"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 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2015
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Disability, Identity: Masculinity, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Courage
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Depression / Suicide, Inspirational, Mental Illness, Psychology, Biography
Publication year 1938
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags British Literature, Romance, Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Drama / Tragedy, Gothic Literature, Modernism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction
Rebecca, a bestselling novel by famed English writer Daphne du Maurier, was published in 1938, and has never gone out of print. The winner of the National Book Award for favorite novel of 1938, Rebecca has been adapted numerous times, including Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 film version, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and a 1997 television miniseries. It was most recently adapted for a Netflix film in 2020 by the same name. Rebecca... Read Rebecca Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, 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: Truth & Lies
Tags Children's Literature, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Victorian Period
Publication year 1963
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Military / War, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1926
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Identity: Mental Health
Tags Depression / Suicide, Satire, Roaring Twenties
Publication year 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1897
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Depression / Suicide, American Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
“Richard Cory” (1897), arguably Edwin Arlington Robinson’s most famous poem, is about perspective and realizing that everything is not always what it seems. About 10 years before the poem was published in a collection, entitled Children of the Night, the United States had experienced a series of economic depressions. The consequences of these economic downturns appear throughout this poem in Robinson’s notorious cynicism, which creates a bleak tone of irony. This situates the poem comfortably... Read Richard Cory Summary
Publication year 1904
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Nation
Tags Play: Tragedy, Irish Literature
Riders to the Sea (1904) is a one-act Irish play by John Millington Synge, originally performed in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The play portrays the events of one day in the cottage of a low-income family living on Inishmaan, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, as they cope with the loss of male relatives to the rough waters between the islands and mainland Ireland. This short play incorporates themes... Read Riders to the Sea Summary
Publication year 2001
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: World, American Revolution, Historical Fiction, Military / War, History: U.S.
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Gothic Literature
Publication year 1983
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Modern Classic Fiction
Running Loose (1983) is Chris Crutcher’s debut young adult novel. It follows high school senior Louie Banks, a member of the football team in his small town who navigates the typical challenges of adolescence. His life takes a dramatic turn when, during a football game, Louie faces a racist incident, resulting in his expulsion from the team. This event sets off a chain reaction, forcing Louie to confront deeper personal and community issues that ultimately... Read Running Loose Summary
Publication year 1995
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past
Sabbath’s Theater by Philip Roth, published in 1995, is a work of literary fiction that follows the titular character Mickey Sabbath, an aging yet lustful man, as he navigates life after the passing of his long-time mistress, Drenka. As Sabbath runs from his loss and his unhappy marriage, he finds himself in New York City, confronting the pain of his first wife’s disappearance and the death of his older brother, Morty, during World War II... Read Sabbath's Theater Summary
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Drama / Tragedy, Grief / Death, Education, Education, History: World, Japanese Literature, Classic Fiction
Originally published in 1977, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is a middle-grade historical fiction novel written by Eleanor Coerr based on the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl living in Hiroshima, Japan, when the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. At age 12, Sadako is diagnosed with leukemia, often called “the atom bomb disease.” Inspired by a Japanese legend, Sadako sets out to fold 1,000 origami cranes, hoping she will be granted... Read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes Summary
Publication year 1928
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Modernism
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Children's Literature, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mythology, Humor, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: War
Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, War On Terrorism / Iraq War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Saturday is a novel by Ian McEwan, first published in 2005 by Jonathan Cape. Ian McEwan is an acclaimed British author who has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize numerous times, winning the award for Amsterdam in 1998. In Saturday, McEwan delves into the inner life of a single individual, Henry Perowne, a successful neurosurgeon living in London. The novel takes place over the course of a single day, February 15, 2003, against the... Read Saturday Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community
Tags Historical Fiction, Food, Romance