Breakfast on Pluto is a novel by the distinguished Irish writer Patrick McCabe, who is known for his experimental style and controversial themes. First published in 1998, the book contains elements of fantasy and historical fiction. It presents the narrative of “the life and times” of Patrick Braden, a transgender person growing up in Ireland and London during the 1960s and 1970s. Through Braden’s journey of self-discovery, McCabe portrays a country amid turbulent political, national... Read Breakfast on Pluto Summary

Written by Helen Fielding in 1996, Bridget Jones’s Diary is a romance novel with a comedic twist. In 1998, it was named the British Book of the Year, and in 2003, it placed at number 75 on a BBC survey of favorite novels. A film adaptation was released in 2001. Renee Zellweger played the titular character and received an Academy Award nomination for her performance.This guide refers to the 1996 MacMillan Publishers print edition. Content... Read Bridget Jones's Diary Summary

Brighton Beach Memoirs is a semi-autobiographical play by American playwright Neil Simon. It is the first play in Simon’s Eugene Trilogy and follows its young protagonist as he grapples with adolescence and identity in the midst of the Great Depression. Its initial 1983 Broadway run enjoyed critical acclaim and won several awards. Most notably, actor Matthew Broderick won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for originating the role of Eugene. Despite its initial success... Read Brighton Beach Memoirs Summary

Britt-Marie Was Here (titled Britt-Marie var här in the original Swedish) is a contemporary adult literary and domestic fiction novel by Fredrik Backman first published in Sweden in 2014, with the first English translation by Henning Koch appearing in May 2016. The story follows 63-year-old Britt-Marie, who finally leaves her unfaithful husband after a decades-long failed marriage. She finds a job in the small, declining town of Borg, and despite knowing little about soccer, becomes... Read Britt-Marie Was Here Summary

By a Thread (2020) is a contemporary romance novel by New York Times bestselling author Lucy Score. The novel was originally self-published through That’s What She Said, Inc. and quickly achieved the #1 bestselling Kindle ranking on Amazon. By a Thread is a workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance that traces the tempestuous relationship between protagonists and first-person narrators Ally Morales and Dominic Russo. The novel features literary allusions to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813), casting Ally... Read By a Thread Summary

By the Great Horn Spoon!, a work of juvenile fiction by Newbery Award-winning author Sid Fleischman, follows the adventures of a 12-year-old boy from Boston and his English butler on a yearlong quest for gold during the California Gold Rush of 1849. Set half at sea, half at the goldfields of pre-statehood California, Fleischman’s episodic novel combines elements of historical fiction and pulp Western. First published in 1963, it was adapted into Disney film, The... Read By the Great Horn Spoon! Summary

Written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney and originally published in 2011, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is the sixth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Jeff Kinney is an author and cartoonist who combines his talents to create a widely successful series that blends humorous narration with simple cartoon illustrations. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is a middle grade, fictional graphic novel that focuses on the series’ protagonist... Read Cabin Fever Summary

Candide, or Optimism was first published in 1759 by the French writer Voltaire (born Francois-Marie Arouet in 1694, died in 1778). The most famous and widely read work published by Voltaire, Candide is a satire that critiques contemporary philosophy, and specifically Leibnizian optimism, which posited the doctrine of the best of all possible worlds. Along with other French contemporaries, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Montesquieu, Voltaire published at the height of the French... Read Candide Summary

Published in 2014, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? is a graphic memoir by American cartoonist Roz Chast, who is known for her work in The New Yorker. The memoir recounts the author’s experience caring for her elderly parents during the last years of their lives, as they transitioned from independence to dependence. The book’s title derives from her parents’ refusal to discuss their impending death.Through her illustrations and candid narrative, Chast tackles the... Read Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? Summary

Dav Pilkey’s graphic novel for children, The Adventures of Captain Underpants (1997), spawned a long list of sequels and adaptations in other media. The Captain Underpants series has won numerous awards, including the Garden State Children's Book Awards (Children's Fiction) 2000, the Buckeye Children's Book Award (Grades 3-5) 2001, and the Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Grades K-3) 2000.Plot SummaryThe story begins by introducing two best friends, George and Harold. They love to pull pranks... Read Captain Underpants Summary

