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.

This World We Live In

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Food, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

... Read This World We Live In Summary

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay

by Elena Ferrante

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Italian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2014) is the third book in pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante’s world-acclaimed adult fiction series The Neapolitan Novels. The four-novel series chronicles the friendship between first-person narrator Elena Greco and Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo from childhood to old age in an impoverished neighborhood in Naples, Italy. Translated by Ann Goldstein, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay documents the beginning of middle age, wherein the two women grapple with... Read Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Summary

Three Sisters

by Anton Chekhov

Publication year 1901

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Society: Class

Tags Play: Drama, Russian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Anton Chekhov wrote the play Three Sisters in 1900 as a commission for the now-famous Moscow Art Theatre (MAT). The production debuted there in 1901 and was directed by the MAT’s two founders, Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. It was the first play that Chekhov penned specifically for production at the MAT. Three Sisters uses the three titular characters—Olga, Masha, and Irina—to examine the decay of the Russian aristocracy. Raised and educated to become the... Read Three Sisters Summary

Throne of the Fallen

by Kerri Maniscalco

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Fantasy, Romance

... Read Throne of the Fallen Summary

Tipping the Velvet

by Sarah Waters

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery

Tags History: World, Victorian Literature / Period, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, LGBTQ, Victorian Period

... Read Tipping the Velvet Summary

Today

by Billy Collins

Publication year 2000

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature

... Read Today Summary

Today Tonight Tomorrow

by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Today Tonight Tomorrow Summary

To Helen

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1831

Genre Poem, Fiction

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

Tags Mythology, Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction

... Read To Helen Summary

To Hell with Dying

by Alice Walker

Publication year 1988

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging

Tags African American Literature

Alice Walker published her first short story, “To Hell with Dying,” in 1968 and republished it as a children’s book with illustrations by Catherine Deeter in 1988. While suitable for children, its depth, themes, and writing style resonate with readers of all ages with an interest in African American literature.Alice Walker is a prominent author of novels, essays, and poems and was the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in... Read To Hell with Dying Summary

To His Coy Mistress

by Andrew Marvell

Publication year 1681

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, British Literature, Restoration, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction

“To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell was posthumously published in 1681 as part of the collection Miscellaneous Poems. Marvell, a metaphysical poet, wrote this piece in Restoration England, probably after the English Civil War. Marvell’s canonical lyric works are well-known today but were unheard of during his lifetime. Like Emily Dickinson, none of Marvell's poems were published until after his death. However, some of his satirical and other prose works were published during his... Read To His Coy Mistress Summary

To Kill a Kingdom

by Alexandra Christo

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Mythology

... Read To Kill a Kingdom Summary

Tom Lake

by Ann Patchett

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place

Tags Realistic Fiction, American Literature, Agriculture, Arts / Culture, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

... Read Tom Lake Summary

To My Dear and Loving Husband

by Anne Bradstreet

Publication year 1678

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Love / Sexuality

... Read To My Dear and Loving Husband Summary

To My Mother

by Edgar Allan Poe

Publication year 1849

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Classic Fiction

... Read To My Mother Summary

Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines

by Pablo Neruda

Publication year 1924

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

... Read Tonight I Can Write the Saddest Lines Summary

Too Late

by Colleen Hoover

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, New Adult, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

... Read Too Late Summary

To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time

by Robert Herrick

Publication year 1648

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality

... Read To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time Summary

Translation State

by Ann Leckie

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Language, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Fantasy

... Read Translation State Summary