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 1997
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Western, Modern Classic Fiction
“Brokeback Mountain,” by award-winning American author Annie Proulx, addresses themes of Masculine Sexuality and the Forbidden Love of Queer Romance, The Inescapable Effects and Momentum of Poverty, and Powerlessness and Loss of Hope. Like much of Proulx’s work, the story includes a strong sense of place. Wyoming’s unforgiving landscape figures prominently in “Brokeback Mountain,” and the film adaptation by the same name received acclaim for its cinematography as well as its unapologetic portrayal of queer... Read Brokeback Mountain Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Education, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Romance
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Society: Class, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, American Literature, History: World
Brooklyn is a 2009 historical fiction novel written by Colm Tóibín. The book follows Eilis Lacey as she emigrates from Ireland to Brooklyn in the 1950s, finding a job in a department store and falling in love with a young Italian man named Tony. Despite her new life in Brooklyn, Eilis makes a return to Enniscorthy, the same town Colm Tóibín was born and raised in, when her older sister Rose dies. While there, she... Read Brooklyn Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1959
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Romance, Humor, New Adult
Publication year 1957
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War
Tags Children's Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Language
Tags Romance, LGBTQ, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction
IntroductionCall Me By Your Name by André Aciman is a piece of literary fiction in the subgenres of romance literature and queer literature. Published in 2007, the novel became a bestseller, received positive critical reception, and won the 2008 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction. The 2017 film adaptation of Call Me By Your Name, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Timothée Chalamet and Armie Hammer, won, among other accolades, the Academy Award for Best Adapted... Read Call Me By Your Name Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Humor, Grief / Death, Biography
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Relationships, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1840
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Classic Fiction, Romance, French Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1990
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Romance
Publication year -1
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Ancient Rome, History: European
Publication year 1952
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Classic Fiction, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Education, Education, Fantasy
Charlotte’s Web was written by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams, and first published in 1952. It is considered a quintessential American children’s fiction novel and has been adapted into two films (1973, 2006) and a stage musical. Over the years, Charlotte’s Web has been awarded the Newbery Honor Award for children’s books, the George C. Stone Center for Children’s Books Recognition of Merit Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the Massachusetts Children’s... Read Charlotte's Web Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Music
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Mythology, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Economics, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Humor, Satire, Romance, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Chinese Literature
China Rich Girlfriend is an adult novel published by Doubleday in 2015, the sequel to Singapore-born author Kevin Kwan’s internationally bestselling romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians (2013) and second in a trilogy which concludes with Rich People Problems (2017). Billed as a satire, a mock-epic, and a sprawling family saga that peers into the lives of the ultra-wealthy in Asia, China Rich Girlfriend depicts the efforts of Rachel Chu, a Chinese-born American university professor, and... Read China Rich Girlfriend Summary