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 2003
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Realistic Fiction, WWII / World War II, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
English academic and writer A. S. Byatt uses the Blitz—Nazi Germany’s bombing campaign against London and other British cities—as the context for her short story “The Thing in the Forest,” which was first published in The New Yorker in January 2002. This work of historical fiction is one of many by the acclaimed author and critic, whose historiographic, metafictional novel Possession won the Booker Prize in 1990. Other work by this author includes the novel... Read The Thing in the Forest Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Fantasy
The Thirteenth Tale, written by Diane Setterfield, was published in 2006 by Emily Bestler Books/Washington Square Press. The book rose to #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list just one week after publication and won the Quill Award for debut author of the year. Before publishing this first book, Setterfield was an academic, specializing in 20th-century French literature. Since the publication of her first book, Setterfield has published two further books, Bellman &... Read The Thirteenth Tale Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Disability, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 1984
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Philosophy, Existentialism
The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a novel by Czech author Milan Kundera. Written in 1982, it first appeared in print in its French translation in 1984. It was published in Czechoslovakia in 1986. The novel describes Czechoslovakia’s Prague Spring, the 1968 Russian invasion, and its resulting “Normalizace” (Normalization) Period, a time of increased repression and persecution of Czech and Slovak intellectuals. At once a philosophical meditation on duality, an inquiry into the nature of... Read The Unbearable Lightness of Being Summary
Publication year 1975
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Identity: Language
Tags Psychology, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Parenting, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Literary Criticism, Psychology, Fantasy
The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales (1976) won acclaims such as the US National Book Award and the National Book of Critics Circle Award. Its author, Bruno Bettelheim (1903-1990), was an Austrian-born psychoanalyst and public intellectual who worked primarily in the United States. Bettelheim wrote The Uses of Enchantment to persuade parents and educators that the European fairy tale, with all its fantastical and violent content, was a greater aid... Read The Uses of Enchantment Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Urban Development, Holidays & Occasions, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags History: World, Regency Era, Romance, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1915
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Travel Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, British Literature, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Edwardian Era, The Bloomsbury Group, Gender / Feminism, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Military / War, WWII / World War II, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 1979
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags History: U.S., Journalism, Politics / Government, Arts / Culture, Class, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 1948
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Lyric Poem, Mythology, Religion / Spirituality, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Anthropology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Humor
Publication year 1908
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Animals, British Literature, Classic Fiction
First published in 1908, The Wind in the Willows by Scottish writer Kenneth Grahame is a story for young readers that recounts the adventures of three animals: Mole, Rat, and Badger. In the woodlands where they live, the trio must deal with various problems—which include frequently rescuing their friend Mr. Toad, who loves thrills and often causes trouble.Widely considered one of the greatest literary works for children, The Wind in the Willows has been reprinted... Read The Wind in the Willows Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1958
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Place
Tags Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Elizabeth George Speare was a well-known author of children’s books during the mid-twentieth century. Her second novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1957), earned her a Newbery Medal in 1959. She won another in 1962 for The Bronze Bow (1961), as well as a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1989 for her lifetime contribution to children’s literature. Her other novels include Calico Captive (1957) and The Sign of the Beaver (1984). Speare’s books are often... Read The Witch Of Blackbird Pond Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Irish Literature
Publication year 1969
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Animals
Tags Free verse
Publication year 1989
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language
Tags Arts / Culture, Biography
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard is a work of creative nonfiction and memoir originally published in 1989 by Harper & Row. As a Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dillard explores the triumphs and struggles of her early writing years while also offering advice and guidance to aspiring writers through imaginative anecdotes. Dillard has called the work “an embarrassing nonfiction narrative,” and she distances herself from all but the final chapter about the pilot, Dave Rahm... Read The Writing Life Summary