Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Social Inequality
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 White Tiger
by Aravind Adiga
An exploration of the Indian class system, told from the perspective of a lower-caste man.
The entire novel is narrated through letters by Balram Halwai to the Premier of China, who will soon be visiting India. Balram is an Indian man from an impoverished background, born in the village of ... (Wikipedia)
Oliver Twist
by Charles Dickens
An orphan's journey of survival and resilience in the face of poverty and injustice.
Oliver Twist is born into a life of poverty and misfortune, raised in a workhouse in the fictional town of Mudfog , located 70 miles (110 km) north of London . , , , He is orphaned by his father's ... (Wikipedia)
Let the Great World Spin
by Colum McCann
Interconnected stories of ordinary lives in 1970s New York, inspired by a high-wire artist's death-defying feat.
The events of the story are told in a largely non-linear fashion, with several different narrators telling the story from different perspectives. The story is interspersed with fictionalized accounts ... (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 Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
A dystopian future of oppressive governments and a televised fight to the death.
In the nation of Panem , established in the remains of North America after an unspecified apocalyptic event, the wealthy Capitol exploits the twelve surrounding districts for their natural resources ... (Wikipedia)
Their Eyes Were Watching God
by Zora Neale Hurston
A woman's journey of self-discovery, liberation and empowerment.
Fair and long-legged, independent and articulate, Janie Crawford sets out to be her own person – no mean feat for a black woman in the '30s. Janie's quest for identity takes her through three ... (Goodreads)
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
by Malcolm Gladwell
An exploration of unlikely success stories, examining conventional wisdom and biases.
In his #1 bestselling books The Tipping Point , Blink , and Outliers , Malcolm Gladwell has explored the ways we understand and change our world. Now he looks at the complex and surprising ways the ... (Goodreads)
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
A young girl learns about morality, justice, and courage by witnessing the trials of the people of her small town.
The story, told by the six-year-old Jean Louise Finch, takes place during three years (1933–35) of the Great Depression in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, the seat of Maycomb County. ... (Wikipedia)
Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen
An elderly man's reminiscences of his time as a circus performer during the Great Depression.
The story is told through a series of memories by Jacob Jankowski, a 93-year-old man who lives in a nursing home. In the nursing home, Jacob's life lacks excitement and he's now a tired old man whose ... (Wikipedia)
The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye
by David Lagercrantz
A young woman's quest for justice, taking vengeance against those who have wronged her.
Lisbeth Salander is serving a two month jail sentence for the crimes she committed while protecting August Balder. After threats arise against her, she is transferred to maximum security Flodberga ... (Wikipedia)
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
by Eric Schlosser
An exploration of the industrial food system and its effects on U.S. society.
Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list ... (Goodreads)
Girl with a Pearl Earring
by Tracy Chevalier
A young girl's journey as a painting subject, her relationship with the artist and the world around her.
Sixteen-year-old Griet has to leave her family home in Delft in 1664 after her father is blinded in an accident. As a tile-painter, her father is a member of the artists’ guild , so employment is ... (Wikipedia)
The Help
by Kathryn Stockett
A group of African-American maids in 1960s Mississippi challenge the racial and social norms of the time.
The Help is set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi , and told primarily from the first-person perspectives of three women: Aibileen Clark, Minny Jackson, and Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan. ... (Wikipedia)
The Sellout
by Paul Beatty
An outrageous satire of race and civil rights in modern America.
The novel concerns a narrator, referred to by his childhood nickname "Bonbon" or his last name, "Me," who attempts to reintroduce segregation and keep a slave named Hominy in Dickens, his Los Angeles ... (Wikipedia)
Love and Other Consolation Prizes
by Jamie Ford
An orphan's story of courage and resilience, finding love amidst hardship.
From the bestselling author of, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, comes a powerful novel, inspired by a true story, about a boy whose life is transformed at Seattle's epic 1909 World's Fair. ... (Goodreads)
The Inheritance of Loss
by Kiran Desai
An exploration of the effects of colonialism on the characters' lives in a small Himalayan town.
In a crumbling, isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas lives an embittered judge who wants only to retire in peace, when his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, arrives on his ... (Goodreads)
We Should All Be Feminists
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A call to action for an inclusive, gender-equal society through an examination of feminism.
What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists , a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name—by ... (Goodreads)
The God of Small Things
by Arundhati Roy
A moving story of two siblings growing up in India, exploring love, politics, and class.
The year is 1969. In the state of Kerala, on the southernmost tip of India, a skyblue Plymouth with chrome tailfins is stranded on the highway amid a Marxist workers' demonstration. Inside the car ... (Goodreads)
Small Island
by Andrea Levy
A story of post-WWII immigration, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and racism.
Hortense Joseph arrives in London from Jamaica in 1948 with her life in her suitcase, her heart broken, her resolve intact. Her husband, Gilbert Joseph, returns from the war expecting to be received ... (Goodreads)
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
A story of redemption and revolution set during the French Revolution.
A Tale of Two Cities is Charles Dickens’s great historical novel, set against the violent upheaval of the French Revolution. The most famous and perhaps the most popular of his works, it compresses ... (Goodreads)
Altered Carbon
by Richard K. Morgan
A futuristic sci-fi noir set in a world where death is no longer permanent.
On the colony planet of Harlan’s World, Takeshi Kovacs and his partner Sarah Sachilowski, former Envoys who had returned to a life of crime, are killed by a U.N. colonial commando unit. Kovacs is ... (Wikipedia)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
An investigative journalist and a computer hacker uncover the secrets of a long-buried crime.
Every year for the past 36 years, Henrik Vanger receives an anonymous dried flower in a picture frame on November 1, his birthday. He has all of the frames displayed on a wall in his house. Every ... (Wikipedia)
El coronel no tiene quien le escriba / No One Writes to the Colonel
by Gabriel García Márquez
A poor colonel's struggles to support his family amidst political and social turmoil.
The novel, written between 1956 and 1957 while living in Paris in the Hotel des Trois Colleges , and first published in 1961, , is the story of an impoverished, retired colonel , a veteran of the ... (Wikipedia)
As I Lay Dying
by William Faulkner
A family's struggle to fulfill the dying wish of their mother, amidst personal and societal challenges.
The book is narrated by 15 different characters over 59 chapters. It is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her poor, rural family's quest and motivations—noble or selfish—to honor her wish ... (Wikipedia)
Parable of the Talents
by Octavia E. Butler
A post-apocalyptic tale of survival, exploring themes of faith and power.
Parable of the Talents is told from the points of view of Lauren Oya Olamina and her daughter Larkin Olamina/Asha Vere. The novel consists of journal entries by Lauren and passages by Asha Vere. Four ... (Wikipedia)
Americanah
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
An exploration of race, identity, and belonging as two Nigerian immigrants experience life in America and beyond.
Ifemelu and Obinze are young and in love when they depart military-ruled Nigeria for the West. Beautiful, self-assured Ifemelu heads for America, where despite her academic success, she is forced to ... (Goodreads)
Q & A
by Vikas Swarup
An impoverished man's journey of luck and circumstance that leads to a life-changing prize.
Vikas Swarup's spectacular debut novel opens in a jail cell in Mumbai, India, where Ram Mohammad Thomas is being held after correctly answering all twelve questions on India's biggest quiz show, Who ... (Goodreads)
The Human Stain
by Philip Roth
A professor's life unravels after a scandal, exploring the limits of identity and redemption.
It is 1998, the year in which America is whipped into a frenzy of prurience by the impeachment of a president, and in a small New England town an aging Classics professor, Coleman Silk, is forced to ... (Goodreads)
Martin Eden
by Jack London
A young sailor's ambition for a better life leads him on a journey of self-improvement and exploration of the upper classes.
Living in Oakland at the beginning of the 20th century, Martin Eden struggles to rise above his destitute, proletarian circumstances through an intense and passionate pursuit of self-education, ... (Wikipedia)
Little Bee
by Chris Cleave
A Nigerian refugee's quest for survival and a British woman's search for redemption.
Using alternating first-person perspectives , the novel tells the stories of Little Bee, a Nigerian refugee, and Sarah O'Rourke (née Summers), a magazine editor from Surrey . After spending two years ... (Wikipedia)
The Prince and the Pauper
by Mark Twain
A story of two boys who switch places, revealing the harsh realities of life in a monarchy.
Tom Canty , youngest son of a poor family living in Offal Court located in London, has always aspired to have a better life, encouraged by the local priest, who has taught him to read and write. ... (Wikipedia)
The Elite
by Kiera Cass
A girl's fight against the oppressive power of a monarchy, as she strives to make her own destiny.
The book takes place 300 years in the future in a country called Illéa (formerly the United States) that has a strict caste system . , The castes range from eight to one, with Eights being the ... (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 End of Eternity
by Isaac Asimov
A renegade scientist unravels the secrets of time travel, challenging the status quo.
