Galentine’s Day is on February 13, flipping the bird to the age old anniversary of Valentine’s Day by celebrating our female friends instead, so what better way to find some great books marking the occasion? Hence, the day prior was designed to celebrate other equally important relationships in our lives: our girlfriends!

The day is a time to bring together the ladies in your life you love most. Galentine’s Day, which celebrates our female friends, originated from the popular TV show ‘Parks and Recreation.’ The holiday is all about declaring love and affection to the girls, who make up our support system and puts “ovaries before brovaries”.

History behind Galentine’s Day

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Galentine’s Day is a “day for women to celebrate their friendships with their lady friends.” Essentially, the meaning of Galentine’s Day is Valentine’s Day for your gals.

Galentine’s Day was the creation of the beloved fictional deputy director of Parks and Recreation in Pawnee, Indiana, Leslie Knope. The show’s writers centred season two episode 16 of Parks and Rec around Leslie’s favourite February tradition, Galentine’s Day.

Over a brunch of waffles, cream and excessive gift-giving, Leslie celebrates the joy of female friendship with close friends and co-workers. What was previously an unknown and unofficial holiday immediately skyrocketed in popularity, so much so that businesses have created Galentine’s Day promotions in honour of the celebration.

Special happy hours, group spa discounts, and brunch deals are popular ways to mark the occasion. Thus the once fictional holiday filled a void in the Valentine’s Day market that left single women feeling alienated by the pomp and circumstance of the lover’s holiday.

The holiday that Knope invented bares striking similarities to her character — over-the-top generousity and impassioned sincerity. Galentine’s Day is to Valentine’s Day what Friendsgiving is to Thanksgiving: a chance to recognise the impact that our friends have on our lives and thank them for their steadfast loyalty, love, and laughter.

We could go on, but we think Leslie explains Galentine’s Day best. She says: “Every February 13, my ladyfriends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style.

“Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.” Without further ado, here are some of the best books for Galentine’s Day:

Best books for Galentine’s Day

📚 Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb. Check out The Beautiful Book Company review of this book.

📚 Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson

📚 Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies by Tara Schuster

📚 Untamed by Glennon Doyle

📚 Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen Schaefer

📚 The A-Z of Wonder Women by Yvonne Lin

📚 Girl Talk: What Science Can Tell Us About the Nature of Female Friendship by Jacqueline Mroz

📚 Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger by Rebecca Traister

📚 How to Date Men When You Hate Men by Blythe Roberson

📚 Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

📚 Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman

📚 Friendshipping: The Art of Finding Friends, Being Friends, and Keeping Friends by Jenn Bane and Trin Garritano. Watch the interview with the author Trin Garritano.

📚 The Breakup Monologues: The Unexpected Joy of Being Heartbreak by Rosie Wilby. Check out episode 28 and our interview with the author Rosie Wilby.

📚 The Unexpected Joy of Being Single by Catherine Gray. Watch the book club session on this read.

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