Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Privilege
Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools
by Jonathan Kozol
An exposé of the disparities in America's public education system and its effects on children.
National Book Award-winning author Jonathan Kozol presents his shocking account of the American educational system in this stunning "New York Times" bestseller, which has sold more than 250,000 ... (Goodreads)
Outliers: The Story of Success
by Malcolm Gladwell
Examining the keys to success, exploring the cultural, family, and psychological factors that drive achievement.
Learn what sets high achievers apart – from Bill Gates to the Beatles -- in this #1 bestseller from "a singular talent" (,New York Times Book Review,). In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes ... (Goodreads)
The Line of Beauty
by Alan Hollinghurst
The story of a young gay man in Thatcher's England, navigating his identity and sexuality.
The novel is set in Britain in three parts, taking place in 1983, 1986 and 1987. The story surrounds the young gay protagonist, Nick Guest. Nick is middle-class and from the fictional market town of ... (Wikipedia)
So Much for That
by Lionel Shriver
A man's life is turned upside down when his wife is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He navigates the healthcare system and questions the value of life.
Shep Knacker has long saved for "the Afterlife," an idyllic retreat in the Third World where his nest egg can last forever. Exasperated that his wife, Glynis, has concocted endless excuses why it's ... (Goodreads)
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives
by Dashka Slater
Examines a single act of violence, exploring its impact on two disparate lives.
A, New York Times, Bestseller Stonewall Book Award Winner—Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children's & Young Adult Literature Award,YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist One ... (Barnes & Noble)
Small Great Things
by Jodi Picoult
A gripping story of racism and justice, exploring the intersections of power and privilege.
#1, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER • With richly layered characters and a gripping moral dilemma that will lead readers to question everything they know about privilege, power, and race,, Small Great ... (Barnes & Noble)
Prep
by Curtis Sittenfeld
A teenage girl's struggle to find her place and identity in an elite prep school.
Curtis Sittenfeld’s debut novel, Prep , is an insightful, achingly funny coming-of-age story as well as a brilliant dissection of class, race, and gender in a hothouse of adolescent angst and ... (Goodreads)
Crazy Rich Asians
by Kevin Kwan
An entertaining look at the extravagant lifestyles of the ultra-wealthy in Singapore.
The book is told from the perspective of five main characters: Rachel Chu, Nicholas (Nick) Young, Eleanor Young, Astrid Leong, and Edison Cheng. The story revolves around the grand wedding of ... (Wikipedia)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred D. Taylor
A family's story of struggle and survival during the Great Depression in the segregated American South.
Nine-year-old Cassie Logan is walking to school with her siblings Stacey (twelve years old), Christopher-John (seven years old), and Little Man,(six years old), in rural Mississippi . Cassie talks ... (Wikipedia)
Little Fires Everywhere
by Celeste Ng
Unexpected tensions arise between two families in a small American town.
The #1, New York Times, bestseller! “Witty, wise, and tender. It's a marvel.” —Paula Hawkins, author of, The Girl on the Train, and, A Slow Fire Burning,“To say I love this book is an understatement. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
by Alexandra Fuller
An autobiographical account of a white family in Rhodesia, struggling to survive in a war-torn land.
Alexandra Fuller's book tells the story of her family of white Zimbabwean tenant farmers in the years before and after Independence. These are not the wealthy landowners demonised by the present ... (Wikipedia)
A Fighting Chance
by Elizabeth Warren
Autobiographical account of the Senator's rise from a middle-class family to the halls of power.
An unlikely political star tells the inspiring story of the two-decade journey that taught her how Washington really works—and really doesn't—in A Fighting Chance As a child in small-town Oklahoma, ... (Goodreads)
White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America
by Nancy Isenberg
An in-depth analysis of the history of class in America, examining the lasting impact of the Establishment's grip on power.
In her groundbreaking history of the class system in America, extending from colonial times to the present, Nancy Isenberg takes on our comforting myths about equality, uncovering the crucial legacy ... (Goodreads)
White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son
by Tim Wise
A personal account of growing up white in America and the privileges that come with it, while exploring the realities of racism and white privilege.
In White Like Me, Tim Wise offers a highly personal examination of the ways in which racial privilege shapes the lives of most white Americans, overtly racist or not, to the detriment of people of ... (Goodreads)
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain
by Phoebe Robinson
A humorous exploration of race, identity, and the everyday microaggressions faced by black women.
A hilarious and affecting essay collection about race, gender, and pop culture from celebrated stand-up comedian and WNYC podcaster Phoebe Robinson. Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comic, which means ... (Goodreads)
Stupid White Men
by Michael Moore
A sarcastic, incisive critique of contemporary American society and politics.
Now with more than three million copies sold, Oscar-winning filmmaker and political activist Michael Moore's bestseller, Stupid White Men, tells you everything you need to know about how the great ... (Goodreads)
All American Boys
by Jason Reynolds
Two high school boys, one black, one white, navigate race, justice and friendship.
