Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Stability
The Nest
by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
A dysfunctional family navigates the consequences of their recklessness, brought together by their inheritance.
An instant Globe and Mail bestseller. On a wintry afternoon in New York City, Melody, Beatrice and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, who has just been ... (Goodreads)
Giants in the Earth
by O.E. Rølvaag
A Norwegian pioneer family struggles to survive and adapt to the harsh conditions of the Dakota Territory in the late 1800s.
Giants in the Earth (Norwegian: Verdens Grøde ) is a novel by Norwegian-American author Ole Edvart Rølvaag. First published in Norway as two books in 1924 and 1925, the author collaborated with ... (Goodreads)
The Children of Men
by P.D. James
In a world where no children have been born for 25 years, a man discovers a pregnant woman and must protect her.
The narrative voice for the novel alternates between the third person and the first person , the latter in the form of a diary kept by Dr. Theodore "Theo" Faron, an Oxford don . The novel opens with ... (Wikipedia)
The Postman
by David Brin
A postman's struggles to rebuild civilization in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Despite the post-apocalyptic scenario and several action sequences, the book is largely about civilization and its symbols. Each of the three sections deals with a different symbol. The first is the ... (Wikipedia)
A Feast for Crows
by George R.R. Martin
Epic fantasy novel, depicting political and magical conflicts in a fictional world.
The War of the Five Kings is slowly coming to its end. The secessionist kings Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy have been killed. One claimant to the throne, Stannis Baratheon , has gone to fight off ... (Wikipedia)
Alas, Babylon
by Pat Frank
A small town struggles to survive the aftermath of a nuclear war.
The story is set in a fictional 1959, following two years of escalating tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union for dominance in the Middle East and in the Mediterranean Sea . The ... (Wikipedia)
Gap Creek
by Robert Morgan
A rural family's struggles with poverty and hardships of life in the Appalachians.
Gap Creek's main character is a young girl, Julie, who does everything she possibly can to help her family and her new husband, Hank. Julie works hard to help her family when they need it, some even ... (Wikipedia)
The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
by Dave Ramsey
A step-by-step guide to financial success, providing practical advice on budgeting and debt repayment.
If you will live like no one else, later you can "live" like no one else. Build up your money muscles with America's favorite finance coach. Okay, folks, do you want to turn those fat and flabby ... (Goodreads)
The Leopard
by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Epic story of a Sicilian nobleman's struggle to preserve his family and their way of life in a rapidly changing world.
Most of the novel is set during the time of the, Risorgimento, , specifically during the period when Giuseppe Garibaldi , the hero of Italian unification, swept through Sicily with his forces, known ... (Wikipedia)
Housekeeping
by Marilynne Robinson
A story of two sisters navigating their lives in a small town, and the matriarchal figure that unites them.
Ruthie narrates the story of how she and her younger sister Lucille are raised by a succession of relatives in the fictional town of Fingerbone, Idaho (some details are similar to Robinson's ... (Wikipedia)
The Confessions of Max Tivoli
by Andrew Sean Greer
A man who ages backwards recounts his life-long love for a woman who ages normally.
Today Show Book Club Pick,An extraordinarily haunting love story told in the voice of a man who appears to age backwards,We are each the love of someone's life.,So begins, The Confessions of Max ... (Barnes & Noble)
Three Little Words
by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Memoir of a girl's journey through foster care, adoption, and finding her voice. A story of resilience and hope.
An inspiring true story of the tumultuous nine years Ashley Rhodes-Courter spent in the foster care system, and how she triumphed over painful memories and real-life horrors to ultimately find her ... (Barnes & Noble)
The First Four Years
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
An account of the hardships endured and lessons learned in the first four years of marriage.
The novel gets its title from a promise Laura made to Almanzo when they became engaged. She did not want to be a farmer, but decided to try farming for three years. Laura keeps house and Almanzo ... (Wikipedia)
The Lake House
by James Patterson
Story of a woman's search for love and redemption, set against a backdrop of suspense and mystery.
The Lake House tells the story of six extraordinary children, endowed with the power to fly after genetic engineering merged their DNA with that of birds, and who have to fight for their lives ... (Wikipedia)
Winter's Bone
by Daniel Woodrell
A teenage girl's struggle to save her family from poverty and despair in the rural Ozarks.
In the rural Ozarks of Missouri , seventeen-year-old Ree Dolly looks after her mentally ill mother, twelve-year-old brother Sonny, and six-year-old sister Ashlee. She makes sure her siblings eat and ... (Wikipedia)
Financial Peace Revisited
by Dave Ramsey
A guide to achieving financial freedom and eliminating debt.
Dave Ramsey knows what it's like to have it all. By age twenty-six, he had established a four-million-dollar real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age thirty. He has since rebuilt his financial ... (Goodreads)
The Financial Lives of the Poets
by Jess Walter
A struggling poet turns to selling marijuana to save his family from financial ruin.
The Financial Lives of the Poets is a comic and heartfelt novel from National Book Award nominee Jess Walter, author of Citizen Vince and The Zero , about how we get to the edge of ruin—and how we ... (Goodreads)
The Summer Before the War
by Helen Simonson
A small English town on the brink of World War I, as lives and loves intertwine.
The bestselling author of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand returns with a breathtaking novel of love and war that reaches far beyond the small English town in which it is set. East Sussex, 1914. It is ... (Goodreads)
Little Town on the Prairie
by Laura Ingalls Wilder
A young girl's story of growing up on the prairie, facing the joys and struggles of pioneering life.
The novel opens in May 1880, after the Hard Winter . At the Ingalls' claim, Pa begins planting the corn and oats that will serve as cash crops for the family, after which he builds the second half of ... (Wikipedia)
Night Shift
by Stephen King
Collection of horror stories exploring the darker side of human nature.
"You will encounter all manner of night creatures", warns the author of this book. "None of them are real. The thing under my bed isn't real. I know that, and I also know that if I'm careful to keep ... (Goodreads)
Irish Hearts
by Nora Roberts
An epic tale of love and desire, set against the backdrop of Irish folklore and ancient legends.
The novel follows the relationship between Irishwoman Adelia "Dee" Cunnane and American Travis Grant. As the story begins, the young and penniless Dee emigrates to the United States to live with her ... (Wikipedia)
A Simple Plan
by Scott Smith
A group of friends make a fateful decision to keep a large sum of money found in the woods, leading to a web of lies and consequences.
Two brothers and their friend stumble upon the wreckage of a plane–the pilot is dead and his duffle bag contains four million dollars in cash. In order to hide, keep, and share the fortune, these ... (Goodreads)
Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage
by Elizabeth Gilbert
A candid exploration of marriage, examining its ups and downs with a humorous and skeptical eye.
At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love , Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. ... (Goodreads)
We Need New Names
by NoViolet Bulawayo
A young girl's journey from Zimbabwe to America, encountering the struggles of adapting to a different culture.
The novel begins by following a group of mostly pre-teen children - the central character Darling and her friends Stina, Chipo, Bastard and Godknows - living in tin shacks in Zimbabwe after their ... (Wikipedia)
Convenience Store Woman
by Sayaka Murata
A darkly comic story of a woman's search for acceptance and belonging in a society that doesn't fit her.
Keiko Furukura is a 36-year old woman who has been working part-time at a convenience store , or konbini , for the last 18 years. She has known since childhood that she is "different" and that ... (Wikipedia)
The Mandibles: A Family, 2029–2047
by Lionel Shriver
A family's wealth is destroyed in a financial crisis, forcing them to adapt to a new world of poverty and government control.
The year is 2029, and nothing is as it should be. The very essence of American life, the dollar, is under attack. In a coordinated move by the rest of the world’s governments, the dollar loses all ... (Goodreads)
Let Me Be a Woman
by Elisabeth Elliot
A Christian perspective on femininity and womanhood, exploring the roles and responsibilities of women in society and relationships.
“In order to learn what it means to be a woman, we must start with the One who made her.” Working from Scripture, well-known speaker and author Elisabeth Elliot shares her observations and ... (Goodreads)
A Place Called Here
by Cecelia Ahern
A teenage girl's magical journey to a mysterious place, on a mission to find her missing family.
Sandy Shortt has been obsessed with finding things which have been lost, since her childhood rival Jenny-May Butler went missing . Having worked for the Garda , the police force of Ireland , she left ... (Wikipedia)
Love the One You're With
by Emily Giffin
A woman's journey of self-reflection and realization that leads to a life-changing decision.
How do you know if you've found, the one,? Can you really love the one you're with when you can't forget, the one who got away,? Emily Giffin, author of the, New York Times, bestselling novels, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Rogues
by George R.R. Martin
A collection of tales of adventure and intrigue, featuring outlaws and rogues of all kinds.
If you’re a fan of fiction that is more than just black and white, this latest story collection from #1 New York Times bestselling author George R.R. Martin and award-winning editor Gardner Dozois is ... (Goodreads)
A Clean Well Lighted Place
by Ernest Hemingway
Two waiters discuss the loneliness and despair of an old man who frequents their café late at night.
"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is a short story by American author Ernest Hemingway, first published in Scribner's Magazine in 1933; it was also included in his collection Winner Take Nothing (1933). ... (Goodreads)
The Four Pillars of Investing
by William J. Bernstein
A comprehensive guide to investing, covering the basics of portfolio theory, asset allocation, and risk management.
Explains how independent investors can construct a superior investment portfolio by learning the four essentials of investing. ... (Goodreads)
Made You Up
by Francesca Zappia
A teenage girl's struggle with schizophrenia as she navigates her way through life.
Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the ... (Goodreads)
The Ghost and Mrs. McClure
by Alice Kimberly
A bookstore owner and a ghost team up to solve a murder mystery in Rhode Island.
Penelope Thornton-McClure manages a Rhode Island bookshop rumored to be haunted. When a bestselling author drops dead signing books, the first clue of foul play comes from the store's full-time ghost ... (Goodreads)
So Big
by Edna Ferber
A young woman struggles to find her place in the world as she navigates love, loss, and the challenges of being a single mother.
The story follows the life of a young woman, Selina Peake De Jong, who decides to be a school teacher in farming country. During her stay on the Pool family farm, she encourages the young Roelf Pool ... (Wikipedia)
The Emigrants
by Vilhelm Moberg
Four Swedish emigrants leave their homeland in search of a better life in America, facing hardships and challenges along the way.
The novel-series describes the long and strenuous journey for a party of emigrants from the province of Småland , Sweden , to the United States in 1850, coinciding with the beginning of the first ... (Wikipedia)
The Keeping Quilt
by Patricia Polacco
A family heirloom, a quilt made from the clothes of ancestors, is passed down through generations of a Jewish immigrant family in America.
"We will make a quilt to help us always remember home," Anna's mother said. "It will be like heaving the family in backhome Russia dance around us at night. And so it was. From a basket of old ... (Goodreads)
Sweep in Peace
by Ilona Andrews
A woman must protect her town from supernatural threats with the help of a mysterious stranger.
Dina DeMille isn't your typical Bed and Breakfast owner. Her inn defies laws of physics, her dog is secretly a monster, and the only permanent guest of the inn is a former Galactic tyrant with a ... (Goodreads)
Irrational Exuberance
by Robert J. Shiller
A critical analysis of the stock market and its irrational behavior, leading to economic bubbles and crashes.
As Robert Shiller’s new 2009 preface to his prescient classic on behavioral economics and market volatility asserts, the irrational exuberance of the stock and housing markets “has been ended by an ... (Goodreads)
How to Be an American Housewife
by Margaret Dilloway
A Japanese woman marries an American soldier and moves to the US, where she struggles to adapt to a new culture while raising her daughter.
A lively and surprising novel about a Japanese woman with a closely guarded secret, the American daughter who strives to live up to her mother's standards, and the rejuvenating power of forgiveness. ... (Goodreads)
The Stars Are Fire
by Anita Shreve
A woman’s struggle to survive devastating wildfires in the post-WWII era.
In October 1947, after a summer-long drought, fires break out all along the Maine coast from Bar Harbor to Kittery and are soon racing out of control from town to village. Five months pregnant, Grace ... (Goodreads)
You Need a Budget: The Proven System for Breaking the Paycheck to Paycheck Cycle, Getting Out of Debt, and Living the Life You Want
by Jesse Mecham
A practical guide to budgeting, helping readers break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck and achieve financial freedom.
A guide based on the tenets of the award-winning financial platform, "You Need a Budget," argues that a well-planned budget does not involve deprivation and counsels readers on how to prioritize ... (Goodreads)
Evergreen
by Belva Plain
A family saga spanning generations, exploring the complexities of love, loss, and the ties that bind us.
“A grand, sweeping panorama . . . richly written, finely detailed . . . vivid and memorable.”—,Daily News ,(New York), Yearning for a better life, Anna Friedman fled Poland for New York at the turn ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less
by Terry Ryan
A mother's determination to keep her family afloat through creative writing competitions.
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is based on the true story of housewife Evelyn Ryan, who helped support her husband, Kelly, and their 10 children by winning jingle-writing contests. Kelly failed ... (Wikipedia)
The Island
by Elin Hilderbrand
A family drama set on Nantucket Island, where secrets and betrayals threaten to tear apart the seemingly perfect lives of the wealthy community.
A summertime story only Elin Hilderbrand can tell: a family in upheaval after a cancelled wedding fill an island summer with heartache, laughter, and surprises. Birdie Cousins has thrown herself into ... (Goodreads)
Birthright
by Nora Roberts
A woman returns to her hometown to uncover the truth about her past and her family's secrets. Romance and danger ensue.
When five-thousand-year-old human bones are found at a construction site in the small town of Woodsboro, the news draws archaeologist Callie Dunbrook out of her sabbatical and into a whirlwind of ... (Goodreads)
The Perfect Hope
by Nora Roberts
A romantic journey of finding true love and hope in a small town.
#1, New York Times, bestselling author Nora Roberts introduces you to the Montgomery brothers - Beckett, Ryder, and Owen - as they bring an intimate bed-and-breakfast to life in their hometown. Ryder ... (Goodreads)
Ghost Story
by Peter Straub
Four elderly men gather to confront a supernatural entity that has haunted them since their youth.
In life, not every sin goes unpunished. GHOST STORY For four aging men in the terror-stricken town of Milburn, New York, an act inadvertently carried out in their youth has come back to haunt them. ... (Goodreads)
Echoes
by Danielle Steel
Family spanning generations, reflecting on past decisions and their consequences.
For the Wittgenstein family, the summer of 1915 was a time of both prosperity and unease, as the guns of war sound in the distance. But for eldest daughter Beata, it was also a summer awakening. By ... (Goodreads)
The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke
by Suze Orman
A practical guide for young adults to manage their finances, build wealth, and achieve financial freedom.
The, New York Times, bestselling financial guide aimed squarely at "Generation Debt"—and their parents—from the country's most trusted and dynamic source on money matters.,, The Money Book for the ... (Barnes & Noble)
On Becoming Baby Wise: Giving Your Infant the Gift of Nighttime Sleep
by Gary Ezzo
Guide to setting healthy sleep schedules for babies, helping both child and parents get the rest they need.
The infant management concepts presented in this book have found favor with over two million parents and twice as many contented babies. On Becoming Babywise brings hope to the tired and bewildered ... (Goodreads)
Personal Finance for Dummies
by Eric Tyson
A beginner's guide to managing personal finances, covering topics such as budgeting, saving, investing, and retirement planning.
Personal Finance for Dummies offers sound and practical advice for those who want to get control over their personal financial lives. Author Eric Tyson points out the most common mistakes that we all ... (Goodreads)
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
by Marc Weissbluth
Guide to creating healthy sleep habits in children to ensure a lifetime of restful sleep.
The child care classic is now totally revised and updated as Dr. Weissbluth, a leading researcher on sleep and children, promotes a revolutionary program to ensure healthy, happy sleep for a ... (Goodreads)
That Old Ace in the Hole
by Annie Proulx
Bob Dollar, a young man from Denver, is sent to the Texas Panhandle to scout out land for a hog farm. He discovers a world of eccentric characters and a vanishing way of life.
Bob Dollar was abandoned by his parents and was brought up by his eccentric uncle. , Dollar is sent by his employer, the multinational "Global Pork Rind Corporation", to scout for locations for ... (Wikipedia)
Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression
by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
A memoir of growing up on an Iowa farm during the Great Depression, filled with hard work, family, and simple pleasures.
I tell of a time, a place, and a way of life long gone. For many years I have had the urge to describe that treasure trove, lest it vanish forever. So, partly in response to the basic human instinct ... (Goodreads)
Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids
by Kim John Payne
A guide to parenting with less stress and fewer material possessions, while creating more meaningful relationships with children.
Today’s busier, faster, supersized society is waging an undeclared war . . . on childhood. As the pace of life accelerates to hyperspeed–with too much stuff, too many choices, and too little ... (Goodreads)
The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less
by Barry Schwartz
An exploration of how the abundance of choice in modern life can lead to unhappiness and paralysis.
In the spirit of Alvin Tofflers' Future Shock , a social critique of our obsession with choice, and how it contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction and regret. Whether we're buying a pair of jeans, ... (Goodreads)
Stealing the Preacher
by Karen Witemeyer
A young woman kidnaps a preacher to save her sister's wedding, but finds herself falling in love with him.
Inspirational Historical Romance's Rising Star On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Business of the 21st Century
by Robert T. Kiyosaki
A guide to network marketing and creating passive income streams. Encourages entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
In The Business of the 21st Century, Robert Kiyosaki explains the revolutionary business of network marketing in the context of what makes any business a success in any economic situation. This book ... (Barnes & Noble)
Diary of a Provincial Lady
by E.M. Delafield
A humorous and satirical account of the daily life of a middle-class woman in rural England during the 1930s.
When Diary of a Provincial Lady was first published in 1930, critics on both sides of the Atlantic greeted it with enthusiasm. This charming, delightful and extremely funny book about daily life in a ... (Goodreads)
The Midwife of Venice
by Roberta Rich
A Jewish midwife in 16th century Venice risks everything to save a Christian baby. A tale of love, sacrifice, and the power of motherhood.
An opulent, riveting, and suspenseful continuation of the thrilling historical novel The Midwife of Venice set in medieval Constantinople. AN OPULENT, CAPTIVATING, AND SUSPENSEFUL HISTORICAL NOVEL ... (Barnes & Noble)
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