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 1602
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, Humor, Drama / Tragedy, Romance
All’s Well That Ends Well is a play by William Shakespeare (1582-1616), one of the most influential writers in the English language. The date of composition is not known, but All’s Well That Ends Well was first performed between 1598 and 1608. It was published in 1623, in the First Folio. Shakespeare’s work is part of Early Modern English literature, alongside playwrights like Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe, during which time the play and theater... Read All's Well That Ends Well Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Biography
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
All the Bright Places (2015) is a young adult novel with elements of romance written by Jennifer Niven that deals with the topic of teen suicide. The book was winner of the Goodreads Choice award and has become a popular read among the BookTok community. Niven tells the story from two different voices, those of high school students Theodore Finch (who goes by “Finch”) and Violet Markey. The characters first meet at the top of their... Read All The Bright Places Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Historical Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Mental Illness
Bryn Greenwood’s novel All the Ugly and Wonderful Things (2016) acknowledges and inverts the features of fairy tales and romance novels to depict a relationship that challenges accepted social values and questions the definition of love itself. Sunk in the depravity and degradation of her father’s drug-dealing lifestyle, eight-year-old Wavy finds her only solace in a questionable attachment to Kellen, a 24-year-old man who is also isolated and longing for some scrap of beauty in... Read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Grief / Death
Publication year 1936
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Coming of Age
"All the Years of Her Life" is a short story by Canadian author Morley Callaghan, first published in his collection Now That April’s Here and Other Stories in 1936. Set in a drugstore in an unknown city, it centers around a young man named Alfred Higgins, who is caught by his boss stealing items from his workplace. Instead of calling the police, the owner, Mr. Carr, calls Alfred’s mother to discuss her son’s actions. Exploring... Read All the Years of Her Life Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Romance, Drama / Tragedy, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance, LGBTQ
Almost, Maine is a play in two acts, and is comprised of a prologue, a four-scene first act, an interlogue, a four-scene second act (one of which has two different versions one can choose from), and finally an Epilogue. The title refers to an imagined town in Northern Maine, named Almost, that the playwright, John Cariani, writes, “doesn’t quite exist” (11). Each scene consists of at least two main characters, and, aside from the Prologue... Read Almost, Maine Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mental Illness
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Class, Immigration / Refugee, Latin American Literature, Military / War, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Romance, Harlem Renaissance, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Korean Literature, Asian Literature, Romance, Drama / Tragedy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Diversity, Food, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Jenny Han’s Always and Forever, Lara Jean is a young adult (YA) fiction/romance novel published in 2017. It is the third volume in a trilogy surrounding the high school experience of an Asian-American girl named Lara Jean. The first two novels have been adapted into Netflix films; the third book is also slated to be developed into a film. This guide references the e-book version of the novel.Plot SummaryThis novel opens on a typical high... Read Always and Forever, Lara Jean Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Edwardian Era
Publication year 1888
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Natural World: Place, Society: Community
Tags Free verse
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction