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.

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Romance, Humor, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family

Tags Romance, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Self Help, Philosophy, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Romance


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, History: World


Publication year 2019

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Humor, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Self Discovery

Tags Classic Fiction, Jazz Age, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Roaring Twenties, Class, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance

This Side of Paradise (1920) is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was Fitzgerald’s first novel and became an instant hit, launching Fitzgerald into literary fame for its social commentary on a younger generation fueled by indulgence and materialism. This Side of Paradise is also a historical depiction of the Jazz Age, like Fitzgerald’s most famous novel, The Great Gatsby.This Side of Paradise follows Amory Blaine’s coming of age during prep school and four... Read This Side of Paradise Summary


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Holidays & Occasions, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Food, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Italian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, History: World

Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay (2014) is the third book in pseudonymous Italian author Elena Ferrante’s world-acclaimed adult fiction series The Neapolitan Novels. The four-novel series chronicles the friendship between first-person narrator Elena Greco and Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo from childhood to old age in an impoverished neighborhood in Naples, Italy. Translated by Ann Goldstein, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay documents the beginning of middle age, wherein the two women grapple with... Read Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay Summary


Publication year 1901

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Society: Class

Tags Play: Drama, Russian Literature, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Anton Chekhov wrote the play Three Sisters in 1900 as a commission for the now-famous Moscow Art Theatre (MAT). The production debuted there in 1901 and was directed by the MAT’s two founders, Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. It was the first play that Chekhov penned specifically for production at the MAT. Three Sisters uses the three titular characters—Olga, Masha, and Irina—to examine the decay of the Russian aristocracy. Raised and educated to become the... Read Three Sisters Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery

Tags History: World, Victorian Literature / Period, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Romance, LGBTQ, Victorian Period


Publication year 2000

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1831

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Mythology, Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Fantasy, Romance, Classic Fiction