November 4th, if you aren’t aware, is the joyful celebration of National Candy Day in the United States! Can you imagine that? An entire day is dedicated to the bright, tasty delight of candy!
While Candy Day is typically celebrated by enjoying bags of your favorite yummy treats, today at Bookstr we’d like to spread a little extra sweetness of our own. Today we’re going to be recommending you a delicious bookish couple based on your candy of choice!
1. Candy Bars: Anna and Étienne
This category belongs to the Snickers, Mars and Twix lovers! If you’re drawn by the promise of chocolate, wafers, nougat or peanut butter then we have just the book for you! Chocolate bar lovers tend to like candy that isn’t plain. Indeed, chocolate bars always make a statement! Enter Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss!
In this dreamy YA romance, Anna finds herself suddenly attending boarding school in Paris after living all her life in Atlanta. It’s all less than ideal… until she meets the swoon-worthy Étienne St. Clair and they begin to fall for each other. Only issue is Étienne is technically taken. Oops! Perkins takes all the ingredients of the perfect rom-com to make one delicious rocky-road romance!
2. Chocolate Malt Balls: Alex and Henry
Okay, so they’re not the most popular choice, but chocolate malt balls (think Whoppers and Maltesers) are scrumptious! People who love snacking on them are the type to enjoy a more classic, old-fashioned type of romance. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston might not seem like the obvious choice, but trust us, it is!
It’s a classic story of boy meets boy and then boy hates boy. Both boys, actually, are extreme public figures too! Alex, you see, is the son of the President of the United States. His rival, Henry, is a prince of England. And the two hate each other. But when the two are forced to pretend to be friends to smooth a diplomatic crisis over, they find they have more in common than they could have ever expected.
3. Lollipops: Scottie and Irene
Can’t help but pick up a Tootsie Roll Pop or Chupa Chup whenever you’re checking out of the store? Have a thing for candy canes and those giant rainbow swirly lollipops? Obviously, that makes you someone who enjoys the sweeter things in life. You prefer your candy sweet and simple! By that logic, She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen is just right for you!
See, Scottie is nursing a broken-heart after her ex-girlfriend dumped her and enrolled in the bougie high-school across town, right? When an embarrassingly bad basketball game leads to a fender-bender with her nemesis, cheer-captain Irene, the two are forced to carpool together. Soon enough, carpooling turns into fake-dating! Despite its bite, She Drives Me Crazy is a remarkably sweet novel that will have you reaching for the tissues multiple times.
4. Sour Gummies: Sylvie and Dominic
We all know the slogan of a certain sour candy. Something about being sour then sweet? Well, if that delectable mix of sweet and sour is your calling, then Lucy Parker’s Battle Royal has a romance that will satisfy all your candy cravings!
In this rivals-to-lovers romance, two talented bakers come head to head in a high-profile competition to win the contract of a lifetime! Dominic is the sour to Sylvie’s sweet in every way. Where she is all pastels and unicorns, he is understated and classic. And though they may seem to butt heads at every turn, the tension between them is the good kind!
5. Spicy Candy: Forest and Skye
We’ll be honest here: people who like Hot Tamales and Red Mike’n’Ikes are a little weird. But in a wonderful way! It’s definitely a unique taste, and one that is underrepresented. But we’re all about representation here at Bookstr! So for you cinnamon-lovers, we have the novel for you! Crystal Kaswell’s sexy NA romance, The Best Friend Bargain is the way to go!
Forest and Skye have been friends for basically ever. Having feelings would complicate that friendship. We all know the score! But when Skye asks Forest to be her date for a family wedding, it’s safe to say the friendship definitely gets complicated! Terrified as he is to lose her, Forest finds he’s unable to pull back from the edge if it means not having Skye.
6. Salt Water Taffy: Auden and Eli
And so we come to our last candy! It may be seasonal, but salt water taffy is a beloved treat by anyone who lives near or by the coast. So, if you’re someone who adores the colorful sweets, we know that Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen is the book for your summer-loving self!
When shy, by-the-book Auden decides to spend the summer with her divorced dad, his peppy wife and their new baby girl, she gets more than she ever expected. New friends, a new job and a new crush in the form of the laid-back Eli. The two strike up an unexpected friendship that tumbles gently into romance under the cover of night. This coming-of-age’s love story will have you aching for summer to come again!
So there we have it! Obviously, we can’t touch on every kind of candy out there, but that just gives us more options to talk about for next year! In the mean time, enjoy National Candy Day and don’t forget to let your inner kid indulge their sweet tooth!
To find the perfect book to read while eating your favorite candy, click here!