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.
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Colonialism
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Race / Racism, Poverty, African American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Bud, Not Buddy is a 1999 children’s realistic historical novel by American author Christopher Paul Curtis. Ten-year-old protagonist Bud Caldwell is an orphan living in Flint, Michigan in 1936. Four years after the death of his mother and after a series of abusive and neglectful foster homes, Bud sets out to find his father, whom he believes is the locally famous jazz musician Herman E. Calloway of Grand Rapids. Bud encounters a host of characters... Read Bud, Not Buddy Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Social Justice
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Burial Rites is a 2013 novel by Australian author Hannah Kent. Based on the true story of the last woman to be publicly executed in Iceland, Burial Rites tells the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a servant who is sentenced to death for the murder of two men, one of whom was her employer and lover. Two teenagers, Fridrik Sigurdsson and Sigridir Gudmundsdottir, are accused of aiding in the murders. While awaiting execution, she is placed... Read Burial Rites Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Great Depression, Race / Racism, Poverty, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime / Legal
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Camino Island, by John Grisham, is the first book in his new Camino series, published in 2017 by Anchor. The novel is a departure from the legal thrillers that Grisham is known for, and he did his first book tour in years in order to promote it. Grisham’s career began in 1989 with his debut novel, A Time to Kill, and since then, his novels have been translated into nearly 50 languages. He boasts 47... Read Camino Island Summary
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship
Tags American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Anthropology, Animals, Class, Education, Philosophy, Poverty, Relationships, Science / Nature
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck was originally published in 1945. A Nobel Prize-winning writer, Steinbeck grew up in Salinas, California, which is near Monterey—the location of Cannery Row. Aside from a few years in Palo Alto, New York, and Los Angeles, Steinbeck spent most of his adult life living in Monterey County, and he drew on his personal experiences to write Cannery Row.Considered literary fiction or classic literature, Cannery Row is realistic and was written... Read Cannery Row Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, Animals
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Romance
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Romance
Catching Fire (2009) is the sequel to The New York Times bestseller The Hunger Games (2008), and the second novel in author Suzanne Collins’s trilogy of the same name. Catching Fire is a young adult dystopian science fiction novel that takes place in the future, amidst the ruins of what was once America. Catching Fire details the aftermath of Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark’s victory in the 74th Hunger Games from the first novel. Despite... Read Catching Fire Summary
Publication year 1955
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity
Tags Southern Gothic, Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Education, Education, American Literature, Southern Literature, History: World, Drama / Tragedy
First performed in 1955, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is one of American playwright Tennessee Williams’s best-known works. This classic play won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle award for Best American Play, and was adapted into a 1958 film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. Adapted from Williams’s short story “Three Players of a Summer Game,” the three-act Cat on a Hot Tin Roof occurs in real-time as the Pollitt family gathers... Read Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags True Crime, Journalism, History: U.S.
Publication year 1948
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, Humor, Post-War Era, Parenting, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
American author Shirley Jackson’s short story “Charles” (1948) was first published in Mademoiselle, then in Jackson’s 1949 collection as well as in her 1953 novel Life Among the Savages. Though “Charles” is not in the horror genre, Jackson is a renowned horror writer and has influenced modern writers like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King. The story does, however, have an element of mystery—another genre for which the author is famous. This study guide cites the... Read Charles Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Class
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Modern Classic Fiction