Genre Mash: RTW x Romance

Participating in Read the World this year? Hear are some of our most romantic picks.

Updated April 14, 2026
D
Dana Hall School Librarians
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The map of love
Soueif, Ahdaf
Paper Book
Booker Prize Finalist Here is an extraordinary cross-cultural love story that unfurls across Egypt, England, and the United States over the course of a century. Isabel Parkman, a divorced American journalist, has fallen in love with a gifted and difficult Egyptian-American...

RTW Africa (Egypt)

The secret sky : a novel of forbidden love in Afghanistan
Abawi, Atia
Paper Book
An eye-opening, heart-rending tale of love, honor and betrayal from veteran foreign news correspodent Atia Abawi Fatima is a Hazara girl, raised to be obedient and dutiful. Samiullah is a Pashtun boy raised to defend the traditions of his tribe. They were not meant to fall in...

RTW Asia (Afghanistan)

Goodbye, my princess
Feiwosicun; Tianshu, (Translator)
Paper Book
The only thing more dangerous than a king is his heir in this first English translation of the "beautifully heartbreaking" (Kirkus Reviews) historical novel inspired the popular TV series from one of China's best-known authors of romantic tragedy. There is no room for love...

RTW Asia (China)

This time it's real
Liang, Ann
Paper Book
Get ready to fall in love in this hilarious romcom about a girl who begins a fake relationship with the famous actor in her class, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han, by New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang. When seventeen-year-old Eliza Lin's essay about meeting the...

RTW Asia (China)

The book of everlasting things
Malhotra, Aanchal
Paper Book
FOR FANS OF ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, A LUSH, SWEEPING LOVE STORY ABOUT A HINDU PERFUMER AND A MUSLIM CALLIGRAPHER, SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF PARTITION "Monumental...A far-reaching love story." --NPR (A Best Book of the Year) "Mesmerizing." -...

RTW Asia (India)

Polite society
Rao, Mahesh
Paper Book
"So funny, smart, sophisticated, and captivating, you just want to spend your whole life with it."--Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians In this modern reimagining of Jane Austen's Emma, Delhi's polite society is often anything but polite. Beautiful,...

RTW Asia (India)

Well, that was unexpected
Sutanto, Jesse Q.
Paper Book
"A delightful, hilarious, captivating love letter to Indonesia, and coming of age in a large meddlesome family, and the thrill of finding your person where you least expect it!"--Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis ...

RTW Asia (Indonesia)

Given. Volume 1
Kizu, Natsuki
Paper Book
Sometimes a song can save your life. Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hotheaded guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Hana-Kimi Vol. 1, The prettiest boy in school ... isn't a boy
Nakajo, Hisaya
Paper Book
What happens when the hottest guy in school is a girl?!? The Prettiest Boy In School...Isn't A Boy!Japanese-American track-and-field star Mizuki has transferred to a high school in Japan...but not just any school! To be close to her idol, high jumper Izumi Sano, she's...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Our dining table
Ori, Mita
Paper Book
BOYS' LOVE COOKED TO PERFECTION Eating around other people is a struggle for salaryman Yutaka, despite his talent for cooking. All that changes when he meets Minoru and Tane-two brothers, many years apart in age-who ask him to teach them how to make his delicious food! It's not long before...

RTW Asia (Japan)

She loves to cook, and she loves to eat. 1
Yuzaki, Sakaomi
Paper Book
Cooking is how Nomoto de-stresses, but one day, she finds herself making way more than she can eat by herself. And so, she invites her neighbor Kasuga, who also lives alone. What will come out of this impromptu dinner invitation...?

RTW Asia (Japan)

A silent voice
Oima, Yoshitoki
Paper Book
LEARNING TO LISTEN Shoya is a bully. When Shoko, a girl who can't hear, enters his elementary school class, she becomes their favorite target, and Shoya and his friends goad each other into devising new tortures for her. But the children's cruelty goes too far. Shoko is forced to leave the...

RTW Asia (Japan)

Unmarriageable
Soniah Kamal
Paper Book
"This inventive retelling of Pride and Prejudice charms."--People   "A fun, page-turning romp and a thought-provoking look at the class-obsessed strata of Pakistani society."--NPR Alys Binat has sworn never to marry--until an encounter...

