"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 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 1929
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military / War, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, American Literature, Education, Education, Grief / Death, Realistic Fiction
After the First Death (1979) by Robert Cormier is a juvenile suspense/horror that examines the fragility of life through a terrorist hijacking of a bus full of children. The book in conjunction with Cormier’s two most famous teen titles, The Chocolate War (1974) and I Am the Cheese (1977), won him the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association in 1991. Cormier was born in 1925 and... Read After The First Death Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Magical Realism, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, American Literature
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Economics, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Class, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death
A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Colonialism, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags History: U.S., Military / War, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance, American Revolution
Publication year 1931
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags History: Asian, History: European, Politics / Government, Education, Education, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1913
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Humor, Grief / Death, British Literature, Victorian Period
Publication year 1921
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Love / Sexuality, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Gothic Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1961
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Birth, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Economics
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Poverty, Finance / Money / Wealth, Depression / Suicide, Class, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Indian Literature, Asian Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
A House for Mr. Biswas is a 1961 historical fiction novel by V. S. Naipaul. The story takes a postcolonial perspective of the life of a Hindu Indian man in British-owned and occupied Trinidad. Now regarded as one of Naipaul's most significant novels, A House for Mr. Biswas has won numerous awards and has been adapted as a musical, a radio drama, and a television show. Naipaul is also known for the works The Mimic... Read A House for Mr. Biswas Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Relationships: Family, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1953
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags American Civil War
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Play: Tragedy, Ancient Greece, Classical Period, Drama / Tragedy, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1600
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1974
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Teams
Tags Action / Adventure, History: World, Travel Literature, Biography
Alive is a nonfiction book published in 1974 by the British author Piers Paul Read. It is based on the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes mountains in 1972. The stranded men resorted to cannibalism to survive. The book was adapted into a film of the same name in 1993. Plot SummaryRugby first came to Uruguay via a group of Irish priests hired to educate the children of... Read Alive Summary
Publication year 1986
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community
Tags Self Help, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Humor, Philosophy, Inspirational
In his compilation of essays, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum studies the simplicity embedded in everyday experiences. First published in 1989, this collection captivated a global audience, becoming a cultural touchstone as a #1 New York Times bestseller and selling over 7 million copies. Fulghum draws from his life experiences to craft this collection of essays. This collection, which falls within the self-help, motivational, and personal transformation genres... Read All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Grief / Death, Canadian Literature
All My Puny Sorrows, originally published in Canada in 2014, is a work of fiction by Canadian author Miriam Toews. Since its publication, the novel has won the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and been shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Folio Prize for Literature, and the Wellcome Book Prize. In 2021, Michael McGowan directed and produced the novel’s film adaptation. All My Puny Sorrows is in large part inspired by autobiographical events from... Read All My Puny Sorrows Summary
Publication year 1929
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: War, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Military / War, Historical Fiction, WWI / World War I, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
All Quiet on the Western Front is a 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque which details the experiences of German soldiers at the frontlines of World War I. At the heart of the novel are graphic portrayals of trench warfare and the psychological trauma inflicted on the soldiers as a result. The novel presents a realistic portrait of a horrific war and provides unflattering accounts of the elite classes responsible for such mass destruction. The... Read All Quiet on the Western Front Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Biography