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 1989
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Latin American Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction
The Stories of Eva Luna is a collection of short fiction by best-selling Chilean author Isabel Allende. The collection—first published in Spanish in 1989 and in English in 1991—is a follow-up to Allende’s 1987 novel, Eva Luna. Eva is the narrator of the stories in the collection, which is structured as a frame story with the Prologue harkening back to Eva Luna.Isabel Allende is famed for her work in the genre of magical realism and... Read The Stories of Eva Luna Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Story of Arthur Truluv is a 2017 novel by Elizabeth Berg that revolves around the stories of three unlikely companions: Arthur Moses, an elderly widower who finds solace in visiting his wife’s grave, Maddy Harris, a troubled teenager who feels out of place in her own life, and Lucille Howard, Arthur’s elderly neighbor grappling with her own loneliness. The novel is narrated in the third person omniscient point of view. These three unlikely friends... Read The Story of Arthur Truluv Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Realistic Fiction, Indian Literature, History: Asian, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Sports, Contemporary Literature
Publication year 1972
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Grandparents, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Grief / Death, Scandinavian Literature, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Self Discovery
Tags Realistic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2017
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Romance, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, LGBTQ, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Psychology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1633
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Metaphysical, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, French Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: War, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure
The Talisman is a 1984 novel co-written by Stephen King and Peter Straub. It is a fantasy novel with horror elements and has connections to the works in King’s Dark Tower series. The Talisman is a road trip book that tells the story of Jack Sawyer and his quest to save his mother. The Talisman examines themes of lost innocence, coming of age, friendship, the corrupting nature of power, and more.The Talisman has a sequel... Read The Talisman Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1848
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Romance, British Literature, Gothic Literature, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, History: World, Historical Fiction, Victorian Literature / Period
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the second and final novel written by Anne Brontë (1820-1849), the youngest of the three celebrated Brontë sisters. The novel was published in 1848 under Anne’s pseudonym, Acton Bell. Unlike Anne’s first novel, Agnes Grey (1847), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was an immediate sensation and stirred strong reactions to its subject matter, which touched on adultery, marital separation, alcohol use disorder, and domestic abuse. After her death, Anne’s... Read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Historical Fiction, Parenting, Military / War, History: European, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Post Modernism, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
The Time Traveler’s Wife is a novel by Audrey Niffenegger published in 2003. It tells the love story of Clare Abshire and Henry DeTamble, revealed through their alternating perspectives in which each character is the first-person narrator. Henry was born as a with a condition that allows him to travel in time, though when and where in time he travels is out of his control.Using a non-linear plot structure, Niffenegger explores a range of themes... Read The Time Traveler's Wife Summary
Publication year 1613
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction
The Tragedy of Mariam, Fair Queen of Jewry recounts actual historical events surrounding the execution of Mariam, the second wife of Herod the Great. Written by Elizabeth Cary, the Viscountess Falkland, this five-act play published in 1613 is unique in several ways—chiefly, in that it is the first English-language play authored and published by a woman. Multiple tragedies occur in the drama, which falls into the genre of a Senecan revenge tragedy. It’s also a... Read The Tragedy of Mariam Summary
Publication year 1980
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Historical Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: European, Immigration / Refugee, Post-War Era, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Classic Fiction
Shirley Hazzard (1931-2016) was an Australian novelist and United Nations worker who settled in the United States. The Transit of Venus (1980) is Hazzard’s third novel and the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. It draws upon Hazzard’s own experiences of an Australian childhood, emigrating abroad, and being part of the first generation of working women. Critics responded to the juxtaposition of intimate, personal narratives with a broader examination of what... Read The Transit of Venus Summary