Safety & Danger

This collection, spanning books like Nadine Gordimer's Jump and Other Stories and Lois Lowry's Number the Stars, gathers fiction and nonfiction examining how our human craving for safety is compromised, questioned, and challenged by an unpredictable and sometimes dangerous world.

Lies He Told Me

by James Patterson

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Love, Memory, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Mothers, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Dramatic Literature

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Lincoln's Grave Robbers

by Steve Sheinkin

Publication year 2013

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Lincoln’s Grave Robbers is a nonfiction book for young readers by Steve Sheinkin. It describes how a gang of counterfeiters attempted to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln from his tomb in Springfield, Illinois, in order to hold it for ransom. Sheinkin’s retelling features rich historical detail, a colorful cast of characters, and probing insights into the fractiousness of the 1870s, as well as some striking parallels to contemporary events. Set in the aftermath of... Read Lincoln's Grave Robbers Summary

Lisey's Story

by Stephen King

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Memory, Marriage, Literature, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature

Lisey’s Story (2006) is a psychological horror romance novel by Stephen King. It follows Lisey Landon, whose husband, Scott, was a famous author who died two years before. With pressure from the literary world to look through Scott’s writing, Lisey finally decides to go through her husband’s study. As she revisits memories of her past with her husband, she discovers a supernatural world that both haunted and inspired Scott’s creativity. At the same time, a... Read Lisey's Story Summary

Little Brother

by Cory Doctorow

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Politics & Government, Coming of Age, Love, Friendship, Power & Greed, Shame & Pride, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Leadership, Politics & Government, Science & Nature

Little Brother, a dystopian young adult novel written by Cory Doctorow, was published by Tor Teen books in 2008. The book debuted at number nine on The New York Times Bestseller list and was a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2009. Little Brother also won the 2009 White Pine Award, Prometheus Award, and John W. Campbell Memorial Award. The story takes place in the near future and chronicles the efforts of... Read Little Brother Summary

Little Rot

by Akwaeke Emezi

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Regret, Gender Identity, Sexual Identity, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, LGBTQ+, Modern Classic Fiction, Literary Fiction

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Love and Hate in Jamestown

by David A. Price

Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Fear, Perseverance, Hate & Anger

Tags US History, Colonial America, Education, Education, American Literature, World History, Biography

Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and The Start of a New Nation (2003) is a narrative history of the English’s founding of Jamestown in 1606 written by David A. Price. Price is a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and other American publications. In his retelling of the story, Price seeks to puncture some of the romantic mythology surrounding the relationship between John Smith and Pocahontas, while placing their... Read Love and Hate in Jamestown Summary

Lovecraft Country

by Matt Ruff

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Nation, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, Action & Adventure, Race & Racism, Black Lives Matter, US History, Social Justice, American Literature, African American Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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Love Medicine

by Louise Erdrich

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Race, Forgiveness, Guilt, Memory, Love, Hate & Anger, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Wins & Losses, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

American author Louise Erdrich’s debut novel, Love Medicine, was first published in 1984 to critical acclaim. A bestseller and winner of the 1984 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, the novel follows three generations of members from five Ojibwe families in Minnesota and North Dakota. Lyrical, metaphorical, and a complex exploration of oppression, joy, and family, the novel is both a record of history and an analysis of love. Blending the genres of historical... Read Love Medicine Summary

MaddAddam

by Margaret Atwood

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Science & Technology, Safety & Danger, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Good & Evil, Art, Mothers, Fathers, Siblings, Family, Hope, Environment, Future

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Margaret Atwood’s novel MaddAddam, published in 2013, completes her post-apocalyptic MaddAddam trilogy that begins with Oryx and Crake (2003) and continues with The Year of the Flood (2009). The trilogy takes place in the aftermath of a destroyed technological dystopia, a world in which corporations have totalitarian control. Atwood, an award-winning Canadian author, has been a prolific writer of poetry, short stories, novels, and many other forms since the early 1960s. She is known for... Read MaddAddam Summary

Mad Honey

by Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Gender Identity, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Justice, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Romance, LGBTQ+, Bullying, Depression & Suicide, Parenting, Love & Sexuality, Social Justice, Coming of Age, Diversity, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, Modern Classic Fiction

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Madwoman

by Chelsea Bieker

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Childhood & Youth, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Gender & Feminism

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Magyk

by Angie Sage

Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Siblings, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Published in 2005, Angie Sage’s Magyk is a middle grade fantasy novel and the first book in the Septimus Heap series. The story follows the adventures of the Heap family, particularly focusing on the seventh son, Septimus Heap. The narrative unfolds with the mysterious disappearance of Septimus on the day of his birth, leading to a magical journey filled with enchanted forests, dark wizards, and hidden secrets. The Heap family navigates a world brimming with... Read Magyk Summary

Maria Chapdelaine

by Louis Hémon

Publication year 1913

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Love, Family, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance

Maria Chapdelaine (1916) is a novel by Breton author Louis Hémon. Maria Chapdelaine tells the story of its titular protagonist, a young woman who lives on her family’s farm in a remote stretch of Québec wilderness. Against the backdrop of a brutal and unpredictable climate, Maria must choose between three suitors who each represent different lifestyles: A trapper, a farmer, and a factory worker who has emigrated to the United States. Hémon explores The Hardships... Read Maria Chapdelaine Summary

Marie Antoinette

by Antonia Fraser

Publication year 2001

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Apathy, Conflict, Fear, Joy, Femininity, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Place, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Biography, Historical Nonfiction, European History, Politics & Government

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