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.

The Acorn People

by Ron Jones

Publication year 1976

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Disability, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Children`s Literature, Disability

... Read The Acorn People Summary

The Address Book

by Deirdre Mask

Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Race, Justice, Economics, Power & Greed, Politics & Government

Tags World History, Politics & Government, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Science & Nature, Urban Development, Sociology

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The Age of Innocence

by Edith Wharton

Publication year 1920

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Community, Family, The Past, Love, Gender Identity, Midlife

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Social Class, Love & Sexuality, Gilded Age, American Literature, Gender & Feminism, World History, Romance

American writer Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer-Prize winning novel The Age Of Innocence (1920) was a post-armistice reflection on the 1870s New York society of her youth. Wharton, an American who lived abroad in Paris, was already the successful author of other novels, including The House of Mirth (1905) and Ethan Frome (1911).In a The New York Times article, Elif Batuman reflects that “eventually, each classic tells two stories: its own, and the story of all the... Read The Age of Innocence Summary

The Alchemist

by Ben Jonson

Publication year 1610

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Shame & Pride, Wins & Losses, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Power & Greed, Social Class, Community, Teamwork

Tags British Literature, Historical Drama, Comedy & Satire, Satirical Literature, Social Class, Finance, Renaissance, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction

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The Alloy of Law

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Gender Identity, The Past, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Technology

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure

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The American Dream

by Jim Cullen

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nation, Colonialism, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class, Immigration, Community, Economics, Equality, Justice, Politics & Government

Tags US History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Black Lives Matter, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, American Revolution, American Civil War, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Colonial America, Sociology, Education, Education, Business & Economics, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Arts & Culture

The American Dream: A Short History of an Idea that Shaped a Nation, originally published in 2003 by Oxford University Press, is a popular history book by American cultural historian Jim Cullen. As an overview and critical analysis of the American Dream, this book adds some meat to the bones of a traditionally ambiguous concept. Cullen maintains an optimistic outlook about the usefulness of the various American Dreams and about the promise of America, despite... Read The American Dream Summary

The Antidote

by Karen Russell

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Perseverance, Grief, Regret, Gender Identity, Indigenous Identity, Race, Coming of Age, The Past, Climate, Environment, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

Competitor... Read The Antidote Summary

The Anxious Generation

by Jonathan Haidt

Publication year 2024

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Apathy, Loneliness, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Place, Community, Education, Science & Technology

Tags Education, Education, Science & Nature, Sociology, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Mental Illness, Self-Improvement, Health

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The Art of Fielding

by Chad Harbach

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Love, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Sports, Relationships, Psychological Fiction

Published in 2011, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is a work of literary fiction depicting the interwoven journeys of characters at Westish, a fictional small liberal arts college in Wisconsin. Henry Skrimshander is a talented baseball shortstop whose future is jeopardized by an errant throw. His development intersects with that of his teammate Schwartz; his roommate, Owen; college president Guert; and Pella, Guert’s daughter and a newly enrolled student of Westish. The novel... Read The Art of Fielding Summary

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Fear, Disability, Family, Colonialism, Community, Fate

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Relationships, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

Originally written in German and published in 2002, Jan-Philipp Sendker’s debut novel, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, was translated into English by Kevin Wiliarty in 2006. An international bestseller, the novel received the Indies Choice Honor Award for Best Fiction Novel in 2013. In response to such acclaim, Sendker penned a sequel, A Well-Tempered Heart, in 2012. The novel is international in scope—being written by a German journalist who lived in upstate New York, detailing... Read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Summary

The Art Of Loving

by Erich Fromm

Publication year 1956

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Loneliness, Love, Sexual Identity, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Economics, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Sociology

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The Bacchae

by Euripides

Publication year 405

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Community, Order & Chaos

Tags Tragedy, Mythology, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, Dramatic Literature, Classical Period, Fantasy

The Bacchae is an ancient Athenian tragedy by Euripides. The play is generally believed to have been staged (with Iphigenia at Aulis and another play) in 405 BCE by the poet’s son after his father’s death in 407-6 and to have won first prize. The production took place in Athens at the City Dionysia, a festival in honor of Dionysus.Set in Thebes, the play depicts Dionysus (also known as Bacchus) returning to his mother’s city... Read The Bacchae Summary

The Back of the Turtle

by Thomas King

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Fate, Community, Power & Greed, Climate

Tags Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature

The Back of the Turtle (2014) is a bestselling novel by Canadian American author Thomas King. King is of Cherokee Greek descent and has garnered acclaim for his novels about Indigenous Canadian experiences, including The Inconvenient Indian and Green Grass Running Water. The Back of the Turtle won King the Governor General’s literary award.The narrative follows Gabriel Quinn, a member of the First Nations community of Lethbridge, Alberta, as he returns to his family’s home... Read The Back of the Turtle Summary

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

by Carson McCullers

Publication year 1963

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Gratitude, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Femininity, Childhood & Youth, Death, Place, Family, Marriage, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags American Literature, Classic Fiction, Southern Gothic

The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories (1951) is a collection of short stories and a novella by Carson McCullers. The author, a seminal part of the Southern Gothic Literature genre, rose to fame with her first novel, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1940), which shares many themes with the stories in the collection. Other notable works by McCullers include the novels Reflections in a Golden Eye (1941) and The Member of... Read The Ballad of the Sad Cafe Summary

The Ballot or the Bullet

by Malcolm X

Publication year 1964

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Nation, Justice, Community

Tags Race & Racism, World History, Politics & Government

“The Ballot or the Bullet” is a speech that Malcolm X first delivered at Cory Methodist Church in Cleveland, Ohio, on April 3, 1964. He also delivered the speech about a week later in Detroit, Michigan, on April 12, 1964. This guide is based on the latter version of this speech.Malcolm speaks from a personal perspective. He starts by declaring himself a Muslim and by crediting Elijah Muhammad with making him into the man he... Read The Ballot or the Bullet Summary

The Beach

by Alex Garland

Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Safety & Danger, Globalization, Community, Death, War, Conflict

Tags Action & Adventure, Horror & Suspense, Travel Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Beach is an adventure fiction novel written by Alex Garland and originally published in 1996. Garland wrote the book during his time in the Philippines and was inspired by the landscape there, as well as historical events such as the Vietnam War. It was adapted into a successful major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Danny Boyle in 2000, and the novel was included on a BBC list of most-read novels in... Read The Beach Summary