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.

The Gift of Fear

by Gavin De Becker

Publication year 1997

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Self Discovery, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger

Tags Psychology, Self-Improvement, Trauma & Abuse, Crime & Law, Relationships, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science & Nature, Sociology, Psychology, Mental Illness

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The Girl Who Played With Fire

by Stieg Larsson

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Hate & Anger, Revenge, Femininity, Mental Health, The Past, Politics & Government, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Scandinavian Literature

The Girl Who Played With Fire is the 2006 sequel to Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2005). As a crime fiction novel, the story focuses on solving the murders of Dag Svensson, Mia Johansson, and Nils Erik Bjurman, for which the series protagonist, Lisbeth Salander, is the prime suspect. In addition to tracking the murder investigations, the novel examines The Impact of Trauma on Personal Development, The Role of Appearances and Media... Read The Girl Who Played With Fire Summary

The Good Nurse

by Charles Graeber

Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Politics & Government, Safety & Danger, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Hate & Anger

Tags Crime & Law, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Biography, Health, US History, Depression & Suicide, Mental Illness, Trauma & Abuse

The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder by Charles Graeber is a true crime biography of the life of Charles Cullen, one of the most prolific serial killers in US history. Graeber is an American journalist who spent time as a medical student before moving on to journalism, writing for many prolific news outlets. His joint history in medicine and writing provides him with the necessary expertise to explain the intimacies... Read The Good Nurse Summary

The Grandest Game

by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Memory, Revenge, Death, The Past, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Fate, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Horror & Suspense

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The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Fate, Coming of Age, Childhood & Youth, Good & Evil, Appearance & Reality, Conflict, Loneliness

Tags Fantasy, Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Horror & Suspense, Children`s Literature

In The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, an orphan boy is raised by ghosts in a cemetery, where he learns how to become invisible, haunt people’s dreams, and face his destiny. Published in 2008, this fantasy-adventure novel for middle-grade and young-adult readers became a #1 New York Times bestseller. It won the Newbery and Carnegie medals for best children’s book, the first time a work has received both awards. It also garnered a Hugo Award... Read The Graveyard Book Summary

The Grey Wolf

by Louise Penny

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Environment, Family, Teamwork, Community, Economics, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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The Hare With Amber Eyes

by Edmund de Waal

Publication year 2010

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Art, Family, Perseverance, Fear, Memory, Race, The Past, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Jewish Literature, World History

Edmund de Waal’s The Hare with Amber Eyes (2010) is a family memoir that traces the fate of a collection of Japanese netsuke across generations of the Ephrussi family. Blending personal narrative with cultural history, the author reconstructs the rise and fall of his Jewish ancestors against the backdrop of Western Europe’s turbulent modern history. The book is a meditation on the Jewish diaspora and the fragility of cultural assimilation, exploring how objects, particularly works... Read The Hare With Amber Eyes Summary

The Haunting Of Hill House

by Shirley Jackson

Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Guilt, Family, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Religion & Spirituality, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

Published in 1959, The Haunting of Hill House, a Gothic novel by Shirley Jackson, was a 1960 finalist for the National Book Award. The protagonist is Eleanor Vance, a young woman with a troubled past who, along with two other guests, is invited to spend three months in a haunted house to take part in research gathered by Dr. John Montague. Like other Gothic novels, The Haunting of Hill House takes place in an old... Read The Haunting Of Hill House Summary

The Hound of the Baskervilles

by Arthur Conan Doyle

Publication year 1902

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense, European History

The Hound of the Baskervilles is a Sherlock Holmes novel written by his creator, the British author and physician Arthur Conan Doyle, and published in 1902. The book presents the eerie tale of terrifying deaths at a country estate beset by a ferocious giant dog, and Holmes’s ingenious proof that the legend of a canine monster is merely a pretext for murder. Arguably history’s most storied detective, Sherlock Holmes has been portrayed on film, TV... Read The Hound of the Baskervilles Summary

The Housemaid

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Guilt, Fear, Revenge, Mothers, Family, Marriage, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

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

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The Housemaid's Wedding

by Freida McFadden

Publication year 2024

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Femininity, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Mothers, Immigration, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Love & Sexuality, Romance

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The House of Eve

by Sadeqa Johnson

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Safety & Danger, Power & Greed, Education, Mothers, Marriage, Social Class, Sexual Identity, Race, Femininity, Shame & Pride, Regret, Love

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Race & Racism, World History

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