Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Authority
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
by Ken Kesey
A patient in a mental ward fights against the oppressive authority of the head nurse.
The book is narrated by "Chief" Bromden, a gigantic yet docile half-Native American patient at a psychiatric hospital, who presents himself as deaf and mute. Bromden’s tale focuses mainly on the ... (Wikipedia)
Fight Club
by Chuck Palahniuk
A man's journey of self-discovery and transformation, challenging the status quo of society.
Fight Club centers on an anonymous narrator , who works as a product recall specialist for an unnamed car company. Because of the stress of his job and the jet lag brought upon by frequent business ... (Wikipedia)
Animal Farm
by George Orwell
A satirical fable of a group of farm animals who overthrow their oppressive master and attempt to create a utopian society.
The poorly-run Manor Farm near Willingdon , England , is ripened for rebellion from its animal populace by neglect at the hands of the irresponsible and alcoholic farmer, Mr. Jones . One night, the ... (Wikipedia)
Little Brother
by Cory Doctorow
A teen tech genius fights against a dystopian government by using his skills to create a revolution.
Marcus Yallow is a 17-year-old hacker /techno whiz from San Francisco . One day Marcus and his best friend Darryl play truant from school to play an Alternate Reality Game . A terrorist attack is ... (Wikipedia)
The Prince
by Niccolò Machiavelli
A timeless political treatise on the art of acquiring and maintaining power.
Machiavelli needs to be looked at as he really was. Hence: Can Machiavelli, who makes the following observations, be Machiavellian as we understand the disparaging term? 1. So it is that to know the ... (Goodreads)
Haroun and the Sea of Stories
by Salman Rushdie
A fantastical journey to the depths of the imagination, reclaiming the power of storytelling.
At the beginning of the story, protagonist Haroun Khalifa lives with his father Rashid, a famous storyteller and doctor, and his mother Soraya, until the latter is seduced by their neighbor 'Mr. ... (Wikipedia)
Allegiant
by Veronica Roth
A teenage girl's struggle to save the people she loves, while confronting a dangerous and oppressive regime.
A future dystopian Chicago has a society that defines its citizens by strict conformity to their social and personality-related affiliations with five different factions . That removes the threat of ... (Wikipedia)
Insurgent
by Veronica Roth
The fight to save the future in a divided world, as one brave individual stands up against tyranny.
After the events of, Divergent, , Beatrice "Tris" Prior , Tobias "Four" Eaton , Caleb Prior , Peter Hayes , and Marcus Eaton seek refuge in the Amity sector. Tris overhears Marcus and Amity leader ... (Wikipedia)
Catch-22
by Joseph Heller
An absurdist war satire highlighting the absurdity of bureaucracy and the human condition.
Fifty years after its original publication, Catch-22 remains a cornerstone of American literature and one of the funniest—and most celebrated—books of all time. In recent years it has been named to ... (Goodreads)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain
An adventurous journey of a young boy, exploring the world around him.
Tom Sawyer, an orphan, lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri sometime in the 1840s . A fun-loving boy, Tom skips school to go swimming ... (Wikipedia)
The Golden Compass
by Philip Pullman
A young girl embarks on a journey to rescue her friend, uncovering a sinister plot along the way.
Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal–including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle ... (Goodreads)
Women
by Charles Bukowski
A collection of stories exploring the lives of various women and their relationships with men.
Women focuses on the many dissatisfactions Chinaski faced with each new woman he encountered. One of the women featured in the book is a character named Lydia Vance; she is based on Bukowski's ... (Wikipedia)
Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
by Donald Miller
A Christian's exploration of faith and spirituality, navigating its relevance in the modern world.
The runaway New York Times bestseller that became a cornerstone of Christian nonfiction, Blue Like Jazz is a fresh and original perspective on life, love, and redemption. ,"I never liked jazz music ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Game of Thrones
by George R.R. Martin
Epic fantasy tale of a civil war for the Iron Throne, with a vast cast of characters.
A Game of Thrones follows three principal storylines simultaneously. Upon the death of Lord Jon Arryn , the principal advisor to King Robert Baratheon , Robert recruits his childhood friend Eddard ... (Wikipedia)
Firestarter
by Stephen King
A young girl with pyrokinetic powers is pursued by a mysterious government agency.
Andy and Charlene "Charlie" McGee are a father/daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as The Shop. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with ... (Wikipedia)
The Trial
by Franz Kafka
A man is arrested and put on trial for a crime that remains unclear throughout the novel.
On the morning of his thirtieth birthday, Josef K., the chief cashier of a bank, is unexpectedly arrested by two unidentified agents from an unspecified agency for an unspecified crime. Josef is not ... (Wikipedia)
Living Dead in Dallas
by Charlaine Harris
A vampire detective novel, exploring a mystery that has its roots in the supernatural.
This book opens with Sookie Stackhouse finding the dead body of Lafayette in the backseat of Andy Bellefleur 's car, which had been left at Merlotte's the night before. Sookie learns that her friend ... (Wikipedia)
Delirium
by Lauren Oliver
A teenage girl's struggle against a dystopian society's oppressive rules in order to stay with the one she loves.
The story is set in Portland, Maine , in 2091. Civilization is concentrated in the cities that escaped the severe bombings decades earlier. Travel between the cities is highly restricted. Electric ... (Wikipedia)
Free Four: Tobias Tells the Divergent Knife-Throwing Scene
by Veronica Roth
A young man's struggle to face his fears and take a stand for what is right.
#1, New York Times, bestselling author Veronica Roth retells a pivotal, Divergent, scene (chapter 13) from Tobias's point of view. , This thirteen-page scene reveals unknown facts and fascinating ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Clockwork Orange
by Anthony Burgess
A teenage gang's journey of rebellion, exploring the nature of morality and personal choice.
In Anthony Burgess's influential nightmare vision of the future, criminals take over after dark. Teen gang leader Alex narrates in fantastically inventive slang that echoes the violent intensity of ... (Goodreads)
Ham on Rye
by Charles Bukowski
A semi-autobiographical novel following a young man's struggles with poverty, violence and mental illness.
The novel focuses on the protagonist, Henry Chinaski, between the years of 1920 and 1941. , It begins with Chinaski's early memories. As the story progresses the reader follows his life through the ... (Wikipedia)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain
Adventures of two boys on a journey down the Mississippi River, testing the limits of their freedom.
Tom Sawyer, an orphan, lives with his Aunt Polly and his half-brother Sid in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri sometime in the 1840s . A fun-loving boy, Tom skips school to go swimming ... (Wikipedia)
The Baron in the Trees
by Italo Calvino
A young boy's journey of self-discovery as he lives among the trees, away from society.
A landmark new translation of a Calvino classic, a whimsical, spirited novel that imagines a life lived entirely on its own terms Cosimo di Rondó, a young Italian nobleman of the eighteenth century, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Cat's Cradle
by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A satirical exploration of human folly, exposing the dangers of unchecked science and technology.
Told with deadpan humour and bitter irony, Kurt Vonnegut's cult tale of global destruction preys on our deepest fears of witnessing Armageddon and, worse still, surviving it ... Dr Felix Hoenikker, ... (Goodreads)
The Good Soldier Švejk
by Jaroslav Hašek
A Czech soldier's satirical adventures during WWI, highlighting the absurdity of war.
The story begins in Prague with news of the assassination in Sarajevo that precipitates World War I . Švejk displays such enthusiasm about faithfully serving the Austrian Emperor in battle that no ... (Wikipedia)
The Paul Street Boys
by Ferenc Molnár
A group of boys navigate their way through the streets of Budapest, facing their fears and learning about friendship.
The war between two groups of Hungarian boys living in Budapest. One with Hungarian national colours (red, white, green) is defending the square from redshirts (from Garibaldi's redshirts), who want ... (Goodreads)
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
by Robert A. Heinlein
Revolutionary group fight for freedom from an oppressive lunar colony.
In 2075, the Moon (Luna) is used as a penal colony by Earth's government, with three million inhabitants (called "Loonies") living in underground cities. Most Loonies are criminals, political exiles, ... (Wikipedia)
The Heir
by Kiera Cass
A young woman vies for the crown in a competition of strength, wit, and courage.
A new era dawns in the world of Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series America and Maxon’s fairy-tale romance enchanted readers from the very first page of, The Selection,. Now ... (Barnes & Noble)
Eric
by Terry Pratchett
A young boy's adventures in a fantasy world, discovering the secrets of the Discworld.
The story is a parody of the tale of Faust , , and follows the events of, Sourcery, in which the Wizard Rincewind was trapped in the Dungeon Dimensions. The Discworld version of Hell or Pandemonium ... (Wikipedia)
The 48 Laws of Power
by Robert Greene
A guide to understanding the dynamics of gaining and keeping power.
Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy, New York Times, bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate ... (Goodreads)
Trainspotting
by Irvine Welsh
An exploration of the gritty underworld of drug addiction, told through the eyes of a group of characters.
The Skag Boys, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mother Superior - Narrated by Renton. Mark and Simon (a.k.a. Sick Boy) are watching a Jean-Claude Van Damme video when they decide to go buy heroin from ... (Wikipedia)
Across the Universe
by Beth Revis
Interplanetary journey of a teenage girl, struggling to stay alive and free from a totalitarian government.
Hundreds of years in the future, the spaceship Godspeed travels toward a distant, earth-like planet with 100 cryogenically frozen settlers on board. Seventeen year old Amy, frozen along with her ... (Wikipedia)
Survivor
by Chuck Palahniuk
A darkly humorous look at the trappings of modern society and the state of human existence.
The novel opens, in medias res, to Tender Branson, who has just hijacked an airliner, released its passengers, and is now sitting in the cockpit telling his life story to the cockpit voice recorder . ... (Wikipedia)
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
by Mo Willems
A pigeon's mischievous attempts to drive a bus and the humorous exchange between reader and pigeon.
When a bus driver takes a break from his route, a very unlikely volunteer springs up to take his place—a pigeon! But you've never met one like this before. As he pleads, wheedles, and begs his way ... (Goodreads)
The Republic of Thieves
by Scott Lynch
An epic fantasy adventure full of action, humor, and intrigue.
The book begins with the first meeting of Locke and Sabetha, the woman that he has been in love with throughout the series but who has not been introduced until this book. Sabetha and Locke meet when ... (Wikipedia)
The Long Walk
by Richard Bachman
Fourteen boys face a grueling test of endurance and willpower as they compete in a life-or-death march.
One hundred teenage boys join an annual walking contest called "The Long Walk" or just "The Walk". Each contestant, called a "Walker", must maintain a speed of at least four miles per hour; if he ... (Wikipedia)
The White Queen
by Philippa Gregory
A tale of love, loyalty and betrayal, set in the turbulent times of the War of the Roses.
Brother turns on brother. The throne of England is at stake. The deadly Wars of the Roses have begun. . . ."They ruled England before the Tudors, and now internationally bestselling author Philippa ... (Goodreads)
Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
by Mo Willems
A young pigeon tries to stay up late, despite the protests of his caretaker.
PreSchool-Grade 2-The star of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (Hyperion, 2003) returns in another irresistible tale. Hurrying away to brush his teeth, the pajama-clad bus driver implores readers ... (Goodreads)
Marked
by P.C. Cast
A young woman discovers her supernatural powers, and must choose between two supernatural worlds.
Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird lives in a world where vampires, or "vampyres" have always existed. One day, during school, Zoey is marked by a Tracker to become a fledgling vampyre at the Tulsa House ... (Wikipedia)
The Vampire Lestat
by Anne Rice
A vampire's exploration of his immortality and the secrets of the world of the undead.
Set in the late 18th century to the late 1980s, the story follows the 200-year-long life of the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt, and his rise from humble beginnings as impoverished nobility in the ... (Wikipedia)
Sourcery
by Terry Pratchett
A wizard uses his magic to take over the Discworld, and a young man must fight to restore order.
Death comes to collect the soul of Ipslore the Red, a wizard who was banished from Unseen University for marrying and having children, something forbidden for wizards. Bitter over this fate, Ipslore ... (Wikipedia)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
by Mark Twain
A modern man is transported back in time to the court of King Arthur, where he uses his knowledge to attempt to change the course of history.
The novel is a comedy set in 6th-century England and its medieval culture through Hank Morgan's view; he is a 19th-century resident of Hartford, Connecticut , who, after a blow to the head, awakens ... (Wikipedia)
The Dead Zone
by Stephen King
A man awakens from a coma with supernatural powers, and must grapple with the consequences.
As a child in 1953, Johnny Smith falls unconscious while ice-skating, then mumbles a prophetic warning to an adult who later suffers an accident. In an unconnected incident, a young, emotionally ... (Wikipedia)
The Sisters Brothers
by Patrick deWitt
A unique western, following two brothers on a quest to find and murder a prospector.
In 1851, Eli and Charlie Sisters, a pair of assassins of minor repute, are hired by a wealthy businessman known only as "the Commodore" to travel from Oregon City to California in order to murder a ... (Wikipedia)
Dead Witch Walking
by Kim Harrison
A dark urban fantasy about a witch's fight for survival in a world of humans, demons and vampires.
All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party... and to feed. Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond ... (Goodreads)
Under the Dome
by Stephen King
Small town experiences a sudden and mysterious isolation, leading to chaos and terror.
At 11:44 a.m. on October 21, 2017, the small Maine town of Chester's Mill is abruptly and gruesomely separated from the outside world by an invisible, semipermeable barrier of unknown origin. The ... (Wikipedia)
Choke
by Chuck Palahniuk
A darkly humorous story of a man's journey to self-awareness through disruption and chaos.
Choke follows Victor Mancini and his friend Denny through a few months of their lives with frequent flashbacks to the days when Victor was a child. , Victor had grown up moving from one foster home ... (Wikipedia)
Scythe
by Neal Shusterman
An exploration of morality in a world where death is obsolete, forcing people to choose mortality.
Late on a cold day in November, Scythe Faraday visits Citra Terranova's house. At first, Citra assumes that the scythe is there to glean (kill permanently) one of her family members. As it turns out, ... (Wikipedia)
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
by Thomas S. Kuhn
An analysis of how scientific progress is made, and the role of paradigms and paradigmatic shifts.
A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, ... (Goodreads)
The High Lord
by Trudi Canavan
A young girl's quest to save her kingdom, mastering powerful magic in the process.
A year has passed since Sonea had challenged Regin to a public duel and had beaten Regin by one bout. Since that victory, she has finally won the respect she deserves, not only as a novice with ... (Wikipedia)
Seize the Night
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
A thrilling journey of supernatural warfare, with a world of vampires at stake.
Dark-Hunter: an immortal warrior who has traded his soul to Artemis for one moment of vengeance on his enemies. In return, they swear to spend eternity protecting mankind from the daimons and ... (Goodreads)
The Postman Always Rings Twice
by James M. Cain
A crime drama of forbidden passion, deception and murder.
The story is narrated in the first person by Frank Chambers, a young drifter who stops at a rural California diner for a meal and ends up working there. The diner is operated by a beautiful young ... (Wikipedia)
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
by Holly Black
A girl's battle to survive amidst the dangers of a vampire-filled world.
Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass ... (Goodreads)
Paranormalcy
by Kiersten White
A teenage girl discovers her extraordinary ability to sense the supernatural and must save the world from an impending evil.
Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and ... (Goodreads)
The Runaway King
by Jennifer A. Nielsen
A young prince must outwit his enemies and reclaim his throne before it is too late.
A kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction. A king gone missing. Who will survive? Just weeks after Jaron has taken the throne, an assassination attempt forces him into a deadly situation. ... (Goodreads)
The Castle
by Franz Kafka
Townspeople's surreal struggle against a mysterious ruling power.
The protagonist, K., arrives in a village governed by a mysterious bureaucracy operating in a nearby castle. When seeking shelter at the town inn, he claims to be a land surveyor summoned by the ... (Wikipedia)
The Bachman Books
by Richard Bachman
Four short horror stories exploring themes of justice, revenge and mortality.
Omnibus collection of four early Bachman novels (Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork, The Running Man) and the essay "Why I Was Bachman" ... (Goodreads)
Tithe
by Holly Black
A young girl discovers her heritage is linked to an ancient magical world.
Tithe follows the story of sixteen-year-old American Kaye Fierch, a young nomad who tours the country with her mother's rock band. The book begins in Philadelphia, at a gig her mother's band Stepping ... (Wikipedia)
Battle Royale
by Koushun Takami
High school students forced to fight to the death in a dystopian society.
Battle Royale takes place in a fictional fascist Japan in the year 1997. The state, known as the Republic of Greater East Asia (,大東亜共和国,, Dai Tōa Kyōwakoku,) , arose after an alternate World War 2 ... (Wikipedia)
Journey to the End of the Night
by Louis-Ferdinand Céline
A darkly comic, nihilistic journey of self-discovery, following a man into the heart of an absurd world.
Céline’s masterpiece—colloquial, polemic, hyper-realistic, boiling over with black humor Céline’s masterpiece—colloquial, polemic, hyper realistic—boils over with bitter humor and revulsion at ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Wanted Man
by Lee Child
Thrilling journey of an ex-military fugitive on the run, pursued by dangerous enemies.
The novel opens with Jack Reacher, whose nose is broken from his last adventure (Worth Dying For), trying to get a ride out of Nebraska, hitch-hiking in the middle of the night, without any car ... (Wikipedia)
Obsidian
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A teenage girl discovers her true identity in a world of magical powers and ancient secrets.
Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my ... (Goodreads)
Conclave
by Robert Harris
Political thriller about the election of a new Pope amid a power struggle in the Vatican.
The Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world’s most secretive election. They are holy ... (Goodreads)
Preacher, Volume 3: Proud Americans
by Garth Ennis
A preacher, his gun-toting girlfriend, and an Irish vampire set out on a mission of vengeance against the agents of heaven.
The third amazing new edition in the PREACHER series, collecting issues #18-26. Jesse Custer heads for France to rescue Cassidy, the Irish vampire, from the clutches of religious fanatics. His search ... (Goodreads)
Existentialism is a Humanism
by Jean-Paul Sartre
A philosophical exploration of the human condition, and the implications of freedom and responsibility.
It was to correct common misconceptions about his thought that Jean-Paul Sartre, the most dominent European intellectual of the post-World War II decades, accepted an invitation to speak on October ... (Goodreads)
Dorothy Must Die
by Danielle Paige
A teenage girl is tasked with overthrowing the wicked witch and restoring order to Oz.
I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero. But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know? Sure, I've ... (Goodreads)
The Vile Village
by Lemony Snicket
A group of children escape a village of criminals and uncover a dark conspiracy.
The book begins with the Baudelaires awaiting a new guardian. Their new guardians name was Count Olaf which is an actor, villain and a murderer. Mr Poe gives a brochure to the Baudelaire orphans ... (Wikipedia)
Lies
by Michael Grant
A group of teens must survive in a world where adults have become infected with a mysterious disease that causes them to act strangely.
It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone. It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the ... (Goodreads)
Hunger
by Michael Grant
A dystopian adventure of survival in a world without adults, with only children left to fend for themselves.
The second book in Michael Grant's New York Times bestselling Gone series, Hunger is a thrilling, action-packed story that is impossible to put down. It's been three months since all the adults ... (Barnes & Noble)
Tortilla Flat
by John Steinbeck
A comedy of friendship and adventure, focusing on a group of paisanos living in California during the Great Depression.
Above the town of Monterey on the California coast lies the shabby district of Tortilla Flat, inhabited by a loose gang of jobless locals of Mexican-Indian - Spanish-Caucasian descent (who typically ... (Wikipedia)
Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld
A future world of warring airships and genetic engineering, explored by a teenage girl.
It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, diesel-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The ... (Wikipedia)
Transmetropolitan, Vol. 6: Gouge Away
by Warren Ellis
A dystopian future, where a renegade journalist confronts corruption and deception.
There's no faster path to paranoia and delusion that the red carpet of celebrity, and in the city no one is more famous than mega-popular attack journalist Spider Jerusalem. Nearly paralyzed by his ... (Barnes & Noble)
Wild Magic
by Tamora Pierce
A young girl's journey to reclaim her magical powers and defeat an evil sorcerer.
The reader is introduced to Veralidaine, (who goes by Daine), a thirteen-year-old girl who can speak to animals. Daine meets Onua, the woman in charge of the horses for the "Queen's Riders", (the ... (Wikipedia)
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Muriel Spark
A teacher's unconventional methods, inspiring young lives while challenging the status quo.
In 1930s Edinburgh , six ten-year-old girls, Sandy, Rose, Mary, Jenny, Monica, and Eunice are assigned Miss Jean Brodie, who describes herself as being "in my prime," as their teacher. Miss Brodie, ... (Wikipedia)
Dust
by Hugh Howey
A post-apocalyptic world struggles to survive against oppressive forces.
The story of Wool takes place on a post-apocalyptic Earth. , Humanity clings to survival in the Silo, a subterranean city extending one hundred forty-four stories beneath the surface. The series ... (Wikipedia)
Frindle
by Andrew Clements
A boy's simple idea revolutionizes the English language, sparking a debate among teachers and students.
Nicholas "Nick" Allen is a class clown who has been formulating creative schemes throughout grade school . At the start of fifth grade in 1987, he is unhappy because his English teacher is the ... (Wikipedia)
Rage
by Richard Bachman
A young man takes on an entire town to avenge his brother's death.
Charlie Decker, a Maine high school senior, is called to a meeting with his principal about a previous incident in which he struck his chemistry teacher with a pipe wrench, leading to the teacher's ... (Wikipedia)
The Thief Lord
by Cornelia Funke
Two orphaned brothers navigate a magical world in Venice, searching for a way to be reunited with their mother.
The Thief Lord follows the story of two brothers, Prosper and Boniface (Bo), who run away to Venice, Italy. They are taken in by a group of street children who live in an abandoned movie theater, the ... (Wikipedia)
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
by E. Lockhart
A teenage girl's mission to challenge the status quo, finding her own power within a boys' club.
Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father's "bunny rabbit." A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A ... (Goodreads)
Post Office
by Charles Bukowski
A poetic and darkly humorous narrative about a man's struggles with poverty and loneliness.
In Los Angeles, California , down-and-out barfly Henry Chinaski becomes a substitute mail carrier ; he quits for a while and lives on his winnings at the race track, then becomes a mail clerk. ... (Wikipedia)
The Rum Diary
by Hunter S. Thompson
A man's journey to find himself and meaningful work, set in a tropical paradise.
Begun in 1959 by a twenty-two-year-old Hunter S. Thompson, The Rum Diary is a tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the Caribbean boomtown that was San Juan, Puerto ... (Goodreads)
Bloody Jack
by L.A. Meyer
A young orphan girl disguises herself as a boy to escape a life of poverty and join the British Navy.
Mary Faber is a member of Rooster Charlie's orphan gang in Cheapside, London, during the late 1790s. After Charlie is murdered by a grave robber, she disguises herself as a boy and seeks passage on ... (Wikipedia)
The Penultimate Peril
by Lemony Snicket
The Baudelaire orphans must uncover the mystery of the Hotel Denouement.
The Baudelaire orphans, Violet , Klaus and Sunny are travelling with pregnant V.F.D. member Kit Snicket to Hotel Denouement, the last safe place for volunteers to gather. She tells them that, prior ... (Wikipedia)
The Anti-Christ
by Friedrich Nietzsche
An exploration of morality and its relationship to religion, with a focus on the concept of nihilism.
The reference to the Antichrist is not intended to refer to the biblical Antichrist but is rather an attack on the "slave morality" and apathy of Western Christianity. Nietzsche's basic claim is that ... (Goodreads)
Leviathan
by Thomas Hobbes
Philosophical exploration of the nature of power and justice in a state of nature.
'The life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short' Written during the chaos of the English Civil War, Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan asks how, in a world of violence and horror, can we stop ... (Goodreads)
The Kingmaker's Daughter
by Philippa Gregory
A historical novel of political intrigue, focusing on the lives of the daughters of England's King Edward IV.
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick —called "The Kingmaker"—puts young Edward IV on the throne of England. But before Neville can arrange for one of his daughters to marry the new king, Edward ... (Wikipedia)
Miss Nelson Is Back
by Harry Allard
A mischievous substitute teacher teaches a lesson to unruly students.
In this sequel to Miss Nelson is Missing, the scheming kids in Room 207 are in for a big surprise from the scariest substitute around: Miss Viola Swamp. Includes bonus downloadable audio. When their ... (Goodreads)
The Overlook
by Michael Connelly
A detective's pursuit of a serial killer, uncovering a shocking conspiracy.
In his first case with the Homicide Special Squad, LAPD Detective Harry Bosch must follow his instincts to stop a killer who could destroy the entire city — even as the FBI works against him. In his ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Hammer of Thor
by Rick Riordan
A perilous quest to save the world from a powerful, vengeful god.
The book opens six weeks after the close of the preceding novel,, The Sword of Summer, . Magnus Chase meets with Samirah "Sam" al-Abbas and Otis , one of the god Thor 's two goats , who inform the ... (Wikipedia)
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
by Tom Wolfe
A journey through the psychedelic 1960s and the lives of an eclectic group of people.
Tom Wolfe chronicles the adventures of Ken Kesey and his group of followers. Throughout the work, Kesey is portrayed as desiring the creation of a new religion. Kesey forms a group of followers based ... (Wikipedia)
No One Here Gets Out Alive
by Danny Sugerman
Biography of Jim Morrison, exploring the life and legacy of the legendary singer-songwriter.
Here is Jim Morrison in all his complexity - singer, philosopher, poet, delinquent-the brilliant, charismatic, and obsessed seeker who rejected authority in any form, the explorer who probed "the ... (Goodreads)
Burned
by P.C. Cast
A young girl's struggle to overcome her past and survive in a dangerous supernatural world.
Stark, Darius and Aphrodite follow the clues in Kramisha 's prophetic poems and take Zoey's body to the Isle of Sgiach to find a way of getting Zoey back. They gain entrance because of Stark's being ... (Wikipedia)
Rebel Angels
by Libba Bray
Teen girl investigates mysterious history of her family, uncovering dark secrets and uncovering her own powers.
The story picks up two months after the events in the first book. The opening chapter is narrated by Kartik, who has been brought before a council of the Rakshana. He is told that by destroying the ... (Wikipedia)
Awakened
by P.C. Cast
A young girl discovers she has magical powers, and must use them to save her kingdom from destruction.
Zoey and Stark reassure their connection by having sex under the wishing tree and become connected. Zoey finds out that she wields the ancient magick of the fey and can bring back old fey that serve ... (Wikipedia)
Another Roadside Attraction
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A quest for the meaning of life, exploring the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
The novel follows the adventures of John Paul Ziller and his wife Amanda—lovable prophetess and promiscuous earth mother, inarguably the central protagonist—who open "Captain Kendrick's Memorial Hot ... (Wikipedia)
Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas
by Louise Rennison
A teenage girl's humorous journey of self-discovery, finding her place in the world.
As I was going out of my bedroom door I remembered my nungas. Perhaps I should take some precautions to keep them under strict control. Maybe bits of Sellotape on the ends of them to keep them from ... (Barnes & Noble)
Belgarath the Sorcerer
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Epic adventure to restore the lost Orb of Aldur and save the world from destruction.
Bestselling authors David and Leigh Eddings welcome readers back to the time before The Belgariad and The Malloreon series. Join them as they chronicle that fateful conflict between two mortally ... (Goodreads)
Franz Kafka's The Castle
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A man's struggle against an oppressive bureaucracy in a mysterious castle.
The protagonist, K., arrives in a village governed by a mysterious bureaucracy operating in a nearby castle. When seeking shelter at the town inn, he claims to be a land surveyor summoned by the ... (Wikipedia)
Carve the Mark
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A story of two teens struggling to survive in a harsh, oppressive world.
Globally bestselling Divergent author Veronica Roth delivers a breathtaking fantasy featuring an unusual friendship, an epic love story, and a galaxy-sweeping adventure. #1, New York Times, ... (Barnes & Noble)
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