Rashad is absent again today. That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all… Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. ... (Goodreads)
Stuff White People Like: A Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions
by Christian Lander
Satirical exploration of the lifestyle preferences and cultural quirks of white people in the United States.
They love nothing better than sipping free-trade gourmet coffee, leafing through the Sunday New York Times , and listening to David Sedaris on NPR (ideally all at the same time). Apple products, ... (Goodreads)
Ruby
by V.C. Andrews
A family's secrets, unraveling of a dark past and the power of friendship.
In the heart of the bayou, Ruby Landry lives a simple, happy life. But innocence can't last forever... The only family Ruby Landry has ever known are her loving guardian, Grandmère Catherine, a Cajun ... (Goodreads)
The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family
by Mary S. Lovell
A sweeping tale of a powerful family, spanning generations and continents.
This is the story of a British upper class family splintered by the violent ideologies of Europe between the two World Wars. Jessica was a Communist; Debo became the Duchess of Devonshire; Nancy was ... (Goodreads)
We Were Liars
by E. Lockhart
A story of family secrets, forbidden love, and a tragic mystery unravelling.
Cadence Sinclair Eastman is the eldest grandchild of the wealthy Harris Sinclair. Although her family pretends to be perfect, Cadence knows that beneath the surface, wealth and privilege have taken ... (Wikipedia)
Mind of My Mind
by Octavia E. Butler
A superhuman with special abilities battles to control a psychic network of slaves.
This second novel in the series recounts the story of how the Patternist society originated. The novel is set in Forsyth, California, a city near Los Angeles, in the 1970s. The leader of the ... (Wikipedia)
Manners & Mutiny
by Gail Carriger
A young girl's journey to a prestigious finishing school, where she must navigate the politics of the upper-class.
If one must flirt...flirt with danger., Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweet sootie Soap nearby. She would ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Bonfire of the Vanities
by Tom Wolfe
An ambitious Wall Street banker's moral downfall in New York City.
The story centers on Sherman McCoy, a successful New York City bond trader . His $3 million Park Avenue co-op , combined with his aristocratic wife's extravagances and other expenses required to keep ... (Wikipedia)
Tales of the Jazz Age
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A collection of short stories that capture the spirit of the roaring twenties, exploring themes of love, wealth, and the American Dream.
"The Jelly-Bean" "The Camel's Back" "May Day" "Porcelain and Pink" "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" "Tarquin of Cheapside" "Oh Russet Witch!" "The Lees of ... (Goodreads)
Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race
by Debby Irving
A personal exploration of the author's journey to understand her own privilege and racism as a white woman in America.
Waking Up White is the book Irving wishes someone had handed her decades ago. By sharing her sometimes cringe-worthy struggle to understand racism and racial tensions, she offers a fresh perspective ... (Goodreads)
A Man in Full
by Tom Wolfe
A portrait of Atlanta's elite and the racial and economic divides that plague society.
The setting is Atlanta, Georgia — a racially mixed, late-century boomtown full of fresh wealth and wily politicians. The protagonist is Charles Croker, once a college football star, now a ... (Goodreads)
The Royal We
by Heather Cocks
A modern fairytale of a young woman's romance with a prince, and the challenges of life as a royal.
An American girl finds her prince in this "fun and dishy" (, People,) royal romance inspired by Prince William and Kate Middleton.,American Bex Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister ... (Barnes & Noble)
Daniel Deronda
by George Eliot
Story of a man's struggle to reconcile his Jewish identity and the expectations of English society.
Daniel Deronda contains two main strains of plot, united by the title character. The novel begins in late August 1865 , with the meeting of Daniel Deronda and Gwendolen Harleth in the fictional town ... (Wikipedia)
Gentlemen and Players
by Joanne Harris
A tale of secrets and lies, as two men battle a deadly game of chess.
As the new school year starts in September, Roy Straitley is looking forward to his 100th term at St Oswald's, where he has been teaching for 33 years. Having never married, he lives alone and has ... (Wikipedia)
The Music of Chance
by Paul Auster
Two men's struggle for survival in a world of wealth and privilege.
Jim Nashe is a fireman with a two-year-old daughter and wife who has just left him. Knowing he cannot work and raise a child at the same time, he sends her to live with his sister. Six months of ... (Wikipedia)
Well-Schooled in Murder
by Elizabeth George
Detective Lynley investigates a murder at an exclusive boarding school.
Teacher John Corntel asks his former Eton schoolmate Lynley for help when the 13 year old schoolboy Matthew Whateley has disappeared. Initially Lynley refuses, until Deborah St James finds the naked ... (Wikipedia)
Negroland
by Margo Jefferson
Memoir of growing up in the black elite of 1950s-60s America, exploring race, class, and identity.
At once incendiary and icy, mischievous and provocative, celebratory and elegiac—here is a deeply felt meditation on race, sex, and American culture through the prism of the author’s rarefied ... (Goodreads)
If you enjoyed this, try uploading your goodreads reviews and seeing what recommendations we can come up with for you.