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.

Penpal

by Dathan Auerbach

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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Persimmons

by Li-Young Lee

Publication year 1986

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Fathers, Language, Immigration, Objects & Materials, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Love, Food

Tags Lyric Poem, Ekphrastic, Free Verse, Relationships, Immigration & Refugeeism, Arts & Culture, Confessional, Asian Literature

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Persuasion

by Jane Austen

Publication year 1817

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity

Tags Romance, British Literature, Victorian Period, Romanticism, Classic Fiction, Social Class, World History, 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

Petey

by Ben Mikaelsen

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Disability, Hope, Perseverance, Love, Loneliness

Tags Historical Fiction, Disability, Mental Illness, Health, Religion & Spirituality, Bullying, Post-War Era, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, World History

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

Phèdre

by Jean Racine

Publication year 1677

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Love, Guilt, Conflict, Revenge, Daughters & Sons

Tags Tragedy, Drama, Mythology, French Literature, Neoclassicism

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Pie

by Sarah Weeks

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Gratitude, Grief, Love, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Mothers, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Food, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

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Planetarium

by Adrienne Rich

Publication year 1974

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Space, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fame, Science & Technology, Order & Chaos, Justice, Conflict, Memory, Love, Perseverance, Femininity

Tags Lyric Poem, Gender & Feminism, Social Justice, Relationships

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Pollyanna

by Eleanor H. Porter

Publication year 1913

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Love, Perseverance, 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