I’m glad I’m not alone. Like Brittany, I am a happily married person who also thinks Valentine’s Day is the worst. I always felt like many of the boys I knew (not my husband) thought of it as some obligation and never much thought into it. Why did they have to? They could easily pick up a new plush animal or a card from the drugstore. Or my fav — roses. (Who am I? I really don’t like roses, friends. Again. Super generic.) ANYWAY. I love my husband and my pals and my beer and I can express that feeling anytime of the year. (And we should be!)

In the spirit of the upcoming “holiday” and because I love books and love you (!!), I’m chatting about Coney Island Brewing Company and their 1609 Amber Ale. This company has the best label art (vintage-y cool) and my grocery store has recently started selling their six packs. Bonus: they are semi-local. Named for the legendary destination in Brooklyn, their beer is actually brewed upstate.

The 1609 is dedicated to the year the land that would become Coney was discovered. It’s a light, refreshing taste (a little citrus, a little caramel) and nicely bubbly. When I was thinking it, my first thought was how it would be a nice first beer for those who are still discovering their tastes.

On to the book…

Sorta Like a Rock Star feels like a natural pick for Valentine’s Day, even if (ready for it) there is no romance in this book at all. It’s about a girl named Amber (get it?) who is always putting herself out there for other people from the cute ladies at the church choir to the folks at the nursing home, but is certainly not getting that kind of attention and affection from the person closest to her. It’s a truly wonderful book (with a side of tissues) about friendship and being kind to be kind, not because you are fulfilling a school assignment. Love is reciprocal and I never saw that better described in a book than it is in this one.

Amber’s heart is SO SO SO big. This is why she is my book valentine. (If you need more convincing, I wrote a little bit about the book last year.)

What’s your favorite book about love? Let me know in the comments!

Have a super weekend, and enjoy. Whether it’s with a brew, or not. (But if you do have brew suggestions, tell meee!)

Thanks for checking out this round of PUB DATE!