Tag Archives: valentine’s day

11 Movies to Make Your Valentine’s Day Bearable

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February 14th has a lot of different meanings to a lot of different people, but whether your feelings leave you woozy, head over heels, or down on your luck, we’ve got something in our media collection to celebrate the holiday along with all the types of love and appreciation we experience as humans. If you prefer a book, check out the display on the Upper Level of the UGL near the study rooms, where you can find love and friendship-themed titles in our collection. Without further ado—we don’t want to lead you on— this is what we recommend from the UGL Media collection.

Cover art for the film, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s day

Need something for everyone? This movie covers it: heartbreak, jealousy, romance, and first love. Known for starring Taylor Squared (Swift and Lautner), find it in our media collection.

My Bloody Valentine

Hearts aren’t just made for loving, they’re made for racing. If you’re looking for an excuse to “cuddle,” try scaring the wits out of them first. It doesn’t work, but you can try! At least the movie won’t disappoint if your moves don’t work—remember the rules of consent! You can find it in our media collection.

Cover art for the film, Her

Her

Her

Love your phone? Same. Also my computer, my tablet, my iPad, and coffeemaker. See what happens when a man falls in love with his favorite machine. Maybe your next romance will also be AI-inspired. At least they always answer your texts! Find it in our media collection.

Cover art for the film, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates

If you’re running stag this Valentine’s Day, it’s probably best to watch this movie first before you go out on your date-making schemes—but odds are you’re a lot smarter than Mike and Dave. This movie is full of cheesy jokes and the rude humor everyone loves. (You know you do). Check it out in our media collection.

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

Maybe you want to forget all about St. Vincent Valentine and learn about the holiday from a different historical perspective. Cue the gangsters, tommy boys, and the prohibition era, it’s time to learn about Al Capone and Bugs Moran in this historical re-enactment! You can find it in our media collection.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Everyone loves a classic. Everyone loves a classic more when zombies are added to it. This one is a little bit light-hearted, a lot of bit funny, and a bit weird. At least the zombies know how real love works in this love story; they’re going after brains, not hearts! Find it in our media collection or in the res hall library collections!

Box art for the Love Comes Softly collection

The Love Comes Softly collection

If you prefer a period piece on how romance worked in the untamed West and want to celebrate the idea of budding love and familial love, this 8-movie story collection originally produced by Hallmark (you know, the infamous card company that always woos you with the perfect line?) follows a family and its subsequent romances, trials, and tribulations through several generations. You can follow them by checking it out in our media collection.

So hunker down while you write out Valentine cards, eat the chocolate you bought for yourself (go you!), or with a group of friends. Let us know if you’ve seen any of these or have your own recommendations.

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Blind Date With a Book 2017

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It’s February, and whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day, your special someone can be found. . . at the UGL! Whether you’re looking for a night of passion or a long-term fling, the UGL can hook you up! With a book, that is. It’s time for Blind Date with a Book!

Likes: Travel (really distant travel), gardening, exploring Dislikes: My loser friends who ditched me Perfect Date: Stargazing

Here’s how it works:

  • Our lovingly-selected books and movies will be wrapped so the title, description, and author are hidden.
  • Like a certain dating app, our books will have a picture and their likes, dislikes, and “perfect date.”
  • Swipe right on your next great read by taking your wrapped book to circulation and checking it out!

There’s no limit on how many Blind Dates you can have. After it’s checked out, unwrap your book, take it home, and fall in love! Then let us know what you think of your Blind Date in the comments, or on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

Likes: Science, death, a good sense of humor Dislikes: Living people, being put in a box Perfect Date: Watching a corpse decompose

Don’t wait! Blind Date with a Book lasts as long as the books do, so stop by the Upper Level starting February 6th for your next great read.

Likes: Castles, time-travel, redheads Dislikes: The English Monarchy, witches, failed rebellions Perfect Date: A second (or third) honeymoon in the countryside

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Valentine’s Week Events

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Valentine’s Day can be a bummer for some and a lovely day for others and we’re here to help you with however you plan on feeling this coming Sunday and all week. There are a ton of things for those of you lovebirds who haven’t made plans yet and for you lone wolves looking to spend this week like it was any other week, one of which is happening all week right here in the UGL!

Blind Date with a Book Display

Use our dating service Sparks to swipe right and fall in love with a book!

Stop by the Upper Level to find your match made in heaven (or someplace else) this Valentine’s week. We have books and movies ready for those of you that love a good love and for those of you that hate a good love. Our dating service “sparks” is sure to find some sort of match to you, so be sure to swipe your new companion right to the Circulation Desk and enjoy!

And for those of you that don’t plan on making it into the library, check out this nifty infographic to find an appropriate piece of media to indulge in.

Valentine's Day Movie Flowchart

What movie should you watch next? Check the flowchart to find out!

Now, onto the non-UGL events.

Coconut Macaroons

Photo from Flickr Media Commons, courtesy of Stacy.

