A community can come together for the common good or be torn apart by disagreement and strife. This collection explores what makes a community and how individuals struggle or succeed in finding their place within it.
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Society: Class, Society: Community
Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Humor, Southern Gothic, American Literature, Southern Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy is a piece of Southern Gothic fiction published in 1979. Considered a modern classic of American literature, it exemplifies McCarthy’s characteristic use of imagery, existentialist exploration, and societal criticism.McCarthy is the author of 12 novels, including bestsellers Blood Meridian (1985), All the Pretty Horses (1992), and the Pulitzer-prize-winning novel The Road (2006). The Road and his novel No Country for Old Men (2005) were adapted into celebrated films. McCarthy was born... Read Suttree Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 1926
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Harlem Renaissance, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Education, Education, African American Literature, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
The short story “Sweat” by American author Zora Neale Hurston was first published in 1926 in Fire!!, a single-issue magazine published during the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston was an anthropologist and writer whose works included many essays on anthropology and folklore focused on African American communities in the American South and the Caribbean, as well as novels and short stories. Her interest in anthropology is reflected in her creative work. For example, she often wrote dialog... Read Sweat Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism
Sycamore Row (2013) by John Grisham is the sequel to his debut novel and best-selling legal thriller, A Time to Kill (1989). Grisham, a practicing lawyer prior to his career as a novelist, popularized the legal thriller with his prolific work in the genre, frequently highlighting social justice and legal ethics issues. Though marketed as a legal thriller, Grisham himself makes a clear distinction between his legal thrillers and his Ford County novels—aka the Jake... Read Sycamore Row Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Identity: Race, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Social Justice, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Collection of Letters, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Colonialism
Tags Race / Racism, Education, Gender / Feminism, Politics / Government, Leadership/Organization/Management, Education, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Class
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Relationships, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Place, Society: Community
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1938
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Anthropology, History: African , Religion / Spirituality, Travel Literature, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Anthropology, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Tenth of December: Stories (2013) is American author George Saunders’s fourth short story collection. Saunders is widely regarded as one of the modern masters of the short story form, and this collection features stories written between 1995 and 2012, some of which were previously published in various literary outlets. The book was a bestseller and was widely praised on release, winning both the Story Prize and the Folio Prize. This guide refers to the 2013... Read Tenth of December Summary
Publication year 1891
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Identity: Gender, Society: Class, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Romance, Victorian Period, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Victorian Literature / Period
Tess of the D’Urbervilles is Victorian writer Thomas Hardy’s 12th novel. It was first published in 1891 as a serial in the newspaper The Graphic; this serialized publication was followed by a three-volume edition in 1891 and a single volume in 1892. Like many of Hardy’s other realist novels, Tess is set in the fictional, southwestern English region of Wessex, using fictional locations closely modelled after real ones. Hardy’s sympathetic portrayal of a young woman... Read Tess of the D'Urbervilles Summary
Publication year 1817
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Humor
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: World
Publication year 2012
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 1947
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Economics
Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction, Finance / Money / Wealth, History: World, Natural Disaster, Politics / Government, Science / Nature, Technology, Post-War Era, Children's Literature, Education, Education
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Society: Community, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
The 5th Wave is the first young adult science fiction novel in Rick Yancey’s trilogy of the same name. The book was published in 2013 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. It follows the story of Cassie Sullivan, a young woman left on her own after aliens attack the Earth in three waves. The first wave is an electromagnetic pulse that shuts down all electricity; the second wave causes natural disasters on the coasts of each continent... Read The 5th Wave Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Self Help, Finance / Money / Wealth, Business/Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams