The Popular Study Guides Collection brings together a selection of our most-visited Guides in one convenient place. Featuring titles ranging from classic literature with enduring appeal to popular book club picks, this Collection represents a diverse array of literature readers can't get enough of.
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, African American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Tags Realistic Fiction, Humor, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Romance, Music
Publication year 1992
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Identity: Race, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2024
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Identity: Femininity, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 1791
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Mythology, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 2017
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Society: Immigration
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, History: World, Politics / Government
Tell Me How It Ends: An Essay in Forty Questions is Valeria Luiselli’s 2017 book-length essay exploring the influx of undocumented child migrants from Latin America that began in 2014. Through her work as a volunteer translator, Luiselli became intimately aware of what these children experienced, and the essay argues that their inhumane treatment at the hands of American bureaucracy is an unjust denial of due process and the core principles of the American Dream... Read Tell Me How It Ends Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1990
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Self Help, Relationships, Psychology, Christian literature, Love / Sexuality
Publication year 1883
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Italian Literature, Children's Literature, History: World
Set in the Tuscan region of Italy in the 1800s, by Carlo Collodi’s classic children's fantasy novel The Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) follows the misadventures of a living wooden puppet and his poor puppeteer father. The story was initially published as a serial in a weekly children's magazine; due to reader demand, it was later turned into a book. The Adventures of Pinocchio, translated into more than 260 languages, is considered one of the most... Read The Adventures of Pinocchio Summary
Publication year 1861
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals
Tags French Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Food, Lyric Poem
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Classical Period, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, French Literature, Post Modernism
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Relationships, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Originally written in German and published in 2002, Jan-Philipp Sendker’s debut novel, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, was translated into English by Kevin Wiliarty in 2006. An international bestseller, the novel received the Indies Choice Honor Award for Best Fiction Novel in 2013. In response to such acclaim, Sendker penned a sequel, A Well-Tempered Heart, in 2012. The novel is international in scope—being written by a German journalist who lived in upstate New York, detailing... Read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Humor, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature
Published in 1999, The Bad Beginning, a darkly humorous adventure novel for middle-grade readers, chronicles the misadventures of three orphaned children whose distant cousin adopts them as part of a plan to steal their huge inheritance. As the first of 13 books in the bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events, the novel is written by Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket, who’s also a character in the story. The books have sold 60... Read The Bad Beginning Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Religion / Spirituality, Arts / Culture
The Beautiful Mystery, published in 2012, is the eighth book in former Canadian journalist Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series. The Gamache series is known for its recurring cast of characters, psychological depth, and long-term story arcs. Gamache is a longtime member of Québec’s provincial police force, most often known by its French name, the Sûreté du Québec. Gamache’s struggles with police corruption form the main plot of several books, including A Fatal Grace and... Read The Beautiful Mystery Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Immigration / Refugee, Military / War, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction