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.

Rick

by Alex Gino

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Rodrick Rules

by Jeff Kinney

Publication year 2008

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Conflict, Apathy, Fear, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Regret, Childhood & Youth, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Masculinity, Appearance & Reality, Education, Family, Siblings, Mothers, Fathers, Daughters & Sons

Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Rosemary's Baby

by Ira Levin

Publication year 1967

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Femininity, Good & Evil

Tags Horror & Suspense, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Rosemary’s Baby is a Gothic horror novel by American writer Ira Levin. Published in 1967, it was a bestseller that was adapted into a critically acclaimed 1968 film starring Mia Farrow and directed by her husband, Roman Polanski. The novel is known for its focus on themes like women’s liberation and reproductive freedom, urban paranoia and fears of surveillance, and the relationship between conservative Christianity and the occult in the 20th century. Critics have also... Read Rosemary's Baby Summary

Ruby

by Cynthia Bond

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Gender Identity, Race

Tags Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, African American Literature, Race & Racism

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Rules

by Cynthia Lord

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Disability, Friendship, Siblings, Fathers, Mothers, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Guilt, Conflict

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Diversity, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

Rules was the first novel published by Cynthia Lord. Rules is a book for middle-grade readers that has remained popular and in print from the time of its initial publication. The Scholastic paperback version summarized here first appeared in 2018. For a debut novel, Rules was immediately accepted by young readers and by the literary community. The book won a prestigious Newberry Honor Book award and received the Schneider Family Book Award. It was named... Read Rules Summary

Runt

by Marion Dane Bauer

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Coming of Age, Death, Environment, Family, Fathers, Self Discovery, Power & Greed

Tags Animals, Action & Adventure, Fantasy

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R.U.R.

by Karel Čapek

Publication year 1920

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Love, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Drama, Technology, Tragedy, Dramatic Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) is a play by Karel Čapek. Čapek was a Czech writer who produced work in many genres, including journalism, essays, plays, short stories, novels, and translations of French poetry. R.U.R. premiered in 1921 at Prague’s National Theater. It is based on a short story by Karel Čapek and his brother Josef Čapek called “The System,” which was published in 1908. Čapek categorized R.U.R. as a collective drama, but it is generally... Read R.U.R. Summary

Second Class Citizen

by Buchi Emecheta

Publication year 1974

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Justice, Family, Indigenous Identity

Tags Gender & Feminism, Race & Racism, African Literature, Historical Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Women`s Studies, African American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

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She Stoops to Conquer

by Oliver Goldsmith

Publication year 1773

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Marriage, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Humor, Classic Fiction, Comedy & Satire, British Literature, World History, Dramatic Literature

She Stoops to Conquer is a play by British writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in 1773. The play is a comedy of manners and a romance set in 18th-century England. Goldsmith was an Anglo-Irish poet and dramatist and this play is his most popular and well-known work, with performances still regularly occurring in the 21st century. In 1778, John O'Keeffe wrote a successful sequel to the play, entitled Tony Lumpkin in Town. She Stoops to... Read She Stoops to Conquer Summary

Shirley

by Charlotte Brontë

Publication year 1849

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Friendship, Community

Tags Classic Fiction, Victorian Period, Historical Fiction, Romance, Gender & Feminism, British Literature, World History, Victorian Era

Shirley is a historical novel by Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855). Written in 1849, it is Brontë’s second novel and followed the overwhelming success of Jane Eyre (1847). It was also very popular when it was published. Set in Yorkshire in 1812-1813, a time of financial depression, its setting engages directly with the Luddite uprisings in the North of England, when textile workers protested the unemployment caused by new mechanical equipment in mills and factories. Shirley follows... Read Shirley Summary

Shooting an Elephant

by George Orwell

Publication year 1936

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Order & Chaos, Colonialism, Power & Greed

Tags Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government, Biography

“Shooting an Elephant,” is an essay by British author George Orwell, first published in the magazine New Writing in 1936. Orwell, born Eric Blair, is world-renowned for his sociopolitical commentary. He served as a British officer in Burma from 1922 to 1927, then worked as a journalist, novelist, short-story writer, and essayist for the remainder of his career, going on to produce celebrated works such as Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949). Before penning this... Read Shooting an Elephant Summary

Siege and Storm

by Leigh Bardugo

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Power & Greed, Wins & Losses, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Good & Evil, War, Self Discovery, Animals, Loneliness

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Leadership, Love & Sexuality, Military & War, Politics & Government, Trauma & Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Romance

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Sisters

by Raina Telgemeier

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Nostalgia, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Daughters & Sons, Animals, Art, Order & Chaos

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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