Books & Literature

The Dutch philosopher Erasmus said, “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.” Why do we value books and literature so highly? This thematic collection gathers books that offer unique insights into the power, energy, and appeal of, well, books!

Publication year 1983

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, The Past, Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Art

Tags Southern Literature, Relationships

Eudora Welty’s One Writer’s Beginnings is a memoir comprised of three essays, each exploring a different aspect of what makes a writer. Adapted from a series of lectures Welty delivered at Harvard University, the book explores “Listening,” “Learning to See,” and “Finding a Voice.” Each section presents both the author’s personal memories and philosophy of writing: Art is rooted in attention to the world, in an openness to memory, and in a voice shaped by... Read One Writer's Beginnings Summary

Publication year 1939

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Childhood & Youth, Language

Tags Philosophy, Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Mythology, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Publication year 1816

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Literature, Gratitude, Joy

Tags Classic Fiction, Lyric Poem, World History, British Literature

“On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer” is a sonnet by the English poet John Keats. It was first published in The Examiner on Dec. 1, 1816, and describes Keats’s awed reaction to Elizabethan playwright George Chapman’s startling translations of Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey. Keats’s lyric poem is informed by the Romanticism movement, of which he became a chief practitioner in its late form, despite his brief life.The poem is the most famous of... Read On First Looking into Chapman's Homer Summary

Publication year 1859

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Politics & Government, Nation

Tags Philosophy, Politics & Government, Arts & Culture, European History, British Literature, Victorian Period, Business & Economics, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

On Liberty is a philosophical essay on ethics, society, and politics published in 1859 by the English philosopher John Stuart Mill. His work on the subject matter extended back several years, through an illustrious career as a politician and philosopher. Mill’s ideas center on the concept of utilitarianism, which emphasizes efficiency and collective well-being. The book remains in print in the 21st century.SummaryOn Liberty is divided into five chapters: an introduction; “On the liberty of... Read On Liberty Summary

Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Power & Greed, Literature

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, American Literature, Children`s Literature, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy

On the Devil’s Court is a novel aimed at teenage boys that follows 17-year-old Joe Faust through the basketball season of his senior year. Written by Carl Deuker, the book was originally published in 1988 and has remained a popular print title for more than 30 years. On the Devil’s Court was the first of three young adult sports novels by Deuker to be included among the Authors League of America Best Books for Young... Read On the Devil's Court Summary

Publication year 100

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Beauty

Tags Philosophy, Arts & Culture, Ancient Greece, Italian Literature

On the Sublime is a treatise on aesthetics and literary criticism originally written in Greek between the first and third centuries AD. The author is not definitively known, but the text is typically credited with the name Longinus. Although the work has come to be known as On the Sublime in English, its subject is advice to writers on “the essentials of a noble and impressive style.” For this reason, G. M. A. Grube translates... Read On the Sublime Summary

Publication year 2019

Genre Memoir in Verse, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Childhood & Youth, Family, Mental Health, Perseverance, Race, Coming of Age, Mothers, Self Discovery, Equality, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Biography, Mental Illness

Publication year 1928

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Literature, Gender Identity

Tags Gender & Feminism, LGBTQ+, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, British Literature, Modernism, World History, Fantasy

Orlando: A Biography is a novel published in 1928 by the English author Virginia Woolf. It tells the story of Orlando, a member of the English nobility who is born a male in 16th century England. Around the age of 30, Orlando mysteriously changes into a woman and lives for centuries without visibly aging. Author Jeanette Winterson called Orlando “the first trans novel in English.” (Winterson, Jeanette. “’Different sex. Same person’: How Woolf’s Orlando became... Read Orlando Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Politics & Government, Environment, Beauty, Truth & Lies

Tags Arts & Culture, World History, Politics & Government, Philosophy, Social Justice, Science & Nature, Biography

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Literature, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Animals, Place, Grief, Memory

Tags Magical Realism, Coming of Age, Grief & Death, Relationships, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Race, Sexual Identity, The Past, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Literature

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Friendship, Sexual Identity, Community, Safety & Danger, Daughters & Sons, Literature, Mothers, Family, Shame & Pride, Nature Versus Nurture, Fathers, Gender Identity, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Perseverance, Loneliness, Guilt, Hope

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Southern Literature, Trauma & Abuse, World History, Romance

Out of the Easy, written by Ruta Sepetys and published in 2013, is a young adult historical fiction novel. Sepetys is an award-winning Lithuanian American writer of young adult historical fiction. Her honors include the Carnegie Medal, awarded to one work of children’s or young adult literature per year. Her novels are international best sellers and are widely translated. Out of the Easy is about Josie, a teenage girl living in the French Quarter of... Read Out of the Easy Summary

Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Literature, Death, Art

Tags Classic Fiction, Russian Literature, Postmodernism, American Literature, World History

Pale Fire is a 1962 experimental novel by Vladimir Nabokov, the author of seminal novels like Lolita and Pnin. The novel consists of a 999-line poem by a fictional poet and the accompanying notations by a fictional editor. Rather than analyze the poem, however, the notations create a new narrative. Pale Fire has been heralded as a landmark example of metafiction and one of the most important novels of the 20th century.This guide is written... Read Pale Fire Summary

Publication year 1836

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Justice, Politics & Government, Community, Self Discovery, Order & Chaos, Literature, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Family, Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Action & Adventure, Humor, Travel Literature, Social Class, European History, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Sports, British Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Victorian Era

The debut novel of British author Charles Dickens, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (commonly known as The Pickwick Papers) was first published as a series by Chapman and Hall between 1836 and 1837. The Pickwick Papers chronicles the adventures of the members of the Pickwick Club, a group of travelers who journey around England and share their experiences. Because of the original serial format of the novel, the chapters contain individual but interconnected... Read Pickwick Papers Summary