Catch-22 is a 1961 satirical novel by Joseph Heller, whose experiences in the US Air Force during World War II inspired the narrative. The novel is set during World War II and portrays the absurd experiences of a group of Army pilots stationed in Italy. In addition to being hailed as one of the most seminal novels of the 20th century, Catch-22 has become an idiomatic expression for a certain kind of conundrum, a paradoxical... Read Catch-22 Summary

American author Karen Cushman’s middle grade novel, Catherine, Called Birdy, explores the life of a young woman in 13th-century England. Published in 1994, the book won the Newbery Honor the following year. It is currently being adapted for the screen by actor, writer, and director Lena Dunham. This detailed work of historical fiction immerses the reader in the very different world of medieval England, with its emphasis on religion as the organizing force behind daily... Read Catherine, Called Birdy Summary

Cat’s Cradle is a satirical science fiction novel by Kurt Vonnegut, published in 1963. The novel, which explores themes related to science, technology, and religion against the backdrop of the Cold War arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, won critical acclaim for Vonnegut and was nominated for a Hugo Award. This guide refers to the 2010 Dial Trade Press edition.Content Warning: This guide references death by suicide and sexual assault found... Read Cat's Cradle Summary

American author Shirley Jackson’s short story “Charles” (1948) was first published in Mademoiselle, then in Jackson’s 1949 collection as well as in her 1953 novel Life Among the Savages. Though “Charles” is not in the horror genre, Jackson is a renowned horror writer and has influenced modern writers like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. The story does, however, have an element of mystery—another genre for which the author is famous. This study guide cites the... Read Charles Summary

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) is a fantasy children’s novel by renowned British author Roald Dahl, a man known for his strange and wondrous imagination. The story follows Charlie Bucket, who wins a tour in a chocolate factory owned by the eccentric Mr. Willy Wonka. In the years following publication, the novel became a classic and spawned two major film adaptations, one starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka (1971) and a remake starring Johnny... Read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Summary

Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator is a work of fiction, aimed at an audience of children, written by Roald Dahl and published in 1972. It is the sequel to his 1964 work Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Beginning on the heels of the first novel’s action, it follows protagonist Charlie Bucket, his parents, and both sets of his grandparents as they shoot up into space in Wonka’s magical glass elevator. The group saves an... Read Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator Summary

Published in 1948, Cheaper by the Dozen is a humorous memoir by siblings Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey. The book chronicles their unconventional childhood in Montclair, New Jersey, as two of 12 children raised by parents who were pioneering efficiency experts. The authors’ father, Frank B. Gilbreth, treats the family home as a laboratory, applying the principles of scientific management and motion study to every aspect of domestic life, from bathing to... Read Cheaper By The Dozen Summary

China Rich Girlfriend is an adult novel published by Doubleday in 2015, the sequel to Singapore-born author Kevin Kwan’s internationally bestselling romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians (2013) and second in a trilogy which concludes with Rich People Problems (2017). Billed as a satire, a mock-epic, and a sprawling family saga that peers into the lives of the ultra-wealthy in Asia, China Rich Girlfriend depicts the efforts of Rachel Chu, a Chinese-born American university professor, and... Read China Rich Girlfriend Summary

Robert Kimmel Smith’s classic children’s novel Chocolate Fever (1972) is a modern cautionary fable about a boy whose greatest love becomes his biggest problem. The story follows Henry Green, a child whose passion for chocolate is so extreme that he consumes it for every meal. His unrestrained appetite leads to a bizarre and unprecedented medical condition: He breaks out in spots made of pure chocolate. Declared a medical marvel and frightened by the ensuing commotion... Read Chocolate Fever Summary

Written in 2012 by Carl Hiaasen, Chomp is a young adult novel set in Hiaasen’s native Florida (specifically, Everglades National Park). Hiaasen, who began his career as a journalist, is the author of six other books for young readers (as well as numerous adult novels). Because his work blends humor with grim realism, Chomp features characters who are just as “bizarre” as their Florida setting. Primarily known for his crime fiction, Hiaasen also crafts stories... Read Chomp Summary