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 1934
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
In “In My Craft or Sullen Art” (1946), renowned Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) asks the age-old question: Why write poetry? In the poem, a poet sits alone at a writing desk bathed in moonlight. He is compelled by an energy he does not entirely understand to spend his night toiling over lines of poetry. The poem explores the creative process that links a lonely poet to the people he writes for—not guaranteed readers, but... Read In My Craft or Sullen Art Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Grief / Death, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1951
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Free verse, Confessional, Modernism
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Romance, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Arts / Culture, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Philosophy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Interview with the Vampire is a 1976 novel by Anne Rice. It tells the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac and his experiences after he becomes a vampire in 1791. Louis’s dissatisfaction with his mortal life extends into his immortal life, allowing Rice to explore themes of morality, love, loyalty, and immortality. This guide references the 2010 Ballantine Books eBook.Content Warning: This guide references the book’s discussion of suicide.Anne Rice ControversyThough her Vampire Chronicles... Read Interview with the Vampire Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Action / Adventure, Immigration / Refugee, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2019
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Arts / Culture, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Carmen Maria Machado’s memoir In the Dream House chronologizes her experiences in an abusive relationship with a woman. In the Dream House was published in 2019 and won the 2021 Folio Prize and the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Nonfiction. The memoir discusses potential modes for queer representation through the use of multiple narrative techniques. As of 2022, Machado lives in Pennsylvania with her wife and works at the University of Pennsylvania.Other work by... Read In the Dream House Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Military / War, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Isabel Allende’s In the Midst of Winter is a novel published in 2017 that follows the alternating perspectives of three immigrants whose lives become intertwined after a car accident during a snowstorm in New York City. This study guide refers to the Kindle edition of the novel.Plot OverviewOne night, during a brutal snowstorm in New York City, Richard Bowmaster is driving home when he accidentally crashes into Evelyn Ortega’s car. While he assumes it is... Read In the Midst of Winter Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Gender, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Gender / Feminism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Finance / Money / Wealth, Sociology, Business / Economics, Technology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 1855
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Free verse, Race / Racism, Love / Sexuality, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Colonialism
Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Spanish Literature, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World, Romance
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Class
Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging
Tags Romance, Humor
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
It Ends with Us is a 2016 romance novel by Colleen Hoover. The novel tells the story of Lily Bloom and her doomed romance with Ryle Kincaid and traces her past history growing up in an abusive home, her fall into an abusive relationship, and her escape from that relationship. Colleen Hoover is the author of several best-selling novels, including Verity, Ugly Love, and All Your Perfects. In 2022, Hoover published a sequel to It... Read It Ends with Us Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Romance, Humor, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction