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 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Disability, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Animals, Disability, British Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology, Psychology, Classic Fiction
Book DetailsIn the mystery novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher Boone, a brilliant teenage boy, sets out to solve the murder of his neighbor’s dog. While it is not explicitly stated in the novel, critics and professional medical reviewers generally agree that Christopher has autism. Written by Mark Haddon and published in 2003, the book won the Whitbread Book Award for best Novel and Book of the Year and the... Read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, LGBTQ, Children's Literature
Publication year 2020
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Identity: Femininity, Society: Politics & Government
Tags History: World, Politics / Government, Military / War, WWII / World War II, Cold War, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Biography
Publication year 2019
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Self Discovery, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, LGBTQ, Mythology, Afrofuturism
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Race, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War
Tags History: U.S., American Civil War, Military / War, History: World, Politics / Government
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Self Discovery
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Race / Racism, Asian Literature, History: World, Romance
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Climate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change, British Literature
The Drowned World is a 1962 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by British author J.G. Ballard. Set in a future London that has been completely submerged in the ocean due to climate change-induced flooding, it follows a group of scientists who embark on a mission to study its unique, rapidly evolving flora and fauna. The novel is an extension of a shorter story published in Science Fiction Adventures. The novel is one of the first works... Read The Drowned World Summary
Publication year 1891
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Marriage
Tags Russian Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Scandinavian Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 1977
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Mothers, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Psychological Fiction
“The Fat Girl” is a short story by Andre Dubus II that was originally published in his 1977 collection Adultery and Other Choices. Dubus was an American writer of short stories and essays from Louisiana. “The Fat Girl” chronicles nearly two decades in protagonist Louise’s life, spanning childhood to motherhood. The story explores Louise’s issues with body image, food and dieting, secrecy, gender roles, and relationships.This guide is based on the version of the text... Read The Fat Girl Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Politics / Government, Gender / Feminism, History: World
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family
Tags Grief / Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Business / Economics, Inspirational, Humor
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Military / War, History: World, Romance
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Mental Illness
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Magical Realism, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Birth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Gender / Feminism
Publication year 2009
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Philosophy, Education, Education, Philosophy
Publication year 1994
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Education, Education, Mental Illness, History: World, Romance, Canadian Literature
Publication year 1904
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: U.S., History: World
The Golden Bowl is a 1904 novel by Henry James. The novel explores the intricacies of marriage and affairs in the early 19th century through the affair of Amerigo and Charlotte, who were once in love but too poor to marry. Amerigo instead marries Maggie, and Charlotte marries Maggie’s father, a wealthy American museum curator. While Amerigo is at first happy with his new wife, the time she spends with her father creates an opportunity... Read The Golden Bowl Summary
Publication year 1962
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Gender / Feminism, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Post Modernism, British Literature, Depression / Suicide, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Relationships, Cold War, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), History: World
Considered the most influential of Doris Lessing’s many novels, The Golden Notebook explores the development of a young writer. Anna Wulf has published one novel, Frontiers of War, to great acclaim, but she now finds herself uncomfortable with what she sees as its sentimentality and romanticization of war. Thus, she remains mired in a kind of writer’s block. She still writes in her notebooks, but she cannot bring herself to return to writing novels—especially in... Read The Golden Notebook Summary