Mortality & Death

"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Self Discovery, Society: Community

Tags Travel Literature, Grief / Death, Science / Nature, Anthropology, Sociology, History, Anthropology, History: World


Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Science / Nature, Animals, Crime / Legal, Humor, History: World


Publication year 1978

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Indian Literature, Education, Education, Asian Literature, Classic Fiction

“Games at Twilight” is a short story written by Indian author Anita Desai. It was originally published in 1978 in a collection titled Games at Twilight and Other Stories, which contains several texts that explore different aspects of Indian life in urban settings. That same year, Desai was nominated for the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize and the Sahitya Akademi Award for her novel Fire on the Mountain. “Games at Twilight” focuses on a young boy who... Read Games at Twilight Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Grandparents

Tags Children's Literature, Humor, Action / Adventure


Publication year 1916

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia

Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Romance, Humor, Health / Medicine, British Literature, Disability, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1979

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons

Tags Historical Fiction, Christian literature, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Classic Fiction

Published in 2004, Gilead is Marilynne Robinson’s second novel and the first in the Gilead trilogy, which includes Home (2008) and Lila (2014). The story is written as a letter from dying Congregationalist minister John Ames to his young son. The letter is a bittersweet account of John’s life. With a slow, thoughtful pace and intimate tone, John shares past family memories and resolves an old personal grievance with his best friend’s son. As John... Read Gilead Summary


Publication year 1993

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Psychology, Gender / Feminism, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Health / Medicine, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Classic Fiction, Biography

Susanna Kaysen’s 1993, Girl, Interrupted, is a memoir that explores Kaysen’s time as a teenage psychiatric patient in McLean Hospital in the late 1960s. Kaysen explores the murky definitions of mental health and illness, as she recounters her experience of being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and makes compelling arguments about the subjective nature of personality, behavior, and disorder. Girl, Interrupted is a bestselling book and was adapted into the 1999 film starring Winona Ryder... Read Girl, Interrupted Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Action / Adventure


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, New Adult


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness

Goodbye Days is a young adult novel by Jeff Zentner. Published in 2017, it follows a teenage boy, Carver Briggs, who is grappling with the deaths of his three best friends. All three boys died in a car crash on their way to pick up Carver from work. Carver’s survivor’s guilt is exacerbated by the fact that he’s facing a possible criminal investigation for “negligent homicide” for his supposed role in the accident. Carver texted... Read Goodbye Days Summary


Publication year 1934

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Education, British Literature

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, James Hilton’s novella about a mild-mannered teacher at a fictional British boys’ school, originally appeared in 1933 as a supplement to the British Weekly, an evangelical newspaper. Its popularity, however, led to its reprinting in the April 1934 issue of the American magazine Atlantic Monthly and later, its publication as a book by Little, Brown and Company in the US and by Hodder & Stoughton in the United Kingdom. An instant bestseller... Read Goodbye, Mr. Chips Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Femininity

Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Military / War, French Literature, History: World


Publication year 1918

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Lyric Poem, Military / War, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: European, WWI / World War I, British Literature, The Lost Generation


Publication year 2024

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Self Help, Biography, Psychology


Publication year 1890

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Classic Fiction, Military / War


Publication year 2015

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Race, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Military / War, History: U.S., History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Music, Biography


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Historical Fiction, History: European, Gender / Feminism, Health / Medicine, Arts / Culture, British Literature, Elizabethan Era, History: World