Art

From Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita to Raven Leilani's Luster, the texts in this collection investigate themes related to the power and promise of many types of art — from the written word to visual arts such as painting and cinema.

Ghost Story

by Peter Straub

Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Aging, Death, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Art, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Femininity, Sexual Identity, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Teamwork, Order & Chaos, Justice, Equality

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

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Girl In Hyacinth Blue

by Susan Vreeland

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Love, The Past

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Arts & Culture, Poverty, World History

Susan Vreeland, author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue, (Penguin Books, 2000) was an internationally known author of art-related historical fiction who, after a long and notable literary career, died in 2017. A New York Times bestseller, the novel was originally published in 1999 by McMurray and Beck, but subsequent editions were published by Penguin Books. The novel’s popularity gave rise to a 2003 Hallmark Hall of Fame production based on the novel. The painting in... Read Girl In Hyacinth Blue Summary

Girl With a Pearl Earring

by Tracy Chevalier

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art

Tags Historical Fiction, Arts & Culture, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

In Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, the subject of Johannes Vermeer’s most famous painting is brought to life. The “girl with the pearl earring” is Griet, the Vermeers’ housemaid, hired in particular to clean Vermeer’s studio without disturbing its order. For this task, Vermeer needs someone who is exceedingly careful and invested in his artistic endeavors, beyond the promise of (meager) payment. Griet is fascinated by Vermeer’s way of seeing the world, his... Read Girl With a Pearl Earring Summary

Glorious Exploits

by Ferdia Lennon

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Death, The Past, Food, Place, Colonialism, Community, War, Art, Equality, Literature, Order & Chaos

Tags Ancient Rome, Irish Literature, Historical Fiction

Set in Syracuse during the Peloponnesian War, a decades-long conflict between the Greek city-states of Athens and Sparta and their respective allies, the novel follows two unemployed Syracusan potters who attempt to stage the plays of the Athenian dramatist Euripides using prisoners of war as actors. The story is narrated in the first person by Lampo, a sharp-tongued, self-deprecating man with a lifelong limp.After Athens's catastrophic failed invasion of Sicily, the Syracusan assembly imprisoned roughly... Read Glorious Exploits Summary

God of Malice

by Rina Kent

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Death, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Art, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense, New Adult

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God of Ruin

by Rina Kent

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Art, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Romance, Horror & Suspense, New Adult

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Go Gentle

by Maria Semple

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, Gender Identity, Mothers, Art

Tags Romance, Contemporary Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction

Published in 2026, Maria Semple’s novel Go Gentle is a contemporary satirical work of fiction that blends dark comedy, romance, and mystery. The story centers on Adora Hazzard, a Stoic philosopher living a highly controlled and curated life in New York City. Adora’s world is thrown into chaos when a charismatic stranger named Digby Beale enters her life, embroiling her in a high-stakes conspiracy involving the prestigious Lockwood Library where she works. This entanglement forces... Read Go Gentle Summary

Goodbye, Eri

by Tatsuki Fujimoto

Publication year 2022

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Mental Health, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Self Discovery, Art, Order & Chaos

Tags Coming of Age, Love & Sexuality

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Gorgias

by Plato

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Art, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Community

Tags Philosophy, Politics & Government, Ancient Egypt, Classical Period, Education, Education, Philosophy, World History, Classic Fiction

The Gorgias is a philosophical dialogue composed by Plato in the early fourth century BCE, probably in the early 380s. Set within the cultural and historical background of classical Athens, the Gorgias takes the form of a debate between Socrates and the orators Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles. The dialogue explores questions about The Nature and Social Function of Oratory, The Meaning of Right and Wrong, and The Purpose of Art, offering valuable insights into Athenian... Read Gorgias Summary

Great Big Beautiful Life

by Emily Henry

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Guilt, Love, Memory, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Art, Fame, Fate, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

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Great Circle

by Maggie Shipstead

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Art

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Gender & Feminism, Arts & Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Action & Adventure

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Grendel

by John Gardner

Publication year 1971

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Beauty, Good & Evil, Art, Order & Chaos, Loneliness, Revenge, Hate & Anger

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Postmodernism, Education, Education, Classic Fiction

John Gardner’s 1971 novel Grendel is a retelling of the story of Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem from the 6th century, from the perspective of the villain, the monster Grendel. In Grendel, the monster Grendel is an anti-hero, challenging the conventions of traditionally heroic behavior as he tries to understand the world in which he lives. In 1982, an animated Australian film adaptation of the novel called Grendel Grendel Grendel was released in major cities... Read Grendel Summary

Guts

by Raina Telgemeier

Publication year 2019

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Fear, Friendship, Family, Perseverance, Art

Tags Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Guts is the third mid-grade graphic memoir in a trilogy by author/illustrator Raina Telgemeier through which she relates the true story of her childhood. Guts specifically records Raina’s fourth- and fifth-grade years, when she transitioned from nine to 10 years old. During this period, she first experiences gastrointestinal issues, eventually diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Panic attacks accompany the IBS, and the two conditions exacerbate each other, intensifying her distress. Her narrative chronicles how... Read Guts Summary

Heartbeat

by Sharon Creech

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Teamwork, Siblings, Friendship, Coming of Age, Art, Birth, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Mothers, Family

Tags Relationships, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Held

by Anne Michaels

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Death, Future, The Past, Family, War, Art, Music, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Military & War, World History, Literary Fiction, Historical Nonfiction

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