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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags History: World, Military / War, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Language, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Latin American Literature
Publication year 1960
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Western, American Literature, Historical Fiction
Published in 1960, Butcher’s Crossing is a revisionist Western novel by American author John Williams. The book follows a young Harvard dropout who ventures into the Kansas wilderness in the 1870s on a buffalo-hunting expedition, confronting the brutal realities of the American frontier and the destruction of the natural world. The novel explores themes that include The Deconstruction of the American Frontier Myth, Human Arrogance Versus Nature’s Indifference, and Disillusionment and the Loss of Idealism.Williams... Read Butcher's Crossing Summary
Publication year 1959
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags History: World, Modern Classic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Camino Island, by John Grisham, is the first book in his new Camino series, published in 2017 by Anchor. The novel is a departure from the legal thrillers that Grisham is known for, and he did his first book tour in years in order to promote it. Grisham’s career began in 1989 with his debut novel, A Time to Kill, and since then, his novels have been translated into nearly 50 languages. He boasts 47... Read Camino Island Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Gender, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags History: U.S.
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Holidays & Occasions, Children's Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Literary Fiction
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Post Modernism
E. L. Doctorow’s 2000 novel City of God is a postmodern, metafictional novel of religious questioning that attempts to reconcile the history of the 20th century, particularly the Holocaust, with modern conceptions of morality and God. The novel is structured as a fragmented writer’s notebook written by a character loosely based on Doctorow himself. The plot, which concerns a stolen cross and an Episcopalian priest’s doubts about his faith, is rendered through the mediated lens... Read City of God Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Fantasy
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Humor
Published in 2000, Confessions of a Shopaholic was the breakout success of British novelist Sophie Kinsella (the pen name of Madeleine Wickham), a former financial journalist from London. Before adopting the Kinsella pseudonym, Wickham published several traditional novels, but she gained international recognition through the Shopaholic series, along with later stand-alone works such as Can You Keep a Secret? and The Undomestic Goddess.The novel follows Rebecca Bloomwood, a journalist whose compulsive spending habits clash comically... Read Confessions of a Shopaholic Summary
Publication year 1964
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Place
Tags Spanish Literature, Fantasy
Publication year 1998
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Literary Criticism, Philosophy
Publication year 1921
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Classic Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Play: Comedy / Satire, British Literature, History: World
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Arts / Culture, Love / Sexuality, Science / Nature, Social Justice
Publication year 1993
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World, Philosophy, Politics / Government, History: European, History: Middle Eastern, History: Asian, Literary Criticism, Sociology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture
Culture and Imperialism is a nonfiction book published in 1993 by the Palestinian American author and academic Edward Said. Originating from a series of lectures that Said delivered in 1985 and 1986, Culture and Imperialism is an expansion of the ideas set out in his groundbreaking earlier work, Orientalism (1978). Considered one of the founders of the field of post-colonial studies, Said looks at how the formerly colonized margins influence the metropolitan centers, and vice... Read Culture and Imperialism Summary
Publication year 1897
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Drama, Play: Comedy / Satire, Romance, Auto/Biographical Fiction, French Literature, Arts / Culture, Love / Sexuality, Grief / Death, Finance / Money / Wealth, Education, Education, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction
Cyrano de Bergerac: An Heroic Comedy in Five Acts by Edmond Rostand was originally published in 1898. Rostand was a popular poet and playwright in France during his lifetime. Cyrano de Bergerac is a five-act verse drama—a tragic romance, set in France in the mid-1600s. It was far more popular than all of Rostand’s other works and has been performed and adapted countless times since its initial successful run.Cyrano de Bergerac explores themes of Unrequited... Read Cyrano de Bergerac Summary
Publication year 1962
Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Language, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Children's Literature