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 Self Discovery, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness
Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ, Romance, Magical Realism
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Elizabethan Era, Love / Sexuality, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Lyric Poem, Play: Comedy / Satire, Relationships, Love / Sexuality
William Shakespeare is the author of “Sonnet 130.” The sonnet is one of 154 sonnets that Shakespeare published in 1609 under the title Shakes-spears Sonnets. The first 126 sonnets address a young man, while Sonnets 127-152 focus on a mysterious woman. As with “Sonnet 130,” the sonnets about the enigmatic woman concern ideas of love and beauty and directly undercut typical representations of both. Thus, “Sonnet 130” is satire; it makes fun of how adored... Read Sonnet 130 Summary
Publication year 1599
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment
Tags Romance, Arts / Culture, Elizabethan Era
William Shakespeare is the best-known author of the English Renaissance—also known as the Early Modern Period and the Elizabethan Age. Though readers’ attention tends to be more riveted toward his plays, Shakespeare published 154 sonnets during his exceptionally prolific career, in addition to the longer-form poems Venus and Adonis (1593), The Rape of Lucrece (1594), and The Phoenix and the Turtle (1601). Fifteen editions of Venus and Adonis—a poem in the form of 199 six-line... Read Sonnet 18 Summary
Publication year 1330
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Lyric Poem, Renaissance
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, Elizabethan Era, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Lyric Poem, British Literature
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Relationships
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2011
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Animals, Philosophy, American Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Teams
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags History: European, Politics / Government, British Literature, Animals, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Class, Relationships, Journalism, Bullying, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Colonialism, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration
Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Japanese Literature, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, History: World