Romance

"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.

Blankets

by Craig Thompson

Publication year 2003

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Coming of Age, Sexual Identity

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Coming of Age, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Blankets is a 2003 autobiographical graphic novel by Craig Thompson, who created both the text and the illustrations. It tells the story of Craig’s coming-of-age and first love in the context of his strict religious upbringing, and later, a departure from his childhood faith. Time magazine ranked Blankets first on its Best Comics list for 2003 and eighth on its list of Best Comics of the Decade. In 2004 it won Harvey awards for Best... Read Blankets Summary

Bliss

by Katherine Mansfield

Publication year 1918

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Sexual Identity, Love, Gender Identity, Loyalty & Betrayal, Beauty

Tags Modernism, Education, Education, World History, Romance, LGBTQ+, Classic Fiction

“Bliss” is a short story written by New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield. It was originally published in 1918 in The English Review and later republished in 1920 as a collection of short stories entitled Bliss and Other Stories. Katherine Mansfield was a contemporary of British writers such as Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando), D. H. Lawrence (Sons and Lovers, Women in Love), and James Joyce (Ulysses, Dubliners). As a Modernist story, “Bliss” focuses on the... Read Bliss Summary

Blood Moon

by Sandra Brown

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Death, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Romance

... Read Blood Moon Summary

Bone Gap

by Laura Ruby

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age

Tags Magical Realism, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction

Bone Gap is a young adult novel by Laura Ruby. It features magical realism, meaning that the setting is realistic with fantastical elements. There are also mystery and crime elements. The novel is set in rural Bone Gap, Illinois, and is told from the third-person omniscient perspective. The narrator is all-seeing, knowing everything about the characters and events.The story follows Finn, an 18-year-old man. He is the only witness to the abduction of a beautiful... Read Bone Gap Summary

Book of Night

by Holly Black

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Social Class, Fame, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance

... Read Book of Night Summary

Bound

by Donna Jo Napoli

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Hope, Animals, Place, Family, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fairy Tale & Folklore

... Read Bound Summary

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

by Truman Capote

Publication year 1958

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Love, Memory, Femininity, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, World History, Romance

Breakfast at Tiffany's is a 1958 novella by Truman Capote. In the story, an unnamed narrator is introduced to a young woman named Holly Golightly and the unique New York world she inhabits. The novella is one of Capote’s most popular works and has been adapted as a musical, a play, and most famously as an Academy Award–winning film in 1961 starring Audrey Hepburn. This guide refers to the eBook version of the 2000 Penguin... Read Breakfast at Tiffany’s Summary

Breaking Dawn

by Stephenie Meyer

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Friendship, Community, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Breaking Dawn (2008) by Stephenie Meyer is the fourth and final novel of the best-selling Twilight book series. It is a young adult fantasy romance novel following the life of Bella Swan, a teenager who falls in love with a vampire, Edward Cullen. The three prior novels explore Bella’s attempts to assimilate into the secret vampire world with Edward and his family, as well as the love triangle with her best friend, Jacob Black, whom... Read Breaking Dawn Summary