Our Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love Collection features titles centered on love and all of its complexities. This Collection represents authors who have grappled with romantic, familial, and other forms of love through writing. With titles ranging from contemporary romance picks to works by Shakespeare, this Collection has something to offer any reader who has ever lost or found love.
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World was published in 2019. Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist who advocates for women’s and LGBTQIA+ rights through her fiction. Shafak’s 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World examines the life of a sex worker who was murdered in Istanbul, Turkey, exploring key moments in her life while her friends desperately try to arrange her funeral. The novel investigates topics like violence against... Read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Parenting, Sociology, American Literature, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) is Jordan B. Peterson’s second book. Peterson’s self-help book seeks to provide practical and virtuous rules to live by for a wide audience and general readership. The book streamlines, simplifies, and reimagines some of the more traditionally academic topics of Peterson’s first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. Each non-fiction work aims to explain human history and human nature according to universal frameworks. 12... Read 12 Rules for Life Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Japanese Literature
1Q84 is a novel written by the Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The book was first published in Japanese in three volumes and released in 2009 and 2010, ahead of an English translation published in 2011, and includes elements of magical realism and dystopian literature. Set in 1984 in Tokyo, the story concerns an assassin who stumbles upon an alternate world she refers to as 1Q84. There, she becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving an abusive... Read 1Q84 Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Self Help, Relationships, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 1807
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Animals, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, LGBTQ, Addiction / Substance Abuse
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Children's Literature, Romance, Biography, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Travel Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Midlife
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
After by Anna Todd is a fan fiction romance novel with characters loosely based on the band members from One Direction. The novel principally features the band’s lead singer, Harry Styles, as the inspiration for main character Hardin, and Anna Todd herself as the inspiration behind the protagonist, Tessa. Todd originally wrote After on Wattpad, a social storytelling platform, but it was adapted as a published novel by Simon and Schuster in 2014. After is... Read After Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Domestic Fiction
Publication year 2000
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction