Popular Study Guides

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 1955

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Colonialism, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Society: War

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Military / War, Vietnam War, British Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Quiet American is a 1955 novel by Graham Greene. Set during the era of French colonialism in Vietnam, it tells the story of an English journalist who is caught in a love triangle with an American intelligence agent and a Vietnamese woman. Greene had published over a dozen novels before The Quiet American and was considered one of the most influential American authors during his career. He drew on his own experiences as a... Read The Quiet American Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery

Tags Irish Literature, LGBTQ, Romance


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Self Discovery

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Religion / Spirituality

The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1) by Maggie Stiefvater is a young adult fantasy novel about a girl from a family of clairvoyants, the boys she befriends, and how their lives are intertwined along their journey to wake a slumbering king. The book was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award and the Locus Award for science fiction and fantasy in 2013, and the Raven Cycle series was nominated for the Mythopoeic Awards in 2017... Read The Raven Boys Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: Class, Self Discovery, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Historical Fiction, British Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

The Remains of the Day is a novel by British writer Kazuo Ishiguro. Released in 1989, the novel tells the story of Stevens, who once worked as a butler at a stately home in England. In his old age, he returns to the house and reminisces about his experiences in the 1920-1930s. Most of the novel is told in flashback. The novel was adapted into a critically-acclaimed film of the same name, released in 1993... Read The Remains of the Day Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Revolution, Military / War, History: World, Biography


Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: Aging, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Self Discovery

Tags Animals, History: World, Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Biography


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Society: Community, Society: War, Identity: Gender

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, WWII / World War II, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Robber Bride by Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood was originally published in the United States in 1993. It tells the story of three women who suffer betrayal at the hands of a fourth woman, Zenia. The novel was inspired by The Robber Bridegroom, a 19th century German fairy tale which Atwood updates to 1990s Toronto. It combines Atwood’s notable sense of humor with her attention to contemporary political issues such as feminism and environmentalism. The... Read The Robber Bride Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class

Tags Travel Literature, Science / Nature, British Literature, Biography


Publication year 1904

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Class, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Psychological Fiction, Class, American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction

Jack London’s novel The Sea-Wolf, originally published in 1904, draws inspiration from an ocean voyage London took in the Pacific nearly a decade prior to his writing the novel. London himself was an avid adventurer and once spent seven and a half months on the crew of the Sophia Sutherland. This study guide references the Signet Classics 2013 edition of The Sea-Wolf.Along with London’s other famous works, The Call of the Wild and White Fang... Read The Sea-Wolf Summary


Publication year 1910

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Natural World: Environment

Tags Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, History: World, Fantasy

The Secret Garden is a middle-grade novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was first published as a serialized novel in The American Magazine between November 1910 and August 1911, and in 1911, it was republished in book form. Burnett had already written two extremely successful novels: Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886) and A Little Princess (1905). Over her lifetime, she wrote 36 books and plays and numerous short stories and was one of the most... Read The Secret Garden Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Historical Fiction, Arts / Culture, Romance, History: World, Drama / Tragedy


Publication year 1930

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Gender / Feminism, Class, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Gender, Self Discovery, Identity: Sexuality, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Russian Literature, History: World


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Self Discovery, Society: Nation, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Literature, History: World


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery

Tags Romance, Humor, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 2010

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Literature, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Science / Nature, Technology, Sociology, Philosophy, Information Age, Education, Education, Technology, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help

The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains (2011) is a nonfiction book by writer, editor, and media critic Nicholas Carr. Carr is a prolific nonfiction writer known for his analysis of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and human society. A 2011 Pulitzer Prize Finalist, The Shallows combines elements of personal essay, journalism, and academic research to explore The Impact of the Internet on Cognitive Processes, The Nature of Learning and Media in the... Read The Shallows Summary


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison is a psychological thriller about a failing marriage. Published in 2013, the novel is Harrison’s first entry into the genre, though she had previously published an erotic novel and a non-fiction book on the female orgasm in the 1970s. Harrison passed away from cancer weeks before the novel’s publication. The novel has been compared to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl in terms of both its content—the depiction of... Read The Silent Wife Summary