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 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Grandparents, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction
Bluefish (2011) is a young adult novel by Pat Schmatz. This text is also sometimes classified as middle grade. The novel centers around Travis, an eighth grader who has lost his parents and dog and recently moved to a new school. Travis befriends Velveeta, a charismatic girl who is grieving the loss of her stand-in father figure, Calvin. As Travis and Velveeta’s friendship develops, they explore the challenges of coping with loss and family trauma... Read Bluefish Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Relationships: Family
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Music, Humor
Gordan Korman’s 2006 young adult coming-of-age novel Born to Rock follows teenager Leo Caraway as he sets out to get to know his biological father—the frontman of a legendary punk rock band—hoping to fund his college tuition while navigating the foreign world of punk rock and gets to know his roots. The novel, which was written for and dedicated to Korman’s son, also named Leo, explores themes of genetics, identity, self-expression, and lying.Korman is a... Read Born to Rock Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Music, Arts / Culture, Mental Illness, Social Justice, History: U.S., Biography
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Business / Economics, Journalism, Politics / Government
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Fantasy, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
Boy, Snow, Bird is a novel about race in mid-20th-century America. The novel’s central protagonist is Boy Novak, though the book employs two participant narrators: Boy, in Part I; Boy’s daughter, Bird, in Part II; then Boy once more, in Part III. The novel takes place almost entirely in Flax Hill, Massachusetts, except for the first chapter; however, it jumps in time, with the first portion set in the 1950s, while the latter portion is... Read Boy, Snow, Bird Summary
Publication year 1958
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Classic Fiction, American Literature, History: World, Romance
Breakfast at Tiffany's is a 1958 novella by Truman Capote. In the story, an unnamed narrator is introduced to a young woman named Holly Golightly and the unique New York world she inhabits. The novella is one of Capote’s most popular works and has been adapted as a musical, a play, and most famously as an Academy Award–winning film in 1961 starring Audrey Hepburn. This guide refers to the eBook version of the 2000 Penguin... Read Breakfast at Tiffany’s Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gender / Feminism, History: U.S., Incarceration, Internet Culture / Social Media, Journalism, LGBTQ, Love / Sexuality, Politics / Government, Psychology, Relationships, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Crime / Legal, History: World
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, History: European, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Elizabethan Era
Bring Up the Bodies (2012) is a Tudor-era historical novel by British writer Hilary Mantel. It is the second novel in a trilogy depicting the life and career of Thomas Cromwell, a 16th-century English politician and advisor to King Henry VIII. Bring Up the Bodies followed Wolf Hall (2009) and preceded The Mirror and The Light (2020). It received significant critical acclaim and was awarded the 2012 Man Booker Prize. BBC produced a television adaptation... Read Bring Up The Bodies Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1999
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Colonialism
Tags Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Race / Racism, Poverty, African American Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
Bud, Not Buddy is a 1999 children’s realistic historical novel by American author Christopher Paul Curtis. Ten-year-old protagonist Bud Caldwell is an orphan living in Flint, Michigan in 1936. Four years after the death of his mother and after a series of abusive and neglectful foster homes, Bud sets out to find his father, whom he believes is the locally famous jazz musician Herman E. Calloway of Grand Rapids. Bud encounters a host of characters... Read Bud, Not Buddy Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Social Justice
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Burial Rites is a 2013 novel by Australian author Hannah Kent. Based on the true story of the last woman to be publicly executed in Iceland, Burial Rites tells the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a servant who is sentenced to death for the murder of two men, one of whom was her employer and lover. Two teenagers, Fridrik Sigurdsson and Sigridir Gudmundsdottir, are accused of aiding in the murders. While awaiting execution, she is placed... Read Burial Rites Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Relationships, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Relationships: Mothers, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, Great Depression, Race / Racism, Poverty, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime / Legal
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Camino Island, by John Grisham, is the first book in his new Camino series, published in 2017 by Anchor. The novel is a departure from the legal thrillers that Grisham is known for, and he did his first book tour in years in order to promote it. Grisham’s career began in 1989 with his debut novel, A Time to Kill, and since then, his novels have been translated into nearly 50 languages. He boasts 47... Read Camino Island Summary
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship
Tags American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Anthropology, Animals, Class, Education, Philosophy, Poverty, Relationships, Science / Nature
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck was originally published in 1945. A Nobel Prize-winning writer, Steinbeck grew up in Salinas, California, which is near Monterey—the location of Cannery Row. Aside from a few years in Palo Alto, New York, and Los Angeles, Steinbeck spent most of his adult life living in Monterey County, and he drew on his personal experiences to write Cannery Row.Considered literary fiction or classic literature, Cannery Row is realistic and was written... Read Cannery Row Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Anthropology, Psychology, Biology, Animals
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Society: Class, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Publication year 2025
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies