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 Do-Over

by Lynn Painter

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Family, Conflict, Love, Self Discovery, Order & Chaos

Tags Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Business & Economics, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Fantasy, Humor

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The Drawing of the Three

by Stephen King

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Love, Mental Health, Death, Friendship, Community, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Western, Action & Adventure

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The Duke and I

by Julia Quinn

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Trust & Doubt, Shame & Pride, Love, Perseverance, Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, World History, Regency Era

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The Elephant Man

by Bernard Pomerance

Publication year 1979

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Disability, Love, Community

Tags Drama, Life-Inspired Fiction, Disability, Health, Relationships, Victorian Period, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Elephant Man, a one-act play by American playwright Bernard Pomerance, was first produced in London at the Hampstead Theatre in 1977. The play transferred to New York and played Off-Broadway in 1979, moving to Broadway three months later, where it ran successfully for two years. The play won many awards with its Broadway debut, including a New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play, a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play, and... Read The Elephant Man Summary

The Elite

by Kiera Cass

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Hope, Love, Regret, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Literature

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction

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The Elsewhere Express

by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Guilt, Love, Memory, Disability, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Grief & Death

Samantha Sotto Yambao’s novel The Elsewhere Express (2026) is a work of speculative fiction that blends fabulism with fantasy. Yambao is the author of several other novels, including Before Ever After and Love and Gravity. The Elsewhere Express follows two protagonists, Raya and Q, who are separately grappling with deep loss. Raya is a medical student haunted by guilt over her brother’s death, while Q is a celebrated artist losing his sight to a degenerative... Read The Elsewhere Express Summary

The End Of The Affair

by Graham Greene

Publication year 1951

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love

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

The End of the Affair is a romance novel and work of psychological fiction written by British author Graham Greene, originally published in 1951. The narrative takes place in London between 1942 and 1946, during the middle and end of World War II. The work is comprised of five books, or parts, which center around the tryst of three primary characters: Maurice Bendrix, a blossoming writer; Sarah Miles; and Sarah’s ineffective husband, Henry Miles, who... Read The End Of The Affair Summary

The Ersatz Elevator

by Lemony Snicket

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Order & Chaos, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Love, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Family, Teamwork

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

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The Ex

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Grandparents, Marriage, Social Class, Truth & Lies

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

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The Ex Hex

by Erin Sterling

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness, Love, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Special Occasions, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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The Faerie Queene

by Edmund Spenser

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Love, Beauty, Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality, Wins & Losses

Tags Narrative Poem, Fantasy, Symbolic Narrative, British Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

Edmund Spenser, who went from an impoverished upbringing to a celebrated English poet, is the author of The Faerie Queene. The epic, as the word implies, is long. The first three books came out in 1590, and the next three books arrived in 1596. The work is an allegory; each book symbolizes one of the moral virtues advocated by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. At the same time, the poem qualifies as a quest narrative and... Read The Faerie Queene Summary