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.

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Romance, Humor, Race / Racism


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Romance

Shadow of Night (2012) is a historical fantasy romance novel by Deborah Harkness, and the second book in the All Souls Trilogy, preceded by A Discovery of Witches (2011) and followed by The Book of Life (2014). A prequel novel, Time’s Convert (2019), follows the origin story of Matthew’s son Marcus, who is a minor character in Shadow of Night.Harkness holds a PhD from the University of California, Davis and teaches early modern European history... Read Shadow of Night Summary


Publication year 1814

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, Gothic Literature, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction


Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, British Literature

“She Was a Phantom of Delight” is a short lyric poem by the English poet William Wordsworth. Often regarded as the greatest of the English Romantics, Wordsworth composed “Phantom” in 1804 and published it in his 1807 collection Poems, in Two Volumes. He wrote it in praise of his wife Mary (née Hutchinson), whom he first met in 1787 and married in 1802. The poem explores three stages of development in William and Mary’s relationship... Read She Was a Phantom of Delight Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Shiver (2009) is the first installment in Maggie Stiefvater’s young adult paranormal romance series The Wolves of Mercy Falls. Influential in shaping modern fantasy romance narratives, the bestselling series is set in a universe where werewolves exist and their transformations are controlled by the weather. Shiver tracks the story of Grace Brisbane, who was bitten by werewolves when she was child but never changed, and Sam Roth, a werewolf destined to remain a wolf forever... Read Shiver Summary


Publication year 1994

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Parenting


Publication year 1922

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, History: Asian, Philosophy

Siddhartha, written by Hermann Hesse and first published in German in 1922, is a work of philosophical fiction. The book is based closely on the teachings of the spiritual leader Gautama Buddha who lived in present day Nepal or Northern India in the 4th or 5th century BCE. The book tells the story of the physical and spiritual journey of a fictional Brahmin’s son Siddhartha, in his quest for self-discovery and the meaning of existence... Read Siddhartha Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Community, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Music, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals

Tags Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Grief / Death


Publication year 1329

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Classic Fiction, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, Education, Education, British Literature, Fantasy


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a young adult (YA) bildungsroman published in 2001 by Ann Brashares. It is the first in the eponymous series of five best-selling novels, two of which were adapted into feature films. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants follow Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby, four teenage girls who share an inseparable bond and a pair of “magical” pants that fit each of them perfectly. During their first summer apart... Read Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

In the novel Sister of My Heart, the Indian-born American author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores issues of family, womanhood, and diasporic experience, constantly affirming and exploring the redemptive power of storytelling. Divakaruni’s first collection of stories, Arranged Marriage, won an American Book Award, a PEN Josephine Miles Award, and a Bay Area Book Reviewers Award. Her novel The Mistress of Spices was released as a film of the same name in 2005. Sister of My Heart was made into a television series... Read Sister of My Heart Summary


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Identity: Disability, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride

Tags Disability, Social Justice, Gender / Feminism, Biography


Publication year 1809

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty


Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Humor, Holidays & Occasions, Modern Classic Fiction

Skipping Christmas is a 2001 satirical novella by John Grisham. It tells the story of Luther and Nora Krank, a married couple whose adult daughter, Blair, moves to Peru a month before Christmas. Facing their first Christmas without their daughter, and disillusioned by the holiday’s excesses, they decide to forego Christmas that year and go on a cruise instead. However, their decision brings them into conflict with their friends and neighbors, who expect them to... Read Skipping Christmas Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, New Adult


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Mental Illness, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

Small as an Elephant is a middle grade realistic fiction novel written by Jennifer Richard Jacobson and originally published in 2011. In addition to writing, Jacobson teaches literacy workshops across the US. She grew up in Maine, which is the inspiration for the setting of many of her stories. Small as an Elephant examines several themes related to unstable attachment, support, and hardship. The novel received more than 10 awards, including the Maine Lupine Award... Read Small as an Elephant Summary