Action & Adventure

Publication year 2008

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Action & Adventure, Travel Literature, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Humor

In his 2008 nonfiction book The Geography of Bliss, Eric Weiner travels the world in search of happiness. Weiner, a former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, sets out in this travelogue to investigate where in the world people are the most happy—and why. Casting himself as an inveterately cranky person, Weiner mixes humor, scientific inquiry, and psychological research to explain geographic concentrations of elevated mood. Since its publication, the book has been on the... Read The Geography of Bliss Summary

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Japanese Literature, Action & Adventure

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (1999), by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, is the first novel in the Samurai Detective young adult series, currently comprised of seven books. The novel follows Seikei, the son of a merchant who aspires to be a samurai, as he helps the judge investigate the theft of a ruby from a samurai lord. It explores the themes of Personal Ambition Versus Societal Expectations, The Deceptiveness of Appearances, and The Importance... Read The Ghost In The Tokaido Inn Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Gender Identity

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Trauma & Abuse, Gender & Feminism, Diversity, Race & Racism, African Literature, Science Fiction, Romance

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Family, Memory

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a 2016 fantasy novel for middle school readers by American author Kelly Barnhill. The story follows a young girl named Luna, who is accidentally enmagicked as a baby. As Luna grows, she struggles to recover important things she has lost: her memories, her mother, and her magic. With rich, lyrical language and gentle humor, Barnhill creates a fairytale-like world very different from ours, but one that faces similar... Read The Girl Who Drank the Moon Summary

Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Religion & Spirituality, Fate

Tags Humor, Coming of Age, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Published in 1999, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is a psychological thriller novel by bestselling author Stephen King. Renowned for his horror writing, King draws on primal human fears as he follows spirited nine-year-old Trisha McFarland on a harrowing battle for survival after getting lost in the woods. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon explores themes of nature, faith, and the dangers of everyday life through the eyes of a plucky young heroine. Plans... Read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon Summary

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Family, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die is a thriller/suspense novel by New York Times-bestselling author April Henry. Published in 2013, the novel involves a 16-year-old protagonist who wakes up in a cabin in the woods. She has no recollection of who she is or how she’s ended up in the cabin. There are obvious signs that she’s been tortured, and she overhears that she is going to be killed. With this beginning, The Girl... Read The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die Summary

Publication year 1843

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Appearance & Reality, Mental Health, Race

Tags Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, American Literature, Gothic Literature, World History

An instant success, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Gold-Bug” was published in 1843. Poe submitted the short story to a writing competition that was sponsored by the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. “The Gold-Bug” was awarded first place and subsequently published in three installments. The story was Poe’s most widely read work during his lifetime. Other works by Poe include “The Oval Portrait”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, and “The Black Cat”. This guide refers to the 2021 Amazon Kindle... Read The Gold Bug Summary

Publication year 1995

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Good & Evil, Fate

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature

Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, originally titled Northern Lights in the UK, is a young adult fantasy novel that follows 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua with her dæmon, Pantalaimon (Pan), a spiritual animal counterpart. They travel north from an alternate version of Oxford to find her friend, Roger, with the help of the gyptians, witches, and Iorek, the armored bear. Along the way, Lyra confronts unimaginable horrors, like children being severed from their dæmons by Mrs. Coultier’s... Read The Golden Compass Summary

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Hannah Tinti's 2008 debut novel, The Good Thief, is the story of Ren, a one-handed orphan, and his life after being adopted by a pair of thieves in late-19th-century New England. The novel deals with themes of loss and redemption and explores the world of 19th-century medicine. The narrative moves quickly from a Catholic orphanage named after the patron saint of lost things, Saint Anthony, to an impoverished mining town, with stops at moonlit cemeteries... Read The Good Thief Summary

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Revenge, Childhood & Youth, Friendship, Teamwork, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Humor, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Arts & Culture, Modern Classic Fiction

The Great Greene Heist is a middle grade novel by Varian Johnson that follows Jackson Greene, a middle school boy and nearly reformed prankster, who tries to win his crush through hijinks. The novel was named Publisher’s Best Summer Book of 2014, ALA ALSC Notable Children’s Book in 2015, and received a Kirkus Star Review. Johnson published the sequel To Catch a Cheat in 2016. Johnson is also the author of The Parker Inheritance, which... Read The Great Greene Heist Summary

Publication year 1975

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Social Class, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, World History, Action & Adventure, Classic Fiction

The Great Train Robbery (1975) by Michael Crichton is a fictionalized account of the Great Gold Robbery of 1855. It details the actions of criminal mastermind Edward Pierce and his co-conspirators as they plan and execute the heist of £12,000 of gold from a train in London. This historical thriller analyzes Victorian beliefs about crime in the context of a rapidly changing society overwhelmed by industrialization. Historically, Pierce’s successful heist shocked a nation that believed... Read The Great Train Robbery Summary

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Family, Politics & Government

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Disability, Action & Adventure

Written by Robin McKinley, The Hero and the Crown is a 1984 fantasy novel that acts as a prequel to McKinley’s 1982 novel, The Blue Sword. The Hero and the Crown focuses on the life and exploits of Aerin Dragon-Killer, the legendary wielder of the titular blue sword Gonturan, which first appeared in the previous novel. The Hero and the Crown focuses on Aerin’s personal development into a hero and a queen, emphasizing the physical... Read The Hero and the Crown Summary