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.

Knife

by Salman Rushdie

Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Politics & Government, Perseverance, Love, Self Discovery, Community, Globalization, Art, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Trauma & Abuse, Indian Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Biography

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Lady Audley's Secret

by Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Publication year 1862

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Classic Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Victorian Period, British Literature, Gothic Literature, World History, Historical Fiction, Victorian Era

Lady Audley’s Secret was published in 1862 and caused a stir among Victorian readers with its depiction of murder, madness, extortion, and bigamy. The novel centers on a young woman, Lucy Graham, a governess working in the village of Audley. Everyone in the village is charmed by her, including Sir Michael Audley, who was instantly smitten with her youth, beauty, and sweet demeanor. Sir Michael is a wealthy, 56-year-old widower who did not want Lucy to... Read Lady Audley's Secret Summary

Landscape with Invisible Hand

by M. T. Anderson

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Equality, Love, Truth & Lies, Social Class, Economics, Art

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Satirical Literature, Relationships, Agriculture, Arts & Culture, Business & Economics, Social Class, Finance, Food, Health, US History, Politics & Government, Poverty, Religion & Spirituality, Social Justice

Landscape with Invisible Hand is a satirical dystopian science fiction novel by M. T. Anderson, written for a young adult audience. A diverse author, Anderson writes both fiction and nonfiction for people of all ages. In 2023, Landscape with Invisible Hand was adapted for film, reflecting the novel’s popularity and relevance. The book depicts a future world in which an alien species, the vuvv, have sold their technology to humans, causing the collapse of the... Read Landscape with Invisible Hand Summary

Last Night at the Telegraph Club

by Malinda Lo

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Self Discovery, Sexual Identity, Race, Gender Identity, Femininity, Masculinity, Love, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Hope, Equality, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal, Family, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance, Coming of Age, Love & Sexuality, Women`s Studies, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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Later

by Stephen King

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Masculinity, Memory, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality

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Leaf Storm

by Gabriel García Márquez

Publication year 1955

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Fear, Hope, Love, Memory, Femininity, Language, Masculinity, Mental Health, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Daughters & Sons, Friendship, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Magical Realism, Latin American Literature, Grief & Death

Leaf Storm and Other Stories is a collection of fiction by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. The collection includes the title novella, Leaf Storm (La Hojarasca), first published in its original Spanish-language text in 1955. When Gregory Rabassa produced the first English translation of the novella, it was published (originally in 1972) alongside six short stories representing García Márquez’s work between 1951 and 1968.The collection offers an early glimpse into the magical realism and rural... Read Leaf Storm Summary

Legend

by Marie Lu

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Politics & Government, Family, Revenge, Truth & Lies, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action & Adventure, Trauma & Abuse

Legend is the first book in the titular book trilogy by Chinese-American author Marie Lu. Originally published in 2011, Legend is a dystopian novel that explores topics of love, family, fascism, civil disobedience, inequality, propaganda, poverty, and hope in the face of an oppressive government. Lu was inspired by the classic Victor Hugo story Les Misérables and wanted to explore a similar cat-and-mouse dynamic in a futuristic setting. Just like the law-abiding policeman Javert pursued... Read Legend Summary

Leo Africanus

by Amin Maalouf

Publication year 1986

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, World History, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Classical Period, Action & Adventure

Leo Africanus, a title also sometimes translated into English as Leo the African, is a work of historical fiction by the Lebanese-French journalist Amin Maalouf. It was first published in French as Léon, l’Africain in 1986, and the English translation by Peter Sluglett was published in 1992. The novel’s titular protagonist, Joannes Leo Africanus, whose birth name was al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Wazzan al-Fasi, was a real early-16th-century figure. Mainly, he was known for writing a... Read Leo Africanus Summary

Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed

by Philip Paul Hallie

Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Race, Death, Community, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags World War II, Military & War, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

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Let Me Hear a Rhyme

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Love, Joy, Hope, Guilt, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Daughters & Sons, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Mothers, Race, Language, Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Music

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Letters to a Young Teacher

by Jonathan Kozol

Publication year 2007

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Education, Social Class, Childhood & Youth, Truth & Lies

Tags Education, Social Justice, Race & Racism, Education, Psychology, Psychology

Jonathan Kozol’s Letters to a Young Teacher, originally published in 2007, is a collection of letters containing Kozol’s teaching advice for a new first grade schoolteacher named Francesca. The format of this book is inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke’s famous Letters to a Young Poet, which has become a model for advice books for young people in different professions and callings. Although some identifying elements have been changed, the book’s letters represent a real correspondence... Read Letters to a Young Teacher Summary

Liar, Liar

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Conflict, Coming of Age, Family, Friendship

Tags Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Humor

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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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