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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Natural World: Place
Tags New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags History: U.S., History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Revolution, Politics / Government
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Humor, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, French Literature
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance, History: World, Historical Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery
Tags Children's Literature
Publication year 1951
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Romance, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Latin American Literature, Surrealism
“My Life with the Wave” is a surrealist prose poem written by Mexican poet and author Octavio Paz, first published in 1951 as part of Paz’s collection ¿Águila o sol?. The English translation (Eagle or Sun?) by Eliot Weinberger was published in 1976. Paz’s poetry, essays, and prose frequently underscore Mexican identity, culture, and politics, especially during his time as a Mexican diplomat and ambassador. His travels exposed him to surrealism and existentialism, which had... Read My Life With the Wave Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class, Grief / Death, Race / Racism, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Elizabeth Strout’s New York Times bestselling novel My Name is Lucy Barton follows the titular character on a journey of healing. Published in 2016, My Name is Lucy Barton explores the impact of trauma as Lucy navigates her reunion with her estranged mother. Longlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, My Name is Lucy Barton was adapted for the stage as a one-woman show featuring acclaimed actress Laura Linney in 2018 and 2020. Strout’s novel... Read My Name is Lucy Barton Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Historical Fiction, Middle Eastern Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture
My Name is Red (originally titled Benim Adim Kirmizi) is a 1998 historical novel by the Nobel Prize winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. Set in late-16th century Istanbul, the novel explores cultural tensions stemming from contemporary philosophical understandings of visual art. Told from the viewpoints of many different animate and inanimate characters—including Muslim and Jewish individuals, a corpse, the color red, and paintings of a horse, a devil, and a dog—the novel integrates elements of... Read My Name is Red Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: New Age, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, British Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Romance, Fantasy
Publication year 2007
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1898
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Victorian Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Romance, New Adult, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Race / Racism, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction