Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Independence
Keeping the Moon
by Sarah Dessen
A teenage girl finds friendship and learns to accept herself during a summer spent in a beach town.
While her mother, a famous television fitness coach, is on promotion tour in Europe, fifteen-year-old Colie has to spend the summer holidays with her aunt Mira in Colby, North Carolina . Having ... (Wikipedia)
The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
A dystopian future where women are oppressed and used as a commodity.
After a staged attack that killed the President of the United States and most of Congress , a radical political group called the "Sons of Jacob" uses quasi-Christian ideology to launch a revolution . ... (Wikipedia)
West with the Night
by Beryl Markham
A memoir of a pioneering aviator's incredible adventures, from African skies to the US.
The classic memoir of Africa, aviation, and adventure—the inspiration for Paula McLain’s Circling the Sun and “a bloody wonderful book” (Ernest Hemingway). Beryl Markham’s life story is a true epic. ... (Goodreads)
Circling the Sun
by Paula McLain
A fictionalized account of the extraordinary life of aviator Beryl Markham.
Brought to Kenya from England as a child and then abandoned by her mother, Beryl Markham is raised by both her father and the native Kipsigis tribe who share his estate. Her unconventional upbringing ... (Goodreads)
The Portrait of a Lady
by Henry James
A young woman's journey of self-discovery, standing up to society's expectations.
Isabel Archer, from Albany, New York , is invited by her maternal aunt, Lydia Touchett, to visit Lydia's rich husband, Daniel, at his estate near London, following the death of Isabel's father. ... (Wikipedia)
Take a Thief
by Mercedes Lackey
A young pickpocket must save the kingdom from a powerful dark magic.
Skif's parents are dead, and he lives with his horrible uncle, who does not make much of an attempt to take care of him. Because of this, Skif turns to thievery so that he can obtain food. One day, ... (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)
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)
A Doll's House
by Henrik Ibsen
A woman's struggle to break from societal expectations and find her own identity.
A Doll's House (1879), is a masterpiece of theatrical craft which, for the first time portrayed the tragic hypocrisy of Victorian middle class marriage on the stage. The play ushered in a new social ... (Goodreads)
White Oleander
by Janet Fitch
A young girl's struggles to survive in a series of foster homes, finding strength in her resilience.
Astrid Magnussen is a 12-year-old girl living in Los Angeles , California with her mother, Ingrid Magnussen, a self-centered and eccentric poet. Astrid's father, Klaus Anders, left before Astrid was ... (Wikipedia)
Wild at Heart Revised and Updated: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul
by John Eldredge
A guide to help men discover their true purpose and become the wild, passionate men of God they were meant to be.
God designed men to be dangerous, says John Eldredge. Simply look at the dreams and desires written in the heart of every boy: To be a hero, to be a warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk. ... (Goodreads)
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
by Dave Ramsey
A step-by-step guide to financial success, providing practical advice on budgeting and debt repayment.
If you will live like no one else, later you can "live" like no one else. Build up your money muscles with America's favorite finance coach. Okay, folks, do you want to turn those fat and flabby ... (Goodreads)
Last Sacrifice
by Richelle Mead
A teenage girl must battle to protect her kingdom and save her loved ones from a powerful enemy.
The novel begins with Rose in her prison cell contemplating the charges brought against her and occasionally using the bond to slip into Lissa's mind to view goings-on at Court. During Queen ... (Wikipedia)
The Little House Collection
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Series of stories recounting a pioneer family's journey through the American West.
This nine-book paperback box set of the classic series features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams. The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s ... (Goodreads)
Blood Red Road
by Moira Young
A dystopian adventure of survival and family, as a young woman sets out on a quest to save her kidnapped brother.
▶, ACE #1, Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her ... (Goodreads)
Manhattan Beach
by Jennifer Egan
A female-led story of crime, courage and sacrifice set in 1940s Brooklyn.
Anna Kerrigan, nearly twelve years old, accompanies her father to visit Dexter Styles, a man who, she gleans, is crucial to the survival of her father and her family. She is mesmerized by the sea ... (Goodreads)
Anne of the Island
by L.M. Montgomery
A young woman's journey of self-discovery as she transitions into adulthood, away from home.
Anne leaves Green Gables and her work as a teacher in Avonlea to pursue her original dream (which she gave up in, Anne of Green Gables, ) of taking further education at Redmond College in Nova ... (Wikipedia)
Anne of Windy Poplars
by L.M. Montgomery
A young woman's journey of self-determination, navigating society's expectations of her.
Anne Shirley has left Redmond College behind to begin a new job and a new chapter of her life away from Green Gables. Now she faces a new challenge: the Pringles. They're known as the royal family of ... (Goodreads)
Escape
by Carolyn Jessop
Autobiography of a woman's struggle to escape an oppressive polygamous cult.
The dramatic first-person account of life inside an ultra-fundamentalist American religious sect, and one woman’s courageous flight to freedom with her eight children. When she was eighteen years ... (Goodreads)
These Happy Golden Years
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A young girl's journey of self-discovery as she moves through adulthood.
As the novel begins, Pa is taking Laura 12 miles from home in the dead of winter to her first teaching assignment at Brewster settlement. Laura being only 15 and a schoolgirl herself, is apprehensive ... (Wikipedia)
Since You've Been Gone
by Morgan Matson
A young girl embarks on an adventure of self-discovery, learning to open her heart to the possibilities of the world.
It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do ... (Goodreads)
Uprooted
by Naomi Novik
A young woman's battle to save her home from a magical force, while uncovering secrets of her past.
“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human ... (Goodreads)
The First Four Years
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
An account of the hardships endured and lessons learned in the first four years of marriage.
The novel gets its title from a promise Laura made to Almanzo when they became engaged. She did not want to be a farmer, but decided to try farming for three years. Laura keeps house and Almanzo ... (Wikipedia)
Alanna: The First Adventure
by Tamora Pierce
A young girl disguises herself as a boy to achieve her dreams of becoming a knight.
Alanna of Trebond and her twin brother Thom may be twins , but are very different; Alanna is a tomboy who dreams of being a knight, and Thom wishes to become a sorcerer. Unfortunately, Alanna is ... (Wikipedia)
The Story of My Life
by Helen Keller
The extraordinary account of a woman overcoming physical and cognitive obstacles to live an inspiring life.
When she was 19 months old, Helen Keller (1880–1968) suffered a severe illness that left her blind and deaf. Not long after, she also became mute. Her tenacious struggle to overcome these ... (Goodreads)
Financial Peace Revisited
by Dave Ramsey
A guide to achieving financial freedom and eliminating debt.
Dave Ramsey knows what it's like to have it all. By age twenty-six, he had established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age thirty. He has since rebuilt his financial ... (Goodreads)
A Room of One's Own
by Virginia Woolf
Examining gender roles and societal expectations with an eye to achieving independence and creative freedom.
A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on the 24th of October, 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton ... (Goodreads)
Wool Omnibus
by Hugh Howey
Uncovering the truth behind a post-apocalyptic world, where society is hidden beneath a giant dome.
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)
The War I Finally Won
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
A young girl with a disability finds the courage to fight for independence and to make her own choices.
Ada and her younger brother, Jamie, now have a permanent home with their loving legal guardian, Susan Smith. Although Jamie adapts more easily, Ada still struggles with the aftermath of her old life, ... (Goodreads)
The Undomestic Goddess
by Sophie Kinsella
A lawyer's unexpected journey into domesticity, learning the joys of a simpler life.
Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable: she’s made a huge mistake. A mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership. Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of ... (Wikipedia)
The Partly Cloudy Patriot
by Sarah Vowell
An exploration of American nationalism and identity, weaving in personal stories and reflections.
Sarah Vowell travels through the American past and, in doing so, investigates the dusty, bumpy roads of her own life. In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell—widely hailed ... (Goodreads)
Walden & Civil Disobedience
by Henry David Thoreau
A philosophical exploration of solitude, nature and civil disobedience.
Henry David Thoreau's masterwork, Walden , is a collection of his reflections on life and society. His simple but profound musings—as well as Civil Disobedience , his protest against the government's ... (Goodreads)
Ahab's Wife, or The Star-Gazer
by Sena Jeter Naslund
A woman's journey of self-discovery, defying society's expectations and finding her own path.
A magnificent, vast, and enthralling saga, Sena Jeter Naslund's Ahab's Wife is a remarkable epic spanning a rich, eventful, and dramatic life. Inspired by a brief passage in Moby Dick , it is the ... (Goodreads)
Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback
by Robyn Davidson
A woman's journey of self-discovery, solo-trekking through Australia's Outback.
NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE Robyn Davidson's opens the memoir of her perilous journey across 1,700 miles of hostile Australian desert to the sea with only four camels and a dog for company with the ... (Goodreads)
Shantaram
by Gregory David Roberts
An Australian convict escapes to India and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
In 1978, Roberts was sentenced to a 19-year imprisonment in Australia after being convicted of a series of armed robberies of building society branches, credit unions , and shops. In July 1980, he ... (Wikipedia)
Llama Llama Misses Mama
by Anna Dewdney
A young llama deals with his first night away from his mother, learning to cope with his feelings of homesickness.
Strange new teacher. Strange new toys. Lots of kids and lots of noise! What would Llama like to do? Llama Llama feels so new . . . It’s Llama Llama’s first day of preschool! And Llama Llama’s mama ... (Goodreads)
Factotum
by Charles Bukowski
A portrait of a struggling writer, seeking solace in alcohol and women.
Set in the 1940s, the plot follows Henry Chinaski , Bukowski's perpetually unemployed, alcoholic alter ego , who has been rejected from the World War II draft and makes his way from one menial job to ... (Wikipedia)
True Grit
by Charles Portis
A young girl's quest for justice, accompanied by an aging U.S. Marshall.
The landmark anniversary edition of the #1, New York Times, bestselling classic novel, “an epic and a legend” (,The Washington Post,) Charles Portis has long been acclaimed as one of America’s most ... (Barnes & Noble)
La vida del Lazarillo de Tormes
by Unknown
A picaresque novel of a young man's adventures and misfortunes in 16th-century Spain.
Lázaro es un muchacho desarrapado a quien la miseria obliga a emplearse como sirviente. Las inocentes y a veces justificadas burlas con las que Lázaro se defiende de sus amos son castigadas con una ... (Goodreads)
The River
by Gary Paulsen
A young boy's journey of self-discovery, learning to navigate the wilderness.
Brian Robeson, a 13-year-old boy who spent 54 days surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness the previous summer, is hired by the government to again live in the woods with only two knives and ... (Wikipedia)
Farmer Boy
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Story of a young boy's life on a farm in 19th century America.
The novel is based on the childhood of Wilder's husband, Almanzo Wilder , who grew up in the 1860s near the town of Malone, New York . It covers roughly one year of his life, beginning just before ... (Wikipedia)
My Absolute Darling
by Gabriel Tallent
A teenage girl's extraordinary journey of personal growth and transformation.
Julia "Turtle" Alveston, age fourteen, lives in California with her sociopathic father, Martin. He is convinced of impending catastrophe, forcing her to learn survivalist skills. Turtle is thus ... (Wikipedia)
The Heart of a Woman
by Maya Angelou
A lyrical memoir of a woman's struggle for independence and self-fulfillment.
Maya Angelou has fascinated, moved, and inspired countless readers with the first three volumes of her autobiography, one of the most remarkable personal narratives of our age. Now, in her fourth ... (Goodreads)
Shift
by Hugh Howey
A post-apocalyptic adventure, as a father searches for his missing daughter in a mysterious new world.
In 2007, the Center for Automation in Nanobiotech (CAN) outlined the hardware and software platform that would one day allow robots smaller than human cells to make medical diagnoses, conduct ... (Goodreads)
Sister Carrie
by Theodore Dreiser
A young woman's journey of ambition, navigating the opportunities and pitfalls of urban life.
Late 1889. Dissatisfied with life in her rural Wisconsin home, 18-year-old Caroline "Sister Carrie" Meeber takes the train to Chicago , where her older sister Minnie, and Minnie's husband, Sven ... (Wikipedia)
The Girls
by Lori Lansens
Two conjoined twins in search of independence and a sense of self-worth.
Meet Rose and Ruby: sisters, best friends, confidantes, and conjoined twins. Since their birth, Rose and Ruby Darlen have been known simply as "the girls." They make friends, fall in love, have jobs, ... (Goodreads)
Butcher's Crossing
by John Williams
An adventure tale of a young man in the American West, searching for a place to belong.
William Andrews, a Harvard student in the early 1870s, , is not happy with the mundanities of everyday life. After becoming inspired by the poetry and philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson, , he decides ... (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)
All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation
by Rebecca Traister
Examining the power and influence of unmarried women on modern society.
In 2009, award-winning journalist Rebecca Traister started All the Single Ladies about the twenty-first century phenomenon of the American single woman. It was the year the proportion of American ... (Goodreads)
Moll Flanders
by Daniel Defoe
A woman's story of survival and redemption, confronting the harsh realities of life in 18th century England.
Moll's mother is a convict in Newgate Prison in London who is given a reprieve by " pleading her belly ," a reference to the custom of staying the executions of pregnant criminals. Her mother is ... (Wikipedia)
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)
King Rat
by James Clavell
A tough prisoner of war's fight for survival in a Japanese POW camp.
The novel opens in early 1945. Peter Marlowe, a young British RAF Flight Lieutenant , has been a P.O.W. since 1942. Marlowe comes to the attention of the "King" - an American corporal who has become ... (Wikipedia)
Born to Run
by Bruce Springsteen
Autobiographical journey of Bruce Springsteen's life and career as a musician.
“Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” —Bruce Springsteen, from ... (Goodreads)
Dies the Fire
by S.M. Stirling
After a mysterious global catastrophe, a small group of survivors must adapt to an ancient way of life.
Mike Havel is a former United States Marine , a veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf invasion , and bush pilot. On March 17, 1998, at 6:15 pm PST , Havel is flying over the Bitterroot Mountain Range in ... (Wikipedia)
Blue Noon
by Scott Westerfeld
A post-apocalyptic adventure as a group of survivors attempt to rebuild their world.
When time freezes in the middle of the day during a school pep rally, the Midnighters have a problem. The secret hour is slowly making its way into the real world. The last book in the Midnighters ... (Wikipedia)
If Tomorrow Comes
by Sidney Sheldon
A woman's quest for justice, taking revenge against the criminals who wronged her.
Tracy is a successful bank-worker in Philadelphia, engaged to a wealthy heir, whose child she is carrying. Then her mother commits suicide, after being scammed by the New Orleans Mafia and left in ... (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)
Looking for Alibrandi
by Melina Marchetta
A teenage Australian girl comes of age, navigating the challenges of cultural identity and family dynamics.
The novel follows its protagonist, Josephine Alibrandi, the Australian Italian daughter of Italian immigrant parents. Josie lives in Sydney and attends a Catholic high school–where she is ... (Wikipedia)
Why Men Love Bitches
by Sherry Argov
Guide to understanding male behavior and building healthy relationships.
From Doormat to Dreamgirl—A Woman's Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship Do you feel like you are too nice? Sherry Argov's Why Men Love Bitches delivers a unique perspective as to why men are ... (Goodreads)
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
by Elena Ferrante
Two friends navigate the changing relationships of their youth and adulthood, and the consequences of their choices.
In this third Neapolitan novel, Elena and Lila, the two girls whom readers first met in My Brilliant Friend, have become women. Lila married at sixteen and has a young son; she has left her abusive ... (Goodreads)
The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
A gripping sci-fi story of a boy's fight for survival in a world of clones and immortality.
This story is set in the country of Opium, a narrow strip of land between Mexico (now called Aztlán ), and the United States , which is ruled by the original Matteo Alacrán, or El Patrón, an ... (Wikipedia)
The Blood of Flowers
by Anita Amirrezvani
A young woman's quest for independence and freedom in 17th century Persia.
In the fabled city of Isfahan, in seventeenth-century Persia, a young woman confronts a dismal fate: Her beloved father had died and left her without a dowry. Forced to work as a servant in the home ... (Goodreads)
Father and I Were Ranchers
by Ralph Moody
A boy's coming-of-age story, learning the values of hard work and perseverance while growing up on a ranch.
Ralph Moody was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes we experience the pleasures and perils of ranching there early in the twentieth ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Piece of Cake
by Cupcake Brown
A woman's raw story of resilience and survival in the face of hardship and trauma.
The story begins in January 1975 when the female protagonist gives a short account of why her mother named her Cupcake Brown. Brown's mother died in 1976, when Brown was age 11. Since her biological ... (Wikipedia)
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman
by Yvon Chouinard
Reflections on the journey of an environmentally conscious businessman, and the lessons learned along the way.
In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard-legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.-shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of ... (Goodreads)
Harriet the Spy
by Louise Fitzhugh
A young detective's adventure to uncover the truth and discover her own identity.
In 1964, eleven-year-old Harriet M. Welsch is an aspiring writer who lives in New York City's Upper East Side . Harriet is precocious, ambitious and enthusiastic about her future career. Encouraged ... (Wikipedia)
Emperor Mage
by Tamora Pierce
A young girl's fantastical journey of self-discovery and growth, learning the power of her own magic.
Daine is sent with a delegation that includes both Sir Gareths of Naxen, Alanna the Lioness , and Numair Salmalin , to the Emperor Mage of Carthak, in hopes that she can smooth the international ... (Wikipedia)
Bread and Jam for Frances
by Russell Hoban
A picky eater learns the joys of trying new foods as she experiences life's everyday adventures.
Frances, one of children's best-loved characters for over 30 years, now springs to life even more in Bread and Jam for Frances, beautifully reillustrated in sparkling full color by Lillian Hoban. In ... (Goodreads)
The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States
by Founding Fathers
America's foundation documents, outlining the nation's core values and ideals.
The Declaration of Independence was the promise of a representative government; the Constitution was the fulfillment of that promise. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress issued a ... (Goodreads)
The Time in Between
by María Dueñas
A remarkable tale of resilience and courage, as a woman embarks on a journey of self-discovery.
The story begins in 1934. Between Youth and Adulthood... Sira Quiroga is a young and attractive seamstress living a humble life in Madrid with her single mother Dolores. During a festival she meets ... (Wikipedia)
Divergent Series Complete Box Set
by Veronica Roth
Tris' journey of courage and self-discovery, as she navigates a post-apocalyptic world divided by factions.
Don’t miss the series everyone’s talking about! Get this 3-book collection of all 3 books in Veronica Roth’s thrilling Divergent series – featuring Divergent, Insurgent, and the latest in the ... (Barnes & Noble)
Ramona the Brave
by Beverly Cleary
A young girl's adventures as she learns to navigate school and family life.
Ramona Quimby has spent most of the summer with her friend Howie Kemp , pounding old bricks into dust in a game called Brick Factory. Brick Factory makes Ramona feel powerful, something that doesn't ... (Wikipedia)
A Walk Across America
by Peter Jenkins
A man's journey across the United States, encountering people and places along the way.
Twenty-five years ago, a disillusioned young man set out on a walk across America. This is the book he wrote about that journey – a classic account of the reawakening of his faith in himself and his ... (Goodreads)
The Naming
by Alison Croggon
A young girl finds her place in a magical world, struggling to overcome a powerful enemy.
The Gift (also published as The Naming ) begins with Maerad , in "Gilman's Cot" as a slave, where she has been for many years, with few memories of her former life, her mother having died several ... (Wikipedia)
Wake
by Lisa McMann
A teenage girl discovers she can enter strangers' dreams and must use her newfound power to prevent a disaster.
The book begins with multiple flashbacks, all leading to Janie's extraordinary powers and where she stands in the present day. Janie Hannagan is an independent, 17-year-old senior at Fieldridge High ... (Wikipedia)
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)
Jumper
by Steven Gould
A young man discovers he can teleport and embarks on a thrilling adventure.
One evening, while being physically abused by his father, David "Davy" Rice unexpectedly teleports (or "jumps") and finds himself in the local library, the Stanville Library. This is a place that ... (Wikipedia)
The White Mountains
by John Christopher
A group of teenage boys attempt to outrun an alien invasion, while discovering the courage and strength within themselves.
Long ago, the Tripods—huge, three-legged machines—descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives. ... (Goodreads)
United We Spy
by Ally Carter
A group of friends must team up to stop a dangerous organization from wielding its power.
Don't miss a moment of the beloved, bestselling series where spies-in-training navigate double crosses, secret missions, friendship, and first love-now with a bonus epilogue! , Cammie Morgan has lost ... (Barnes & Noble)
Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting
by Pamela Druckerman
A mother's exploration of French parenting practices and their effects on her children.
The runaway, New York Times, bestseller that shows American parents the secrets behind France's amazingly well-behaved children When American journalist Pamela Druckerman had a baby in Paris, she ... (Goodreads)
Slammerkin
by Emma Donoghue
The turbulent life of a young woman in 18th century England, exploring the consequences of poverty and gender inequality.
Mary Saunders is a highly intelligent girl living in poverty in 1760 London. She is repelled when her mother Susan encourages her to become a seamstress, wanting nothing to do with the "wretched ... (Wikipedia)
Brilliance
by Marcus Sakey
A government experiment gone awry, unleashing a new breed of superhuman humans with extraordinary powers.
In Wyoming, a little girl reads people’s darkest secrets by the way they fold their arms. In New York, a man sensing patterns in the stock market racks up $300 billion. In Chicago, a woman can go ... (Goodreads)
Your Money or Your Life
by Vicki Robin
An exploration of personal finance and the journey to financial independence.
In times like these, it's more important than ever to know the difference between making a living and making a life. Your Money or Your Life is even more relevant today than it was when the book ... (Goodreads)
We the Living
by Ayn Rand
Epic story of survival and defiance in Stalinist Russia.
The story takes place from 1922 to 1925, in post- revolutionary Russia . Kira Argounova, the protagonist of the story, is the younger daughter of a bourgeois family. An independent spirit with a will ... (Wikipedia)
Key of Knowledge
by Nora Roberts
A journey to unlock the secret of immortality, fraught with danger and romance.
You are the Key. The lock awaits. What happens when the very gods depend on mortals for help? That's what three very different young women find out when they are invited to Warrior's Peak. To ... (Goodreads)
The Crown of Embers
by Rae Carson
A princess must use her courage and wit to save her kingdom and find a path to her destiny.
“Carson joins the ranks of writers like Kristin Cashore, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tamora Pierce as one of YA’s best writers of high fantasy.”— Locus Magazine The second book in Rae Carson’s ... (Barnes & Noble)
Off the Grid
by C.J. Box
A thrilling adventure story of a family trying to survive in the wilderness.
New York Times,–bestselling author C. J. Box returns with a suspenseful new Joe Pickett novel. Nate Romanowski is off the grid, recuperating from wounds and trying to deal with past crimes, when he ... (Goodreads)
How to Marry a Marquis
by Julia Quinn
A young woman's journey of love and independence during the Regency Era.
She’s trying to follow the rules… When Elizabeth Hotchkiss stumbles upon a copy of How to Marry a Marquis in her employer’s library, she’s convinced someone is playing a cruel joke. With three ... (Goodreads)
The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now
by Meg Jay
Guidance for millennials on navigating the tumultuous decade of their twenties.
Our "thirty-is-the-new-twenty" culture tells us that the twentysomething years don't matter. Some say they are an extended adolescence. Others call them an emerging adulthood. But thirty is not the ... (Goodreads)
Daughter of the Pirate King
by Tricia Levenseller
A young woman's quest to save her kingdom and reclaim her destiny.
A 17-year-old pirate captain intentionally allows herself to get captured by enemy pirates in this thrilling young adult tale., There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I've ... (Barnes & Noble)
Queen of Babble in the Big City
by Meg Cabot
A young woman's quest to make it in the big city, learning important life lessons along the way.
Lizzie Nichols is back, pounding the New York City pavement and looking for a job, a place to live, and her proper place in the universe (not necessarily in that order). When "Summer Fling" Luke uses ... (Goodreads)
Daddy-Long-Legs
by Jean Webster
A young girl's coming-of-age story, learning to navigate the world of adulthood.
Jerusha Abbott was brought up at the John Grier Home, an old-fashioned orphanage . The children were completely dependent on charity and had to wear other people's cast-off clothes. Jerusha's unusual ... (Wikipedia)
The Wife
by Meg Wolitzer
A wife's exploration of her marriage and identity, as she discovers her own power and independence.
"The moment I decided to leave him, the moment I thought, enough, we were thirty-five thousand feet above the ocean, hurtling forward but giving the illusion of stillness and tranquility. Just like ... (Goodreads)
The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life
by J.L. Collins
A financial guide to help readers achieve financial freedom and create wealth.
“In the dark, bewildering, trap-infested jungle of misinformation and opaque riddles that is the world of investment, JL Collins is the fatherly wizard on the side of the path, offering a simple map, ... (Goodreads)
Traitor to the Throne
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A young girl's fight against a tyrannical regime to restore justice and freedom to her homeland.
Rebel by chance. Traitor by choice. Gunslinger Amani al'Hiza fled her dead-end hometown on the back of a mythical horse with the mysterious foreigner Jin, seeking only her own freedom. Now she’s ... (Goodreads)
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A witch-bounty hunter's mission to save humanity from a vampire onslaught.
Rachel Morgan, sexy witch, independent bounty hunter, prowls the downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night. She can handle leather-clad vamps and a cunning demon or two. But a serial ... (Goodreads)
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A young girl embarks on a quest to save her kingdom, learning to become a leader and master of her own destiny.
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It's still true... That's the first thing James Tillerman says to his sister Dicey every morning. It's still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in the middle ... (Goodreads)
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