Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Resilience
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
A study of the role of randomness in life, and how it can lead to unexpected events.
A black swan is a highly improbable event with three principal characteristics: It is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear ... (Goodreads)
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)
The Count of Monte Cristo
by Alexandre Dumas
A tale of revenge and redemption, as a man escapes the injustice of his imprisonment and seeks justice.
In 1815, Edmond Dantès, a young merchant sailor returns to Marseille to marry his Catalan fiancée Mercédès. He brings in the ship Pharaon to the owner, M Morrel, as his captain Leclère died on the ... (Wikipedia)
The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
A father and son journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape, facing the harsh realities of survival.
A father and his young son journey on foot across the post-apocalyptic ash-covered United States some years after an extinction event . The boy's mother, pregnant with him at the time of the ... (Wikipedia)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J.K. Rowling
Final installment of the Harry Potter series, as Harry attempts to defeat the Dark Lord.
Throughout the six previous novels in the series , the main character Harry Potter has struggled with the difficulties of adolescence along with being famous as the only person ever to survive the ... (Wikipedia)
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
by Jung Chang
A family memoir spanning decades of Chinese history, exploring the power of resilience.
The story of three generations in twentieth-century China that blends the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history—a bestselling classic in thirty languages with more than ten ... (Goodreads)
The Last Olympian
by Rick Riordan
The Olympians must unite forces to prevent the destruction of Olympus and the world.
While Percy Jackson is on a drive with Rachel Dare , he is approached by Charles Beckendorf , and the two head off to attack Luke's ship, The Princess Andromeda . Kronos , hosted in the mortal body ... (Wikipedia)
Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
by Allie Brosh
A humorous and candid account of the author's life, exploring the highs and lows of everyday life.
#1, New York Times, Bestseller “Funny and smart as hell” (Bill Gates), Allie Brosh’s, Hyperbole and a Half, showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with ... (Barnes & Noble)
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
by Art Spiegelman
A graphic novel depicting the traumatic experiences of a Holocaust survivor and his son.
The first installment of the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel acclaimed as “the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust” (Wall Street Journal) and “the first ... (Goodreads)
Meditations
by Marcus Aurelius
Reflections on Stoic philosophy, exploring the nature of existence and how to live life.
Written in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual ... (Goodreads)
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand
An extraordinary tale of struggle and survival, showing the power of resilience in the face of adversity.
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean ... (Goodreads)
It
by Stephen King
A group of misfit children fighting against a shape-shifting monster in a small Maine town.
During a heavy rainstorm in Derry, Maine , a six-year-old boy named Georgie Denbrough sails a paper boat his brother made for him along the rainy streets before it washes down into a storm drain. ... (Wikipedia)
Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
A spiritual journey of a young man who is stranded in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger.
Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist, Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, a Tamil boy from Pondicherry, explores issues of spirituality and practicality ... (Goodreads)
All the Light We Cannot See
by Anthony Doerr
Two young lives intertwine during World War II, spanning continents and cultures.
Marie-Laure lives in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where her father works. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, ... (Goodreads)
The Goldfinch
by Donna Tartt
A young boy's journey of self-discovery as he navigates his way through a world of art and crime.
The Goldfinch is told in retrospective first-person narration by Theodore "Theo" Decker. As a thirteen-year-old boy, Theo's life is turned upside down when he and his mother visit the Metropolitan ... (Wikipedia)
Cutting for Stone
by Abraham Verghese
A sweeping journey of two twin brothers and their search for identity, belonging and family.
The story is told by the protagonist, Marion Stone. He and his conjoined twin Shiva are born at Mission Hospital (called "Missing" in accordance with the local pronunciation), Addis Ababa , in ... (Wikipedia)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer
A journey through the aftermath of World War II in the company of a unique and inspiring cast of characters.
In January 1946, 32-year-old Juliet Ashton embarks on a cross-country tour across England to promote her latest book. Written under her pen-name Izzy Bickerstaff , the book is a compilation of ... (Wikipedia)
The Bluest Eye
by Toni Morrison
Coming of age story of a young Black girl dealing with prejudice and racism in 1940s Ohio.
In Lorain, Ohio , nine-year-old Claudia MacTeer and her 10-year-old sister Frieda live with their parents, a tenant named Mr. Henry, and Pecola Breedlove, a temporary foster child whose house was ... (Wikipedia)
Dealing with Dragons
by Patricia C. Wrede
A young princess embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning to stand up for herself and others.
Princess Cimorene is frustrated by her life and persuades the castle staff to teach her fencing, magic, cooking, Latin, and other interesting subjects that are considered very "improper" for ... (Wikipedia)
A Monster Calls
by Patrick Ness
A young boy's journey of self-discovery, coming to terms with his mother's terminal illness.
Thirteen-year-old Conor O'Malley awakens from the same nightmare he has been experiencing for the past few months, "the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming". At seven minutes after ... (Wikipedia)
The Queen's Gambit
by Walter Tevis
A young prodigy's quest to become the best chess player in the world.
The Queen's Gambit traces chess prodigy Beth Harmon's life from her childhood in an orphanage through her struggles with tranquilizer and alcohol addiction to her triumphant rise through the ... (Wikipedia)
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst
A young boy experiences a day of unfortunate events, learning to accept his feelings and move on.
Alexander narrates the story of having a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day. From the moment Alexander woke up, he noticed the bubble gum that was in his mouth when he fell asleep had now ... (Wikipedia)
Out of My Mind
by Sharon M. Draper
A young girl with cerebral palsy struggles to overcome obstacles and prove her ability.
Melody Brooks is a girl who was born with cerebral palsy . Also, who is ten years old. Her parents have done everything they can to help her live a normal life, but life is often frustrating for ... (Wikipedia)
The Obelisk Gate
by N.K. Jemisin
A magical journey of survival, facing cosmic forces that threaten the universe.
The story is told primarily from the perspectives of Essun, a powerful orogene driven out of her home at the beginning of the first book, and Nassun, her adolescent daughter. Schaffa, Essun's former ... (Wikipedia)
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
by Carol S. Dweck
Examining the impact of mindset on achievement, and strategies to cultivate a growth mindset for success.
A newer edition of this book can be found, here., After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the ... (Goodreads)
Seveneves
by Neal Stephenson
Humanity's struggle for survival after an apocalyptic event threatens to extinguish life on Earth.
In the near future, an unknown agent causes the Moon to shatter. As the pieces begin to collide with one another, astronomer and science popularizer "Doc" Dubois Harris calculates that Moon fragments ... (Wikipedia)
The Martian
by Andy Weir
A lone astronaut fights against the odds to survive on a hostile alien planet.
In 2035, , the crew of NASA 's Ares 3 mission have arrived at Acidalia Planitia for a planned month-long stay on Mars. After only six sols , an intense dust and wind storm threatens to topple their ... (Wikipedia)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
by Maya Angelou
Autobiographical account of a Black woman's journey to find her identity in a prejudiced society.
Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Her life story is told in the documentary film And Still I Rise, as seen on PBS’s American Masters. Here is a book as ... (Goodreads)
The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
A young man's journey from humble beginnings to become a powerful wizard.
The Kingkiller Chronicle takes place in the fictional world of Temerant, a large continent of which the known part, called the Four Corners of Civilization, is divided into several distinct nations ... (Wikipedia)
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
by Phil Knight
The story of one man's dream to start a business and the obstacles he encountered along the way.
In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of ... (Goodreads)
Open
by Andre Agassi
Autobiographical account of a tennis star's career, struggles, and personal growth.
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi’s incredibly rigorous ... (Goodreads)
Room
by Emma Donoghue
A young boy's struggle to survive and escape after being held captive in a small room.
Jack lives with his Ma in Room , a secured single-room outbuilding containing a small kitchen, a basic bathroom, a wardrobe, a bed, and a TV set. Because it is all he has ever known, Jack believes ... (Wikipedia)
Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys
A young girl's story of survival and resilience in the face of oppression during World War II.
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family ... (Goodreads)
The Magic of Thinking Big
by David J. Schwartz
A guide to achieving success by shifting one's attitude and outlook on life.
The Magic of Thinking Big gives you useful methods, not empty promises. Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and ... (Goodreads)
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
by Alfred Lansing
True story of a remarkable Antarctic expedition, a testament to the power of courage and tenacity.
The harrowing tale of British explorer Ernest Shackleton's 1914 attempt to reach the South Pole, one of the greatest adventure stories of the modern age. In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest ... (Goodreads)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
A young girl is stranded on an island and must find a way to survive on her own.
