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Love weaves our lives together. Whether in the form of friendship or romance, or favorite pastimes or feelings, it’s always revealing itself in tangible and intangible ways. We selected this month’s Good Reads because though they’re very different, they’re all based on love. From using architecture to show compassion, to honoring our friends, to saying I love you with lovely baubles, we’ve got your Valentine’s reads right here. Happy reading.

Architecture in Times of Need
Edited by Kristin Feireiss
Prestel, 2009

Capturing the devastation of New Orleans after Katrina, this book celebrates the Make It Right (MIR) project, launched by Brad Pitt and a crew of eco-activists to use sustainable architecture to bring about a rebirth of the Ninth Ward.

MIR has a goal to replace some of the loss with 150 homes that are both affordable and sustainable. The hope is this can become a blueprint model for other disasters that plague the world. The pictures tell a story starting with the post-Katrina pictures, moving through stories of those directly touched, past the architectural models and artist renderings and finishing with the pink art installation that grabbed the world’s attention to some of the finished homes and their thankful residents.

p.s. What I Didn’t Say
Unsent Letters to our Female Friends
Edited by Megan McMorris
Seal, 2009

This collection of letters brought together by editor Megan McMorris is a celebration of friendship between women and all that comes with it. The letters runs the gamut from explanations, thank yous and questions to expressions of joy, sadness and anger. But the one thing they all have in common is they were never sent by the authors to their intended recipients.

Letters include a heartfelt thank you to a cancer survivor friend that was there for her fight with cancer in a way no one else could be. Another letter was to a friend requesting a do-over for a situation she wishes she had handled differently. Another is to a deceased friend—it is the letter she wished would be received. It makes you want to pick up pen and paper and start writing. In fact, let me start here: this one’s for you, Jane.

Too Close for Comfort?
By Linda Perlman Gordon & Susan Morris Shaffer
Berkley, 2009

This nonfiction book examines relationships between mothers and their adult daughters who are maybe a little too close. Most of the women they study want to stay connected, but want to end some of the unhealthy patterns.

The authors show examples and then dissect them for consideration and discussion. For example, they share the idea that setting up solid boundaries can help strengthen relationships, by allowing for both individuality and closeness. The good news is that with hard work and desire, the authors maintain that tough relationships can be repaired, strengthened and get healthy.

Cook Yourself Thin Faster
Laura Deen
Voice 2010

While this cookbook acts as a weight loss resource, it should not be labeled a diet book. Its delicious recipes enable any cook to work with great flavors and healthy substitutions that together equal a ticket to a healthier life. Everyday recipes receive a makeover that result in great taste but significantly reduced calories and fat through substitution not deprivation.

The cookbook is divided into the following sections: Breakfast, Starters, Mains, Sides/Soups/Salads and Dessert. What you can expect: The recipe for stuffed mushrooms swaps out olive oil for the sticks of butter. The Shrimp Scampi preparation removes the butter and replaces it with a mixture of cornstarch and water. The Strawberry Shortcake achieves a drop of 200 calories by substituting sweetened, thick low-fat Greek yogurt for the whipped cream. With 75 recipes featured in this second volume, there is something for everyone.

Cartier in America
By Martin Chapman
DelMonico Books 2010

This lovely coffee-table book provides an exquisite backdrop for a celebration of Cartier’s 100 years in America. It was published in conjunction with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco where the Legion of Honor is hosting a breathtaking exhibit of these jewels.

Alfred Cartier’s decision to expand the business by sending his son, Pierre, to New York reinforced the family’s prominence as gem purveyors to the elite. Pierre married the daughter of an American industrialist, further cementing Cartier as a jewelry designer to the well-to-do. The stories are fascinating, including that of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s 69.42-karat diamond, a tie clasp crafted for Fred Astaire to commemorate the 1935 musical Top Hat and one of the greatest Cartier admirers and collectors, the Duchess of Windsor.

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* The Good Reads Girl was drawn by Denise Simon, a Chicago-based freelance illustrator.
Check out her work at deniseannsimon.com.

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