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Books about Life
The Year of Magical Thinking
by Joan Didion
A woman's reflections on life and death after the sudden loss of her husband.
'An act of consummate literary bravery, a writer known for her clarity allowing us to watch her mind as it becomes clouded with grief.' From one of America's iconic writers, a stunning book of ... (Goodreads)
It's Kind of a Funny Story
by Ned Vizzini
A young man's struggle with mental illness, finding his path to recovery.
Craig Gilner, the narrator, is 15 years old and lives with his family in a middle-class Brooklyn neighborhood. He attends the prestigious Executive Pre-Professional High School, having studied ... (Wikipedia)
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Two teenagers with cancer find love and explore life's fragility and beauty.
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist ... (Goodreads)
Tuesdays with Morrie
by Mitch Albom
An exploration of life through the lessons of a beloved professor facing terminal illness.
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, and gave you sound advice to help you make your way ... (Goodreads)
Yes Please
by Amy Poehler
Humorous memoir of a celebrated comedian, exploring her life, career, and relationships.
In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please , she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some ... (Goodreads)
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah
by Richard Bach
A spiritual journey of self-discovery, exploring the mysteries of life and death.
In the cloud-washed airspace between the cornfields of Illinois and blue infinity, a man puts his faith in the propeller of his biplane. For disillusioned writer and itinerant barnstormer Richard ... (Goodreads)
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer
by Fredrik Backman
A grandfather's memories of life and love, intertwined with his grandson's journey of growing up.
A little book with a big heart—from the New York Times bestselling author of, A Man Called Ove, and, Anxious People,. “I read this beautifully imagined and moving novella in one sitting, utterly ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Sense of an Ending
by Julian Barnes
An exploration of memory and its impact on the present, looking at the choices we make in life.
By an acclaimed writer at the height of his powers, The Sense of an Ending extends a streak of extraordinary books that began with the best-selling Arthur & George and continued with Nothing to Be ... (Goodreads)
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
by Mitch Albom
A man's journey to the afterlife, meeting five people who help him find closure.
From the author of the phenomenal #1 New York Times bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie, a novel that explores the unexpected connections of our lives, and the idea that heaven is more than a place; it's ... (Goodreads)
Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris
A humorous, autobiographical account of a man's experiences learning French and growing up.
David Sedaris' move to Paris from New York inspired these hilarious pieces, including the title essay, about his attempts to learn French from a sadistic teacher who declares that every day spent ... (Goodreads)
The Nicomachean Ethics
by Aristotle
An exploration of virtue and morality, providing guidance on how to live a good life.
‘One swallow does not make a summer; neither does one day. Similarly neither can one day, or a brief space of time, make a man blessed and happy’ In the Nicomachean Ethics , Aristotle sets out to ... (Goodreads)
The Archived
by Victoria Schwab
A girl discovers a hidden world of secrets and supernatural beings when she starts working in a library for the dead.
Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in ... (Barnes & Noble)
Letters to a Young Poet
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Uplifting and inspiring words of wisdom, encouraging a young poet to find his own artistic voice.
In 1903, a student at a military academy sent some of his verses to a well-known Austrian poet, requesting an assessment of their value. The older artist, Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926), replied to ... (Goodreads)
Selected Poems
by Emily Dickinson
Collection of poems exploring various themes of life, death, and the nature of reality.
Although Emily Dickinson wrote nearly 2,000 poems, only a handful were ever published in her lifetime, and those anonymously. Today, she is recognized as one of the most important American poets of ... (Barnes & Noble)
100 Selected Poems
by E.E. Cummings
An exploration of life, love, and the beauty of nature through the lens of poetry.
E.E. Cummings is without question one of the major poets of this century, and this volume, first published in 1959, is indispensable for every lover of modern lyrical verse. It contains one hundred ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Poetry of Robert Frost
by Robert Frost
Collection of masterfully crafted poems examining the beauty, challenges and complexities of life.
A feast for lovers of American literature-the work of our greatest poet, redesigned and relaunched for a new generation of readers No poet is more emblematically American than Robert Frost. From "The ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ
by José Saramago
A retelling of the life of Jesus Christ, delving into his motivations and emotions.
This is a skeptic' s journey into the meaning of God and of human existence. At once an ironic rendering of the life of Christ and a beautiful novel, Saramago' s tale has sparked intense discussion ... (Goodreads)
The World According to Garp
by John Irving
A humorous and heart-wrenching journey of life, love and literature.
This is the life and times of T. S. Garp, the bastard son of Jenny Fields—a feminist leader ahead of her times. This is the life and death of a famous mother and her almost-famous son; theirs is a ... (Goodreads)
Stories of Your Life and Others
by Ted Chiang
A collection of short stories exploring themes of science, technology, and humanity.
Ted Chiang's first published story, ",Tower of Babylon," won the Nebula Award in 1990. Subsequent stories have won the Asimov's SF Magazine reader poll, a second Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon ... (Goodreads)
Bookends
by Jane Green
Two women's friendship and life journeys, exploring the joys and challenges of adulthood.
On the heels of her national bestsellers, Jemima J, and, Mr. Maybe, British sensation Jane Green delivers a sparkling tale of old friends reunited and old jealousies rekindled. Catherine Warner and ... (Goodreads)
Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Watterson
The adventures of a young boy and his imaginary tiger friend, exploring the world with humor and imagination.
This is the first collection of the popular comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life. ... (Goodreads)
A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
A humorous and heartwarming tale of an old man's life journey of redemption and second chances.
"Ove is a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People ... (Wikipedia)
On the Shortness of Life
by Seneca
Philosophical reflections on the importance of living life to its fullest potential.
The Stoic writings of the philosopher Seneca offer powerful insights into the art of living, the importance of reason and morality, and continue to provide profound guidance to many through their ... (Goodreads)
The Road Not Taken and Other Poems
by Robert Frost
Collection of poems exploring the power of choice, the passage of time, and the beauty of nature.
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." These deceptively simple lines from the title poem of this collection suggest Robert ... (Goodreads)
Chronicles: Volume One
by Bob Dylan
A memoir tracking Bob Dylan's musical journey from humble beginnings to iconic status.
WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE The celebrated first memoir from arguably the most influential singer-songwriter in the country, Bob Dylan. “I’d come from a long ways off and had started a ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Prophet
by Kahlil Gibran
Collection of poetic musings about life, spirituality, and love.
Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece, The Prophet, is one of the most beloved classics of our time. Published in 1923, it has been translated into more than twenty languages, and the American editions alone ... (Goodreads)
Waiting for Godot
by Samuel Beckett
Two men wait for a mysterious figure who never arrives, reflecting on their lives and existence.
Two men, Vladimir and Estragon, have met near a leafless tree. Estragon spent the previous night lying in a ditch and receiving a beating from some unnamed assailants. The two men discuss a variety ... (Wikipedia)
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
A young boy's journey through a graveyard, learning the secrets of the dead.
The story begins as the man Jack murders most of the members of a family (later revealed to be the Dorian family) except for the toddler upstairs. Unknown to him, the toddler has climbed out of his ... (Wikipedia)
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons
by Lorna Landvik
Five friends gather for weekly meetings, supporting each other through various life struggles.
The women of Freesia Court are convinced that there is nothing good coffee, delectable desserts, and a strong shoulder can’t fix. Laughter is the glue that holds them together—the foundation of a ... (Goodreads)
The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein
An uplifting story of a race car driver and the bond between humans and animals.
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by ... (Goodreads)
A Dog's Purpose
by W. Bruce Cameron
A dog's journey to discovering its true purpose, through multiple lifetimes and owners.
The narrator first starts out as a feral Beagle / German Shepherd / terrier mix puppy. A few weeks later, after being nursed by their mother, a feral as well, the dog and his siblings Fast, Sister, ... (Wikipedia)
Charlotte's Web
by E.B. White
A young farm girl and a brave pig form an unlikely friendship, teaching us all about love and loyalty.
After a little girl named Fern Arable pleads for the life of the runt of a litter of piglets, her father gives her the pig to nurture, and she names him Wilbur. She treats him as a pet, but a month ... (Wikipedia)
Reaper Man
by Terry Pratchett
A humorous fantasy adventure featuring a young witch and her Discworld allies.
The Auditors of Reality are beings who watch the Discworld to ensure everything obeys The Rules. As Death starts developing a personality the Auditors feel that he does not perform his Duty in the ... (Wikipedia)
Mrs. Dalloway
by Virginia Woolf
A day in the life of a high-society woman, delving into her inner thoughts and feelings.
Clarissa Dalloway goes around London in the morning, getting ready to host a party that evening. The nice day reminds her of her youth spent in the countryside in Bourton and makes her wonder about ... (Wikipedia)
Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes
by Shauna Niequist
An exploration of the power of food, hospitality, community and relationships.
Author of the, New York Times, bestseller, Present Over Perfect,, Shauna Niequist provides the perfect read for those who love food and value the community and connection of family and friends around ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Death in the Family
by Karl Ove Knausgård
Autobiographical account of a young Norwegian man's struggles with life.
Romanen åpner med en svimlende beskrivelse av døden. Derfra fortelles det om forfatteren Karl Ove Knausgårds kamp for å mestre livet og seg selv og sine egne ambisjoner på skrivingens vegne, i møte ... (Goodreads)
I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
by Amy Sedaris
A hilarious guide to entertaining and living with style, grace, and a generous spirit.
The inspiration for the TV show, At Home with Amy Sedaris,, here is a hilarious, helpful, and informative guide on how to entertain.,Are you lacking direction in how to whip up a swanky soiree for ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Time Keeper
by Mitch Albom
A man is sent on a journey to discover the true meaning of time.
From the author who's inspired millions worldwide with books like, Tuesdays with Morrie, and, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, comes his most imaginative novel yet,, The Time Keeper,—a compelling ... (Barnes & Noble)
Life After Life
by Kate Atkinson
A woman lives multiple lives, reflecting on choices and consequences and the power of love.
The novel has an unusual structure, repeatedly looping back in time to describe alternative possible lives for its central character, Ursula Todd, who is born on 11 February 1910 to an ... (Wikipedia)
The Bone Clocks
by David Mitchell
A time-spanning saga of a war between two powerful supernatural forces.
Following a scalding row with her mother, fifteen-year-old Holly Sykes slams the door on her old life. But Holly is no typical teenage runaway: a sensitive child once contacted by voices she knew ... (Goodreads)
Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar
by Cheryl Strayed
Collection of heartfelt advice from a wise and compassionate storyteller.
Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can’t pay the bills - and it can be great: you've had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the ... (Goodreads)
Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie Babbitt
A young girl discovers the secret of a family that has found the key to eternal life.
12-year-old Winifred "Winnie" Foster is frustrated with her family because they keep her cooped up in the house, and considers running away from her home in rural Treegap. One day, while in a wooded ... (Wikipedia)
Every Last One
by Anna Quindlen
A family's search for resilience as they face tragedy and unexpected struggles.
The latest novel from Pulitzer Prize-winner Anna Quindlen In this breathtaking and beautiful novel, the #1 New York Times" bestselling author Anna Quindlen creates an unforgettable portrait of a ... (Goodreads)
Different Seasons
by Stephen King
Four novellas exploring the power of morality, justice, and redemption.
Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption–the most satisfying tale of unjust imprisonment and offbeat escape since The Count of Monte Cristo. Apt Pupil--a golden California schoolboy and an old man ... (Goodreads)
The Truce
by Mario Benedetti
A story of love and hope amidst the violence of the Uruguayan Civil War.
The film opens on Martín Santomé's ( Héctor Alterio ) 49th birthday, a widower and the father of three children: the eldest, the embittered Esteban ( Luis Brandoni ); the caring middle-child Blanca ( ... (Wikipedia)
Replay
by Ken Grimwood
A man relives his life multiple times, each time making different choices.
Jeff Winston was 43 and trapped in a tepid marriage and a dead-end job, waiting for that time when he could be truly happy, when he died. And when he woke and he was 18 again, with all his memories ... (Goodreads)
The Last Anniversary
by Liane Moriarty
A young woman's pursuit of the truth behind a mysterious family secret.
From Liane Moriarty, author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers , comes an unforgettable novel defined by her signature sharp wit, page-turning storyline, ... (Barnes & Noble)
When Breath Becomes Air
by Paul Kalanithi
A doctor's poignant memoir about life, mortality and purpose in the face of terminal illness.
For readers of Atul Gawande, Andrew Solomon, and Anne Lamott, a profoundly moving, exquisitely observed memoir by a young neurosurgeon faced with a terminal cancer diagnosis who attempts to answer ... (Goodreads)
Mortality
by Christopher Hitchens
Reflections on the inevitability of death, drawing on personal and philosophical insights.
On June 8, 2010, while on a book tour for his bestselling memoir, Hitch-22 , Christopher Hitchens was stricken in his New York hotel room with excruciating pain in his chest and thorax. As he would ... (Barnes & Noble)
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)
Jitterbug Perfume
by Tom Robbins
A journey through time and space, exploring the mysteries of life, death, and the pursuit of immortality.
A powerful and chiseled 8th-century king named Alobar narrowly escapes regicide at the hands of his own subjects, from a custom of killing the leader at the first sign of aging. After fleeing, no ... (Wikipedia)
The Humans
by Matt Haig
A man's journey of self-discovery, struggling to understand the complexities of being human.
Body-snatching has never been so heartwarming . . . The Humans is a funny, compulsively readable novel about alien abduction, mathematics, and that most interesting subject of all: ourselves. Combine ... (Goodreads)
I Was Here
by Gayle Forman
A grieving teenager searches for answers after her best friend's sudden suicide.
Cody and Meg were inseparable. Two peas in a pod. Until . . . they weren’t anymore. When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is ... (Goodreads)
The Essential Rumi
by Rumi
Collection of the spiritual poet's works, exploring life, love, and the divine.
This revised and expanded edition of The Essential Rumi includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks and more than 80 never-before-published poems. Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has ... (Barnes & Noble)
They Both Die at the End
by Adam Silvera
Two strangers, united by fate, explore life and death while forming a unique bond.
Adam Silvera reminds us that there’s no life without death and no love without loss in this devastating yet uplifting story about two people whose lives change over the course of one unforgettable ... (Goodreads)
The End of Your Life Book Club
by Will Schwalbe
Exploration of the importance of books and relationships through the story of a mother and son's book club.
The inspiring story of a son and his dying mother, who form a "book club" that brings them together as her life comes to a close. Mary Anne Schwalbe is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments when ... (Goodreads)
Dear Life
by Alice Munro
A collection of stories of ordinary people facing extraordinary moments of change and transformation.
Suffused with Munro's clarity of vision and her unparalleled gift for storytelling, these tales about departures and beginnings, accidents and dangers, and outgoings and homecomings both imagined and ... (Goodreads)
One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories
by B.J. Novak
Collection of short stories, exploring the quirks of life with wit and humor.
New York Times Bestseller , A startlingly original debut from the actor, writer, director, and executive producer hailed as “a gifted observer of the human condition and a very funny writer capable ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Sandman: Overture
by Neil Gaiman
A cosmic journey of interdimensional exploration, revealing the secrets of the universe.
On an alien world, an aspect of Dream senses that something is very wrong, and dies in flames. In London 1915, while intending to deal with the troublesome nightmare The Corinthian , Morpheus is ... (Wikipedia)
How Will You Measure Your Life?
by Clayton M. Christensen
Exploring the purpose of life through personal stories and business insights.
In 2010 world-renowned innovation expert Clayton M. Christensen gave a powerful speech to the Harvard Business School's graduating class. Drawing upon his business research, he offered a series of ... (Goodreads)
The Sky Is Everywhere
by Jandy Nelson
A young girl's exploration of love and loss amidst a tumultuous family life.
Adrift after her sister Bailey's sudden death, Lennie finds herself torn between quiet, seductive Toby—Bailey's boyfriend who shares her grief—and Joe, the new boy in town who bursts with life and ... (Goodreads)
Secondhand Souls
by Christopher Moore
A madcap adventure through the streets of San Francisco to save the city from an ancient supernatural force.
In San Francisco, the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing—and you know that can't be good—in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore's delightfully funny sequel to A Dirty ... (Goodreads)
Love Is a Dog from Hell
by Charles Bukowski
A poetic exploration of the human experience, from joy to heartache and everything in between.
Collection of poems rising from and returning to Bukowski's personal experiences reflect people, objects, places, and events of the external world, and reflects on them, on their way out and back. ... (Goodreads)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
by Jean-Dominique Bauby
A paralyzed man's memoir, transcribed through blinking his left eye.
On December 8, 1995, Bauby, the editor-in-chief of French, Elle, magazine, suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma . He awoke 20 days later, mentally aware of his surroundings, but physically ... (Wikipedia)
Surface Detail
by Iain M. Banks
A sci-fi space opera exploring the consequences of virtual immortality.
It begins in the realm of the Real, where matter still matters. It begins with a murder. It will not end until the Culture has gone to war with death itself. Lededje Y'breq is one of the Intagliated, ... (Goodreads)
All My Friends Are Dead
by Avery Monsen
A lighthearted exploration of death, in the context of the animal kingdom.
"Laugh out loud funny, and a tiny bit disturbing. In other words, perfect.", - The Huffington Post An amusing and captivating tale that's a delightful primer for laughing at the inevitable: If you're ... (Goodreads)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A man's journey through life in reverse, exploring the meaning of life and death.
In 1860 Baltimore , Benjamin is born with the physical appearance of a 70-year-old man, already capable of speech. His father Roger invites neighborhood boys to play with him and orders him to play ... (Wikipedia)
The Age of Miracles
by Karen Thompson Walker
An exploration of the effects of a global phenomenon on a young girl's life.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY,, People ∙ O: The Oprah Magazine ∙ Financial Times ∙ Kansas City Star ∙ BookPage ∙ Kirkus Reviews ∙ Publishers Weekly ∙ Booklist, , , With a voice as ... (Barnes & Noble)
Our Town
by Thornton Wilder
A story of life in a small town, exploring the beauty and brevity of ordinary moments.
Our Town was first produced and published in 1938 to wide acclaim. This Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of life in the small village of Grover's Corners, an allegorical representation of all life, has ... (Goodreads)
Outline
by Rachel Cusk
A woman's journey of self-reflection, exploring relationships and the complexities of life.
An English woman writer flies to Athens to teach a summer writing workshop. On the plane, she meets an older Greek bachelor , who tells her about his two failed marriages. The next day she meets with ... (Wikipedia)
Maybe in Another Life
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A woman's journey of self-discovery, exploring the alternate paths her life could have taken.
From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in ... (Goodreads)
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism
by Fumio Sasaki
A minimalist lifestyle guide, reshaping our relationship with possessions.
The best-selling phenomenon from Japan that shows us a minimalist life is a happy life. Fumio Sasaki is not an enlightened minimalism expert or organizing guru like Marie Kondo—he’s just a regular ... (Barnes & Noble)
Life and Other Near-Death Experiences
by Camille Pagán
A woman's journey to create a life of her own design, and all the highs and lows that come with it.
