Searching for study guides on books selected by some of the nation's top book clubs, curated by Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, the PBS NewsHour, the New York Times, and the American Library Association? Look no further. This collection covers critically-acclaimed classics like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez to contemporary, buzzworthy novels like Girl, Woman, Other. We hope this compilation of study guides provides your own book club with lively discussion topics and keen insights.
Publication year 2003
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Crime / Legal, Religion / Spirituality, History: U.S., Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, History: World, Biography
In 2003, Jon Krakauer, nonfiction author and journalist, published Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. Now the inspiration for a television series of the same title on Hulu, the story sent shockwaves as it explored religious extremism on American soil that closely resembled the Taliban-style extremism that had captured the country’s attention following the September 11 attacks. This guide refers to the 2004 paperback edition published by First Anchor Books.Content warning:... Read Under the Banner of Heaven Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography, Crime / Legal, History: U.S.
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Self Help, Biography
Published in 2020, Glennon Doyle’s Untamed is her third memoir. An accomplished writer, philanthropist, and activist, Doyle documents her lifelong journey of self-discovery and uses personal experiences to encourage women on their own respective journeys towards freedom. Through the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, and race, Doyle unpacks the social conditioning that affects the lives of all humans, particularly women. Ultimately, Doyle offers a reflective guide to navigating life by looking internally and honoring one’s... Read Untamed Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Climate Change, Politics / Government, Technology
Publication year 2000
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Japanese Literature, Psychology, Science / Nature, Natural Disaster
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Relationships, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fame, Society: Class
Tags History: U.S., Finance / Money / Wealth, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: World, Action / Adventure
Set in the 1830s and beginning on a slave plantation in Barbados, Esi Edugyan’s Washington Black tells the story of the eponymous Washington and his unlikely adventures as he meditates upon the complexities of race, relationships, science, and art. In 1830, Wash is an uneducated, orphaned slave boy around 10 or 11 years old taken under the wing of Big Kit, a powerful and intimidating field slave. Big Kit protects him from the other slaves... Read Washington Black Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Animals, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Great Depression, Mental Illness, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Water for Elephants, a New York Times bestseller and author Sara Gruen’s third novel, was published in 2006 by Algonquin. The novel was adapted into a full-length film in 2011 starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison.Gruen often features animals in her novels, and Water for Elephants is no exception, as she follows two lovers in a forbidden relationship set against the backdrop of a circus and its eclectic mix of characters and exotic animals. The... Read Water for Elephants Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Psychology, Incarceration, Animals, Relationships, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves is Karen Joy Fowler’s seventh novel. The book was first published in 2013. The following year, it won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Fowler said that the book takes inspiration from a real 1930s experiment. In an interview with Carmen Maria Machado published in The American Reader, Fowler states that she believes that using animals for research purposes is wrong, and... Read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers
Tags Military / War, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Published in 2014, Laura McBride’s first novel, We Are Called to Rise, narrates the story of four Las Vegas residents with different backgrounds whose lives become interconnected after a series of unexpected events leads to a family tragedy. Though they experience seemingly unrelated situations, they eventually play a role in each other’s lives to help heal the trauma created by loss, grief, and family abuse. This guide references the Scribd version of the Simon &... Read We Are Called to Rise Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family
Tags Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Social Justice
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Midlife, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Action / Adventure, Animals, Great Depression, History: World
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
We Were the Mulvaneys is a novel by American writer Joyce Carol Oates, originally published in the US in 1996. Set largely in the rural Northeastern United States in the 1970s, this story deals with the myth of the ideal American family and the ruinous effects it can have when real-life events threaten the appearance of familial unity. After having been featured as an Oprah Book Club selection in January 2001, the novel became a... Read We Were the Mulvaneys Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Mental Illness, Modern Classic Fiction