RTW Asia (Pakistan)

Crazy rich Asians
Kwan, Kevin
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The international sensation and blockbuster Hollywood rom com. * "A Pride and Prejudice-like send-up about an heir bringing his Chinese-American girlfriend home to meet his ancestor-obsessed family." --People   ...

RTW Asia (Singapore)

The love report. Vol. 1
Be?ka
Paper Book
BFFs Grace and Lola try to unravel the mystery of romance with a plan to observe, study, and analyze the ways of love at their middle school in the first book in this addictive graphic novel series. BFFs Grace and Lola talk about everything related to romance-and have lots of...

RTW Europe (France)

Baltasar and Blimunda
Saramago, Jose
Paper Book
From José Saramago, Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Baltasar and Blimunda is a "brilliant...enchanting novel" (The New York Times Book Review) of romance, deceit, religion, and magic set in eighteenth-century Portugal at the height of the Inquisition. Portugal, 1711: an amorous friar is...

RTW Europe (Portugal)

Pardalita
Estrela, Joana
Paper Book
MILDRED L. BATCHELDER HONOR WINNER School Library Journal Best of the Year BCCB Best of the Year (Blue Ribbon Selection) A beautiful slice-of-life story that is This One Summer meets Ursula K. Le Guin's Very Far...

RTW Europe (Portugal)

Fire from the sky
A?stot, Moa Backe
Paper Book
MICHAEL L. PRINTZ HONOR WINNER KIRKUS BEST OF THE YEAR From 23-year-old Sámi debut novelist and reindeer owner Moa Backe Åstot, Fire From the Sky is a queer coming-of-age story about heritage, family ties and age-old commitments to the past....

RTW Europe (Sweden)

A castle in the clouds
Gier, Kerstin; Fursland, Romy
Paper Book
Witty and charming, New York Times-bestselling author Kerstin Gier's contemporary young adult novel A Castle in the Clouds follows a girl as she navigates secrets, romance, and danger in an aging grand hotel. Way up in the Swiss mountains, there's an old grand...

RTW Europe (Switzerland)

Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging : confessions of Georgia Nicolson
Rennison, Louise
Paper Book
Humorous journal of a year in the life of a 14-year-old British girl who has a half Scottish wildcat and a huge interest in snogging (kissing) and boys, particularly one named Robbie. Includes a glossary of Britishisms.

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Heartstopper Vol. 1
Oseman, Alice
Paper Book
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Highly suspicious and unfairly cute
Hibbert, Talia
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A pair of ex-best friends turned high school rivals must work together to survive the great outdoors--and each other--in this cozy enemies-to-lovers romance from the beloved author of the Brown Sisters trilogy. "A pure delight. This book...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Sense and sensibility
Austen, Jane
Paper Book
Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is...

RTW Europe (U.K.)

Anne of the island
Montgomery, L.M
Paper Book
Anne Shirley is off to college in this artfully packaged edition of the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series. Anne is finally off to Redmond College! While she's sad to be leaving Marilla and the twins, she's excited to finally become a full-fledged BA, and to embark on...

RTW North America (Canada)

The dating plan
Desai, Sara
Paper Book
Ever the obedient daughter, Daisy Patel always follows the rules, but the one thing she can't give her family is the marriage they expect. With few options left to her, and desperate to escape a parade of unwanted suitors, she asks her childhood crush to be her decoy fiance. When Liam learns that...

RTW North America (Canada)

The matchmaker's list
Lalli, Sonya
Paper Book
One devoted modern girl + a meddlesome, traditional grandmother = a heartwarming multicultural romantic comedy about finding love where you least expect it. Raina Anand may have finally given in to family pressure and agreed to let her grandmother play matchmaker, but that doesn...

RTW North America (Canada)

We contain multitudes
Henstra, Sarah
Paper Book
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe meets I'll Give You the Sun in an exhilarating and emotional novel about the growing relationship between two teenage boys, told through the letters they write to one another. Jonathan...

RTW North America (Canada)

Like water for chocolate : a novel in monthly installments, with recipes, romances, and home remedies
Esquivel, Laura
Paper Book
Earthy, magical, and utterly charming, this tale of family life in turn-of-the-century Mexico became a best-selling phenomenon with its winning blend of poignant romance and bittersweet wit. The classic love story takes place on the De la Garza ranch, as the tyrannical owner, Mama Elena, chops...

