Whether exploring the consequences of concealing the truth or excavating the mysterious nature of truth itself, the titles in this collection discuss the intersections among honesty, factualness, legitimacy, deception, falsehood, and lies.
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Family
Tags Relationships, Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, WWII / World War II, Military / War, French Literature, History: World
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
The Patron Saint of Liars (1992) is Ann Patchett’s debut novel. Since its publication, Patchett has written seven more novels that feature multifaceted characters and plots that explore ambiguous moral dilemmas. These aspects of her work are present in The Patron Saint of Liars as well, which follows the story of Rose, a pregnant young woman who flees her unhappy marriage to live at a home for unwed mothers. The novel was a bestseller and... Read The Patron Saint of Liars Summary
Publication year 1985
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Allegory / Fable / Parable, History: U.S., African American Literature, Race / Racism
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Identity: Femininity
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender
Tags Historical Fiction, History: World, French Literature, Indian Literature, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1910
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Music, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude
Tags Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Gothic Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux is a Gothic mystery novel first published serially in 1910. The novel follows a “ghost” who haunts the Paris Opera and the mysterious incidents attributed to this figure. The characters and the narrator himself try to uncover the secret of this ghost, who is really a masked man infatuated opera singer, Christine Daaé. The novel has been adapted into several formats, most notably a 1925 silent film... Read The Phantom of the Opera Summary
Publication year 1842
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Society: Community
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Children's Literature, Fairy Tale / Folklore, British Literature, Victorian Period, Animals, Class, Grief / Death
Publication year 1968
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Realistic Fiction, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
Published in 1968, Paul Zindel’s The Pigman established the young adult genre in fiction novels and became a classic book that is still read by teenagers in classrooms today. Written from the dual perspective of two high school students, Zindel takes the reader inside the mind of a teenager’s thoughts, fears, and impressions of others and examines what it means to be kind and empathetic. The novel was awarded the New York Times Outstanding Book... Read The Pigman Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Politics / Government, Health / Medicine, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 1912
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags British Literature, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Depression / Suicide, Fantasy, Mental Illness
The Program is a 2014 young adult dystopian novel by Suzanne Young. Young is a novelist specializing in science fiction, thriller, and romance novels in the young adult genre. The novel takes place in a dystopian society where the government declares mental illness an epidemic. The Program follows seventeen-year-old Sloane Barstow, who struggles to reunite with her boyfriend James after a treatment clinic called The Program erases their memories in an attempt to “cure” their... Read The Program Summary
Publication year 1844
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Education, Education, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
“The Purloined Letter,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, was first published in the literary magazine The Gift in 1844. It is the third of his detective stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin, with the first two being “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841) and “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt” (1842).This study guide refers to the version collected in The Purloined Poe, published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 1988.Poe opens with an epigraph... Read The Purloined Letter Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Femininity
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence
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 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Society: War, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Race, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Society: Nation
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Crime / Legal, Race / Racism, Military / War, History: World
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Humor
The Reptile Room is a middle-grade novel published by Daniel Handler under the pen name of Lemony Snicket in 1999. It is the second in the 13-book series A Series of Unfortunate Events, which chronicles the lives of the Baudelaire children (Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny) after the untimely death of their parents. In the first book, a well-intentioned but oblivious man named Mr. Poe places the children under the care of their distant relative... Read The Reptile Room Summary
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Ancient Greece, Education, Education, Philosophy, History: World, Classical Period, Classic Fiction
The Republic is a work written by ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) in 375 BC. In it, the central character Socrates talks with several other Greeks, including Plato’s brothers, about the nature of morality. The main question they ask is whether a moral life is its own reward. Does being moral intrinsically benefit people? In doing this, they also explore the nature of the ideal society. They look at the laws this society would... Read The Republic Summary