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 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: Community
Tags History: U.S., Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Military / War, Politics / Government, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World
Publication year 2015
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community
Tags Sociology, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice, Poverty, Politics / Government
Published in 2015, $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America is a nonfiction investigation into how a new form of virtually cashless poverty emerged in the United States. Authors Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer are both academics with extensive experience researching poverty, but it is only in recent years that they have come across households with almost no cash income at all. There are now 1.5 million families with children in... Read $2.00 a Day Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Globalization, Society: Community
Tags Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Self Help, Politics / Government
21 Lessons for the 21st Century (2018) is historian, philosopher, and acclaimed author Yuval Noah Harari’s in-depth look at the current global affairs and the immediate future of humankind. To Harari, the merging of biotechnology and artificial intelligence potentially represents the end of history with some humans becoming godlike. Despite the ramification of this situation on all of humanity, most people are distracted by irrelevant information and do not realize the debate that is occurring... Read 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Community
Tags Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Education, Class, Finance / Money / Wealth, Food, History: World, Immigration / Refugee, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Poverty, Social Justice, Sociology, Technology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Economics
Tags Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Politics / Government
Published in 2014, A Brief History of Seven Killings is a literary crime novel by Jamaican writer Marlon James. To serve as the foundation for his novel, James builds the narrative around a singular historical event: the 1976 assassination attempt on Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley, whom he fictionalizes as the Singer for thematic effect. James draws on his experiences growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1970s, and on his parents’ careers in law... Read A Brief History of Seven Killings Summary
Publication year 1959
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy
A Canticle for Leibowitz is a 1959 science fiction novel by author Walter M. Miller, Jr. Its post-apocalyptic narrative spans thousands of years, focused on a Catholic abbey in the southwest region of the United States of America. The abbey serves as headquarters for the Albertian Order of Leibowitz, a saint Miller invented for the narrative. The monks in the abbey are dedicated to preserving books and scientific knowledge to be used again whenever the... Read A Canticle For Leibowitz Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Depression / Suicide, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Miriam Toews’s A Complicated Kindness (2004) is about Nomi Nickel, an adolescent living in the religious Mennonite town of East Village whose coming of age takes place against the backdrop of her family’s unraveling. Toews, who grew up in the Mennonite community of Steinbach, Manitoba, is the author of several novels set in Mennonite communities, many of which are critical of aspects of the faith. This novel, Toews’s third, has garnered considerable acclaim and many... Read A Complicated Kindness Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Psychology, Parenting, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Health, Education
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Identity: Gender, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Grief / Death, Children's Literature
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Publication year 2023
Genre Graphic Memoir , Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Children's Literature, Romance, Biography, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Travel Literature
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Drama / Tragedy, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Society: Community
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Japanese Literature, Surrealism
After Dark was published in 2004 by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami. The novel follows protagonist Mari Asai through one night in Tokyo. Mari has run-ins with organized crime, people on the run, and others who do not fit into Tokyo’s often conservative society. After Dark was met with lackluster critical reception, partially due to Murakami’s characteristic ambiguity and apparent lack of an ending; however, others argue that this ambiguity allows readers to interpret events... Read After Dark Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Society: Immigration, Society: Community
Tags Immigration / Refugee, History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Sociology, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Class, Identity: Race
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Music, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
After Tupac and D Foster, published in 2008, is Jacqueline Woodson’s fifth middle grade novel and her 24th book overall. It is a coming-of-age story of three African American girls who are best friends growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1990s. During this time, the cultural icon Tupac Shakur is shot, imprisoned, and ultimately killed in a second shooting. These events have a huge impact on the main characters as they grow up and... Read After Tupac and D Foster Summary
Publication year 1981
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Philosophy, Post Modernism, Religion / Spirituality, Arts / Culture, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
An influential work of moral philosophy, After Virtue (1981) by the Scottish-born philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre takes a bleak view of the state of modern moral dialogue, viewing it as suffering from a lack of rational thought and an inability to resolve disagreements. By looking at older forms of moral discourse, such as Aristotle’s moral framework, and comparing them to the modern version, he generally finds the modern moral framework to be lacking and suggests fixes... Read After Virtue Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags Business / Economics, Psychology, Psychology, Politics / Government, History: World