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.

Ivanhoe

by Walter Scott

Publication year 1819

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Love, Nation, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romanticism, British Literature, Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Medieval, World History, Romance

Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Walter Scott, first published in 1819. The novel or “romance” is a fanciful account of English life in the 12th century, during the time of King Richard I (Richard “Coeur de Lion”). The protagonist of the story is Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a knight returning home from fighting in the Third Crusade. His journey weaves together historical events, religious conflict, and Medieval folklore and explores themes of Chivalry as... Read Ivanhoe Summary

James And The Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Childhood & Youth, Family, Love, Fear, Loneliness, Grief, Death, Hope, Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Magical Realism, Animals, Action & Adventure

James and the Giant Peach by British author Roald Dahl was first published in 1961. This critically acclaimed children’s novel was made into an award-winning film in 1996. It tells the story of a giant peach that magically grows in a young boy, James’s, back garden—big enough for him to enter the center of the peach and have adventures with the insects who live in there. Dahl is known as one of the 20th century’s greatest... Read James And The Giant Peach Summary

Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot

by Robert Olen Butler

Publication year 1996

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Love, Masculinity

Tags Magical Realism, Relationships, Fantasy

Robert Olen Butler’s 1995 short story “Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot” has been widely reprinted and anthologized. Its themes, which typify Butler's work, include alienation, desire, and the challenges of communicating with others. Butler is a best-selling American author and won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his short story collection A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain, which explores the experiences of Vietnamese immigrants in the United States. “Jealous Husband,” however... Read Jealous Husband Returns in Form of Parrot Summary

John & Paul

by Ian Leslie

Publication year 2025

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Joy, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Place, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Teamwork, Community, Art, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Order & Chaos

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Journey to the End of the Night

by Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Transl. Ralph Manheim

Publication year 1932

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Hate & Anger, Love, Mental Health, Race, Death, Social Class, Colonialism, War

Tags French Literature, Philosophy, Life-Inspired Fiction, World War I, Modernism, The Lost Generation

Journey to the End of the Night is a modernist novel by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, first published in the French language in 1932 by Parisian publishing house Éditions Denoël et Steele. It is a semi-autobiographical work centered on the life and travels of cynical antihero Ferdinand Bardamu, set over several decades of Bardamu’s life, beginning at the outbreak of World War I. The novel became influential in the development of post–WWI literary modernism, but like many... Read Journey to the End of the Night Summary

Junie

by Erin Crosby Eckstine

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Race, Coming of Age, Siblings, Self Discovery, Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Coming of Age, American Civil War

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Keeping 13

by Chloe Walsh

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Grief, Love, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community

Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma & Abuse

... Read Keeping 13 Summary

Kin

by Tayari Jones

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Siblings, Conflict, Perseverance, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Femininity, Gender Identity, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, The Past, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Safety & Danger

Tags Relationships, African American Literature

... Read Kin Summary