"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.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Humor
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Relationships, American Literature, French Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Humor, Contemporary Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Relationships: Fathers, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Fame, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., Leadership/Organization/Management, Relationships, History: World, Romance
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags African Literature, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
The Map of Love is a 1999 work of literary fiction by the Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif. Critically acclaimed, the novel was a finalist for the 1999 Booker Prize. This guide refers to the 1999 Anchor Books edition.The Map of Love is driven by a series of fabulous coincidences. In 1997, Isabel, a young American woman, contacts Amal, a middle-aged Egyptian who is mourning the dissolution of her marriage and the alienation of her faraway... Read The Map of Love Summary
Publication year 1860
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Italian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Society: Nation
Tags Mythology, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Romance
Published in 2012, The Mark of Athena is the third novel in Rick Riordan’s young adult fantasy series The Heroes of Olympus, his second series in the Percy Jackson universe inspired by Greek and Roman mythologies. The Mark of Athena picks up the narrative where The Son of Neptune left off, with a Greek warship from Camp Half-Blood approaching Roman Camp Jupiter in hopes of collaborating to stop Gaea from waking up and destroying the... Read The Mark Of Athena Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Historical Fiction, Jewish Literature, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance, Arts / Culture
Alice Hoffman’s 2015 novel, The Marriage of Opposites, is a work of historical fiction with magical realism and romance elements. The novel begins in the early 1800s and spans three generations of a Jewish family living on the island of St. Thomas after having fled the Inquisition in Europe. The novel follows a linear timeline and, told from different perspectives, creates a sweeping look at a historically significant moment in time. Hoffman based her tale... Read The Marriage Of Opposites Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Romance, American Literature, Relationships
Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Marriage Plot (2011), set in the early 1980s, follows a love triangle among a group of recent Brown University graduates. As the 20-somethings forge a path into adulthood, they explore the dynamics of love and commitment while wrestling with ways to imbue their lives with meaning and make a purposeful mark on the world. The title references a plot trope common to 19th-century British novels, such as those by Jane Austen, in... Read The Marriage Plot Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Inspirational, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, September 11 Attacks, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Written by Emily M. Danforth and published in 2012, The Miseducation of Cameron Post depicts lesbian teen Cameron Post’s coming of age in Miles City, Montana. The book, which comprises three parts—“Summer 1989,” “High School 1991-1992,” and “God’s Promise 1992-1993”—explores themes of homosexuality, grief, and religion. Danforth, who grew up in Miles City, draws from her own experiences of “growing up gay in the 1990s.” In 2018, LGBTQ culture advocate Desiree Akhavan directed the YA... Read The Miseducation of Cameron Post Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Food, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance, Indian Literature, Food, Asian Literature
Publication year 1982
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Mythology, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Christian literature, Romance, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction
The Mountain Between Us (2010) is a survival romance novel by Charles Martin. It tells the story of Ben Payne, a surgeon who becomes trapped in the remote Utah wilderness with writer Ashley Knox. The novel interweaves Ben’s personal history with his growing feelings for Ashley as they rely on each other for survival, and their love begins to pose a potential complication in the lives to which they hope to return. Through their journey... Read The Mountain Between Us Summary