Popular Study Guides

The Popular Study Guides Collection brings together a selection of our most-visited Guides in one convenient place. Featuring titles ranging from classic literature with enduring appeal to popular book club picks, this Collection represents a diverse array of literature readers can't get enough of.

Midaq Alley

by Naguib Mahfouz

Publication year 1947

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Place, War, Social Class, Love

Tags African Literature, Heinemann African Writers, Historical Fiction, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

Midaq Alley (1947) is a historical realist novel by Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz, the 1988 Nobel Prize laureate in Literature. In this work, Mahfouz addresses the changes taking place in Egyptian society of the 1940s. The book tells the story of a group of neighbors living in Midaq Alley, a bustling market street, in the poor quarter of Cairo’s historic city center. The story is set at the end of World War II, during Britain’s... Read Midaq Alley Summary

Mr. Mercedes

by Stephen King

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Good & Evil, Mental Health

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Mr. Mercedes (2014) is American author Stephen King’s first hard-boiled detective story. King is one of the most prolific writers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, best known for his iconic horror novels like It (1986), Carrie (1974), Pet Sematary (1983), and The Shining (1977). However, King’s work crosses over into many different genres, including supernatural, suspense thriller, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. He writes novels, short stories, and nonfiction, and his work... Read Mr. Mercedes Summary

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters

by Emil Ferris

Publication year 2017

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Death, Coming of Age, Social Class, Sexual Identity, Community, Friendship, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Family, Art, Childhood & Youth, Daughters & Sons, Mothers, Race, Fear, Conflict, Beauty, Shame & Pride, Appearance & Reality, Loneliness, Grief, Fathers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Arts & Culture

... Read My Favorite Thing Is Monsters Summary

My Name Is Not Easy

by Debby Dahl Edwardson

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Family, Siblings, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Justice, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction

... Read My Name Is Not Easy Summary

Nectar in a Sieve

by Kamala Markandaya

Publication year 1954

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Colonialism, Social Class

Tags Historical Fiction, Indian Literature, Poverty, Urban Development, Education, Education, Asian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Nectar in a Sieve is a 1954 classical fiction novel written by Kamala Markandaya, who was one of the most prominent 20th-century Indian novelists. It was her first novel and was named an American Library Association Notable Book in 1955. The novel’s plot follows Rukmani, a poor farmer’s wife, as she learns what it means to survive and find happiness in postcolonial and post-partition India. Through Rukmani’s eyes, Markandaya explores the impacts of poverty, the... Read Nectar in a Sieve Summary

Nimona

by N. D. Stevenson

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Family, Sexual Identity, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Humor, Action & Adventure, Fairy Tale & Folklore

Nimona is a young adult graphic novel created by N. D. Stevenson and published in 2015 by HarperCollins. It is based on Stevenson’s webcomic, also titled Nimona, which was published in 2012 and earned Slate magazine’s 2012 Cartoonist Studio Prize for Best Web Comic of the Year. The graphic novel adaptation also received critical acclaim, earning the 2016 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album: Reprint and becoming a 2015 National Book Award Finalist.Nimona is a... Read Nimona Summary

No Longer at Ease

by Chinua Achebe

Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Family, Social Class, Colonialism, Community

Tags Heinemann African Writers, African Literature, Historical Fiction, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, African American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

No Longer At Ease (1960) is a novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. The story takes place in the years prior to Nigeria’s independence from the British Empire and focuses on Obi Okonkwo. Obi is a young Nigerian man who returns home after studying English in Britain and finds a job in the civil service. He finds himself situated within the conflict between African and Western culture, raising questions about his identity and worldview. No... Read No Longer at Ease Summary

No Longer Human

by Osamu Dazai

Publication year 1948

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Mental Health, Guilt, Love

Tags Japanese Literature, Depression & Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness, Asian Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

... Read No Longer Human Summary

North Woods

by Daniel Mason

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Memory, Fate, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Beauty, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Science & Nature, World History, Magical Realism

... Read North Woods Summary

No Sweetness Here

by Ama Ata Aidoo

Publication year 1969

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Mothers, Community, Family, Power & Greed

Tags African Literature, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, Gender & Feminism, Race & Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read No Sweetness Here Summary