Mortality & Death

"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.

Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby

by Donald Barthelme

Publication year 1973

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Justice, Friendship, Death

Tags Satirical Literature, Postmodernism, US History, Humor, Classic Fiction

“Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby” is a short story by American author Donald Barthelme. Originally published in a 1973 issue of The New Yorker, it was later included in Barthelme’s 1976 anthology, Amateurs. The narrative follows the extended and absurd deliberation of a group of friends about how to hang their friend for committing an unnamed offense. With the friends embodying a range of logistical roles and viewpoints concerning the act... Read Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby Summary

Someone Like You

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Grandparents, Mothers, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Someone Like You is a 1998 young adult novel by Sarah Dessen. The novel follows 16-year-old Halley as she navigates the complexities and challenges of growing up. Halley’s best friend, Scarlett, discovers that she is pregnant after her boyfriend, Michael, dies in a motorcycle accident. Halley steps up to help her friend through this unexpected challenge. Halley also begins dating Michael’s best friend, Macon, and must decide whether she is ready to have sex with... Read Someone Like You Summary

Song of Myself

by Walt Whitman

Publication year 1856

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Death, Politics & Government, Nation, Family, Perseverance

Tags Lyric Poem, Life-Inspired Fiction, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, US History, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

“Song of Myself” is a free verse poem by the American writer, journalist, and poet Walt Whitman. The poem is often classified as a work of transcendentalist literature. Originally self-published by Whitman himself in 1855, it was considerably revised and expanded over subsequent decades. In 1889, “Song of Myself” was released in its final form as part of the last edition of the collection Leaves of Grass. This final version—the version referenced in this guide—is... Read Song of Myself Summary

Sonnet 1

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1609

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Beauty, Birth, Hope, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Death, Food, Daughters & Sons, Future

Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Education, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

... Read Sonnet 1 Summary

Sonnet 55

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1609

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Memory, Death, Beauty

Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Lyric Poem, Religion & Spirituality, Relationships

“Sonnet 55” (1609) is an English love sonnet by renowned poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The sonnet is part of Shakespeare’s Fair Youth sonnet sequence, which makes up the first 126 of his sonnets. This sonnet follows a number of the Fair Youth sonnets in the way it praises the fair youth’s beauty and claims his beauty is eternal. In this sonnet specifically, Shakespeare claims that the subject’s beauty will outlive all monuments of princes and... Read Sonnet 55 Summary

Sounder

by William Armstrong

Publication year 1969

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Loneliness, Disability, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Social Class, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Animals, Classic Fiction, Southern Literature

Sounder is a 1969 book for young readers by American author William H. Armstrong. In the novel, a young boy grows up in a Black sharecropping family on a sprawling plantation in the 19th-century in the American South, where he lives with his parents, his siblings, and his faithful dog, Sounder. Bored and lonely, the boy dreams of returning to school and learning to read, and he copes with his life of obligation by hunting... Read Sounder Summary

Sphere

by Michael Crichton

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Loneliness, Mental Health, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Space, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure

Sphere (1987) is a novel by best-selling author Michael Crichton, the sixth novel he released under his own name but his 16th novel overall. The novel follows protagonist Norman Johnson as he travels to the bottom of the ocean with a team of scientists to explore an unknown spacecraft. Inside the craft is a sphere that when entered enhances imagination and allows people to manifest reality from their unconscious mind. Sphere was made into a... Read Sphere Summary

Spy School

by Stuart Gibbs

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Friendship, Community, Teamwork, Safety & Danger, Memory, Daughters & Sons, Science & Technology, Childhood & Youth, Education, Power & Greed, Shame & Pride, Fear, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance, Good & Evil, Justice, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Fathers, Loneliness

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor

... Read Spy School Summary

Starside

by Alex Aster

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Fantasy, Romance

Starside (2026) is a romantasy novel by Alex Aster, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Lightlark saga. Aster is a notable figure in the BookTok literary phenomenon, where her viral social media pitch for Lightlark catapulted her from a rejected author to a bestselling sensation. As the first installment in a new series, Starside builds on the author’s established brand of high-stakes fantasy, fast-paced action, and romantic tension. The novel is set... Read Starside Summary

Starters

by Lissa Price

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Siblings, Death, Social Class, Childhood & Youth, Community, Memory, Science & Technology, Future, The Past, Guilt, Family, Appearance & Reality, Trust & Doubt, Fear, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, Beauty, Truth & Lies, Good & Evil, Conflict

Tags Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure

Lissa Price’s Starters is a young adult science fiction novel set in the near future after the Spore Wars, during which biological weapons were used against the United States and wiped out much of the unvaccinated middle-aged population. As a result, many teens were left without families, and the elderly feared for their place in society. Starters without grandparents were barred from essentially every type of work. This led to teens being rounded up to... Read Starters Summary