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 1593
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Classic Fiction, Romance, Mythology, Love / Sexuality, British Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Humor
Publication year 1865
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Military / War, Modernism, American Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Gender / Feminism, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Indigenous
Tags Historical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1880
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Romance
Washington Square is a novel by American author Henry James published in 1880. It is a novel of manners, which turns on individual choices amidst social constraints and expectations, a style typical of James. The novel focuses on the romance between Catherine Sloper, a wealthy young woman in line to inherit even more from her father, and Morris Townsend, a handsome, charming suitor who lacks money and a profession. Catherine’s relationship with her father, Dr... Read Washington Square Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Great Depression, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Water for Elephants, a New York Times bestseller and author Sara Gruen’s third novel, was published in 2006 by Algonquin. The novel was adapted into a full-length film in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison.Gruen often features animals in her novels, and Water for Elephants is no exception, as she follows two lovers in a forbidden relationship set against the backdrop of a circus and its eclectic mix of characters and exotic animals. The... Read Water for Elephants Summary
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Equality, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Psychology, Incarceration, Animals, Relationships, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves is Karen Joy Fowler’s seventh novel. The book was first published in 2013. The following year, it won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Fowler said that the book takes inspiration from a real 1930s experiment. In an interview with Carmen Maria Machado published in The American Reader, Fowler states that she believes that using animals for research purposes is wrong, and... Read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Summary
Publication year 1798
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Lyric Poem
“We Are Seven” is a lyric poem by English Romantic poet William Wordsworth. Wordsworth wrote it in the spring of 1798 on a walking tour with his sister Dorothy and his friend and fellow poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was recalling a young girl whom he’d met on a previous walking tour, at Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire, in 1793. “We Are Seven” describes a young girl who believes herself to be one of seven siblings, even though... Read We Are Seven Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Class, Mental Illness, Bullying, Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance