"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 1973
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Satire, Post Modernism, History: U.S., Humor, Classic Fiction
“Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby” is a short story by American author Donald Barthelme. Originally published in a 1973 issue of The New Yorker, it was later included in Barthelme’s 1976 anthology, Amateurs. The narrative follows the extended and absurd deliberation of a group of friends about how to hang their friend for committing an unnamed offense. With the friends embodying a range of logistical roles and viewpoints concerning the act... Read Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Colby Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Someone Like You is a 1998 young adult novel by Sarah Dessen. The novel follows 16-year-old Halley as she navigates the complexities and challenges of growing up. Halley’s best friend, Scarlett, discovers that she is pregnant after her boyfriend, Michael, dies in a motorcycle accident. Halley steps up to help her friend through this unexpected challenge. Halley also begins dating Michael’s best friend, Macon, and must decide whether she is ready to have sex with... Read Someone Like You Summary
Publication year 1856
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Lyric Poem, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Transcendentalism, Education, Education, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
“Song of Myself” is a free verse poem by the American writer, journalist, and poet Walt Whitman. The poem is often classified as a work of transcendentalist literature. Originally self-published by Whitman himself in 1855, it was considerably revised and expanded over subsequent decades. In 1889, “Song of Myself” was released in its final form as part of the last edition of the collection Leaves of Grass. This final version—the version referenced in this guide—is... Read Song of Myself Summary
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Birth, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Lyric Poem, Education, Education, History: World, Romance, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Classic Fiction, Elizabethan Era, Lyric Poem, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships
“Sonnet 55” (1609) is an English love sonnet by renowned poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The sonnet is part of Shakespeare’s Fair Youth sonnet sequence, which makes up the first 126 of his sonnets. This sonnet follows a number of the Fair Youth sonnets in the way it praises the fair youth’s beauty and claims his beauty is eternal. In this sonnet specifically, Shakespeare claims that the subject’s beauty will outlive all monuments of princes and... Read Sonnet 55 Summary
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty
Tags Lyric Poem, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1609
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Elizabethan Era
Publication year 2011
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Animals, Philosophy, American Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1987
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure
Sphere (1987) is a novel by best-selling author Michael Crichton, the sixth novel he released under his own name but his 16th novel overall. The novel follows protagonist Norman Johnson as he travels to the bottom of the ocean with a team of scientists to explore an unknown spacecraft. Inside the craft is a sphere that when entered enhances imagination and allows people to manifest reality from their unconscious mind. Sphere was made into a... Read Sphere Summary
Publication year 1921
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Lyric Poem, Free verse
Publication year 1918
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Lyric Poem, History: World
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Humor
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, History: World
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure
Lissa Price’s Starters is a young adult science fiction novel set in the near future after the Spore Wars, during which biological weapons were used against the United States and wiped out much of the unvaccinated middle-aged population. As a result, many teens were left without families, and the elderly feared for their place in society. Starters without grandparents were barred from essentially every type of work. This led to teens being rounded up to... Read Starters Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Disability
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Philosophy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1923
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a short, structured poem written in 1922 by the American poet Robert Frost, one of the foremost poets of the 20th century. The poem was originally published in 1923 in the magazine New Republic, and then in Frost’s poetry collection New Hampshire. The poem explores themes of nature, beauty, duty, life, and death, and is written using simple and accessible language that has made it beloved by... Read Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Summary