Literature

This is my review of the book "Dune" by Frank Herbert.

This article looks at the meaning in the short story "Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer. It starts with a summary, then considers symbols, theme and some relevant questions.

This article looks at the meaning in the short story "Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver. It starts with a summary, then looks at it as an allegory and answers questions on the story elements.

Edith Wharton's life provided her with insider knowledge of the aristocracy of New York. In 1921, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel “The Age of Innocence.” This made her the first female to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

This article looks at the meaning in the short story "Secrets" by Bernard MacLaverty. It starts with a summary, then looks at theme, foreshadowing, the title and more.

This article looks at the meaning in the short story "The Student" by Anton Chekhov. It starts with a summary, then looks at theme, the epiphany, the setting and the title.

This article looks at the meaning in "A Worn Path" by Eudora Welty. It starts with a summary, then looks at theme and symbolism.

This article looks at the meaning in "Désirée's Baby" by Kate Chopin. It starts with a summary, then examines themes and foreshadowing.

This article looks at the meaning in "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. It starts with a summary, then looks at themes and questions to consider.

This article looks at the meaning in "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. It includes a summary, a look at theme and irony, and some questions to consider.

This article looks at the meaning in "The Cask of Amontillado" by Poe. It includes a synopsis, a consideration of themes, a look at irony and questions to consider.

This is my review of "Storm Front," the first novel in "The Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher.

Yes, that “Bird Box.” Before it was a Netflix movie that everyone had seen, it was a book—a psychological thriller written with wit, horror, and enough suspense to keep you awake for days.

In Paramahansa Yogananda’s poem, "The Harvest," the speaker metaphorically compares the beauty of the autumn sky to the inner beauty of the spiritual sky. The devotee's harvest thus will be both material and spiritual.

"The Truce" may be the best book of one of the best Latin American authors of all time.

"Bright Star" is a sonnet written by Keats expressing his wish to remain as constant and 'stedfast' as the north star whilst also being in the company of Fanny Brawne, the love of his short life. The main themes are ideal love and remaining fixed yet in sweet unrest living forever with a lover.

Jonathan Safran Foer's first book was released to critical praise back in 2002. But has it held up over the years to its initial hype?

This is my review of the novel "A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K. Dick

This is my review of Dan Savage's memoir, "American Savage: Insights, Slights, and Fights on Faith, Sex, Love, and Politics."

Sometimes the only person for you is the person you least expect to be a fit. For Art and Zee, this is exactly the case—and their relationship is therefore a very strange, yet somehow completely perfect, journey in love, life, and everything in between.

I’ve only found a few adult fantasy novels worth reading, and this post is an attempt to share them with you. If you're looking for solid adult fantasy novels with great worldbuilding and gripping plots, consider checking out some of the titles on this list.

What if you woke up in a new body—someone else’s body—every day? And what if you fell in love with a girl while you were inhabiting the body of her boyfriend? In “Every Day,” this is just what happens—and yes, it is as exciting as it sounds.

PLAYER. HUNTER. HACKER. PAWN. Marie Lu’s virtual world is filled to the brim with action, secrets, and adventure, making it perfect for teens and adults alike.

This is my review of Stella M. Rouse's "Latinos in the Legislative Process: Interests and Influence."

Are you looking for books like "Harry Potter"? You've come to the right place. This article will list seven different books or series that lovers of J.K. Rowling's magical worlds might enjoy as well.

This is a discussion and review of the controversial gorefest that is Jack Ketchum's "Off Season." I tried to stay away from spoilers, but I would not be surprised if I have slipped up somewhere . . . so I guess that's your warning.

“The Indie kids, huh? You’ve got them at your school. That group with the cool-geek haircuts and the thrift shop clothes and the names from the fifties.” Patrick Ness is right, isn’t he? If you think so, you’ll love his young adult novel “The Rest of Us Just Live Here.”

