Trust & Doubt

Believing in people, institutions, or the spiritual world requires an act of trust. What happens when that trust is shaken, either by our own wavering commitments or an act of betrayal? Can trust ever be regained once it is lost? These are some of the ideas explored in this thematic collection.

Summer in the City

by Alex Aster

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Death, Fathers, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Equality, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt

Tags Romance

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Summit Lake

by Charlie Donlea

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Hate & Anger, Memory, Revenge, Death, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense

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Swindle

by Gordon Korman

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt

Tags Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Humor

Swindle is a middle-grade novel published in 2008 by Canadian American author Gordon Korman. In the story, 6th-grader Griffin Bing enlists a group of his classmates to retrieve a rare Babe Ruth baseball card from an unscrupulous collector known as Swindle, who has conned Griffin out of the card. The book is the first of eight books, as of 2019, in the popular Swindle series. Nickelodeon made a film of the same name based on the novel in... Read Swindle Summary

Taiwan Travelogue

by Yáng Shuāng-Zǐ, Transl. Lin King

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Food, Place, Friendship, Social Class, Colonialism, Immigration, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt

Tags Contemporary Literature, Historical Fiction

Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s novel Taiwan Travelogue was originally published in Mandarin in 2020. A work of historical metafiction, the story is set in 1938, when Taiwan was a Japanese colony. The novel follows Aoyama Chizuko, a young, celebrated Japanese writer who travels to Taiwan on an official lecture tour. Disinterested in imperial propaganda, Aoyama seeks authentic Taiwanese culture, especially its food, and develops an intense relationship with her brilliant Taiwanese interpreter, Ō Chizuru (or Ōng Tshian-hòh... Read Taiwan Travelogue Summary

Talk Like Ted

by Carmine Gallo

Publication year 2014

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery, Language

Tags Business & Economics, Self-Improvement, Leadership, Psychology, Education, Education, Psychology

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Tartuffe

by Molière

Publication year 1664

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Religion & Spirituality, Family

Tags Comedy & Satire, Relationships, Arts & Culture, French Literature, Education, Education, Humor, Classic Fiction

Tartuffe, also known as The Imposter or The Hypocrite, is a Neoclassical comedy written by French playwright, actor, writer, and director Molière, born as Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. It was first produced in 1664 in France. While King Louis XIV and the public enjoyed the play, religious groups, including the Catholic Church and members of the upper class, condemned it for its display of a seemingly religious character who preys on those around on him for his... Read Tartuffe Summary

The 48 Laws Of Power

by Robert Greene

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Teamwork, Perseverance

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Business & Economics, Philosophy, World History, Psychology, Philosophy, Politics & Government

Robert Greene (1959) is an American self-help book author with a focus on strategy and power. After training in Classical Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, Greene worked numerous jobs before pitching The 48 Laws of Power to book packager Joost Elffers in 1995. The book was inspired by Greene’s time as a writer in Hollywood, where he learned that today’s powerful people share common traits with historic princes, leaders, and tyrants. As he... Read The 48 Laws Of Power Summary

The ABC Murders

by Agatha Christie

Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Good & Evil, Justice, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Social Class, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, Classic Fiction

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The Acorn People

by Ron Jones

Publication year 1976

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Disability, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Children`s Literature, Disability

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The Alchemist

by Ben Jonson

Publication year 1610

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Shame & Pride, Wins & Losses, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Power & Greed, Social Class, Community, Teamwork

Tags British Literature, Historical Drama, Comedy & Satire, Satirical Literature, Social Class, Finance, Renaissance, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Humor, Classic Fiction

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The All of It

by Jeannette Haien

Publication year 1986

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Mental Health, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Environment, Plants, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Literary Fiction

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The Atlas Paradox

by Olivie Blake

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Friendship, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, New Age, Religion & Spirituality, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Loyalty & Betrayal, Fate, Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Relationships, Science & Nature, Social Justice, Education, Philosophy

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The Beautiful Mystery

by Louise Penny

Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Loyalty & Betrayal, Teamwork, Community, Music, Guilt, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Trauma & Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Arts & Culture

The Beautiful Mystery, published in 2012, is the eighth book in former Canadian journalist Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series. The Gamache series is known for its recurring cast of characters, psychological depth, and long-term story arcs. Gamache is a longtime member of Québec’s provincial police force, most often known by its French name, the Sûreté du Québec. Gamache’s struggles with police corruption form the main plot of several books, including A Fatal Grace and... Read The Beautiful Mystery Summary

The Big Short

by Michael Lewis

Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Trust & Doubt, Economics

Tags Business & Economics, Journalism, World History, Finance, Politics & Government, Biography

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, published in 2010, examines the causes of the 2008 financial crisis, one of the greatest debacles in American economic history. Like many of financial journalist and author Michael Lewis’s other works, including Liar’s Poker and Moneyball, The Big Short is a bestseller. It becomes a sourcebook during Congressional hearings into the disaster.The crash results from years of financial malfeasance and incompetence among the top salesmen and executives at... Read The Big Short Summary