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.

Endless Love

by Scott Spencer

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Mental Health, Family

Tags Romance, Coming of Age, Love & Sexuality, Psychology, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Psychology, Classic Fiction

Endless Love by Scott Spencer, first published in 1979, is a psychological drama that delves into teenage love’s obsessive and destructive nature. Spencer, an American novelist known for exploring intense human emotions and relationships, crafts a story centered around David Axelrod, a young man whose all-consuming love for Jade Butterfield leads to tragic and life-altering events. The novel examines themes such as The Destructive Nature of Love, Dysfunctional Family Dynamics, and The Construct of Mental... Read Endless Love Summary

Endymion

by John Keats

Publication year 1818

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Conflict, Perseverance, Love, Plants, Place, Appearance & Reality

Tags Narrative Poem, Mythology, Romanticism, British Literature, World History, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction

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Epicac

by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Publication year 1950

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, War, Love

Tags Science Fiction, Education, Education

Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “EPICAC” is a work of science fiction/dystopian fiction originally published in the November 25, 1950, issue of Collier’s Weekly and was later included in his first short story collection, Welcome to the Monkey House (1968). Vonnegut is one of the 20th century’s best-known American satirical writers, and his military experience informs the anti-war themes and dark humor of his work. “EPICAC” follows a military supercomputer that develops romantic feelings for its... Read Epicac Summary

Erec and Enide

by Chrétien De Troyes

Publication year 1170

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Loyalty & Betrayal, Marriage

Tags Romance, Medieval, French Literature, Education, Education, Mythology, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Erec and Enide is a book-length poem written by French poet Chrétien de Troyes around the year 1170. The poem is one of Chrétien’s series of so-called Arthurian romances—a genre of poem in the Middle Ages that told the stories of the individuals associated with King Arthur’s court. His poems are among the earliest to refer to King Arthur and his knights, and Erec and Enide focuses on the adventures of the knight Erec. This... Read Erec and Enide Summary

Eternal

by Lisa Scottoline

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Hate & Anger, Family, Friendship, War, Race, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fear, Food, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, World War II, Military & War, Italian Literature, World History

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Eveline

by James Joyce

Publication year 1904

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Memory, Grief, Love, Family, Colonialism

Tags Irish Literature, Modernism, Gender & Feminism, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

“Eveline” is the fourth short story in James Joyce’s Dubliners collection, completed in 1907 and published in London in 1914. This story, like the others in Dubliners, reveals Joyce’s view of Ireland, then a British colony, as existing in a state of paralysis. Alongside this broader theme, “Eveline” also explores topics like duty versus freedom, English imperialism, and individual autonomy. Nearly a story of a young woman escaping the confines of her abusive and lonely... Read Eveline Summary

Everybody

by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

Publication year 2018

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Fear, Love, Death, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Good & Evil

Tags Drama, Symbolic Narrative, Grief & Death, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, Dramatic Literature, Education, Education

Everybody, a one-act play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, premiered Off-Broadway in 2017 at the Signature Theatre and was first published in 2018. It is a modern retelling of Everyman, the most well-known and anthologized example of a medieval morality play, which was adapted from a Dutch play by an anonymous 15th century English writer. Morality plays first appeared in the 12th century, evolving from the Catholic Church’s cycle plays and liturgical dramas, which reenacted biblical scenes... Read Everybody Summary

Everything Sad Is Untrue

by Daniel Nayeri

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Religion & Spirituality, Immigration, Place, Coming of Age, Siblings, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Fathers, Childhood & Youth, Animals, The Past, Love, Shame & Pride, Education, Marriage, Perseverance, Politics & Government, Nation, Truth & Lies, Nostalgia, Hope, Loneliness, Grandparents

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Immigration & Refugeeism, Middle Eastern History, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Everything Sad Is Untrue Summary

Exile

by Shannon Messenger

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Love, Memory, Language, Race, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Community, Education, Immigration, Nation, War, Fate, Justice, Music, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Conflict, Animals, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

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Exodus

by Kate Stewart

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Appearance & Reality, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

... Read Exodus Summary