Andrew Harlan is an Eternal, a man whose job it is to range through past and present Centuries, monitoring and, where necessary, altering Time's myriad cause-and-effect relationships. But when Harlan ... (Goodreads)
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories
by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
A collection of short stories exploring the struggles of women in a patriarchal society.
Best known for the 1892 title story of this collection, a harrowing tale of a woman's descent into madness, Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote more than 200 other short stories. Seven of her finest are ... (Goodreads)
Jude the Obscure
by Thomas Hardy
A tale of struggle and sorrow for a poor, uneducated man amid the rigid conventions of Victorian England.
The novel tells the story of Jude Fawley, who lives in a village in southern England (part of Hardy's fictional county of Wessex ), who yearns to be a scholar at "Christminster", a city modelled on ... (Wikipedia)
The Tortilla Curtain
by T. Coraghessan Boyle
A story of two families, one affluent and one struggling, and their intersecting paths.
Cándido Rincón (33) and América (his pregnant common law wife , 17) are two Mexicans who enter the United States illegally, dreaming of a good life in their own little house somewhere in California. ... (Wikipedia)
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
by Ben Carson
An inspiring story of a young man overcoming poverty and discrimination to become a renowned neurosurgeon.
In 1987, Dr. Ben Carson travels to Germany to meet a couple, Peter and Augusta Rausch, who have twins conjoined at the back of their heads. Dr. Carson believes he might be able to successfully ... (Wikipedia)
The Coldest Winter Ever
by Sister Souljah
Coming of age story of a young girl's survival in a harsh, inner-city environment.
Renowned hip-hop artist, political activist, and bestselling author Sister Souljah brings the streets of New York to life in a powerful and utterly unforgettable first novel. I came busting into the ... (Goodreads)
Out
by Natsuo Kirino
Exploration of the dark side of modern society through the story of four female factory workers.
The novel tells the tales of four women, working the graveyard shift at a Japanese bento factory. All four women live hard lives. Masako, the leader of the four women, feels completely alienated from ... (Wikipedia)
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
by Kate Moore
Uncovering the untold story of female factory workers poisoned by radium paint in 1920s America.
A New York Times , USA Today , Wall Street Journal , and Amazon Charts Bestseller! For fans of Hidden Figures, comes the incredible true story of the women heroes who were exposed to radium in ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Raisin in the Sun
by Lorraine Hansberry
A black family's struggle for a better life and the dreams that accompany their journey.
Walter and Ruth Younger, their son Travis, along with Walter's mother Lena (Mama) and Walter's sister Beneatha, live in poverty in a dilapidated two-bedroom apartment on Chicago's south side. Walter ... (Wikipedia)
Germinal
by Émile Zola
Depicts the harsh conditions of miners in 19th century France, a story of hope and revolution.
The novel's central character is Étienne Lantier, previously seen in, L'Assommoir, (1877), and originally to have been the central character in Zola's "murder on the trains" thriller, La Bête ... (Wikipedia)
Only Time Will Tell
by Jeffrey Archer
A thrilling saga of one man's journey from poverty to power.
The plot revolves around the protagonist Harry Clifton, spanning the time between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Second World War . The novel is set in Bristol, England, from 1919 to ... (Wikipedia)
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League
by Jeff Hobbs
A poignant biography of a man's rise and fall, caught in the crossfire of economic and social inequality.
An instant, New York Times, bestseller, named a best book of the year by, The New York Times Book Review, Amazon, and, Entertainment Weekly, among others, this celebrated account of a young ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Year of the Flood
by Margaret Atwood
A dystopian tale of survival as humanity faces a new plague, and two women fight against a powerful corporation.
The Year of the Flood details the events of, Oryx and Crake, from the perspective of the lower classes in the pleeblands , specifically the God's Gardeners. God's Gardeners are a religious sect that ... (Wikipedia)
Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty
by Abhijit V. Banerjee
Examines global poverty from economic, social and political perspectives and offers strategies to reduce it.
Winner of the 2011, Financial Times,/Goldman Sachs Best Business Book of the Year Award Billions of government dollars, and thousands of charitable organizations and NGOs, are dedicated to helping ... (Goodreads)
There are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America
by Alex Kotlowitz
Tragic story of two brothers living in poverty and violence in the inner city of Chicago.
This is the moving and powerful account of two remarkable boys struggling to survive in Chicago's Henry Horner Homes, a public housing complex disfigured by crime and neglect. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
by Bryan Stevenson
A powerful true story of justice and redemption, exposing the flaws of America's criminal justice system.
In 1989, idealistic young Harvard law graduate Bryan Stevenson travels to Alabama hoping to help fight for poor people who cannot afford proper legal representation. Teaming with Eva Ansley, he ... (Wikipedia)
Thud!
by Terry Pratchett
A comedic fantasy novel about a dwarf police officer's investigation into the murder of a troll.
As the book opens, a dwarf demagogue , Grag Hamcrusher, is apparently murdered. Ethnic tensions between Ankh-Morpork 's troll and dwarf communities mount in the build-up to the anniversary of the ... (Wikipedia)
The Glass Menagerie
by Tennessee Williams
A young woman's struggle to find her place in society, while being held back by her family.
The play is introduced to the audience by Tom, the narrator and protagonist, as a memory play based on his recollection of his mother Amanda and his sister Laura. Because the play is based on memory, ... (Wikipedia)
Red Queen
by Victoria Aveyard
A young girl discovers a hidden power, fighting for her freedom in a divided society.
This is a world divided by blood—red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the ... (Goodreads)
Super Sad True Love Story
by Gary Shteyngart
A darkly comic exploration of love in a technologically-driven world.
The son of a Russian immigrant , protagonist Leonard (Lenny) Abramov, a middle-aged, middle class, otherwise unremarkable man whose mentality is still in the past century, falls madly in love with ... (Wikipedia)
Down and Out in Paris and London
by George Orwell
An exploration of the dark side of two cities, and how life can be different for the privileged and the destitute.
This unusual fictional memoir - in good part autobiographical - narrates without self-pity and often with humor the adventures of a penniless British writer among the down-and-outs of two great ... (Goodreads)
Ask the Dust
by John Fante
A young writer's journey of self-discovery in 1930s Los Angeles.
Ask the Dust is the story of Arturo Bandini, a young Italian-American writer in 1930s Los Angeles who falls hard for the elusive, mocking, unstable Camilla Lopez, a Mexican waitress. Struggling to ... (Goodreads)
Hard Times
by Charles Dickens
A grim tale of a Victorian industrial city, highlighting its struggles of poverty, injustice and strife.
"My satire is against those who see figures and averages, and nothing else," proclaimed Charles Dickens in explaining the theme of this classic novel. Published in 1854, the story concerns one Thomas ... (Goodreads)
Whistling Past the Graveyard
by Susan Crandall
A young girl's journey of self-discovery, overcoming challenges on a journey to be reunited with her family.
The summer of 1963 begins like any other for nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. Born to teenage parents in Mississippi, Starla is being raised by a strict paternal grandmother, Mamie, whose worst fear ... (Goodreads)
The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset
by Suzanne Collins
A teenage girl's struggle for survival in a dystopian society, where the poor are exploited and oppressed.
Suzanne Collins's worldwide-bestselling Hunger Games trilogy is now available in a paperback box set! This edition features the books with the classic cover art in a striking new package. Now ... (Barnes & Noble)
If Beale Street Could Talk
by James Baldwin
A young African-American couple must confront the injustices of racism while trying to reunite.
In this honest and stunning novel, James Baldwin has given America a moving story of love in the face of injustice. Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a ... (Goodreads)
The Pearl
by John Steinbeck
A poor diver's dream of wealth is dashed when his newfound riches ultimately bring unhappiness and tragedy.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their ... (Goodreads)
The House of the Spirits
by Isabel Allende
Epic family saga spanning generations, exploring the power of love and the impact of politics.
The story starts with the del Valle family, focusing upon the youngest and the oldest daughters of the family, Clara and Rosa. The youngest daughter, Clara del Valle, has paranormal powers and keeps ... (Wikipedia)
Guards! Guards!
by Terry Pratchett
A group of misfits join forces to save Ankh-Morpork from a dragon terrorizing their city.
This is where the dragons went. They lie ... not dead, not asleep, but ... dormant. And although the space they occupy isn't like normal space, nevertheless they are packed in tightly. They could put ... (Goodreads)
All the King's Men
by Robert Penn Warren
A powerful political drama that follows a governor's rise and fall as he grapples with ambition, morality and power.
All the King's Men is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. Its title is drawn from the nursery rhyme "Humpty Dumpty". The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his ... (Goodreads)
The Testament
by John Grisham
A billionaire's will creates a legal battle between his descendants and the townspeople who have been displaced.
