Community

A community can come together for the common good or be torn apart by disagreement and strife. This collection explores what makes a community and how individuals struggle or succeed in finding their place within it.

After Dark

by Haruki Murakami

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Safety & Danger, Community

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Japanese Literature, Surrealism

After Dark was published in 2004 by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The novel follows protagonist Mari Asai through one night in Tokyo. Mari has run-ins with organized crime, people on the run, and others who do not fit into Tokyo’s often conservative society. After Dark was met with lackluster critical reception, partially due to Murakami’s characteristic ambiguity and apparent lack of an ending; however, others argue that this ambiguity allows readers to interpret events... Read After Dark Summary

After Tupac and D Foster

by Jacqueline Woodson

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Community, Justice, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Music, African American Literature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

After Tupac and D Foster, published in 2008, is Jacqueline Woodson’s fifth middle grade novel and her 24th book overall. It is a coming-of-age story of three African American girls who are best friends growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1990s. During this time, the cultural icon Tupac Shakur is shot, imprisoned, and ultimately killed in a second shooting. These events have a huge impact on the main characters as they grow up and... Read After Tupac and D Foster Summary

After Virtue

by Alasdair MacIntyre

Publication year 1981

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Good & Evil, Community, Self Discovery, Order & Chaos

Tags Philosophy, Postmodernism, Religion & Spirituality, Arts & Culture, World History, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government

An influential work of moral philosophy, After Virtue (1981) by the Scottish-born philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre takes a bleak view of the state of modern moral dialogue, viewing it as suffering from a lack of rational thought and an inability to resolve disagreements. By looking at older forms of moral discourse, such as Aristotle’s moral framework, and comparing them to the modern version, he generally finds the modern moral framework to be lacking and suggests fixes... Read After Virtue Summary

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter

by Heather Fawcett

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Memory, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Siblings, Community, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction

Published in 2026, Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter is a cozy fantasy novel by Heather Fawcett, author of the New York Times bestselling Emily Wilde series. The story is set in a magical version of Montréal and centers on Agnes Aubert, a 35-year-old widow whose struggling cat shelter is destroyed in a battle between magicians. Desperate to find a new space before winter, she rents a suspiciously affordable and opulent shop, only to discover it... Read Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter Summary

A Handful of Stars

by Cynthia Lord

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Hope, Loneliness, Regret, Race, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Immigration, Art, Beauty

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Animals, Arts & Culture

... Read A Handful of Stars Summary

Ahimsa

by Supriya Kelkar

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Social Class, Community, Nation, Equality, Justice, Good & Evil, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Colonialism, Education, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, Social Class, Education, World History, Asian History, European History, Incarceration, Politics & Government, Children`s Literature, Indian Literature, Arts & Culture

... Read Ahimsa Summary

A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things

by Raj Patel

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Environment, Femininity, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Community

Tags Business & Economics, World History, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Education, Education, Science & Nature

A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet (2017) is a nonfiction book written by Raj Patel, a political economist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, also known for Stuffed and Starved (2007), and Jason W. Moore, an environmental historian and associate professor at Binghamton University. The authors’ expertise in political economy and environmental history provides a unique perspective on... Read A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things Summary

A House for Mr. Biswas

by V. S. Naipaul

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Revenge, Birth, Mental Health, Aging, The Past, Death, Childhood & Youth, Midlife, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Marriage, Religion & Spirituality, Fate, Equality, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Self Discovery, Literature, Economics

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Poverty, Finance, Depression & Suicide, Social Class, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

A House for Mr. Biswas is a 1961 historical fiction novel by V. S. Naipaul. The story takes a postcolonial perspective of the life of a Hindu Indian man in British-owned and occupied Trinidad. Now regarded as one of Naipaul's most significant novels, A House for Mr. Biswas has won numerous awards and has been adapted as a musical, a radio drama, and a television show. Naipaul is also known for the works The Mimic... Read A House for Mr. Biswas Summary

Ain't No Makin It

by Jay Macleod

Publication year 1987

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Race, Social Class, Community, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice

Tags Race & Racism, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Sociology, Social Justice, Poverty

... Read Ain't No Makin It Summary

Ajax

by Sophocles

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Fate, Community, Conflict

Tags Classic Fiction, Tragedy, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Dramatic Literature, Classical Period, Fantasy

Ajax is an ancient Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. Its production date, the festival at which it was first presented, and the other tragedies performed alongside it remain unknown, but it is believed to be among Sophocles’s earlier plays, possibly from the 440s BC. The narrative retells a story from Trojan war mythology concerning the suicide of the hero Ajax and its aftermath, exploring the hero’s excesses, reversals of fortune, and social bonds. Other famous works... Read Ajax Summary

A Kestrel For A Knave

by Barry Hines

Publication year 1968

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Hope, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Animals, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Justice

Tags Classic Fiction, Animals, British Literature, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature

... Read A Kestrel For A Knave Summary