blogis librorum. A blog about books. Rare books.

Valentine's Day is upon us, and while modern day readers often associate authors like Nicholas Sparks and Nora Roberts with romance, these writers aren't the only ones to deliver tales of love and passion. Here's a look at a few authors who aren't your typical romance writers, but who have written delightful, poignant love stories. 

A Selection of Six Unexpected Books about Love

	Dean Koontz Dean Koontz is truly a master of horror and suspense. But he's written in a wide variety of genres, including children's stories. Thus perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that Koontz would write a novel like The Husband, which delves into the mysteries and intricacies of love itself.
	Gabriel García Márquez Legendary author Gabriel García Márquez has never shied away from addressing political controversy or social injustice. He's known for his sprawling epic novels that follow families through generations of triumph and strife within the context of Latin American history. Márquez explores the depths of love and passion in Of Love and Other Demons, and probes forbidden love in Love in the Time of Cholera.
	Mark Twain A legend of American literature, Mark Twain is best known for Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. These tales are both iconic and thought provoking. With "Extracts from Adams' Diary," Twain presents a fresh vision of what happened in the Garden of Eden. Its companion piece, "Eve's Diary," is a humorous tale of love and is also considered Twain's tender eulogy to his wife, Olivia. For more on these love birds, read Mark and Livy: The Love Story of Mark Twain and the Woman Who Almost Tamed Him. In it, Willis has collected decades of the couples' love letters.
	Richard Matheson What happens when an author of fantasy, science fiction, and horror writes a love story? Richard Matheson, best known for I Am Legend, does just that in Bid Time Return. The novel follows Richard Colier, who's been given only six months to live, on a time travel romance.
	Walter Bachinksi Canadian artist Walter Bachinksi has extensive experience in a wide variety of media, from sculpture to printmaking. He established Shanty Bay Press in 1996 and now spends about half his time on book-making projects. Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite brings new life to the timeless tale of Aphrodite's doomed affair with the mortal Anchises.
	James D. Watson Yes, that's right, the father of DNA could teach us a little something about love. In Genes, Girls, and Gamow, James D. Watson shows us that he's more than just a scientist. This memoir commences where Double Helix leaves off. The diary-like entries illustrate how Watson copes with new-found fame, experiments with RNA, and falls in love.