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 Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Romance, Fantasy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, History: World, Magical Realism, Romance
Publication year 1977
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Psychological Fiction
“The Fat Girl” is a short story by Andre Dubus II that was originally published in his 1977 collection Adultery and Other Choices. Dubus was an American writer of short stories and essays from Louisiana. “The Fat Girl” chronicles nearly two decades in protagonist Louise’s life, spanning childhood to motherhood. The story explores Louise’s issues with body image, food and dieting, secrecy, gender roles, and relationships.This guide is based on the version of the text... Read The Fat Girl Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Romance
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, American Revolution
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1950
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Religion / Spirituality, Holocaust
“The First Seven Years” is a short story that Bernard Malamud originally published in 1950. The story subsequently appeared in several collections, including The Magic Barrel, which won the 1959 National Book Award for fiction. Malamud’s exploration of the complications of the American Dream for immigrants and the aftermath of the Holocaust make the story an important contribution to American Jewish literature of the twentieth century. This guide is based on the short story as... Read The First Seven Years Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Aging, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Humor
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Love / Sexuality, Arts / Culture, American Literature, Italian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
The Flamethrowers is a historical fiction novel published in 2013 by the American author Rachel Kushner. It follows the story of Reno, a young woman experiencing the turbulence of the 1970s in New York City. An aspiring artist, Reno finds herself in remarkable situations both in New York and abroad in Italy. Kushner weaves Italian and American history to highlight how people experience the implications of the societies and histories they inherit. Kushner subverts typical... Read The Flamethrowers Summary
Publication year 1633
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Lyric Poem, Metaphysical, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1969
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction, Romance, Victorian Period, British Literature, Post Modernism
The French Lieutenant’s Woman is a 1969 historical novel by English author John Fowles. The novel provides a postmodern exploration of Victorian society, telling a story from the era in a manner which also function as a social critique. The French Lieutenant’s Woman was widely praised on release and in the decades after. In 1981, it was adapted into a film of the same name.This guide was written using the 2004 Vintage edition of the... Read The French Lieutenant's Woman Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1904
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Furnished Room” by American author O. Henry (the pseudonym of William Sydney Porter) is a short story in the realism genre that also incorporates O. Henry’s trademark situational irony and surprise ending. O. Henry, a resident of New York City at the time, often wrote about life in the city and published short fiction in the weekly magazine New York Sunday World. “The Furnished Room” was first published in 1904 in serial form. O... Read The Furnished Room Summary
Publication year 1866
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Russian Literature, Existentialism, History: World, Romance, Philosophy, Philosophy