Yakov and the Seven Thieves first two releases were "The English Roses" (September 2003), and "Mr. Peabody's Apples" (November 2003). Both debuted at number one on "The New York Times" Best Seller list. Joe D'Angelo from MTV News confirmed that the third book would be titled "Yakov and the Seven Thieves". Madonna was again inspired by a 300 year-old story by rabbi Baal Shem Tov that she had heard from her Kabbalah teacher, and wanted to share the "essence" of it. "We must never forget that hidden behind a large amount of darkness is a large amount of light," the singer wrote in the preface.
I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love Galtney gave the collection mixed review stating, "I Touch Roses isn't half as good as the group's debut, but it's still an irresistible document of a band falling through the cracks. If BOL sounded like nothing in its day, certainly nothing has sounded like it since; it's as if the group's music exists in a cultural vacuum, as little here sounds embarrassingly dated." Additional credits: "—" denotes a release that did not chart. I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love is a best of compilation album by American synthpop