The main character is a Nicoleño girl named Won-a-pa-lei, whose secret name is Karana. She has a brother named Ramo, whose curiosity usually leads to trouble, and a sister named Ulape. Her people ... (Wikipedia)
Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
Adventure story of a young girl who discovers her extraordinary abilities and the risks she must take to protect her kingdom.
This book tells the story of Katsa, a young woman with a "Grace", or power, which enhances her survival skills and makes her a highly efficient killer. It takes place in a world where Gracelings, or ... (Wikipedia)
The Hiding Place: The Triumphant True Story of Corrie Ten Boom
by Corrie ten Boom
A remarkable testament to faith and courage in the face of unfathomable odds and unspeakable horrors.
The book begins with the ten Boom family celebrating the 100th anniversary of the family business; they sell and repair watches under the family's elderly father, Casper ten Boom . The business takes ... (Wikipedia)
We Were the Lucky Ones
by Georgia Hunter
A family's struggle to survive the Holocaust, showing the power of hope in the face of tragedy.
It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new ... (Goodreads)
The Butterfly Garden
by Dot Hutchison
A young woman's struggle to escape captivity after being imprisoned in a garden of butterflies.
An Amazon Charts bestseller., Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden. In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Lost Boy
by Dave Pelzer
A heart-wrenching story of a boy's survival of extreme childhood abuse and neglect.
The book continues after the ending of the previous book,, A Child Called "It", with David Pelzer, 9 years old, running away from his home in Daly City, California . He ends up in a bar, getting ... (Wikipedia)
Twelve Years a Slave
by Solomon Northup
A man's journey of survival and resilience after being kidnapped and sold into slavery in the antebellum South.
Twelve Years a Slave, sub-title: Narrative of Solomon Northup, citizen of New-York, kidnapped in Washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the Red River in ... (Goodreads)
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
A single day in a Soviet prison camp, detailing the hardships and struggle of the inmates.
Ivan Denisovich Shukhov has been sentenced to a camp in the Soviet gulag system. He was accused of becoming a spy after being captured briefly by the Germans as a prisoner of war during World War II ... (Wikipedia)
Saga, Volume 3
by Brian K. Vaughan
A family's epic adventure of survival in a dangerous and unpredictable universe.
The Eisner, Harvey, and Hugo Award-winning phenomenon continues, as new parents Marko and Alana travel to an alien world to visit their hero, while the family's pursuers finally close in on their ... (Barnes & Noble)
Cress
by Marissa Meyer
A girl's fight to reclaim her identity and save her kingdom from a tyrannical queen.
The novel begins with an introduction to Crescent "Cress" Moon Darnel, a sixteen-year-old girl living in a satellite in space that has been her prison for most of her life. She is contacted by ... (Wikipedia)
Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
A young cyborg girl must rise above the prejudice of her society to save the world.
The story is set in a futuristic city, New Beijing, when the countries of the world have re-organized to form various new empires and alliances and the Moon has been colonized. Asia is now an ... (Wikipedia)
Elantris
by Brandon Sanderson
Epic fantasy tale of a cursed city and its inhabitants’ struggles to restore its former glory.
Elantris was once a place of magic, and the immortal Elantrians were gods in the eyes of people, with the divine ability to create and heal with a mere wave of a hand. Anyone in Arelon had the ... (Wikipedia)
A Court of Mist and Fury
by Sarah J. Maas
A young woman discovers her true strength and identity as she embarks on a dangerous journey to save her kingdom.
The seductive and stunning #1, New York Times, bestselling sequel to Sarah J. Maas’s spellbinding, A Court of Thorns and Roses,. Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her ... (Goodreads)
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk
Examining the physical, psychological and emotional effects of trauma, and how to heal.
A pioneering researcher and one of the world’s foremost experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for healing. Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful ... (Goodreads)
Man's Search for Meaning
by Viktor E. Frankl
Holocaust survivor's exploration of resilience, suffering and how to find meaning in life.
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the ... (Goodreads)
The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah
Two sisters in Nazi-occupied France struggle to survive and find strength in the face of their oppressors.
In love we find out who we want to be.,In war we find out who we are.,FRANCE, 1939 In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. ... (Goodreads)
Little House on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A family's journey of settling and persevering on the American Frontier.
Meet Laura Ingalls, the little girl who would grow up to write the Little House books. Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for Indian country! They travel from ... (Goodreads)
The Monster at the End of this Book
by Jon Stone
A humorous adventure of a creature trying to stop a book from being read.
Many adults name this book as their favorite Little Golden Book. Generations of kids have interacted with lovable, furry old Grover as he begs the reader not to turn the page—for fear of a monster at ... (Goodreads)
Hopeless
by Colleen Hoover
A young girl's journey to find hope and strength in the midst of life's darkest moments.
From the #1, New York Times, bestselling author of, All Your Perfects, comes the beginning of Sky and Dean’s passionate love story—where well-kept secrets threaten to opens wounds of a dark past. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Who Moved My Cheese?
by Spencer Johnson
A parable about navigating change through the eyes of four characters.
It is the amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life, for ... (Goodreads)
All the Bright Places
by Jennifer Niven
Two teens struggling to find hope in the face of depression and grief, discovering the power of love.
Theodore Finch and Violet Markey are two teenagers who badly want to escape from their small Indiana town. Violet is a popular girl who is secretly dealing with survivor's remorse, and Finch is a boy ... (Wikipedia)
A Fine Balance
by Rohinton Mistry
A gripping story of four unlikely lives intertwined in the tumult of India's caste system.
The book exposes the changes in Indian society from independence in 1947 to the Emergency called by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . Mistry was generally critical of Indira Gandhi in the book. ... (Wikipedia)
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
by Frederick Douglass
Memoir of a former slave's journey to freedom and his struggle for human rights.
Born a slave circa1818 (slaves weren't told when they were born) on a plantation in Maryland, Douglass taught himself to read and write. In 1845, seven years after escaping to the North, he published ... (Goodreads)
Hatchet
by Gary Paulsen
A boy must learn to survive in the wilderness after a plane crash leaves him stranded.
Brian Robeson is a thirteen-year-old son of divorced parents. As he travels from Hampton, New York on a single engine Cessna bush plane to visit his father in the oil fields in Northern Canada for ... (Wikipedia)
Smile
by Raina Telgemeier
A young girl navigates the challenges of middle school and braces, overcoming obstacles with the help of her friends.
For fans both new and old, Smile is now available with fifteen pages of never-before-seen content exclusively at B&N. Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Battle for Skandia
by John Flanagan
A group of young warriors must unite to protect their kingdom from a powerful enemy.
For Will and Evanlyn, freedom has never felt so fleeing. Still far from their homeland after escaping slavery in the icebound land of Skandia, the Ranger's apprentice and the princess's plan to ... (Goodreads)
Pandemonium
by Lauren Oliver
A teenage girl's fight for freedom and for a chance to make her own choices.
The book follows up the events of Delirium . Lena is now in the Wilds alone, and the sequel begins by switching the chapters from the present "now" and the past "then" point of view of Lena until ... (Wikipedia)
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
by Nathaniel Philbrick
True account of a whaling ship's disastrous voyage and the survivors' struggle for survival.
"With its huge, scarred head halfway out of the water and its tail beating the ocean into a white-water wake more than forty feet across, the whale approached the ship at twice its original speed - ... (Goodreads)
Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel Defoe
A shipwrecked sailor's struggle to survive on an isolated island, and his eventual redemption.
Crusoe (the family name corrupted from the German name "Kreutznaer") set sail from Kingston upon Hull on a sea voyage in August 1651, against the wishes of his parents, who wanted him to pursue a ... (Wikipedia)
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
by Marcus Luttrell
A riveting account of a heroic mission gone wrong, and the courage and strength of the Navy SEALS who faced impossible odds.
On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader ... (Goodreads)
The Killer Angels
by Michael Shaara
A gripping story of the Battle of Gettysburg, told through the eyes of the soldiers on both sides.
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , one of the major characters, remembers reciting to his father a speech from, Hamlet, : "What a piece of work is man...in action how like an angel!" Sgt. Buster Kilrain ... (Wikipedia)
The Prince of Tides
by Pat Conroy
A man's search for solace and understanding in his troubled family's past.
