Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Family, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community
Tags Self-Improvement, Finance, Business/Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
Family
Leo Tolstoy famously begins the novel Anna Karenina with the sentence: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." In this thematic collection, we have gathered noteworthy texts that navigate the joyous and sorrowful emotional terrain of the family unit.
The 5 Types of Wealth
The Abduction
The Accidental Tourist
The Address
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
The Age of Innocence
The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion
The All of It
The Amateur
The Amen Corner
The Amityville Horror
The Apothecary
The Armor of Light
The Art of Fielding
The Art of Happiness
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Ballad of Rudolph Reed
The Ballad of the Sad Cafe
The Barbarian Nurseries
Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Family, Friendship, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community
Tags Self-Improvement, Finance, Business/Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Justice, Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure
Publication year 1985
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Love, Grief, Marriage, Family
Tags Romance, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist is a literary fiction novel that follows the character-driven story of Macon Leary, who must navigate life following the death of his son and the dissolution of his marriage. The Accidental Tourist was originally published in 1985 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The Accidental Tourist is Anne Tyler’s 10th novel and one of her most recognized works. This study guide follows the paperback Berkley edition released in... Read The Accidental Tourist Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Gender Identity, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags World History, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror & Suspense
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family, Mothers, Loyalty & Betrayal, Femininity, Gender Identity, Teamwork
Tags World History, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure
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
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Femininity, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, War, Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction
Publication year 1986
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Mental Health, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Environment, Plants, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Literary Fiction
Publication year 2026
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Grief, Guilt, Femininity, The Past, Family, Social Class
Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1954
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Race, Family, Forgiveness, Love, Regret
Tags Drama, African American Literature, Race & Racism, World History, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality
The Amen Corner (1954) is the first play by American author, orator, and civil rights activist James Baldwin. The play critiques Christian religion as a means of reinforcing oppression and poverty, specifically in Black communities. It also covers the rift between men and women in religious settings by examining the fall of its protagonist, a Black preacher named Margaret. Hollywood actress Juanita Moore, who was friends with Marlon Brando, asked Brando to loan $75 for... Read The Amen Corner Summary
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Fear, Death, Family, Good & Evil
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Memory, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Objects & Materials, Place
Tags Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Action & Adventure
Maile Meloy’s 2011 New York Times bestseller The Apothecary is the first in her young adult trilogy, which also includes The Apprentices (2014) and The After-Room (2017). This novel merges the genres of historical fiction and magical realism, and it was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2011. In 2012, The Apothecary also won the E. B. White Read-Aloud Award and the California Book Awards YA Gold Medal. Set in London after... Read The Apothecary Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Power & Greed, Love, Justice, War, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Science & Technology
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Industrial Revolution
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
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Regret, Mental Health, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies
Tags Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Asian History
In 1998, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) and psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler released The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. Combining spiritual teachings and clinical framing, the book has become an example of where popular psychology, applied ethics, and secular spirituality converge. The book targets a broad audience seeking practical ways to decrease suffering, enhance interpersonal connections, and develop a more stable, compassionate mindset—regardless of whether they have a religious affiliation.A collaborative project... Read The Art of Happiness Summary
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
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Death, Birth, Loyalty & Betrayal, Family
Tags Philosophy, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction
Published in 2008, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a New York Times bestselling novel by Garth Stein. It follows the life of race car driver Denny Swift and is told from the perspective of his dog, Enzo. Stein was inspired to write the book after watching the 1998 Mongolian documentary State of Dogs about a dog who is reincarnated as a human after death, and after seeing the poet Billy Collins read... Read The Art of Racing in the Rain Summary
Publication year 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger, Family
Tags Narrative Poem, Race & Racism, Social Justice
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
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Family
Tags American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
The Barbarian Nurseries is a contemporary novel set in Los Angeles and other neighborhoods in Orange County. Author Héctor Tobar is a native of Los Angeles and is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and journalist, previously writing weekly columns and acting as a foreign correspondent for the LA Times. Both this novel and his previous work of fiction focus primarily on the lives of immigrants in California. The Barbarian Nurseries was a New York Times Notable... Read The Barbarian Nurseries Summary