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 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, History: U.S., Love / Sexuality, Race / Racism, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Class, History: World
Out of Darkness is a young adult historical novel written by Ashley Hope Pérez and published in 2015 by Holiday House of New York. Pérez holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Indiana University, where her research focused on Latin American literature. A professor of World Literatures at Ohio State University, she is also the author of What Can’t Wait (2011), The Knife and The Butterfly (2012), and Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions about... Read Out of Darkness Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Birth, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Romance, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Humor, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Romance, Humor, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Travel Literature
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family
Tags Free verse
Publication year 1986
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Language, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Objects, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Food
Tags Lyric Poem, Ekphrastic, Free verse, Relationships, Immigration / Refugee, Arts / Culture, Confessional, Asian Literature
Publication year 1817
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender
Tags Romance, British Literature, Victorian Period, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Classic Fiction, Class, History: World, Historical Fiction
Persuasion is the last novel completed by Jane Austen (1775-1817) before her death. Written between the years 1815-1816 and published posthumously, the Regency-era novel centers on the engagements and marriages of a small circle of middle-class families, with particular attention to the social and private lives of women. Echoing character dynamics found throughout Austen’s works, the romantic protagonists must confront their individual pride before fully realizing their relationship. It has been adapted for television, film... Read Persuasion Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Historical Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Bullying, Post-War Era, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Petey is middle grade novel written by Ben Mikaelsen and published in 1998. Mikaelsen is the author of 10 novels for young adults and the winner of several awards for his work. Petey is dedicated to and based on the life of Clyde Cothern, a Montana man with cerebral palsy who was misdiagnosed as intellectually disabled and confined to Montana State Hospital in the 1920s. Mikaelsen and Cothern shared a close personal friendship, and while... Read Petey Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings
Publication year 1677
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Play: Tragedy, Play: Drama, Mythology, French Literature, Neoclassical
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Food, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction
... Read Pie Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Relationships
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Relationships, New Adult
Publication year 1996
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity
Tags Gender / Feminism, Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter
Publication year 2005
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1913
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Modernism
Pollyanna (1913) is the second novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter (1868-1921). The book was so successful that it topped the adult best-seller list, and Porter wrote a sequel titled Pollyanna Grows Up (1915) two years later.In the years following its publication, Pollyanna provided hope in the turbulent years of World War I, and it continued to capture the national imagination throughout the 20th century. Eleven more “glad books” featuring the heroine were written... Read Pollyanna Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Gender / Feminism, History: World, LGBTQ