Seven reads for any kind of Valentine's

Love it or loathe it, it's Valentine's Day again! Whether you’re whipping up a romantic dinner or having a quiet night in with your Beamafilm subscription, we have put together our top seven reads for whatever the occasion.

This year we are celebrating all types of love – from self-love to diehard romance, there’s something for everyone!

Princesses behaving badly: real stories from history without the fairy-tale endings by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie

You think you know her story. You've read the Brothers Grimm, you've watched the Disney cartoons, you cheered as these virtuous women lived happily ever after. But the lives of real princesses couldn't be more different. Sure, many were graceful and benevolent leaders - but just as many were ruthless in their quest for power, and all of them had skeletons rattling in their royal closets.

Eat your heart out: love stories from around the world by Peta Mathias

Peta Mathias has encountered many a lovelorn tale on her gastronomic travels around the world. Searching further, she has unearthed more stories - the heart-warming and heart-rending, the passionate and poignant, the macabre and merry - and in this retelling, brings them all to life.

The ultimate cooking for one cookbook by Joanie Zisk

It's possible to prepare single-serving recipes that are full of flavour, easy to make, and economical if you have the right guide. The Ultimate Cooking for One Cookbook allows you to make a fresh, delicious, home-cooked meal for one without creating a week's worth of leftovers or leaving an abundance of unused fresh ingredients that quickly go to waste. 

To all the boys I've loved before by Jenny Han

The first book in the bestselling series by Jenny Han and now a Netflix feature film! Lara Jean pours out her heart and soul into private letters, to say all the things she would never say in real life to her crushes. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to uncontrollable.

The Couples Cookbook: Recipes for newlyweds by Cole & Kiera Stipovich  

The Couple's Cookbook is an inviting collection of simple and comforting recipes for any food-loving pair that wants to learn to cook together. Written by a husband and wife who also work together as wedding photographers, this book is romantic, playful, and fun. 

What a time to be alone by Chidera Eggerue

Peppered with insightful Igbo proverbs from Chidera's Nigerian mother and full of her own original artwork, What A Time To Be Alone will help you navigate the modern world. We can all decide our own fates and Chidera shows us how, using a three-part approach filled with sass, wisdom and charm.

My Brother's Husband by Gengoro Tagame

Alison Bechdel is a work-at-home suburban dad in contemporary Tokyo, married to wife Natsuki, father to young daughter Kana. Their lives are suddenly upended with the arrival at their doorstep of a hulking, affable Canadian named Mike Flanagan, who declares himself the widower of Yaichi's estranged gay twin, Ryoji.