Libby Miller has always been an unwavering optimist—but when her husband drops a bomb on their marriage the same day a doctor delivers devastating news, she realizes her rose-colored glasses have ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
by Sogyal Rinpoche
Guide to attaining inner peace in life and death, drawing from Buddhist wisdom.
“A magnificent achievement. In its power to touch the heart, to awaken consciousness, [ The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying ] is an inestimable gift.” — San Francisco Chronicle A newly revised and ... (Goodreads)
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
by Nora Ephron
A humorous and poignant look at the struggles of aging and being a woman in modern society.
With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in I Feel Bad About My Neck, a candid, hilarious look at women who are ... (Goodreads)
The Mouse on the Mile
by Stephen King
Story of a convict's journey to redemption, through the harrowing realities of prison life.
Featuring a first-person narrative told by Paul Edgecombe, the novel switches between Paul as an old man in the Georgia Pines nursing home writing down his story in 1996, and his time in 1932 as the ... (Wikipedia)
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
by Mitch Albom
A sweeping musical journey through the life of a Spanish guitar prodigy.
“Talent is a piece of God’s shadow, and under that shadow, human stories intersect.,”, A Spanish war orphan born in a burning church and raised by a blind guitar teacher, Frankie Presto was gifted ... (Barnes & Noble)
Zorba the Greek
by Nikos Kazantzakis
A man embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning to embrace life with gusto and joy.
The book opens in a café in Piraeus , just before dawn on a gusty autumn morning. The year is most likely 1916. The narrator, a young Greek intellectual, resolves to set aside his books for a few ... (Wikipedia)
UnSouled
by Neal Shusterman
A young boy discovers that he was born without an immortal soul, embarking on a journey to save the world.
Teens fight for their humanity in this thrilling third book in the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology by Neal Shusterman. Connor and Lev are on the run after the destruction of the ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Days Are Just Packed
by Bill Watterson
A collection of witty and whimsical comic strips exploring the daily life of a boy and his stuffed tiger.
Zounds! Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, the ferocious tiger Hobbes, and the rest of Calvin's riotous imagination are all included in The Days Are Just Packed . Calvin, the self-proclaimed "Boy of ... (Goodreads)
The Last Lecture
by Randy Pausch
Reflection on life and lessons learned, approaching death with courage and optimism.
A lot of professors give talks titled 'The Last Lecture'. Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we ... (Goodreads)
Any Human Heart
by William Boyd
A man's life journey, chronicling his loves, losses, and adventures.
Logan Gonzago Mountstuart, writer, was born in 1906, and died of a heart attack on October 5, 1991, aged 85. William Boyd's novel Any Human Heart is his disjointed autobiography, a massive tome ... (Goodreads)
Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver
A high school student relives the same day over and over, learning to appreciate life.
The story begins on a seemingly normal day for the popular 17-year-old Samantha "Sam" Kingston. On February 12, known as " Cupid's Day ," Sam goes about her day as normal with her three best ... (Wikipedia)
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
by C.S. Lewis
Autobiography of an Oxford professor's spiritual journey from atheism to faith.
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life is a partial autobiography describing Lewis' conversion to Christianity. The book overall contains less detail concerning specific events than typical ... (Goodreads)
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
by Anna Quindlen
Reflective musings on life, aging and the joys of growing older.
In this irresistible memoir, the #1 New York Times bestselling author writes about her life and the lives of women today, looking back and ahead - and celebrating it all - as she considers marriage, ... (Goodreads)
More Than This
by Patrick Ness
Young adult discovers a mysterious afterlife and must make choices that will determine his ultimate fate.
The book begins with a 16-year-old boy, Seth Wearing, drowning. He finds himself in what he assumes is a hell made for him, as it resembles the Southern English town he was born in before moving to ... (Wikipedia)
It's Not Summer Without You
by Jenny Han
A teenage girl's summer of romance, friendship, and family secrets.
