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.

The Story of Arthur Truluv

by Elizabeth Berg

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Aging, Death, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Story of Arthur Truluv is a 2017 novel by Elizabeth Berg that revolves around the stories of three unlikely companions: Arthur Moses, an elderly widower who finds solace in visiting his wife’s grave, Maddy Harris, a troubled teenager who feels out of place in her own life, and Lucille Howard, Arthur’s elderly neighbor grappling with her own loneliness. The novel is narrated in the third person omniscient point of view. These three unlikely friends... Read The Story of Arthur Truluv Summary

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK

by Mark Manson

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Apathy, Fear, Fate, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Self Discovery, Death, Economics, Nation, Politics & Government

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Philosophy, Business & Economics, Humor, Grief & Death, Psychology, Philosophy, Mental Illness

... Read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK Summary

The Surgeon

by Leslie Wolfe

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Memory, Revenge, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Death, The Past, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Education, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Health

... Read The Surgeon Summary

The Talisman

by Stephen King, Peter Straub

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Fate, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Friendship, Mothers, Death, The Past, Future, Appearance & Reality, Animals, Space, War, Family

Tags Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Action & Adventure

The Talisman is a 1984 novel co-written by Stephen King and Peter Straub. It is a fantasy novel with horror elements and has connections to the works in King’s Dark Tower series. The Talisman is a road trip book that tells the story of Jack Sawyer and his quest to save his mother. The Talisman examines themes of lost innocence, coming of age, friendship, the corrupting nature of power, and more.The Talisman has a sequel... Read The Talisman Summary

The Thing About Jellyfish

by Ali Benjamin

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Grief

Tags Children`s Literature, Grief & Death, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Thing About Jellyfish is American author Ali Benjamin’s first novel. This title is a middle grade novel set in modern-day Massachusetts. Suzy Swanson, a seventh grader, is the protagonist and narrator of this contemporary, realistic story. The Thing About Jellyfish was a 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Finalist. This guide follows the first edition from 2015 (Little, Brown and Company).The coming-of-age novel demonstrates the challenges of growing up, especially around matters... Read The Thing About Jellyfish Summary

The Third Policeman

by Flann O'Brien

Publication year 1967

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Death, Appearance & Reality, Justice

Tags Irish Literature, Fantasy, Humor, Absurdism

The Third Policeman is the second novel by Flann O’Brien, the pseudonym for Irish writer Brian O’Nolan, written in 1939/1940 but only published posthumously in 1967. It was originally rejected by the publishers of his acclaimed first novel, At Swim-Two-Birds (1939) and was largely forgotten until after his death. The novel is an absurdist, darkly comic novel narrated by an unnamed rural Irish “scholar” whose obsession with the eccentric thinker de Selby intersects with him... Read The Third Policeman Summary

The Thirteenth Tale

by Diane Setterfield

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Order & Chaos, Literature, Siblings, Mothers, Appearance & Reality, Grief, Death, Memory

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense, World History, Fantasy

The Thirteenth Tale, written by Diane Setterfield, was published in 2006 by Emily Bestler Books/Washington Square Press. The book rose to #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list just one week after publication and won the Quill Award for debut author of the year. Before publishing this first book, Setterfield was an academic, specializing in 20th-century French literature. Since the publication of her first book, Setterfield has published two further books, Bellman &... Read The Thirteenth Tale Summary

The Time Keeper

by Mitch Albom

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Aging, Death, Future, The Past

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Symbolic Narrative, Inspirational

The Time Keeper (2012) by American author Mitch Albom is a fable that explores the themes of Humans’ Relationship with Time, The Need to Live in the Present, and the Acceptance of One’s Mortality. The inventor of the world’s first clock, Dor, is punished for measuring time and banished to a cave for thousands of years where he becomes an ageless Father Time. Eventually, he is granted his freedom with the condition that he must... Read The Time Keeper Summary

The Troop

by Nick Cutter

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Science & Technology, Teamwork, Safety & Danger, Fear

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

The Troop (2014) is a horror novel by Nick Cutter. Troop 52, consisting of five teenage boy scouts and their Scoutmaster, Dr. Tim Riggs, goes on an annual camping trip to a remote, uninhabited island in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, a strange, sick man approaches their cabin and introduces them to a deadly, bioengineered virus. Just as dangerous as the virus itself are the crumbling group dynamics and morality once the... Read The Troop Summary

The Truth About Forever

by Sarah Dessen

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Regret, Nostalgia, Appearance & Reality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Death, Coming of Age, Daughters & Sons, Family, Mothers, Fathers, Self Discovery

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Grief & Death

The Truth About Forever (2004) is a young adult contemporary romance by Sarah Dessen. The novel follows Macy Queen, a teen girl struggling to heal from the tragic death of her father, only to find that the answers lie not in chasing perfection and control but embracing the unpredictable and chaotic joys of life. The Truth About Forever is Sarah Dessen’s sixth published novel and won the 2004 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Urban... Read The Truth About Forever Summary