"Nothing can be said to be certain," wrote Ben Franklin, "except death and taxes." And yet, death is often ignored, dismissed, or delayed as an experience worth contemplating—until we are forced to reckon with it head-on. The books in this collection do their own reckoning.
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals
Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Children's Literature, Disability
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Music, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Philosophy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, American Literature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 1993
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 1923
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature
“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” is a short, structured poem written in 1922 by the American poet Robert Frost, one of the foremost poets of the 20th century. The poem was originally published in 1923 in the magazine New Republic, and then in Frost’s poetry collection New Hampshire. The poem explores themes of nature, beauty, duty, life, and death, and is written using simple and accessible language that has made it beloved by... Read Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Sociology, Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, Social Science, Business / Economics, History: World, Social Justice
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right (2016) is an in-depth exploration of the rise of the Tea Party movement in Louisiana by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild. In an effort to understand the Tea Party and bolster her empathy for political opinions oppositional to her own, Hochschild spent five years getting to know residents and conducting interviews in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana. Hochschild argues that by understanding one another’s... Read Strangers in Their Own Land Summary
Publication year 1915
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature
Tags Metaphysical, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Survival Fiction
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1982
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Fantasy, Education, Education, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 1827
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
Tell Me Three Things is Julie Buxbaum's first young adult novel, published in 2017. Sixteen-year-old Jessie Holmes narrates this contemporary story in real-time over the course of two months, as she navigates the daunting halls of a new high school, a life without her mother, and anonymous messages from a classmate. Buxbaum intersperses Jessie's narration with digital conversations in the forms of text messages, emails, and instant messages (IMs), adding a modern epistolary element to... Read Tell Me Three Things Summary
Publication year 1869
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Play: Historical
“Tennessee’s Partner” is a short story by Bret Harte (1836-1902), an American writer and editor. Harte’s stories about rugged, romantic figures participating in the California Gold Rush have inspired many theatrical and film adaptations and make him an eminent figure in the local color style, a 19th-century American literary movement concentrating on local dialect and experience. “Tennessee’s Partner” was originally published in the Overland Monthly in 1869 and explores themes of The Transcendent Nature of... Read Tennessee's Partner Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Masculinity, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Satire, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Relationships, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Tenth of December: Stories (2013) is American author George Saunders’s fourth short story collection. Saunders is widely regarded as one of the modern masters of the short story form, and this collection features stories written between 1995 and 2012, some of which were previously published in various literary outlets. The book was a bestseller and was widely praised on release, winning both the Story Prize and the Folio Prize. This guide refers to the 2013... Read Tenth of December Summary
Publication year 1817
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Mental Illness, LGBTQ
Publication year 1945
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Latin American Literature
Publication year 1835
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Fame
Tags Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, American Literature
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1835 short story “The Ambitious Guest” was originally published in The New-England Magazine. Hawthorne based his story on the Willey family tragedy of August 1826. The Willeys owned a tavern and inn at Crawford Notch in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. That August, a severe rainstorm in the area led to a massive landslide. While the Willey House Inn and Tavern were left intact after the landslide, the family disappeared overnight and... Read The Ambitious Guest Summary
Publication year 1895
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Class, WWI / World War I