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 Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Humor
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams
Tags Romance
Publication year 1941
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Self Discovery
Tags British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Between the Acts (1941) is Virginia Woolf’s final novel. It was published posthumously, four months after the writer’s death. It is a modernist novel that takes place on one June day in 1939, on the eve of World War II. Set in the English countryside, the novel focuses on the residents of a village who are preparing for their annual pageant at a time of looming international tension and domestic unease. Since much of the... Read Between The Acts Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Climate Change, Grief / Death, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Leadership/Organization/Management
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Self Discovery, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, WWII / World War II, Class, Education, Finance / Money / Wealth, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Military / War, Grief / Death, History: World, Parenting
Publication year 1611
Genre Scripture, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Big Mouth & Ugly Girl is a young adult novel written by Joyce Carol Oates. Published in 2002 after the high-profile Columbine High School shooting and attempted bombing in Columbine, Colorado, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl recounts three months in the lives of two 16-year-old high school juniors, Matt “Big Mouth” Donaghy and Ursula “Ugly Girl” Riggs. Oates is also known for We Were the Mulvaneys (1996) and Blonde (2000), among many other critically acclaimed... Read Big Mouth & Ugly Girl Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class
Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2010
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, History: World, Romance, Fantasy
Published in 2004, Alice Hoffman’s novel Blackbird House chronicles a house on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and its inhabitants over a 200-year span. The story, which invokes elements of magical realism, begins during the War of 1812 and ends in the present day. Shifting between first-person and third-person point-of-view, the novel delves into the themes of Love as Motivation, Resilience Resulting from Adversity, and The Power of Place in Shaping Lives.Other works by this author include... Read Blackbird House Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Race / Racism
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, African American Literature, New Adult, Love / Sexuality, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1853
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Satire, British Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period
Bleak House is a novel by English Victorian author Charles Dickens, published between 1852-1853. The expansive narrative covers many plots, including the first-person account of the life of Esther Summerson and an ongoing court case concerning a large inheritance thrown into chaos by the existence of contradictory wills. Bleak House has been adapted for the theater, radio, film, and television (most recently in 2005) and is considered among Dickens’ greatest novels. This guide uses an... Read Bleak House Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Sports, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Western, Romance
Publication year 1918
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Modernism, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, LGBTQ, Classic Fiction
“Bliss” is a short story written by New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield. It was originally published in 1918 in The English Review and later republished in 1920 as a collection of short stories entitled Bliss and Other Stories. Katherine Mansfield was a contemporary of British writers such as Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando), D. H. Lawrence (Sons and Lovers, Women in Love), and James Joyce (Ulysses, Dubliners). As a Modernist story, “Bliss” focuses on the... Read Bliss Summary
Publication year 1941
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Marriage, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Humor, Classic Fiction
Blithe Spirit is a 1941 farce written by the English playwright, composer, and actor Noël Coward. Known for his wit and style, Coward’s theatrical career lasted for nearly six decades. Blithe Spirit, one of his most popular and enduring works, was first performed in the West End, running for 1,997 performances, before transferring to Broadway for 657 performances. It was adapted into the musical High Spirits in 1964. To this day, the play continues to... Read Blithe Spirit Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance