Romance is in the air as Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, and the subject matter of Lana Citron’s new book A Compendium of Kisses (Harlequin, 224pgs) couldn’t be more appropriate. The British actress and author has compiled numerous facts, stories and quotes about locking lips and discusses the kiss in all its forms, from an expression of eroticism to its role in politics and religious ceremonies. A short story Citron wrote years ago about a woman saving kisses in jars, and later an art installation she created exhibiting labeled kisses in glass containers inspired her to write the book. “It was almost like opening a Pandora’s chest and just being overwhelmed by all the different ways a kiss is expressed, the meanings attached to it and the things it symbolizes,” she explains in an interview with Reuters. “I fell in love with it, I really did. I was submerged in the world of kisses for a year and came out of it with a book.”

“When I came to look at the kiss, the romantic side is such a small part of it,” Citron continues. “I love how when you’re born, the first thing is, you’re kissed, you’re welcomed into the world. It’s this little gesture that follows you throughout life, through all the most important parts of your life.”

Also in the theme of Valentine’s Day and romance, Warner Home Video polled 2,000 adults in Britain, asking them to choose the most romantic line in English literature. According to a Reuters article the winning quote, chosen by 20 percent of the respondents, was a line from the book Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. The quote, “whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same,” is spoken by Catherine Earnshaw, expressing her love for Heathcliff.

Coming in second was a quote from AA Milne’s Winnie-The-Pooh: “If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus one day, so I never have to live without you.”

Surprisingly, Shakespeare did not capture to the top spot on the list, but a quote from Romeo and Juliet did get him to number three with: “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun.” Read on for the full list of quotes.