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.

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

... Read Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed Summary

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

... Read Let Me Hear a Rhyme Summary

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

... Read Liar, Liar Summary

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

... Read Lies He Told Me Summary

Litany

by Billy Collins

Publication year 2002

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Literature, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Environment, Marriage

Tags Free Verse, Lyric Poem, Comedy & Satire, American Literature, Love & Sexuality

... Read Litany 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 Men

by Louisa May Alcott

Publication year 1871

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Friendship, Coming of Age, Forgiveness, Joy, Love, Femininity, Masculinity, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Environment, Place, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature

... Read Little Men Summary

Little One

by Olivia Muenter

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Fathers, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Olivia Muenter’s Little One (2026) is a psychological thriller that follows Catharine West, a freelance writer in New York City who has spent a decade meticulously hiding her past. Raised in a remote, cult-like community in Florida, Catharine’s carefully constructed new life is threatened when an investigative journalist begins asking questions about her childhood. The inquiry forces her to confront her buried trauma and the mystery of what happened to her sister, Linna. The novel... Read Little One Summary

London Falling

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Publication year 2026

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Economics, Politics & Government, Justice, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags True Crime

London Falling (2026) is a work of narrative nonfiction by acclaimed investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe. The book examines the mysterious 2019 death of Zac Brettler, a 19-year-old from a middle-class London family who fell from a fifth-floor balcony into the River Thames. In the aftermath, his parents discover Zac had been living a secret life, posing as the wealthy son of a Russian oligarch to infiltrate the city’s elite circles. Keefe is known for... Read London Falling Summary

Longitude

by Dava Sobel

Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Truth & Lies, Science & Technology

Tags Science & Nature, Education, World History, Travel Literature, Biography

Dava Sobel’s best-selling book Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time tells the story of the 18th-century contest to find a precise way to locate a ship at sea, the clockmaker who built the first timepiece that could do so, and his battle with the astronomers whose alternate method competed for the winning prize. Replete with sea disasters, brilliant scientists, and scheming politicians, Longitude won... Read Longitude Summary

Look What You Made Me Do

by John Lanchester

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Language, Sexual Identity, Social Class, Community, Fame, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies

Tags Contemporary Literature, Domestic Fiction, Humor

Set among the affluent professional classes of contemporary London, the novel alternates between two first-person narrators, Kate and Phoebe, interspersed with screenplay excerpts from a fictional TV show called Cheating and a magazine profile of the show's writer. The layered structure reveals a chain of deceptions, grievances, and revenge spanning two generations.Kate Hittlestone opens the novel by describing the private language she shares with her husband Jack Hittlestone, an architect. Their catchphrase, a reference to... Read Look What You Made Me Do Summary