RTW North America (Mexico)

Malinche
Esquivel, Laura
Audiobook
The princess of Latin American literature returns with the legendary love affair between Hern n Cort s and his interpreter, Malinalli. When Malinalli, a member of the tribe conquered by the Aztec warriors, first meets Cort s, she -- like many -- believes the conquistador is the...

RTW North America (Mexico)

Secret of the moon conch
Bowles, David; McCall, Guadalupe Garcia
Paper Book
Award-winning authors David Bowles and Guadalupe García McCall join forces to craft a sweeping fantasy romance about falling in love despite all odds. In modern-day Mexico, Sitlali is all alone after the death of her beloved abuela. Targeted by a dangerous gang member,...

RTW North America (Mexico)

My love, my love, or, The peasant girl
Guy, Rosa
Paper Book
Rosa Guy's tropical retelling of "The Little Mermaid" is the gorgeous, tragic love story of Désirée, a beautiful peasant girl who devotes herself to the handsome, aristocratic young man whose life she has saved. When his upper-class fami-ly feels that Désirée's skin is too dark and her...

RTW North America (Trinidad and Tobago)

Love and other perishable items
Buzo, Laura
Paper Book
Love is awkward, as fans of Rainbow Rowell and E. Lockhart well know. Funny and heartbreaking in equal measure, this grocery store romance was a Morris Award Finalist for Best YA debut. "Smart, honest and full of achingly real characters. And it made me laugh. What else would...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Stars in their eyes
Walton, Jessica; As?ka, (Illustrator); Graphix (Firm)
Paper Book
A Stonewall Honor Book In this lighthearted YA romance, Maisie and Ollie discover that nothing beats the feeling of falling in love for the first time. Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She's looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

The thorn birds
McCullough, Colleen
Paper Book
"Beautiful....Compelling entertainment." --New York Times One of the most beloved novels of all time, The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough's sweeping family saga of dreams, titanic struggles, dark passions, and forbidden love in the Australian Outback, returns to enthrall a new generation.<...

RTW Oceania (Australia)

Dare truth or promise
Boock, Paula
Ebook
When Louie and Willa first meet, they don't know their lives will soon be changed forever. Self-assured Louie is gearing up for another successful year in high school, starring in a production of Twelfth Night and running the Comedy Club. Kicked out of her last school and still stinging from a...

RTW Oceania (New Zealand)

Furia
Maendez, Yamile Saied
Paper Book
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB YA PICK Recipient of the 2021 Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Medal One of BuzzFeed's Must-Read YA Books of 2020 A Best Book of the Year: Cosmopolitan * Kirkus...

RTW South America (Argentina)

Daughter of fortune : a novel
Allende, Isabel
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits, Isabelle Allende, comes a passionate tale of one young woman's quest to save her lover set against the chaos of the 1849 California Gold Rush.   Orphaned at birth, Eliza Sommers is raised in the...

RTW South America (Chile)

The house of the spirits
Allende, Isabel
Paper Book
A best seller and critical success all over the world, The House of the Spirits is the magnificent epic of the Trueba family -- their loves, their ambitions, their spiritual quests, their relations with one another, and their participation in the history of their times, a history that becomes...

RTW South America (Chile)

Love in the time of cholera
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel
Paper Book
From the Nobel Prize-winning author of One Hundred Years of Solitude comes a masterly evocation of an unrequited passion so strong that it binds three people's lives together for more than fifty years. In the story of Florentino Ariza, who waits more than half a century to declare his undying...

RTW South America (Colombia)

Atmosphere : a love story
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go...

RTW Outer Space

Starflight
Landers, Melissa
Paper Book
Solara Brooks needs a fresh start, someplace where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. The outer realm may be lawless, but it's not like the law has ever been on her side. Still, off-world travel doesn't come cheap; Solara...

RTW Outer Space

These broken stars
Kaufman, Amie
Paper Book
These Broken Stars is an epic, romantic YA space opera about two star-crossed lovers who must fight for survival on a deserted planet: It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes-the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest...

RTW Outer Space


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