"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, History: World, Romance, Fantasy
Published in 2004, Alice Hoffman’s novel Blackbird House chronicles a house on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and its inhabitants over a 200-year span. The story, which invokes elements of magical realism, begins during the War of 1812 and ends in the present day. Shifting between first-person and third-person point-of-view, the novel delves into the themes of Love as Motivation, Resilience Resulting from Adversity, and The Power of Place in Shaping Lives.Other works by this author include... Read Blackbird House Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, African American Literature, New Adult, Love / Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Love / Sexuality, Romance, Survival Fiction
Publication year 2003
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Blankets is a 2003 autobiographical graphic novel by Craig Thompson, who created both the text and the illustrations. It tells the story of Craig’s coming-of-age and first love in the context of his strict religious upbringing, and later, a departure from his childhood faith. Time magazine ranked Blankets first on its Best Comics list for 2003 and eighth on its list of Best Comics of the Decade. In 2004 it won Harvey awards for Best... Read Blankets Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Western, Romance
Publication year 1918
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Modernism, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction
“Bliss” is a short story written by New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield. It was originally published in 1918 in The English Review and later republished in 1920 as a collection of short stories entitled Bliss and Other Stories. Katherine Mansfield was a contemporary of British writers such as Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando), D. H. Lawrence (Sons and Lovers, Women in Love), and James Joyce (Ulysses, Dubliners). As a Modernist story, “Bliss” focuses on the... Read Bliss Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Race / Racism
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Bone Gap is a young adult novel by Laura Ruby. It features magical realism, meaning that the setting is realistic with fantastical elements. There are also mystery and crime elements. The novel is set in rural Bone Gap, Illinois, and is told from the third-person omniscient perspective. The narrator is all-seeing, knowing everything about the characters and events.The story follows Finn, an 18-year-old man. He is the only witness to the abduction of a beautiful... Read Bone Gap Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Self Discovery
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Self Discovery, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Class, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1958
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Romance
Breakfast at Tiffany's is a 1958 novella by Truman Capote. In the story, an unnamed narrator is introduced to a young woman named Holly Golightly and the unique New York world she inhabits. The novella is one of Capote’s most popular works and has been adapted as a musical, a play, and most famously as an Academy Award–winning film in 1961 starring Audrey Hepburn. This guide refers to the eBook version of the 2000 Penguin... Read Breakfast at Tiffany’s Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Breaking Dawn (2008) by Stephenie Meyer is the fourth and final novel of the best-selling Twilight book series. It is a young adult fantasy romance novel following the life of Bella Swan, a teenager who falls in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen. The three prior novels explore Bella’s attempts to assimilate into the secret vampire world with Edward and his family, as well as the love triangle with her best friend, Jacob Black, whom... Read Breaking Dawn Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Disability, Mythology, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Breathing Underwater is a 2001 young adult novel by author Alex Flinn that tells the story of Nick Andreas, a wealthy teenage boy who struggles with his abusive father and abuses his girlfriend, Caitlin. When she files a restraining order and he must take a court-ordered family violence class, Nick begins to reevaluate his behavior and troubled past. As Nick is forced to face his emotional damage, he learns that change and growth are possible. Flinn’s... Read Breathing Underwater Summary