You’re #1 in our book! (For our trendier readers, that’s “number one” rather than “hashtag one.”) At the LAMC, we’re crafting puns to celebrate Valentine’s Day…and National Discount Candy Day on February 15th.
We’d love to see your clever, creative, or cringeworthy puns! Come into the 1st floor of the library and write your pun on a paper cut-out waiting especially for you. We’ll post your work of art in our lobby display, where the world can admire your wit.
If you need inspiration, we have several romantic and Romantic novels available for checkout. Here are 8 of our top picks, along with staggeringly brilliant puns for each:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Stacks; Call number: PR4167 .J3 1996
“I lava you”
After surviving childhood as an unwanted orphan, Jane readily accepts a position as governess for a mysterious and frequently absent employer, Edward Rochester. As she falls for Rochester, Jane must find a way to stay true to herself–especially when a sinister secret causes things to heat up. As in things actually catch fire. (Fun fact: my cat is named after a character in this novel. Literature: changing lives.)
Maurice by E.M. Forster
Stacks; Call number: PR6011.O58 M3 1993
“You’re my cup of tea”
Written in the 1910s, Forster’s tale of a gay man’s unrequited love remained unpublished until the 1970s. The only thing more English than the rigidity of the class system and repression of romantic feelings is tea–all of which feature heavily in this story about opposing the unwritten rules of society.
Of Love and Other Demons by Gabriel García Márquez
Stacks; Call number: PQ8180.17.A73 D4513 1995
“I’m hair for you”
On her twelfth birthday, Sierva Maria, whose beautifully flowing hair has never been cut, is bitten by a rabid dog. Following the incident, Sierva is taken to a convent, crossing paths with Father Cayetano Delaura, who has already dreamed about a girl with hair trailing after her like a bridal train.
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Popular Reading; Call number: HABEL
“I love you for your braaaaaaains”
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead – or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan
Popular Reading; Call number: MCMILLAN
“Shell we dance?”
Stella Payne is forty-two, divorced, a high-powered investment analyst, mother of eleven-year-old Quincy- and she does it all. But when Stella takes a spur-of-the-moment vacation to Jamaica, her world gets rocked to the core–not just by the relaxing effects of the sun and sea and an island full of attractive men, but by one man in particular.
Wild Ginger by Anchee Min
Stacks; Call number: PS3563.I4614 W35 2002
“If you were a triangle, you’d be acute one”
As Wild Ginger rises through the ranks of Maoist China, she finds herself increasingly at odds with her best friend, Maple. When both friends are interested in the same young man, will Wild Ginger’s commitment to friendship, romantic love, or Maoist principles win out?
City of Night by John Rechy
Stacks; Call number: PS3568.E28 C5 2013
“I donut know what I’d do without you”
This 1963 novel was groundbreaking in its portrayal of a young gay sex worker along a cross-country journey from New York City to San Francisco. The story includes the events of the Cooper Do-nut Riots, a 1959 uprising in which members of the LGBTQ community protested the attempted arrests of drag queens, sex workers, and a gay man at the donut establishment.
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Popular Reading; Call number: ROWELL
“Don’t go bacon my heart”
Georgie McCool loves her husband Neal, but her marriage has been deteriorating for a long time. One night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. Through the titular landline, Georgie attempts to avoid heartbreak by fixing her marriage before it starts.