First romance, lifelong romance, even anti-romance — we’ve got it all in our latest podcast, all about (you guessed it!) books involving romance. PLUS, how Nancy informed boys she liked them as a kid, and why Karen is single (according to her, at least).

So whether or not you caught the love bug yourself this Valentine’s Day, you can always cuddle up with our podcast:

  (15:09) 
Download the MP3 (7.3 MB)
• Stargirl hearts Leo — aka our mystery book revealed
• Our Romance book picks (Allie Finkle #3 and Flipped)
• A review from YOU (The Tale of Despereaux)
• We reveal our literary crushes! Ooh la la!

And in case you missed it, we’ve also got a very BIG announcement: Up until now, we’ve focused on one theme per week. But we’ve heard from the masses (that’s you!) that one week is just not enough to really get into a theme. So from now on, all our themes will be two weeks long. Starting… NOW!

And don’t forget: our next theme is food! (Nom nom nom…) So check out these delicious books involving food and watch this Mystery Book Theater that will definitely get your stomach rumbling!

— Nancy and Karen

They don't look too happy, but they're in love. Trust me.

Karen and I will reveal our book character crushes on Tuesday’s romance-themed podcast, but I’ll go ahead and make a lovesick fool of myself right on Valentines’ Day. When I see these names in print, my heart goes a little a-flutter:

Gabriel, from Sixth Grade Secrets by Louis Sachar: Gabriel has a crush on Laura Sibbie. And even though he’d never admit it, his secret crush starts a war of secret clubs in the entire sixth grade class.

Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series: I have a soft spot for the goofy, awkward guys, and Ron is definitely goofy and awkward. And even though he puts his foot in his mouth quite a few times (those birds Hermione sent attacking were well-deserved), I just want to pinch his freckled cheek.

Almanzo Wilder from the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder: As you can tell by Laura’s last name, it worked out for them.

Mr. Darcy from the classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Even a dorky first name like “Fitzwilliam” doesn’t stop the ladies from swooning at the sight of this smoldering, brooding gentleman.

So those are my literary crushes. Leave a comment if you’re willing to reveal yours!

— Nancy

P.S. You’ll notice that Edward Cullen is intentionally not on this list. I’ll just leave it at that.

This book trailer for Stargirl was originally the Mystery Book Theater video for our Romance theme. For more on Stargirl, check out our “Love Is All You Need” podcast.

Imagine you’re just a regular high school guy, going about your normal life. And then one day, a new girl shows up at school. She dresses strange, she plays the ukulele, she serenades people in the cafeteria — and she’s crushing on you. Welcome to Leo’s experience in Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli.

To: Kidsmomo Reader
From: Your Secret Admirers

Will you be our Valentine?

We’ve gathered up this list of books involving romance to show how much we love you. Some are focused on budding relationships, and others just happen to feature couples we like — but all of them are 100% Cupid-approved. So here they are (in no particular order):

(By the way, your flowers and chocolate are in the mail.)

1. Best Friends and Drama Queens (Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls, Book #3) by Meg Cabot (Karen’s pick)
2. Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen (Nancy’s pick)
3. Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech
4. Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time by Lisa Yee
5. Kiss Me Tomorrow by Susan Shreve
6. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
7. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
8. Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
9. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
10. Romeo and Juliet — Together (And Alive!) at Last by Avi
11. Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
12. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
13. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley
14. Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson

If you’ve read any of these, send in your book review. Or send in a review of your favorite book involving romance!

UPDATE 2/16/10: We revealed the answer to our Romance Mystery Book Theater in the “All You Need Is Love” Podcast, so take a listen if you want to know the answer. Or just tune in if you want to hear how Nancy used to behave around boys she liked (OMG, soooooo embarrassing!).