Belly finds out what comes after falling in love in this follow-up to, The Summer I Turned Pretty, from the, New York Times, bestselling author of, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, (now a major ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Map of the World
by Jane Hamilton
A story of tragedy, resilience and redemption, revealing the fragility of life.
One unremarkable June morning, Alice Goodwin is, as usual, trying to keep in check both her temper and her tendency to blame herself for her family's shortcomings. When the Goodwins took over the ... (Goodreads)
What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love
by Carole Radziwill
A memoir of a woman's journey through love, loss, and friendship.
On a clear summer night in July 1999, a small plane plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, carrying John Kennedy, his wife, Carolyn, and her sister Laura. Three weeks later, John's cousin Anthony Radziwill ... (Goodreads)
Death with Interruptions
by José Saramago
A mysterious phenomenon that stops all deaths leading to a dilemma of moral, ethical and social implications.
The book, set in an unnamed, landlocked country at a point in the unspecified past, opens with the end of death. Mysteriously, at the stroke of midnight on January 1, no one in the country ... (Wikipedia)
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
by Rachel Cohn
Two teens in New York City embark on an unforgettable night of music and adventure.
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked in to his band's show. With a new guy. And then, ... (Goodreads)
The Poetry of Pablo Neruda
by Pablo Neruda
A collection of lyrical verses that evoke emotion and explore themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
The most comprehensive English-language collection of work ever by "the greatest poet of the twentieth century - in any language" - Gabriel García Márquez "In his work a continent awakens to ... (Goodreads)
Requiem
by Lauren Oliver
A young girl's journey of grief and self-discovery as she navigates a post-apocalyptic world.
The third and final book in Lauren Oliver’s powerful New York Times bestselling trilogy about forbidden love, revolution, and the power to choose. Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has ... (Barnes & Noble)
Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story
by Chuck Klosterman
An exploration of life and death, featuring road trips to music-related death sites.
Building on the national bestselling success of, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, preeminent pop culture writer Chuck Klosterman unleashes his best book yet—the story of his cross-country tour of sites ... (Goodreads)
Maude
by Donna Foley Mabry
A coming-of-age story of a young woman's personal journey to find her place in the world.
In 1906, I was barely over fourteen years old, and it was my wedding day. My older sister, Helen, came to my room, took me by the hand, and sat me down on the bed. She opened her mouth to say ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories
by Marina Keegan
Collection of essays and stories exploring love, loss, and the complexities of life.
An affecting and hope-filled posthumous collection of essays and stories from the talented young Yale graduate whose title essay captured the world’s attention in 2012 and turned her into an icon for ... (Goodreads)
The Stone Diaries
by Carol Shields
A woman's life story told through a series of vignettes, examining the joys and sorrows of life.
The book is the fictional autobiography of Daisy Goodwill Flett, a seemingly ordinary woman whose life is marked by death and loss from the beginning, when her mother dies during childbirth. Through ... (Wikipedia)
The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud
by Ben Sherwood
A man's journey of self-discovery after the death of his younger brother.
Charlie St. Cloud (age 15) and Sam (12) are two brothers with a love so strong, no force can separate them. When their mom leaves Charlie to babysit Sam, they decide to go to watch a 1991 Red Sox ... (Wikipedia)
Open House
by Elizabeth Berg
A woman's search for a sense of belonging, exploring the importance of human connection.
Throughout the 20 years of her marriage, Samantha Morrow has been content with her life, though she knows it isn't perfect. She has a nice home, a great son, and a husband she loves. But everything ... (Wikipedia)
Before I Die
by Jenny Downham
A teenage girl's journey to live life to the fullest before succumbing to a terminal illness.
Tessa is diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia . Despite four years of chemotherapy , she has discovered that her cancer is terminal and her doctors give her a short time to live. Tessa, with ... (Wikipedia)
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