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.

Rebecca

by Daphne du Maurier

Publication year 1938

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Death, Social Class, Coming of Age, Loyalty & Betrayal, The Past, Hate & Anger, Marriage, Fear, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Beauty, Appearance & Reality, Power & Greed, Grief, Conflict, Memory, Truth & Lies, Loneliness

Tags British Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Coming of Age, Dramatic Literature, Gothic Literature, Modernism, Horror & Suspense, Historical Fiction

Rebecca, a bestselling novel by famed English writer Daphne du Maurier, was published in 1938, and has never gone out of print. The winner of the National Book Award for favorite novel of 1938, Rebecca has been adapted numerous times, including Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film version, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and a 1997 television miniseries. It was most recently adapted for a Netflix film in 2020 by the same name. Rebecca... Read Rebecca Summary

Rebel Witch

by Kristen Ciccarelli

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Family, Friendship, Marriage, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance

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Reckless

by Lauren Roberts

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Love, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Children`s Literature, Fairy Tale & Folklore, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

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Redefining Realness

by Janet Mock

Publication year 2014

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags LGBTQ+, Race & Racism, Gender & Feminism, Biography

Redefining Realness is the 2014 memoir of Janet Mock, the editor of People.com who came out in 2011 as a trans woman via a Marie Claire profile. The book is a work of creative nonfiction, chronicling Mock’s trajectory from a lonely and unhappy child who does not feel understood to a fiercely independent and self-motivated young adult. Since her disclosure in 2011, Mock has become a prominent trans advocate who people respect for her honesty... Read Redefining Realness Summary

Red Harvest

by Dashiell Hammett

Publication year 1929

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Masculinity, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Red Harvest (1929) is a detective novel by American author Dashiell Hammett. The plot is loosely based on the Anaconda Road massacre, a 1920 labor dispute that escalated after a mining company fired upon its miners who were on strike, wounding 16 men and killing another. In 2005, Time magazine named Red Harvest one of the 100 best novels of the 20th century. The novel has influenced many works of noir fiction. This guide uses the... Read Red Harvest Summary

Red Mars

by Kim Stanley Robinson

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Perseverance, Loneliness, Nostalgia, Future, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Food, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Community, Economics, Immigration, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Red Mars, a 1992 science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, is the first book in the Mars trilogy about settling and terraforming the planet Mars. Red Mars follows the first 100 people who land on Mars and begin the complex process of terraforming the planet. In 1993, Red Mars won the Nebula Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award. This guide uses the 2009 HarperVoyager edition.Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions... Read Red Mars Summary

Rejection

by Tony Tulathimutte

Publication year 2024

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Community, Literature, Power & Greed, Science & Technology, Truth & Lies

... Read Rejection Summary

Remain

by Nicholas Sparks, M. Night Shyamalan

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Grief, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, New Age, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Fantasy

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Rendezvous with Rama

by Arthur C. Clarke

Publication year 1973

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Conflict, Fear, Hope, Memory, Masculinity, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Objects & Materials, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Politics & Government, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy

Published in 1973, Rendezvous With Rama is a science fiction adventure novel by British author Arthur C. Clarke. In his time, Clarke was known as one of the “Big Three” writers of science fiction alongside American authors Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein. Clarke’s expertise in space flight prompted him to develop the novel and screenplay for his best-known work, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Rendezvous With Rama won major speculative fiction awards, including the... Read Rendezvous with Rama Summary

Rez Ball

by Byron Graves

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hope, Memory, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Sports, Grief & Death

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Richard III

by William Shakespeare

Publication year 1597

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Fate, Order & Chaos, Appearance & Reality, Family

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Drama, British Literature, Education, Education, World History, Dramatic Literature, Historical Fiction

Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare written between 1592 and 1594. It is one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays and his second longest. The play depicts the rise of King Richard III of England, also known as Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Shakespeare portrays Richard as a Machiavellian tyrant who uses lies and violence to unjustly seize the throne during a politically turbulent period of England’s history known as the Wars of the Roses... Read Richard III Summary

Riders of the Purple Sage

by Zane Grey

Publication year 1912

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Gender Identity, Femininity, Masculinity, Justice, Safety & Danger, Loyalty & Betrayal, Good & Evil, Religion & Spirituality, Power & Greed, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Regret, Shame & Pride, Fathers, Friendship

Tags Classic Fiction, Western, Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, World History, Romance, Action & Adventure

Riders of the Purple Sage is a novel by western writer Zane Grey. Set in 1871, the novel follows the story of Jane Withersteen, a Mormon woman being persecuted by her church leaders for refusing to become the third wife of church leader, Elder Tull, as well as her fondness for non-Mormons, or gentile, settlers in the area. The novel first appeared as a 19-part series in the magazine, Field and Stream, in January of... Read Riders of the Purple Sage Summary

Rock Paper Scissors

by Alice Feeney

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Mothers, Fathers, Friendship, Love, Hate & Anger, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Good & Evil, Truth & Lies, Daughters & Sons, Fear, Loneliness, Apathy, Marriage

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

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Rodrick Rules

by Jeff Kinney

Publication year 2008

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Conflict, Apathy, Fear, Hate & Anger, Shame & Pride, Regret, Childhood & Youth, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Masculinity, Appearance & Reality, Education, Family, Siblings, Mothers, Fathers, Daughters & Sons

Tags Humor, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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Rogues

by Patrick Radden Keefe

Publication year 2022

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Justice, Siblings, Place, Perseverance, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

Tags Crime & Law, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Journalism, Business & Economics, Social Class, Finance, Trauma & Abuse, Leadership, World History, Biography

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Roller Girl

by Victoria Jamieson

Publication year 2015

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Coming of Age, Perseverance, Fear, Conflict, Hate & Anger, Childhood & Youth, Teamwork, Loyalty & Betrayal, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Roller Girl Summary