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.

The Island of Doctor Moreau

by H. G. Wells

Publication year 1896

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Nature Versus Nurture, Animals, Fear

Tags Science Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense

The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel written by the English novelist H.G. Wells. Wells’s experiences researching and teaching biology inform the novel, as do contemporary debates about the practice of vivisection (the practice of performing experiments on live animals). By describing frightening and fantastical events, Wells explores themes of power structures, violence, and what it means to be human. This guide references the 2005 Penguin Classics edition. Content Warning: The... Read The Island of Doctor Moreau Summary

The Jumbies

by Tracey Baptiste

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Mothers, Coming of Age

Tags Fantasy, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Children`s Literature

... Read The Jumbies Summary

The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark

by Ridley Pearson

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Teamwork, Science & Technology, Order & Chaos, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Magical Realism

First published in 2005, Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark is a fantasy-adventure for middle-grade readers by Ridley Pearson. Young Finn Whitman and his fellow Disney Hosts each night turn into holograms who visit the Magic Kingdom, where they must defeat a cadre of evil Disney characters trying to break out of the park and take over the world. Winner of the Sunshine State Young Readers Award, the book is the first of more than a... Read The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark Summary

The List

by Siobhan Vivian

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loneliness, Femininity, Friendship, Siblings, Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Dramatic Literature

... Read The List Summary

The Little Liar

by Mitch Albom

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Regret, Revenge, Death, Family, War, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Jewish Literature, Military & War, World History

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The Long Way Home

by Louise Penny

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Loyalty & Betrayal, Art, Fame, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

The Long Way Home (2014) is the 10th novel in the Inspector Gamache series written by the Canadian author Louise Penny. Like the other books in the series, the novel revolves around the village of Three Pines, Quebec, although it also encompasses events in other places. In addition to a central mystery focused on a wife’s attempt to find her estranged husband, the novel explores themes of art, creativity, ambition, and loss. This guide references... Read The Long Way Home Summary

The Lost City of Z

by David Grann

Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Colonialism, The Past, Truth & Lies, Appearance & Reality, Place

Tags World History, Action & Adventure, Travel Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, History of the Americas, Race & Racism, World War I, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science & Nature, Biography

David Grann’s The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon (2009) tells the story of Percy Harrison Fawcett’s ill-fated expedition into the Brazilian jungle. After nearly two decades spent exploring the region and gathering evidence, Fawcett concluded that a sophisticated ancient civilization, a city he called Z, lay hidden deep in the Amazonian wilderness. In 1925, while searching for Z, Fawcett disappeared along with his son Jack and Jack’s friend... Read The Lost City of Z Summary

The Lover

by Marguerite Duras

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Siblings, Family, Memory, Guilt, Community, Shame & Pride, Love, Forgiveness, Fear, Hope

Tags Relationships, American Literature, French Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

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The Luck of Roaring Camp

by Bret Harte

Publication year 1868

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Masculinity, Community, Environment

Tags Western, Historical Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

“The Luck of Roaring Camp” is the short story that established Bret Harte’s (also spelled Hart) reputation in the United States and internationally. Set in a gold prospecting camp in 1850 California, the story explores the themes of relationships between man and nature, the possibility of man’s redemption, and the rejection of standard gender roles. Widely published in newspapers and magazines, Harte was known for his depictions of rough or romantic life in the American... Read The Luck of Roaring Camp Summary

The Magic Barrel

by Bernard Malamud

Publication year 1958

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Race, Regret, Self Discovery

Tags Jewish Literature, Immigration & Refugeeism, Magical Realism, US History, American Literature, Classic Fiction

... Read The Magic Barrel Summary