Truth & Lies

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 1999

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Civil Rights / Jim Crow, History: U.S., Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Bullying, Black Lives Matter, Education

Through My Eyes is the autobiography of Ruby Bridges. In 1960, Bridges became the first African American child to integrate an elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana following a court mandate for the state to desegregate its public school system. Louisiana trailed segregation effort in neighboring states, such as the nine Black high school students known as the “Little Rock Nine” who integrated a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957.Bridges’s autobiography, published in... Read Through My Eyes Summary


Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a work of fiction written by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Published between 1883 and 1885, the allegorical novel also known as Thus Spake Zarathustra is a collection of speeches by a character named Zarathustra to the villagers of The Motley Cow. Nietzsche uses many literary devices such as personification, allegory, and allusion. The philosophical points referenced in Thus Spoke Zarathustra include the death of... Read Thus Spoke Zarathustra Summary


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, History: World, Fantasy

Timeline (1999) is a best-selling thriller by Michael Crichton that combines science fiction and historical fiction. The novel tells the story of a group of graduate students in history from Yale University who go back in time to 1357 to rescue their professor. While Timeline received mixed reviews upon its release, it was adapted into a popular video game in 2000 and later made into a very poorly received movie in 2003. Timeline borrows from... Read Timeline Summary


Publication year 1964

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, History: U.S., Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Action / Adventure, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Mythology


Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 1209

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Classic Fiction, Romance, Mythology, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, German Literature, Fantasy


Publication year 1601

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Classic Fiction, Play: Tragedy, British Literature, Military / War

Troilus and Cressida (1602) by William Shakespeare is one of his lesser-known works, often categorized as a “problem play” due to its ambiguous tone that blends elements of tragedy, comedy, and history. Set against the backdrop of the Trojan War, the play traces the doomed love story of Troilus, a Trojan prince, and Cressida, whose loyalty is tested when she is traded to the Greeks. Through its themes of infidelity, romantic disenchantment, and the futility... Read Troilus and Cressida Summary


Publication year 1934

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

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

Trouble Is My Business is a short story collection by author Raymond Chandler. The individual tales were originally published in the 1930s in various crime fiction magazines and were compiled in book form in 1950. The stories are categorized as “hard-boiled” mystery fiction.Raymond Chandler is regarded as the quintessential author of the unsentimental, often graphic “hard-boiled” subgenre because of his distinctively elegant prose style. Aside from several short-story compilations and a handful of screenplays, Chandler... Read Trouble Is My Business Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Relationships, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Parenting, Love / Sexuality

Truly Madly Guilty is Liane Moriarty’s seventh adult novel, published in 2016. The work uses suspense elements and a nonlinear timeline to tell a story of a backyard barbecue and its deep emotional and psychological repercussions for the attendees. The book explores themes of friendship, marriage, and parenthood through the relationships of three couples, Erika and Oliver, Clementine and Sam, and Tiffany and Vid.The edition referenced is the first US e-book edition from Flatiron Books.Plot... Read Truly Madly Guilty Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Sports, Latin American Literature, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Great Depression, Animals, Realistic Fiction, History: World

Turtle in Paradise is a 2010 historical fiction children’s novel by Jennifer L. Holm. Set in the Florida Keys during the Great Depression, the novel follows an 11-year-old girl’s struggles and successes as she visits her aunt and cousins in the town where her mother grew up. The novel won the Golden Kite Award and is a Newbery Honor Book as well as a Junior Library Guild selection.This guide refers to the 2010 Random House... Read Turtle in Paradise Summary


Publication year 1853

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Race, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags History: World, Classic Fiction, Biography

Twelve Years a Slave is a memoir by Solomon Northup, a black man who was born free in New York and kidnapped by two men who sold him into slavery. Northup spent 12 years as a slave in the Deep South, encountering slave markets in Washington, DC and New Orleans and working on numerous cotton and sugar plantations throughout Louisiana. Northup narrated his memoir to American lawyer and writer David Wilson, who then edited Northup’s... Read Twelve Years a Slave Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction


Publication year 2020

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Nation, Society: Community

Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., Sociology, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Self Discovery, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge

Tags Romance, Love / Sexuality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: Asian, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1995

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Identity: Gender, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Self Discovery

Tags LGBTQ, Gender / Feminism, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Love / Sexuality, Biography

Two or Three Things I Know for Sure is a 1995 memoir by American author and activist Dorothy Allison, a native of Greenville, South Carolina. A coming-of-age story that examines feminism and lesbian identity in the context of the patriarchal norms of the South, the book uses both narrative and photographs to tell the stories of the women in Allison’s family and their complex relationships with the men who both loved and abused them. Her... Read Two or Three Things I Know for Sure Summary


Publication year 1846

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Travel Literature, Action / Adventure, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: World