Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love

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 1918

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Lyric Poem, Military / War, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: European, WWI / World War I, British Literature, The Lost Generation


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Christian literature


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Jewish Literature, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Biography

Originally published in 2002 by Second Story Press, Hana’s Suitcase is a historical text by Karen Levine that weaves together the story of two young children in the Holocaust with the narrative of a Japanese museum curator in the early 21st century. Levine, a radio journalist and producer, first heard about Hana Brady’s suitcase from a news article and subsequently produced a radio show about the story. This launched what would become Hana’s Suitcase and... Read Hana's Suitcase Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) is the sixth book in the seven-part Harry Potter series penned by J. K. Rowling. The book revolves around the titular character Harry Potter, who is a wizard, and the events that take place during his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.Joanne Rowling, known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author best known for her immensely popular fantasy series, Harry Potter... Read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Summary


Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature


Publication year 2006

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Psychology, American Literature


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Animals, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 1992

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Inspirational, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Class, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Relationships

Heartless, first published in 2016, is a contemporary fantasy Young Adult novel by Marissa Meyer. Meyer is best known for her dystopian sci-fi YA series The Lunar Chronicles, inspired by fairy tales such as Cinderella and Snow White. Set in a fantasy world, Heartless imagines the backstory of Lewis Carroll’s iconic character the Queen of Hearts from the 1876 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Heartless is also popular among the BookTok community. This guide utilizes... Read Heartless Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Heart-Shaped Box (2007) is the debut novel of horror writer Joe Hill, son of the famous Stephen King. The novel is a contemporary Gothic story about Judas “Jude” Coyne, a retired rock star hunted by a ghost. His confrontation with the ghost forces him and his girlfriend, Marybeth “Georgia” Kimball, to confront their respective pasts and current relationship. Hill went on to publish novels such as Horns (2010), NOS4A2 (2013), and The Fireman (2016), as... Read Heart-Shaped Box Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, LGBTQ


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Hearts Unbroken is a young adult contemporary novel by New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith. Main character Louise Wolfe, a Native Muscogee (Creek) teen girl, breaks up with her boyfriend over his insensitive comments. Louise turns her focus to senior year, the school newspaper, and spending time with family, but she notices more and more instances of cultural insensitivity around her. When the newly-formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater group speaks out against cast... Read Hearts Unbroken Summary


Publication year 2004

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love


Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Animals

Tags Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Romanticism / Romantic Period

Swiss author Johanna Spyri originally published the middle-grade fiction novel Heidi in German in two volumes in 1880. The novel quickly became a beloved classic children’s book that has since been adapted into 25 film and television versions, including a 1968 made-for-TV movie and a very popular anime series in 1974. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Spyri was born in Hirzel, a Zurich village that shares a border with the German... Read Heidi Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance