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 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance, History: World


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Society: Class

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Romance, Military / War, American Civil War, Southern Literature, History: World

Gone with the Wind (1936) is the only novel by author Margaret Mitchell published during her lifetime. It is an enduring but controversial classic of American literature, and according to one poll, its popularity among American readers is only exceeded by the Bible. Thirty million copies have been sold worldwide.The novel’s tale of the Civil War is told from the perspective of the wealthy planter class that ruled the antebellum South, a class from which... Read Gone With The Wind Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Military / War, WWII / World War II

Goodnight Mister Tom is a work of historical fiction written by Michelle Magorian and published in 1981. The novel is aimed at an audience of middle grade readers. It tells the story of eight-year-old William Beech, who, at the start of WWII, has to move with his abusive mother from an impoverished suburb of London to the countryside, where they are in the care of an elderly recluse, Thomas Oakley. The novel explores the impact... Read Goodnight Mister Tom Summary


Publication year 90

Genre Scripture, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature

The Gospel of John is the last of the four biblical gospels in the New Testament, each offering a biography of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is traditionally attributed to John, one of Jesus’s 12 disciples and a major leader in the early church, though some scholars dispute that attribution. The Gospel of John, most likely written in the latter decades of the first century CE, is part of the Johannine corpus... Read Gospel of John Summary


Publication year 1918

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Lyric Poem, Military / War, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: European, WWI / World War I, British Literature, The Lost Generation


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Christian literature


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Animals, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Survival Fiction


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past

Tags Holocaust, WWII / World War II, Jewish Literature, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Biography

Originally published in 2002 by Second Story Press, Hana’s Suitcase is a historical text by Karen Levine that weaves together the story of two young children in the Holocaust with the narrative of a Japanese museum curator in the early 21st century. Levine, a radio journalist and producer, first heard about Hana Brady’s suitcase from a news article and subsequently produced a radio show about the story. This launched what would become Hana’s Suitcase and... Read Hana's Suitcase Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags African American History, African American Literature, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2005) is the sixth book in the seven-part Harry Potter series penned by J. K. Rowling. The book revolves around the titular character Harry Potter, who is a wizard, and the events that take place during his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.Joanne Rowling, known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author best known for her immensely popular fantasy series, Harry Potter... Read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Summary


Publication year 1997

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature


Publication year 2006

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love

Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Psychology, American Literature


Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Animals, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 1992

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Lyric Poem, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine