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