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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature
Publication year 1989
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Magical Realism
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: Asian, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Abbi Glines’s Until Friday Night is a young adult romance novel that follows the relationship between the two protagonists, Maggie Carlton and West Ashby. Maggie’s and West’s alternating first-person narratives reveal their complex feelings for each other and their struggles to navigate falling in love. Their evolving dynamic is the basis for the novel’s themes of Coping with Grief and Trauma, The Development of Teenage Romantic Relationships, and The Role of Communication in Healing. This... Read Until Friday Night Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Relationships, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages
Uprooted (2016) is a fantasy novel inspired by Polish folktales and written by New York Times bestselling American fantasy author Naomi Novik, best known for her Temeraire series. In Uprooted, a young woman named Agnieszka lives in a small village in a valley on the edge of the deadly Wood. It is the task of the Dragon, a powerful wizard in a nearby tower, to keep the Wood at bay. As payment, the Dragon chooses... Read Uprooted Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1992
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Lyric Poem, Humor, Holidays & Occasions, Relationships
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Vanishing Acts is a 2005 domestic and psychological novel by Jodi Picoult. The story follows Delia Hopkins as she struggles to deal with the aftermath of her father’s arrest and trial for kidnapping her 28 years prior. The story cycles through multiple narrators who all share their story in first person, both in the present and through flashbacks. The story examines memory, the effect of lies, internal family struggles, and determining self-identity.This guide refers to... Read Vanishing Acts Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
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