"The course of true love never did run smooth," wrote William Shakespeare in A Midsummer Night's Dream—and he knew what he was talking about. A text from this study guide collection might be just the thing to remind you of the bliss and pain of love.
Publication year 1986
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Language
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Love / Sexuality, Children's Literature, Classic Fiction
Howl’s Moving Castle was written by Diana Wynne Jones and published in 1986. It won the Phoenix Award for Children’s Literature 20 years after its publication. It is the first in a series of three books, followed by Castle in the Air, published in 1990; and House of Many Ways, published in 2008. Howl's Moving Castle introduces the main characters of Howl and Sophie and discusses themes of acceptance, identity, and the enemies-to-lovers trope. Howl’s... Read Howl’s Moving Castle Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Environment
Tags Humor, Romance, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Romance, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Romance, Literary Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Family
Tags Romance, History: World, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Class, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality
I Am Number Four (2010) is the first book in the modern young adult science fiction series Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore, the pseudonym of authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes. Despite the novel’s mixed reviews, I Am Number Four spent seven successive weeks at the top of the New York Times children’s bestseller list. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2011 by DreamWorks Pictures.Other works by this author... Read I Am Number Four Summary
Publication year 1948
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Classic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Historical Fiction, Romance, British Literature, History: World
I Capture the Castle is a young adult novel published in 1948 by Dodie Smith. It follows the fictional journal of aspiring author Cassandra Mortmain as she writes about her family’s rise from poverty to wealth through their association with the Cotton brothers. The novel discusses themes of authorship, history, and the multiplicity of feminine identities. I Capture the Castle was adapted for film in 2003 by director Tim Fywell. This summary uses the St... Read I Capture the Castle Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, New Adult, Sports, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity
Tags Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1974
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Classic Fiction, Black Arts Movement, Romance, Modern Classic Fiction, American Literature, Existentialism, African American Literature, Race / Racism, Historical Fiction
If Beale Street Could Talk is a novel by James Baldwin (1924-1987), a critically acclaimed African American writer on matters of race and the African American experience. Originally published in 1974, the novel gained fresh attention with Barry Jenkins’ film adaptation in 2019. The novel is the love story of salesclerk Clementine “Tish” Rivers and budding sculptor Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt, African American natives of Harlem whose lives are derailed in the late 1960s to early... Read If Beale Street Could Talk Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Mental Illness, Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Realistic Fiction, Music, Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Drama / Tragedy, Romance
If I Stay is set in a small, contemporary Oregon town outside Portland and chronicles 17-year-old Mia’s struggle with life and death after a horrible automobile accident kills her parents and younger brother, and leaves her, the only survivor, in a coma.The narrative structure moves back and forth in time between her comatose present and her formative years growing up in a quirky musical family, developing into a gifted and dedicated cellist, meeting her best... Read If I Stay Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race
Tags Historical Fiction, Race / Racism, African American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers
Tags Romance, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, LGBTQ, Relationships, Depression / Suicide, Bullying, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Meredith Russo’s 2016 young adult novel, If I Was Your Girl, focuses on the experiences of Amanda, an 18-year-old trans girl going through her senior year in a new school.A few critics point out what Russo herself acknowledges in an author’s note that follows the text: the novel glosses over some of the obstacles faced by most trans teens—the protagonist has no issues passing, is able to get gender-confirming surgery at a very young age... Read If I Was Your Girl Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery
Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness
Publication year 1998
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Romance, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Modern Classic Fiction
If You Come Softly is a work of young adult fiction written by Jacqueline Woodson in 1998. In a reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet, the novel tells the story of Ellie and Jeremiah, a young couple from New York City who finds love and connection across the boundaries of race.Plot SummaryThe novel begins with a prologue where Ellie wakes from dreaming about Jeremiah. Ellie tells her mother Marion that she dreamed about Jeremiah, and Marion... Read If You Come Softly Summary