ideas for the bibliophile and rare book collector.

Classic Tales of Love

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to embrace classic tales of romance and love.

• Love in the Time of Cholera and Of Love and Other Demons, by Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez, tell the tale of unlikely love in the face of incredible obstacles.

• Coleen McCollough’s The Thorn Birds traces more than a family’s struggles on the Australian outback. The novel chronicles the unlikely love between a young woman and her family’s priest.

• Laura Esquivel’s The Law of Love, Like Water for Chocolate, and Malinche are all moving modern love stories.

• More modern novels by Nicholas Sparks embody the sentiment and passion of modern romance. Favorites include Message in a Bottle, Dear John, and The Notebook.

• True romance isn’t all fiction! Share the romantic inspiration of the right biography with your Valentine this year.  I Love You, Ronnie documents the extraordinary relationship of Nancy and Ronald Reagan. In My Delicious Life with Paula Deen, Michael “Captain” Groover shares stories of his life with wife and celebrity chef Paula Deen.

Everyone Loves a Little Fine Press

Fine press books are exceptionally beautiful and created in small numbers, making them an original and special gift.

• The works of Charles van Sandwyk, such as Affairs of the Heart, are impeccably illustrated.

• Samuel M Johnson’s “Two Lovers on a Bench,” an excerpt from the opera Einstein on the Beach, is available in limited editions from the renowned Heavenly Monkey press.

• Lovers of John Updike will appreciate the fine press edition of “Couples,” by the Halty Ferguson press, of which only 250 copies were printed.