Pride & Shame

These two emotions couldn't feel more different, yet pride and shame are linked by how we see ourselves—and how we want others to see us. This collection explores texts that navigate the emotional terrain of pride and shame.

There Is No Place for Us

by Brian Goldstone

Publication year 2025

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Race, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Globalization, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Sociology, Politics & Government, Political Science, Journalism, Poverty, Urban Studies

... Read There Is No Place for Us Summary

The Rest of Our Lives

by Ben Markovits

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Guilt, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Race, Aging, Midlife, Death, The Past, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Domestic Fiction, Relationships

... Read The Rest of Our Lives Summary

The Rise of Silas Lapham

by William Dean Howells

Publication year 1885

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Community, Family

Tags Classic Fiction, Gilded Age, American Literature, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction

The Rise of Silas Lapham is an 1885 Realist novel by William Dean Howells. The novel tells the story of Silas Lapham, who rises from poverty but struggles to grasp the social etiquette of elite American society. Howells is credited with establishing Realism as a literary genre in America. Realist novels such as The Rise of Silas Lapham were a response to the time period’s Sentimental novels, which Howells opposed. The novel explores themes of... Read The Rise of Silas Lapham Summary

The Running Dream

by Wendelin Van Draanen

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Friendship, Teamwork, Disability

Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children`s Literature, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction

The Running Dream, by Wendelin Van Draanen, features sixteen-year-old Jessica Carlisle as its protagonist and first-person narrator. After setting a personal record in the 400-meter dash at a track meet, Jessica’s team bus is struck by another vehicle, resulting in the death of one student and the loss of Jessica’s leg. The story encompasses Jessica’s coming-of-age as she learns to adapt to changes in her life and overcome the significant challenges of having a physical... Read The Running Dream Summary

The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Family, Truth & Lies, Apathy, Conflict, Forgiveness, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Loyalty & Betrayal, Literature, Justice, Fate

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Arts & Culture, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death

... Read The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 Summary

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives

by Elizabeth Arnott

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Friendship, Justice, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction

Elizabeth Arnott’s 2026 thriller, The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives, is a work of historical fiction set against the social and political turmoil of 1966 California. The novel follows three women, Beverley, Elsie, and Margot, who have formed an unlikely friendship after their husbands were convicted as some of the state’s most notorious serial killers. Living under a cloud of public shame and suspicion, the women decide to use their unique, hard-won knowledge of male... Read The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives Summary

The Secret Place

by Tana French

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Death, Appearance & Reality, Social Class, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Irish Literature, Coming of Age

Written by Irish American author Tana French, The Secret Place (2014) combines elements of thrillers and police procedurals and follows Dublin detectives Stephen Moran and Antoinette Conway as they pursue new leads in a year-old murder case on the grounds of a private Catholic boarding school. As the detectives sort through hidden pieces of evidence and conflicting stories, they interview two groups of female students who provide only partial, often conflicting stories. The murder victim... Read The Secret Place Summary

The Shampoo Effect

by Jenny Jackson

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Nostalgia, Regret, Shame & Pride, Sexual Identity, Birth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Place, Friendship, Community, Economics, Art, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt

Tags Literary Fiction, Domestic Fiction

... Read The Shampoo Effect Summary

The Shape of Thunder

by Jasmine Warga

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Justice, Safety & Danger, Family

Tags Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Depression & Suicide, Realistic Fiction, Christian, Grief & Death, Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Shape of Thunder Summary

The Shipping News

by Annie Proulx

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Community

Tags American Literature, Coming of Age, Trauma & Abuse

Annie Proulx’s novel The Shipping News (1993) is a work of literary fiction that earned both the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. The story follows Quoyle, a large, ineffectual third-rate newspaperman from upstate New York. After a series of personal calamities, including the deaths of his parents and his cruel, unfaithful wife, Quoyle moves with his two young daughters and paternal aunt to their ancestral home on the stark coast of... Read The Shipping News Summary

The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

by Ernest Hemingway

Publication year 1936

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Guilt, Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fate, Shame & Pride, Safety & Danger, Marriage

Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Education, Education, US History

“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is a short story by American author Ernest Hemingway that was first published in Cosmopolitan in 1936. It explores themes of power and dominance, courage and cowardice, and the nature of masculinity. The story details a hunting party and love triangle in which a husband, a wife, and their hired huntsman struggle for dominance and power over one another. This guide references the collection The Snows of Kilimanjaro... Read The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber Summary

The Silence Of The Lambs

by Thomas Harris

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Fear, Grief, Perseverance, Conflict, Safety & Danger, Beauty, Good & Evil, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Dramatic Literature, Classic Fiction

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris is a psychological thriller and crime novel published in 1988. The novel follows FBI agent-in-training Clarice Starling as she becomes increasingly involved in the investigation of serial killer Buffalo Bill. The book is the sequel to Harris’s 1981 novel Red Dragon and includes several continuing characters, like the serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The novel won the 1988 Bram Stoker Award and 1989 Anthony Award for Best... Read The Silence Of The Lambs Summary

The Silkworm

by Robert Galbraith

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Disability, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Teamwork, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

J.K. Rowling has published seven novels in the Cormoran Strike mystery series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, beginning in 2013 with The Cuckoo’s Calling. The Silkworm was released in 2014 as the second installment of the series. The novel received praise for its intricate plotting and satirical take on the publishing industry, though it also drew criticism for its controversial portrayals of gender and graphic imagery. Set in the London literary world, The Silkworm satirizes... Read The Silkworm Summary

The Sisters

by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Transl. Rachel Willson-Broyles

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Fear, Hate & Anger, Memory, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Race, Aging, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Globalization, Immigration, Nation, Truth & Lies, Grief

Tags Literary Fiction, Humor, Scandinavian Literature

... Read The Sisters Summary

The Skin I'm In

by Sharon G. Flake

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Self Discovery, Shame & Pride, Grief, Family, Coming of Age

Tags Realistic Fiction, Bullying, Race & Racism, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Skin I'm In Summary