Coconut Macaroons at Mirabelle, Pekara, Rick’s Bakery, and/or Strawberry Fields – When they’re available

Smile Politely did the seriously difficult and life-threatening (joking) work that was tasting these little bundles of coconutty joy and reviewing the bakeries that baked them for you. No one stood above the other according to the article, so we suggest hitting up every single bakery listed and grabbing some of these macaroon’s to snack on with or without a partner. While you’re at Pekara, we also highly suggest getting a frozen hot chocolate despite the cold because it’s one of the most delicious things you can have.

Casablanca Movie Poster

Photo from Flickr Media Commons, courtesy of Breve Storia del Cinema.

Casablanca at the Art Theater – February 14 at 11:30am and 7:30pm

If you’ve never seen this masterpiece of American cinema, now is the time. Casablanca is a seriously amazing movie that has stood the test of time and stayed in the public consciousness like no other movie; it’s just one of those movies. Humphrey Bogart is the epitome of cool and his performance is worthy of a full text-book alone; it’s not exactly surprising, therefore, that there literally are books dedicated to this movie alone. The Art Theater is one of the crown jewels of downtown Champaign and if you need a date idea for the night, there’s probably nothing more romantic than catching this black-and-white masterpiece and hearing Ingrid Bergman’s world famous “kiss me” line (among the million other amazing quotes from this).

Bullnettle

Bullnettle. Photo taken from The Accord website.

FREE show at The Accord featuring Bullnettle, Tongue Party, and Orator – February 14 at 7pm

Unofficially dubbed the “Valentines Shmalentines” show, this free night at The Accord in downtown Champaign is the perfect getaway for those of you that literally want to shut all the love and good feelings out of your ears on Valentine’s Day. Bullnettle and Orator are two heavier/louder local acts that often make noise around town and they are joined by the heavy/loud from Minneapolis, so if heavy/loud music is your thing, it’s probably the safest way to avoid all the googly eyes and kissy faces.

What are your Valentine’s Day plans? Tweet at us (@askundergrad) or contact us on Facebook (Undergraduate Library at UIUC)!

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Valentine’s Day Hangover: Reader’s Advisory

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You made it through Valentine’s Day and 3 bags of chocolate later, you are done. Whether  you had a date with your sweetheart or with your favorites, Ben and Jerry, you can rest assured that everyone is worn out and stress free. Let’s focus on the important things now, here at the UGL, we have a couple of recommendations to cure that Valentine’s Day hangover. From our great selection of movies, we have exactly what you need.

Austenland. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Austenland. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

One can never go wrong with a Jane Austen inspired movie like “Austenland.” Ms. Jane Hayes’ obsession with Jane Austen is, well, taking over her life and complicating her love life. She decides to journey to a Jane Austen inspired resort, where she meets interesting characters and two fine gentlemen. Will Ms. Hayes get her Mr. Darcy?

“Warm Bodies” for your zombie needs

For the zombie lover, “Warm Bodies” is a great combination of blood, guts, and romance. Set in a zombie epidemic, R and Julie form a relationship as chaos surrounds them. As R begins to become more human, he is the hope that the world needs.

Five-Year Engagement. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Five-Year Engagement. Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

“The Five Year Engagement” is a story of a happy couple who get engaged. Emily Blunt and funny man, Jason Segel are the happy couple of this story. Like all romantic comedies, they are happy with their quirky partners, but life happens. Five years engaged, but now who knows if they will make it down the aisle.

Dan in Real Life picture

Dan in Real Life

“Dan in Real Life” is a story of when boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy finds out that girl is dating his brother. Chaos happens and hilarity ensues. No matter what happens, it’s guaranteed to give you a good laugh. Starting Steve Carell and Dane Cook.

The Break Up image

The Break Up

Actress Jennifer Aniston brings us a classic, “The Break-Up.” Brooke and Gary’s relationship has taken a toll. After Brooke breaks up with Gary, none of them are willing to move out of their condo. Between the fighting and the screaming, Brooke and Gary do not know if their relationships is worth saving.

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy

“The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy” depicts a group of friends who gather at the the Jack’s Broken Heart Restaurant. They can lean on each other as they live through gay life. As tragedy strikes, their friendships are tested.

What other movies do you plan on watching? Tell us in the comments below!

 

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Valentine’s Day: Blind Date with a Book

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Love is in the air and Valentine’s Day is nearing, *swoon*. While this is mostly a holiday for couples to celebrate their love, single or not, it is also an excuse to stuff your face with chocolate or pizza (if it’s that kind of night). Whether you like Valentine’s Day or not, the UGL has the perfect blind date for you. Yes, it’s time for the “Blind Date with a Book.”

Who will you choose as your blind date? Photo courtesy of the Undergraduate Library

Who will you choose as your blind date? Photo courtesy of the Undergraduate Library

We have selected books, movies, and audio books for your blind date. This is how it works:

  • We wrapped the selected items using our great wrapping skills
  • Like a dating profile, the cover has a picture, likes, dislikes, and their idea of a perfect date
  • You can use this information to select your perfect match!
Find your perfect match. Photo courtesy of the Undergraduate Library

Find your perfect match. Photo courtesy of the Undergraduate Library

You can have as many dates as you’d like. After you have selected your dates, take the items to the circulation desk and check them out. When you get home, get some coffee, unwrap your blind date, and prepare to fall in love. What are your favorite books to read or movies to watch around Valentine’s Day? Share them with us in the comments below.

 

 

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