In a plush Virginia office, a rich, angry old man is furiously rewriting his will. With his death just hours away, Troy Phelan wants to send a message to his children, his ex-wives, and his minions, ... (Goodreads)
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race
by Reni Eddo-Lodge
A critical exploration of the UK's relationship with race and racism.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, "This is a book that was begging to be written. This is the kind of book that demands a future where we’ll no longer need such a book. Essential." —Marlon James “The most ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Known World
by Edward P. Jones
A story of a former slave turned landowner navigating the complex social dynamics of Antebellum America.
One of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, The Known World is a daring and ambitious work by Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones. The Known World tells the story of Henry Townsend, a black ... (Goodreads)
Kushiel's Avatar
by Jacqueline Carey
A gripping fantasy saga of political intrigue, magic, and forbidden love.
The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It's inhabited by the race that rose from the seed of angels, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó ... (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)
Wish You Well
by David Baldacci
A family's journey to reclaim their heritage in the Appalachian Mountains.
The story starts out with the Cardinal family going on a trip to relieve them from some unknown stress. On the way back, it is revealed that the Cardinal family plans to move to California, due to ... (Wikipedia)
Native Son
by Richard Wright
A young African American man's exploration of his identity, facing the harsh realities of systemic racism.
Right from the start, Bigger Thomas had been headed for jail. It could have been for assault or petty larceny; by chance, it was for murder and rape. Native Son tells the story of this young black ... (Goodreads)
The Souls of Black Folk
by W.E.B. Du Bois
An exploration of the African-American experience and the struggle for racial equality.
This landmark book is a founding work in the literature of black protest. W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) played a key role in developing the strategy and program that dominated early 20th-century black ... (Goodreads)
Player Piano
by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
A dystopian novel exploring the consequences of a world dominated by machines.
Player Piano is set in the near future, after a third world war . While most Americans were fighting overseas, the nation's managers and engineers faced a depleted workforce and responded by ... (Wikipedia)
Out of the Easy
by Ruta Sepetys
A teenage girl's journey of self-discovery in the underworld of 1950s New Orleans.
It's 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel ... (Goodreads)
Rubyfruit Jungle
by Rita Mae Brown
A coming-of-age story of a young girl's journey of self-acceptance and finding her place in the world.
The novel focuses on Molly Bolt, the adopted daughter of a poor family, who possesses remarkable beauty and who is aware of her lesbianism from early childhood. Her relationship with her mother is ... (Wikipedia)
Clariel
by Garth Nix
A young woman's struggle to define her own identity in a dangerous world of magic.
Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped ... (Goodreads)
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things
by Bryn Greenwood
A story of forbidden love, testing the boundaries of morality and redemption.
- A, New York Times, and, USA Today, bestseller - Book of the Month Club 2016 Book of the Year - Second Place Goodreads Best Fiction of 2016 A beautiful and provocative love story between two ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole
by Sue Townsend
A humorous coming-of-age story of a teenage boy navigating the difficulties of adolescence.
Adrian Mole is an outsider who feels the reason he can't quite fit in with "regular" society is that he is an intellectual. Evidence from his diary entries include a precocious interest in ... (Wikipedia)
The Masque of the Red Death - an Edgar Allan Poe Short Story
by Edgar Allan Poe
A prince and his courtiers attempt to outwit death, only to be brought to their ultimate end.
The story takes place at the castellated abbey of the "happy and dauntless and sagacious" Prince Prospero. Prospero and 1,000 other nobles have taken refuge in this walled abbey to escape the Red ... (Wikipedia)
The Time of the Hero
by Mario Vargas Llosa
Exploration of morality and class in a Peruvian military academy, through the eyes of two cadets.
En 1962, La ciudad y los perros recibía el Premio Biblioteca Breve. Así comenzaba la andadura literaria de esta obra considerada una de las mejores novelas en español del siglo XX.Los personajes de ... (Goodreads)
Rich Man, Poor Man
by Irwin Shaw
A family saga spanning generations, exploring the power of money and its influence on relationships.
In the early parts of the novel Shaw goes to great lengths to make the point about "Jordache blood" – violent, bitter, resentful. One of the ways he does this is by meticulously describing the ... (Wikipedia)
Fire
by Kristin Cashore
A young girl's quest to find her place in a hostile world, learning to use her magical powers.
It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies ... (Goodreads)
Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
A daring escape from a prison-like world forces two teens to confront a harsh reality.
Incarceron – a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a ... (Goodreads)
UnWholly
by Neal Shusterman
A teenage cyborg's journey to discover the truth of their identity and their place in a post-apocalyptic world.
