QUIRKYALONE: A MANIFESTO FOR UNCOMPROMISING ROMANTICS (Harper San Francisco, 2004) is a book with its own holiday, online community, and international movement.

It’s also a new term to describe people who enjoy being single (but are not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefer to be single rather than dating for the sake of being in a couple.

A book of personal essays, artwork, lists, and quizzes, Quirkyalone has been translated and published in Brazil, Denmark, and Germany. The book has reached millions of people, inspiring them to write in “Thanks for helping me realize I’m not the only one on the planet who feels this way.”

Quirkyalone is loaded with individual voices of people who are constructing new approaches to life and love. Don’t expect to find linear narrative or cliched self-help lingo. Expect every page to be a treat, with juicy pop culture references, mad libs, personal stories, how-to guides, quizzes, and more.

International Quirkyalone Day (Feb. 14) is an alternative to Valentine’s Day that celebrates all forms of love and is available to everyone, single or partnered. IQD has been celebrated in over 35 cities around the world.