Tom Wingo is a middle-aged man with a wife and three young daughters who has recently lost his job as a high school English teacher and football coach. He learns that his twin sister, Savannah, has ... (Wikipedia)
Magic Hour
by Kristin Hannah
A woman's journey of self-discovery and healing, finding strength and courage to confront her past.
Dr. Julia Cates was one of the country's preeminent child psychiatrists until a shocking tragedy ruined her career. Retreating to her small western Washington hometown, Julia meets an extraordinary ... (Goodreads)
Maybe Someday
by Colleen Hoover
A young woman's journey of self-discovery and exploration of love, loss and hope.
Contains exclusive content: songs from Griffin Peterson Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble—she's a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great ... (Goodreads)
Losing Hope
by Colleen Hoover
A journey of healing and redemption as a broken couple finds their way back to each other.
#1, New York Times, bestselling author Colleen Hoover held readers spellbound with her novel, Hopeless, the story of what happened when a troubled girl named Sky encountered a long-lost childhood ... (Barnes & Noble)
Sarah's Key
by Tatiana de Rosnay
A French journalist unravels an untold story of the Holocaust, uncovering hidden secrets.
From beloved international sensation and #1, New York Times, bestselling author Tatiana de Rosnay come's her most celebrated novel, Sarah's Key,—now in mass market paperback!, Paris, July 1942: ... (Barnes & Noble)
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World
by Tracy Kidder
A story of one man's journey to fight poverty, illness, and injustice around the world.
At the center of Mountains Beyond Mountains stands Paul Farmer. Doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" grant, ... (Goodreads)
A Stolen Life
by Jaycee Dugard
A woman's harrowing account of being kidnapped and held captive for 18 years.
On 10 June 1991, eleven-year-old Jaycee Dugard was abducted from a school bus stop within sight of her home in Tahoe, California. It was the last her family and friends saw of her for over eighteen ... (Goodreads)
Go Ask Alice
by Beatrice Sparks
A teenage girl's diary chronicling her journey into drug addiction and eventual redemption.
In 1968, a 15-year-old girl begins keeping a diary, in which she records her thoughts and concerns about issues such as crushes, weight loss, sexuality, social acceptance, and relating to her ... (Wikipedia)
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
by Katherine Boo
Explores the lives of the people living in Mumbai's slums and the harsh realities they face.
From Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo, a landmark work of narrative nonfiction that tells the dramatic and sometimes heartbreaking story of families striving toward a better life in one of the ... (Goodreads)
The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken
Young adults with extraordinary powers fight for survival against a tyrannical government.
When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to ... (Goodreads)
Curious George
by H.A. Rey
A mischievous monkey's adventures, learning valuable lessons along the way.
The story opens with George, a little orphaned brown monkey, in the jungle of Africa. An unnamed man in a large yellow straw hat observes him through his binoculars and decides to bring the monkey ... (Wikipedia)
This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
by Adam Kay
A candid and darkly humorous account of a doctor's time working in the NHS.
Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after ... (Goodreads)
Roots: The Saga of an American Family
by Alex Haley
A multigenerational saga tracing the journey of an African American family in the U.S.
Roots tells the story of Kunta Kinte —a young man taken from the Gambia when he was seventeen and sold as a slave—and seven generations of his descendants in the United States. Kunta, a Mandinka ... (Wikipedia)
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
by Barbara Demick
Exploration of the lives of North Koreans during the famine and repression of the 1990s.
Nothing to Envy follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the unchallenged rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and the ... (Goodreads)
The Mysterious Island
by Jules Verne
A group of castaways survive and escape their strange island through ingenuity and exploration.
During the American Civil War , five Northern prisoners of war escape during the Siege of Richmond, Virginia , by hijacking a hydrogen-filled observation balloon. The escapees are Cyrus Smith , a ... (Wikipedia)
City of Thieves
by David Benioff
Two young men embark on a perilous mission in the besieged Leningrad of WWII.
The story is introduced as the recollections of the narrator's grandfather Lev Beniov, a contemporary Russian Jewish émigré. It is set in the first week of 1942, with the 17-years-old Lev trying to ... (Wikipedia)
Pollyanna
by Eleanor H. Porter
A young girl's journey of optimism and positivity, despite the struggles she faces.
The title character is Pollyanna Whittier, an eleven-year-old orphan , who goes to live in the fictional town of Beldingsville, Vermont , with her wealthy but stern and cold spinster Aunt Polly, who ... (Wikipedia)
Gregor the Overlander
by Suzanne Collins
A young boy's heroic quest to save his family and the world of Underland.
Eleven-year-old Gregor is left home alone in his family's New York City apartment to watch his sister and grandmother. When Gregor's baby sister Boots falls through an old air duct grate in the ... (Wikipedia)
The Swiss Family Robinson
by Johann David Wyss
A family is shipwrecked on a desert island, using their ingenuity and resourcefulness to survive.
The novel opens with the family in the hold of a sailing ship, weathering a great storm. The ship's crew evacuate without them, and William and Elizabeth and their four children (Fritz, Ernest, Jack ... (Wikipedia)
The Little Engine That Could
by Watty Piper
A small engine teaches the power of positive thinking when it faces a difficult task.
In the tale, a long train must be pulled over a high mountain after its engine breaks down. Larger engines, treated anthropomorphically , are asked to pull the train; for various reasons they refuse. ... (Wikipedia)
Naruto, Vol. 1: Uzumaki Naruto
by Masashi Kishimoto
A young ninja's quest to gain acceptance and recognition, as he battles a powerful group of evil antagonists.
The world’s most popular ninja comic! Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He’s got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Reptile Room
by Lemony Snicket
The story of the Baudelaire orphans, who must outwit the cunning Count Olaf to survive.
The three Baudelaire orphans have been placed under the care of their closest living relative, herpetologist Dr. Montgomery Montgomery. "Uncle Monty", as he prefers to be called, is a short, chubby ... (Wikipedia)
Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business
by Esphyr Slobodkina
A humorous tale of a peddler outwitting a band of mischievous monkeys.
Caps for Sale, is a timeless classic beloved by millions...one of the most popular picture books ever published! Children will delight in following the peddler’s efforts to outwit the monkeys and ... (Goodreads)
Point of Retreat
by Colleen Hoover
A story of second chances, overcoming heartache and learning to love again.
From the bestselling author of Slammed, comes Colleen Hoover's next big hit. Layken and Will have managed to overcome the obstacles that threatened to destroy their love, proving that they are ... (Goodreads)
Before They Are Hanged
by Joe Abercrombie
Epic fantasy adventure of a group of unlikely heroes in a fight for survival.
Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? ... (Goodreads)
Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors
by Piers Paul Read
Story of a group of Uruguayan rugby players who survive a plane crash in the Andes and must fight to stay alive.
On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the ... (Goodreads)
Archer's Voice
by Mia Sheridan
A wounded, reclusive man and a young woman's journey to heal each other.
When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first ... (Goodreads)
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World
by William H. McRaven
Collection of inspiring stories and life lessons that show how small actions can have a huge impact.
Based on a Navy SEAL's inspiring graduation speech, this #1, New York Times, bestseller of powerful life lessons "should be read by every leader in America" (,Wall Street Journal,). If you want to ... (Barnes & Noble)
Hard Luck
by Jeff Kinney
A young boy’s adventures as he navigates life’s challenges and strives to overcome his bad luck.
Hard Luck is the eighth installment of the, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book series . The series follows a middle school student named Greg Heffley and the various problems he encounters. The book is ... (Wikipedia)
Night Road
by Kristin Hannah
A mother's journey of self-discovery, as she struggles to overcome tragedy.
For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children's needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach, are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close-knit ... (Barnes & Noble)
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)
The Sea of Tranquility
by Katja Millay
A young woman's journey of healing and redemption, as she confronts her traumatic past.
A, School Library Journal, Best Book of 2013, An ALA/YALSA Alex Award Winner, I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Wide Window
by Lemony Snicket
A young girl's adventures in a strange and mysterious world, filled with unexpected surprises.
Mr. Poe puts the Baudelaire orphans, Klaus Baudelaire , Sunny Baudelaire and Violet Baudelaire under the care of Aunt Josephine, who lives in a house atop a hill overlooking Lake Lachrymose, a lake ... (Wikipedia)
Magic Study
by Maria V. Snyder
A young girl embarks on a quest to save her people, learning the secrets of magical powers.
After saving the life of the Commander, falling in love with Valek, the assassin, and discovering she was kidnapped as a child because of her suspected magical abilities, Yelena is forced to return ... (Wikipedia)
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