It’s finally here. The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Unwind , which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.” Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their ... (Goodreads)
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)
Dear Martin
by Nic Stone
An African American student's reflections on racial injustice, sparked by the shooting of an unarmed black teen.
Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut. Justyce McAllister is ... (Goodreads)
The Time Machine/The Invisible Man
by H.G. Wells
Adventures in the world of science fiction, exploring the boundaries of human capabilities.
The Time Machine and The Invisible Man , by H. G. Wells , is part of the, Barnes & Noble Classics, series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, ... (Goodreads)
Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs
by Johann Hari
Investigative look into the history and consequences of drug prohibition.
New York Times Bestseller It is now one hundred years since drugs were first banned in the United States. On the eve of this centenary, journalist Johann Hari set off on an epic three-year, ... (Goodreads)
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
by Cho Nam-Joo
A young woman's journey of self-acceptance, navigating misogynistic society.
The story-line centres on a housewife who becomes a stay-at-home mother and later suffers from depression. It focuses on the everyday sexism the title character experiences from youth. , , , The book ... (Wikipedia)
Piecing Me Together
by Renée Watson
An African-American teen's journey to self-discovery and personal empowerment.
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Author Award Winner, New York Times, bestseller, "Timely and timeless." —Jacqueline Woodson,"Important and deeply moving." —John Green Acclaimed author Renee ... (Barnes & Noble)
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
by Paulo Freire
Analysis of the educational system, advocating a pedagogy of liberation.
First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished ... (Goodreads)
No Humans Involved
by Kelley Armstrong
A young woman discovers dark supernatural secrets in a small town, risking her life to expose the truth.
Jaime, who knows a thing or two about showbiz, is on a television shoot in Los Angeles when weird things start to happen. As a woman whose special talent is raising the dead, her threshold for ... (Wikipedia)
Eva Luna
by Isabel Allende
A magical story of a woman's journey of love, adventure and self-discovery.
Meet New York Times bestselling author Isabel Allende’s most enchanting creation, Eva Luna : a lover, a writer, a revolutionary, and above all a storyteller—available for the first time in ebook. Eva ... (Goodreads)
Reached
by Ally Condie
A dystopian adventure of a young girl's search for freedom and her love for a forbidden boy.
Told in the alternating perspectives of Xander, Cassia, and Ky, the novel begins with Xander attending the welcoming ceremony of a new baby born into the Society. Xander is now working as an official ... (Wikipedia)
Men We Reaped
by Jesmyn Ward
A memoir examining the death of five young African-American men, and the societal issues that contributed to their demise.
Named one of the Best Books of the Century by, New York, Magazine, Two-time National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward (,Salvage the Bones, Sing, Unburied, Sing,) contends with the deaths of five young ... (Barnes & Noble)
Elijah of Buxton
by Christopher Paul Curtis
A young boy's adventures in a pre-Civil War free-town, learning the true meaning of freedom.
Newbery Medalist and CSK Award winner Christopher Paul Curtis's debut middle-grade/young-YA novel for Scholastic features his trademark humor, compelling storytelling, and unique narrative voice. ... (Goodreads)
The Hour of the Star
by Clarice Lispector
A poor Brazilian girl's life story, illustrating the struggles of the working class.
The novel starts with the narrator, Rodrigo S.M., discussing what it means to write a story. He addresses the reader directly and spends a lot of time talking about his philosophical beliefs. After ... (Wikipedia)
هيبتا
by محمد صادق
A story of two lovers, set against a backdrop of social and political unrest in a small Egyptian village.
تأخذنا رواية (هيبتا) إلي ذلك العالم الذي أهلكه الجميع بحثا .. ذلك العالم الذي رغم تكرار قصصه ورواياته إلا أن الجميع فيه يقع في نفس الأخطاء، ويعيد نفس الأحداث، و يتألم نفس الألم .. خلال محاضرة مدتها ... (Goodreads)
Captains of the Sands
by Jorge Amado
Tale of a group of street children in Brazil, and the hard realities of poverty.
Capitães da Areia é o livro de Jorge Amado mais vendido no mundo inteiro. Publicado em 1937, teve a sua primeira edição apreendida e queimada em praça pública pelas autoridades do Estado Novo. Em ... (Goodreads)
Cop Town
by Karin Slaughter
A female police officer's fight against bigotry and corruption in 1970s Atlanta.
Atlanta, 1974. As a brutal killing rocks the city, Kate Murphy wonders if her first day on the police force will also be her last. For life is anything but easy in the male-dominated world of the ... (Goodreads)
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