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 Lady, or the Tiger?

by Frank R. Stockton

Publication year 1882

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Love, Justice

Tags Classic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative

“The Lady, or the Tiger?” is a short story by Philadelphia-born author Frank R. Stockton published in the American magazine The Century in 1882. (The edition used in this study guide is available on the Project Gutenberg website.)Stockton was best known among his contemporaries for his humorous and unconventional fairy tales, which have been widely adapted since they were published in the late 19th and early 20th century. Some have been turned into plays and... Read The Lady, or the Tiger? Summary

The Lady With The Dog

by Anton Chekhov

Publication year 1899

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Guilt

Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Education, Education, World History, Romance

First published in 1899, “The Lady with the Dog” is one of Anton Chekhov’s most well-known stories. The short story examines the conflict between conformity to marital and gender conventions and faithfulness to one’s inner principles. Focusing on an adulterous relationship, the story challenges the patriarchal mindset, criticizes the arbitrariness of prescribed gender roles and marriage conventions, and explores the meaning of genuine relationships. Chekhov’s protagonists expose the crippling effect of societal gender roles on... Read The Lady With The Dog Summary

The Lais of Marie de France

by Marie De France

Publication year 1100

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Love, Marriage, Siblings

Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, Medieval, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Religion & Spirituality, European History, French Literature, Education, Education, Mythology, Fantasy

The Lais of Marie de France is a collection of 12 romantic narratives—known as Breton Lais—composed in the late 12th century and credited to the French-English poet Marie de France. The lay or lai is a short tale of octosyllabic rhyming couplets which is generally 600–1000 lines long. It can be accompanied by music and is typical of Brittany, a Northern French region with strong Celtic influences. Themes of love, chivalry and the supernatural are... Read The Lais of Marie de France Summary

The Language of Flowers

by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Forgiveness, Community, Childhood & Youth, Guilt

Tags Parenting, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

The Language of Flowers (2011) is the debut novel of Vanessa Diffenbaugh. This fictional story follows Victoria Jones, a foster care child who is legally emancipated at the age of 18 and communicates primarily through the language of flowers. Diffenbaugh was inspired by the informational text Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway, which outlined the use of secret messages delivered via bouquet during the Victorian Era. Diffenbaugh studied creative writing and education at Stanford University... Read The Language of Flowers Summary

The Last Ride Together

by Robert Browning

Publication year 1855

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Nostalgia

Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Love & Sexuality, Victorian Period

“The Last Ride Together” is a poem by the Victorian poet Robert Browning (1812-1889), first published in his 1855 collection Men and Women. It is an example of the poetic genre for which Browning is most famous: the dramatic monologue. Such a poem consists of words uttered by a speaker who is different from the author and whose personality is gradually revealed through his/her own words. This genre appealed to Browning because it allowed him... Read The Last Ride Together Summary

The Last Song

by Nicholas Sparks

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Regret, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Fathers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Music, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Dramatic Literature, Coming of Age

The Last Song (2009) is a contemporary coming-of-age romance novel by American author Nicholas Sparks, a celebrated writer of best-selling works such as The Notebook and A Walk to Remember that are often set in coastal North Carolina. Sparks developed the novel’s story alongside the screenplay for its 2010 film adaptation. The plot centers on a rebellious teenage girl forced to spend the summer with her estranged father, leading her to reconnect with her passion... Read The Last Song Summary

The Last Tycoon

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Publication year 1941

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Power & Greed, Love, Fate

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

The Last Tycoon is an unfinished novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald that charts the rise of Monroe Stahr, a film producer in 1930s Hollywood. Its fragments were collected and edited by Fitzgerald’s friend Edmund Wilson and published posthumously in 1941, the year after Fitzgerald’s death. The book’s protagonist is widely considered to be modelled after the real-life film producer Irving Thalberg, whom Fitzgerald greatly admired. The story focuses on the inner workings of the film... Read The Last Tycoon Summary

The Legacy

by Elle Kennedy

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Family, Marriage

Tags Romance, Sports, Relationships, New Adult, Scandinavian Literature

Published in 2021, The Legacy is a contemporary new-adult romance novel by best-selling author Elle Kennedy. The book serves as the fifth installment and an extended epilogue to her popular Off-Campus series, which begins with The Deal and also includes The Mistake, The Score, and The Goal. Kennedy is a prominent voice in the romance genre, known for works that have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists... Read The Legacy Summary

The Life She Was Given

by Ellen Marie Wiseman

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Disability, Coming of Age, Animals, Place, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Beauty, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Drama, Animals, World History, Dramatic Literature

... Read The Life She Was Given Summary