"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1891
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World
Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Bottle Imp” is a short and comedic story in the parable genre. The story features themes of Self-Sacrifice for Love, Money Can’t Buy Happiness, and The Reality of Evil. “The Bottle Imp” was first published as a serialized newspaper story in 1891 and was included in Stevenson’s collection, Island Nights’ Entertainment (1893). The story is a humorous take on the trope of “making a deal with the devil,” where the protagonist... Read The Bottle Imp Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Disability, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: War, Society: Nation, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Sports, Realistic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Friendship, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Children's Literature, Education, Education, Animals, History: World, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1980
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community
Tags Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Disability, Biography
Audre Lorde was a poet, essayist, activist, and memoirist whose writings on lesbian feminism and race were integral to second-wave feminism. Lorde was born in New York City on February 18, 1934 to Grenadian immigrant parents. She attended Hunter High School, where she edited the school’s literary magazine. She published her first poem, which had been rejected by an English teacher, in Seventeen magazine. She later attended Hunter College, where she trained to become a... Read The Cancer Journals Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Southern Gothic, Korean War
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Japanese Literature, Contemporary Literature
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship
Tags LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Gender
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy
Publication year 1858
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Animals, Science / Nature
Publication year 2001
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Lyric Poem, Confessional
Publication year 1994
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, History: World, Social Justice, LGBTQ, Politics / Government