Truth & Lies

Whether exploring the consequences of concealing the truth or excavating the mysterious nature of truth itself, the titles in this collection discuss the intersections among honesty, factualness, legitimacy, deception, falsehood, and lies.

Darkness at Noon

by Arthur Koestler

Publication year 1940

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Russian Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics & Government

Darkness at Noon is Arthur Koestler’s fictional exploration of the socialist states that emerged midway through the twentieth century. In particular, it asks how a movement whose original purpose was to improve the conditions of “the masses” could instead end up terrorizing its own people, including its founders. The novel follows one of these founders, Nicholas Salmanovitch Rubashov, through the last month of his life, which he spends in prison and then on trial until he... Read Darkness at Noon Summary

Dark Places

by Gillian Flynn

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Truth & Lies, Family, Hate & Anger, Fear, Masculinity

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

Dark Places is a 2009 mystery thriller novel by American author Gillian Flynn. The narrative moves between two time periods, 1985 and 2009, as the protagonist, Libby Day, tries to solve her family’s brutal murder. The novel deals with the consequences of the 1980s Satanic Panic and the fallout from the 1970s Farm Boom for a community in the rural Midwest. Flynn is also the author of Sharp Objects (2006) and Gone Girl (2012).Dark Places... Read Dark Places Summary

Darling Girls

by Sally Hepworth

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, The Past, Family, Siblings, Self Discovery, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

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

... Read Darling Girls Summary

D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths

by Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire

Publication year 1962

Genre Anthology/Varied Collection, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Language, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Fathers, Marriage, Siblings, Colonialism, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Children`s Literature

... Read D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths Summary

Deadline

by Chris Crutcher

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Sports, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

Chris Crutcher’s novel Deadline is a work of young adult literary fiction. Set in the small town of Trout, Idaho, the novel is written from the protagonist Ben Wolf’s first-person point of view and traces his experiences throughout his senior year of high school. An energetic and determined character, Ben is ready to live his life to its fullest before leaving home for college. However, just after his 18th birthday, Ben’s circumstances change forever when... Read Deadline Summary

Dead Mountain

by Donnie Eichar

Publication year 2013

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Memory, Language, Death, The Past, Climate, Environment, Place, Teamwork, Nation, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Russian Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, World History, Biography, European History, Crime & Law, Action & Adventure, Travel Literature

... Read Dead Mountain Summary

Dead Souls

by Nikolai Gogol

Publication year 1842

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Economics, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Satirical Literature, Social Class, European History, Politics & Government, Religion & Spirituality, Russian Literature, Victorian Period, World History, Historical Fiction, Humor

Nikolai Gogol called his 1842 work Dead Souls an “epic poem in prose,” though most critics and scholars now refer to it as a novel. Structured in part as an analog to Dante’s Inferno, Dead Souls is an absurdist social satire of imperial Russia before the emancipation of the serfs, especially the foibles and customs of the Russian nobility. Though Gogol is not interested in strict realism, his portraits of nobles who speak French more... Read Dead Souls Summary

Death Comes for the Archbishop

by Willa Cather

Publication year 1927

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Race, Death, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, American Literature, Religion & Spirituality, World History, Classic Fiction

Death Comes for the Archbishop (1927) is a novel by American author Willa Cather. The story is loosely based on the experiences of Priests Jean-Baptiste Lamy and Joseph Projectus Machebeuf as they sought to establish a Catholic diocese (an ecclesiastical district under the control of one particular bishop) in the newly acquired territory of New Mexico.A major figure in American literature, Cather is best known for the novels O Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the... Read Death Comes for the Archbishop Summary

Death in Her Hands

by Ottessa Moshfegh

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Aging, Death, The Past, Animals, Marriage, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Literary Fiction

... Read Death in Her Hands Summary

Deception Point

by Dan Brown

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Science & Nature

Published in 2001, Dan Brown’s techno-thriller Deception Point is a standalone novel that blends high-stakes conspiracy with cutting-edge science. The narrative follows Rachel Sexton, an intelligence analyst for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) whose estranged father, Senator Sedgewick Sexton, is challenging the incumbent President Zachary Herney for the presidency. When President Herney announces that a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite has discovered a meteorite in the Arctic containing fossilized proof of extraterrestrial life... Read Deception Point Summary

Delirium

by Lauren Oliver

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Truth & Lies, Politics & Government, Self Discovery, Coming of Age

Tags Science Fiction, Romance, Love & Sexuality, Fantasy

Written by Lauren Oliver in 2011, Delirium is a young adult, dystopian novel that takes place in a world where love is considered a disease and is thus surgically removed from a person’s brain when they turn 18. The protagonist, Lena Haloway, falls in love with a boy named Alex Warren and must navigate a world in which their love is forbidden. The novel explores the power of love in opposition to an unfair totalitarian... Read Delirium Summary

Devolution

by Max Brooks

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction

... Read Devolution Summary

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

by Jeff Kinney

Publication year 2007

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Family, Loyalty & Betrayal, Siblings, Childhood & Youth, Guilt, Shame & Pride, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Relationships, Bullying, Children`s Literature

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the first graphic novel in the titular series by Jeff Kinney. Since its initial publication in 2007, Diary of a Wimpy Kid has become a New York Times bestseller and 16 sequels have followed in the series, including Rodrick Rules (2008) and The Last Straw (2009). Diary of a Wimpy Kid is written in a diary format and documents the misadventures of middle school student Greg Heffley, who longs... Read Diary of a Wimpy Kid Summary