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 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Sports, New Adult
Publication year 1966
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Irish Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Climate, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Japanese Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1811
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Identity: Gender
Tags Romance, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Relationships, Class, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Sense and Sensibility (1811) was the first published novel of English writer Jane Austen (1775-1817). She published it anonymously, identifying herself only as "a lady." It tells the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, who find love after their father dies and they are plunged into a more modest lifestyle. Sense and Sensibility’s continual presence in the cultural imagination is evident in its numerous film and TV adaptations, including the award-winning 1995 version... Read Sense and Sensibility Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Humor, Race / Racism
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Romance
Shadow of Night (2012) is a historical fantasy romance novel by Deborah Harkness, and the second book in the All Souls Trilogy, preceded by A Discovery of Witches (2011) and followed by The Book of Life (2014). A prequel novel, Time’s Convert (2019), follows the origin story of Matthew’s son Marcus, who is a minor character in Shadow of Night.Harkness holds a PhD from the University of California, Davis and teaches early modern European history... Read Shadow of Night Summary
Publication year 1814
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, Gothic Literature, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, British Literature
“She Was a Phantom of Delight” is a short lyric poem by the English poet William Wordsworth. Often regarded as the greatest of the English Romantics, Wordsworth composed “Phantom” in 1804 and published it in his 1807 collection Poems, in Two Volumes. He wrote it in praise of his wife Mary (née Hutchinson), whom he first met in 1787 and married in 1802. The poem explores three stages of development in William and Mary’s relationship... Read She Was a Phantom of Delight Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Shiver (2009) is the first installment in Maggie Stiefvater’s young adult paranormal romance series The Wolves of Mercy Falls. Influential in shaping modern fantasy romance narratives, the bestselling series is set in a universe where werewolves exist and their transformations are controlled by the weather. Shiver tracks the story of Grace Brisbane, who was bitten by werewolves when she was child but never changed, and Sam Roth, a werewolf destined to remain a wolf forever... Read Shiver Summary
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Parenting
Publication year 1922
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, History: Asian, Philosophy
Siddhartha, written by Hermann Hesse and first published in German in 1922, is a work of philosophical fiction. The book is based closely on the teachings of the spiritual leader Gautama Buddha who lived in present day Nepal or Northern India in the 4th or 5th century BCE. The book tells the story of the physical and spiritual journey of a fictional Brahmin’s son Siddhartha, in his quest for self-discovery and the meaning of existence... Read Siddhartha Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Music, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals
Tags Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Grief / Death
Publication year 1329
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy