Power

This curated selection of titles examines the concept of power and its role in shaping society. The texts in the Power Collection draw upon a wide range of literary traditions and genres to explore concepts related to power and its pursuit, such as equality and injustice, colonialism, authority, and conflict.

The Bonfire of the Vanities

by Tom Wolfe

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Masculinity, Race, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Satirical Literature, Social Class, Race & Racism, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Humor, Classic Fiction

Tom Wolfe’s The Bonfire of the Vanities, published in 1987, is a critically acclaimed, sprawling saga of the vivid world of New York City in the 1980s. Modeled after Charles Dickens’s socially realistic novels, the book is a satire on the excesses and disparities of New York society. Powered by diverse, opinionated characters and iconic locations, the plot follows the wealthy, married Manhattan investment broker Sherman McCoy as his American Dream begins to unravel. Sherman’s... Read The Bonfire of the Vanities Summary

The Bottle Imp

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Publication year 1891

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Death

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature, Education, Education, British Literature, World History

Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Bottle Imp” is a short and comedic story in the parable genre. The story features themes of Self-Sacrifice for Love, Money Can’t Buy Happiness, and The Reality of Evil. “The Bottle Imp” was first published as a serialized newspaper story in 1891 and was included in Stevenson’s collection, Island Nights’ Entertainment (1893). The story is a humorous take on the trope of “making a deal with the devil,” where the protagonist... Read The Bottle Imp Summary

The Bourne Identity

by Robert Ludlum

Publication year 1980

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Memory, Mental Health, The Past, Self Discovery, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read The Bourne Identity Summary

The Boxcar Librarian

by Brianna Labuskes

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Gender Identity, Power & Greed, Perseverance, Grief, Revenge, Coming of Age, The Past, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Politics & Government, Literature

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Social Justice

Brianna Labuskes’s 2025 historical novel, The Boxcar Librarian, continues her focus on book-centric narratives, following titles such as The Librarian of Burned Books and The Lost Book of Bonn. Labuskes is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post bestselling author of historical fiction and psychological thrillers. The Boxcar Librarian unfolds across three distinct timelines, weaving together the stories of three women whose lives become connected by a mobile library in Montana. In 1936... Read The Boxcar Librarian Summary

The Boy Who Dared

by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, War, Race, Power & Greed, Appearance & Reality, Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History

The Boy Who Dared is a young adult novel, written by award-winning children’s author Susan Campbell Bartoletti and published in 2008. The Boy Who Dared is a historical fiction novel based on the real life of Helmuth Hübener, a German boy who defied the Nazis during WWII. Alternating between his last day on death row and his memories, Helmuth’s story depicts the danger of silence, the value of the individual, and the power of the... Read The Boy Who Dared Summary

The Breakdown

by B.A. Paris

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Trust & Doubt, Memory, Perseverance, Fear, Revenge, Mental Health, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Relationships, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Breakdown (2017) is a psychological thriller and B. A. Paris’s follow-up to her internationally bestselling debut, Behind Closed Doors. The Breakdown was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Mystery and Thriller in 2017. It has been adapted into a film titled Blackwater Lane, released in 2024 and starring Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace, and Dermot Mulroney. The novel portrays Cass Anderson’s battle with guilt and fear after a woman is murdered near her home... Read The Breakdown Summary

The Bully

by Paul Langan

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Place, Fathers, Self Discovery, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Urban Development, Dramatic Literature

... Read The Bully Summary

The Burning God

by R. F. Kuang

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Hate & Anger, Nostalgia, Revenge, Place, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Fantasy, World History

... Read The Burning God Summary