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.

The Beast in the Jungle

by Henry James

Publication year 1903

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Grief, Fate, Love, Fear, Regret, Death

Tags American Literature, Modernism, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James, first published in 1903, centers on the relationship between John Marcher, a man haunted by the premonition that his life will be defined by some catastrophic event, and May Bartram. James’s narrative dissects the psychological effects of fear and anticipation by focusing on his characters’ inner lives and existential musings. The tale is an internalized ghost story wherein Marcher’s fears become self-fulfilling prophecies of loss. The third-person... Read The Beast in the Jungle Summary

The Bee Sting

by Paul Murray

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Midlife, Environment, Daughters & Sons, Social Class, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Dramatic Literature, Irish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Bee Sting Summary

The Beginning of Everything

by Robyn Schneider

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Grief, Guilt, Love, Disability, Sexual Identity, Fear, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Bullying, Disability, Education, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

The Beginning of Everything is a young adult coming-of-age novel by the accomplished American author Robyn Schneider. First published in 2013, it is Schneider’s debut novel and has been nominated for numerous YA book awards. It is published in multiple countries, in the UK under the title Severed Heads, Broken Hearts.Schneider, who lives in Los Angeles, is the author of several other bestselling YA books: Extraordinary Means; Invisible Ghosts; You Don’t Live Here. Her newest... Read The Beginning of Everything Summary

The Best of Friends

by Lucinda Berry

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Contemporary Literature

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The Best of Me

by Nicholas Sparks

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Guilt, Fate, Social Class

Tags Romance, Southern Literature, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Dramatic Literature

The Best of Me (2010) is a love story by the best-selling American author Nicholas Sparks. It was adapted into a feature film by the same name in 2014. The novel is about the conflict-ridden love story between Dawson Cole and Amanda Colliers, high school lovers who were separated by social circumstances. Twenty-five years later, they get together to honor the memory of Tuck Hostetler, a father-figure who was their silent supporter and well-wisher. Once... Read The Best of Me Summary

The Betrothed

by Alessandro Manzoni

Publication year 1827

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Hope, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Marriage, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, War, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Romance, Italian Literature, World History

The Betrothed (I Promessi Sposi), published in 1827 and revised in 1842, is a historical novel by Italian author Alessandro Manzoni. The novel follows two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia, in 1600s Lombardy; their courtship is derailed by a jealous plot to prevent their marriage, ultimately leading them to the plague-stricken city of Milan, where they face many struggles. The Betrothed is heralded as one of the most important and widely read Italian novels. This... Read The Betrothed Summary

The BFG

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Conflict, Gratitude, Loneliness, Joy, Love, Death, Childhood & Youth, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor, Action & Adventure

IntroductionBritish author Roald Dahl first made his mark as a leading writer of children’s literature in 1961, when he published James and the Giant Peach. His subsequent books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and his 1982 novel The BFG (Big Friendly Giant), which was illustrated by Quentin Blake and based on a segment of Dahl’s 1975 book Danny, the Champion of the World. His books have been viewed as darker... Read The BFG Summary

The Body

by Stephen King

Publication year 1982

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Fear, Love, Coming of Age

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Coming of Age, Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, Trauma & Abuse, Bullying, Relationships, American Literature

... Read The Body Summary

The Bone People

by Keri Hulme

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Colonialism

Tags Magical Realism, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

The Bone People (1984) by Keri Hulme was the first New Zealand novel to receive the Booker Prize. It also earned a number of other awards, including the 1984 New Zealand Book Award and the Pegasus Award for Maori Literature. A native of Christchurch, Hulme grew up on the South Island. She comes from a large, diverse, multicultural family of English, Scottish, and Maori descent. After finishing high school, the writer began working as a... Read The Bone People Summary

The Bookbinder's Secret

by A. D. Bell

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Femininity, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Literature

A. D. Bell’s The Bookbinder’s Secret is a dual-timeline historical mystery set in England in 1901. The novel follows Lilian Delaney, an apprentice bookbinder whose curiosity about a damaged book pulls her into a 50-year-old scandal involving forced marriage, a hidden child, and a contested inheritance. Across both timelines, Bell develops themes such as The Cost of Obsession, Women Confined by Gendered Exploitation, and Truth-Seeking Through Attention to Detail. Published by St. Martin’s Press in... Read The Bookbinder's Secret Summary

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

by Milan Kundera

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Politics & Government, Love, Memory, Sexual Identity, The Past, Nation

Tags Philosophy, Magical Realism

The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979) by Milan Kundera is a  Postmodern novel that blends fiction, essay, and memoir to interrogate memory, history, and personal identity in the shadow of political repression. Structured as seven interconnected parts, the book combines satire, eroticism, and philosophical digression to illustrate how forgetting shapes both private lives and collective history. Although Kundera wrote the novel in Czech, it was banned in his homeland and was first published in... Read The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Summary

The Book of Magic

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Love, Femininity, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Art, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction

... Read The Book of Magic Summary

The Book of Thel

by William Blake

Publication year 1789

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love

Tags Narrative Poem, Love & Sexuality, Mythology, British Literature, Romanticism, Arts & Culture, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

The Book of Thel was written and etched by William Blake in 1789. It is one of his prophetic illuminated books, crafted after Songs of Innocence but before The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Blake’s recognition as an influential figure in the British Romantic literary movement only came after his death. The Book of Thel is a narrative, allegorical, and symbolic poem written in 14-syllable lines. Its themes include the expansiveness of God’s love, interconnectedness... Read The Book of Thel Summary