Sam Cayhall is a member of the KKK and is found guilty of a heinous crime. His grandson becomes his lawyer and attempts to overturn his death penalty conviction. This compelling book takes you down a mesmerizing path filled with characters and details you will not soon forget.

An immensely popular German writer rose from jailed con man to the most popular fiction writer in his country’s history. This is the story of Karl May.

The conclusion of the Cold War saw the once familiar and often predictable state of world affairs enter a new state of uncertainty or 'disarray'. In "A World in Disarray", experienced US diplomat Richard Haass reviews recent events and offers solutions and challenges for the US in the 21st century.

From the star of “Pitch Perfect” and co-star of both “A Simple Favor” and “The Last Five Years,” actress Anna Kendrick weaves an honest and funny autobiography with the satirical voice she’s known and loved for.

Addressing God, the Divine Belovèd, Emily Dickinson’s speaker prays to remain a special musical and visual spark in the creation of everlasting, eternal, immortal bliss.

Hurley tackles themes such as mourning, guilt and faith in his third outing as an author, but how does it hold up against his earlier work? This is my review of Hurley's "Starve Acre."

He longs to feel the jerk of the car, the rush of the blacktop, the adrenaline of real racecar driving. The only problem? He’s a dog, and his name is Enzo. For fans of classic animal stories, “The Art of Racing in the Rain” is a heartwarming adventure.

It’s a dangerous business going out your front door because Seth Tomko examines how Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings fulfills Joseph Campbell’s ideas about the functions of myth.

In this article, I discuss some of the ideas that stood out to me most in Audre Lorde's "Sister Outsider."

In “Long Way Down,” the story of Will, an African American teen whose brother was a victim of gun violence, is told by Jason Reynolds in short prose-poetry chapters that push and pull emotions expertly.

The author of “Eat, Pray, Love” dazzles once again with her new bestseller, “City of Girls,” which takes place in 1940s New York and follows young Vivian Morris as she kicks her heels up and goes wild in the big city.

"My Grandmother's House" is a short poem that focuses on love lost and drastic change in circumstances. The first-person speaker tells of days past when she was loved in a different time and house, but now she is a beggar when it comes to love. It is a free verse poem with simile and internal rhyme.

"The Music of Dolphins" is a story of a girl having grown up among dolphins who is brought to humanity to be taught how to be a human: it is a charmingly beautiful and innocent yet surprisingly deep story of the human condition that goes far beyond being just a simple children's book.

This is my honest, spoiler-free book review of "The Ballad of Black Tom" by Victor LaValle.

In Emily Dickinson’s skilled employment of paradox and metaphor, "Adrift! A little boat adrift!”, the speaker offers a complex drama played out seemingly on an earthly ocean but that is actually performed on the mystical sea, where life remains immortal and eternal.

Malcolm M. Sedam’s poem, “Maturity Pains,” can easily be misconstrued by failing to consider the capitalization of a single letter.

Lengthy and extremely detailed, "Les Africains et la Grande Guerre" is perhaps the penultimate history of West Africa in WWI and the capstone of a historian's interest in the region. That said, it is barely accessible for even a French-speaking reader.

In his poem, "Spring in New Hampshire," Claude McKay offers a refreshing and delightful glimpse at the feeling one experiences when the grass turns green again, and the sky is too blue not to notice with enthrallment.

"France 1940: Defending the Republic" is a short introduction to the fall of the French Republic in 1940. Quite simple but well written, this volume serves as a good debut for any neophytes in French history.

With a dying boy, a wild one, and a free-spirited dog, the world of “Surrender” by Sonya Hartnett will captivate you and push you to the brink with its elegant prose and thrilling twists.

In "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," Suzanne Collins takes us all to Panem once again with a thought-provoking prequel told from President Snow's perspective.

"Two Tramps in Mud Time" is one of the finest persona poems in the Robert Frost collection. As with much of Frost's work, the poem is full of double entendre and is both playful and serious.