Searching for study guides on books selected by some of the nation's top book clubs, curated by Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, the PBS NewsHour, the New York Times, and the American Library Association? Look no further. This collection covers critically-acclaimed classics like Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez to contemporary, buzzworthy novels like Girl, Woman, Other. We hope this compilation of study guides provides your own book club with lively discussion topics and keen insights.
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Originally published in 2015, Fates and Furies is the third novel by Lauren Groff. The book dissects the twenty-four-year-long marriage between Lotto Satterwhite and Mathilde Yoder and incorporates many elements of Greek myths. The novel starts with their quickie marriage and jumps around in a disjointed timeline to chronicle everything from their childhoods before meeting one another in college to Mathilde’s decades as a widow after Lotto’s death. The majority of the events circle around... Read Fates and Furies Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Mothers
Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Love / Sexuality, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, WWII / World War II, Post-War Era, History: World, Japanese Literature
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Masculinity, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Gender
Tags Satire, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mental Illness, Grief / Death, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
Fight Club (1996) is the debut novel of American author Chuck Palahniuk. Three years later, American filmmaker David Fincher directed the film adaptation starring Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden, Edward Norton as the Narrator, and Helena Bonham Carter as Marla Singer. This study guide uses the 2018 paperback edition published by W. W. Norton & Co.Fight Club is a contemporary work of literary fiction that contends with masculinity, materialism, consumer culture, and modern disillusionment. Inspired... Read Fight Club Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Relationships, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Inspirational, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Bullying, Love / Sexuality, Poverty, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Publication year 2015
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Education, Social Justice, Poverty, Biography
Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss and Hope in an African Slum is a 2015 nonfiction memoir by husband and wife Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner. The book took the 2016 nonfiction runners-up designation for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and it was also featured and reviewed on Oprah.com as part of the “Soulful Read” series. The memoir tells the story of their meeting, romance, and eventual collaboration to build schools for under-privileged youth and bring... Read Find Me Unafraid Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, LGBTQ, Gothic Literature, Victorian Period, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Love / Sexuality, History: World, Romance
A thrilling tale of thievery, betrayal, and mistaken identity, Fingersmith, by Welsh author Sarah Waters, tells the story of two women from two very different stations of life whose fates are inextricably linked. Set in the 1860s, Fingersmith is narrated alternately by Sue Smith (also known as Sue Trinder) and Maud Lilly. One is a young “fingersmith”—slang for a thief—lovingly protected from the worst of her world by Mrs. Sucksby; the other is an aristocratic... Read Fingersmith Summary
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Historical Fiction, Romance
Firefly Lane is a 2008 young adult novel by the New York Times best-selling American author Kristin Hannah, who has written more than 20 novels. Firefly Lane begins in 1974 and tells the story of two women whose 30-year friendship becomes the stabilizing force in their lives. Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss rape, drug addiction, and alcohol addiction.Plot SummaryFirefly Lane tells the story of Kate and Tully, best friends since eighth... Read Firefly Lane Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 1884
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Identity: Gender
Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Class, Gender / Feminism, British Literature, Victorian Period, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy
IntroductionIn his introduction to Flatland: a Romance of Many Dimensions (1884), British mathematician Banesh Hoffmann describes the novel as “a stirring adventure in pure mathematics” and emphasizes the fundamentally fantastical nature of the story (iii). He also says that author Edwin A. Abbott intended the novel to be instructional. Both the surreal nature of Flatland and its didactic elements are plain, but there is disagreement among scholars and readers on the question of exactly what... Read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, African American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage
Tags Jewish Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Fleishman Is in Trouble is the debut novel by journalist and writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Originally published in 2019, it is a satiric novel work of domestic fiction. The book was long listed for the 2019 National Book Award. This guide references the June 2019 hardcover edition by Penguin Random House.Plot SummaryThe story is told by a narrator, Libby, who speaks in both third and first person. Rachel and Toby Fleishman, professionals in their 40s who... Read Fleishman Is in Trouble Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Globalization, Natural World: Environment
Tags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
Barbara Kingsolver’s 2012 novel Flight Behavior presents a symbolic connection between Dellarobia Turnbow, an unhappy farm wife who secretly dreams of running away from it all, and a surprising migration of monarch butterflies that alight upon her in-laws’ property in Feathertown, Tennessee. As the butterflies struggle to survive and reproduce to continue their species, Dellarobia struggles in her efforts to deal with the consequences of her past decisions and the possibility of her new life... Read Flight Behavior Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Immigration, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Travel Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, Jewish Literature, History: World
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Asian Literature
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World