A
- Amish (3)The Amish are a group of traditionalist Christian church fellowships, closely related to but distinct from Mennonite churches, with whom they share Swiss Anabaptist origins. The Amish are known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctance to adopt many conveniences of modern technology. The history of the Amish church began with a schism in Switzerland within a group of Swiss and Alsatian Anabaptists in 1693 led by Jakob Ammann. Those who followed Ammann became known as Amish.
C
- Children (1)Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age 12. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses that sometimes exclude young-adult fiction, comic books, or other genres. Books specifically for children existed at least several hundred years ago.
- Classics (1)A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic. A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses. Although the term is often associated with the Western canon, it can be applied to works of literature from all traditions, such as the Chinese classics or the Indian Vedas.
- Crime (31)The crime genre includes the broad selection of books on criminals and the court system, but the most common focus is investigations and sleuthing.
F
- Female Detectives (9)A book where the main character is a woman in the police force.
- Fiction (1)Fiction is the telling of stories which are not real. More specifically, fiction is an imaginative form of narrative, one of the four basic rhetorical modes. Although the word fiction is derived from the Latin fingo, fingere, finxi, fictum, "to form, create", works of fiction need not be entirely imaginary and may include real people, places, and events. Fiction may be either written or oral. Although not all fiction is necessarily artistic, fiction is largely perceived as a form of art or entertainment. The ability to create fiction and other artistic works is considered to be a fundamental aspect of human culture, one of the defining characteristics of humanity.
H
- Heist (1)A heist is a robbery from an institution such as a bank or a museum, or any robbery in which there is a large haul of loot.
- Historic Fiction (3)Historical fiction presents a story set in the past, often during a significant time period. In historical fiction, the time period is an important part of the setting and often of the story itself. Historical fiction may include fictional characters, well-known historical figures or a mixture of the two. Authors of historical fiction usually pay close attention to the details of their stories (settings, clothing, dialogue, etc.) to ensure that they fit the time periods in which the narratives take place.
- Holocaust (1)In this genre, a book talks about, but not necessary completely, the mass murder or genocide of approximately six million Jews during World War II.
M
- Mystery (30)Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term that is often used as a synonym of detective fiction — in other words a novel or short story in which a detective (either professional or amateur) solves a crime. The term "mystery fiction" may sometimes be limited to the subset of detective stories in which the emphasis is on the puzzle element and its logical solution (cf. whodunit), as a contrast to hardboiled detective stories which focus on action and gritty realism. However, in more general usage "mystery" may be used to describe any form of crime fiction, even if there is no mystery to be solved. For example, the Mystery Writers of America describes itself as "the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre".
N
- Nordic Noir (1)
- Novels (2)A novel is a long prose narrative that usually describes fictional characters and events in the form of a sequential story. It rests on the consensus that the novel is today the longest genre of narrative prose, followed by the novella, novelette and the short story. However, there is no consensus as to the minimal required length. In part because of this wide variation, the boundary between a novella and a novel may be arbitrary and difficult to determine. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America specifies a word length of over 40,000 words for a novel, while National Novel Writing Month requires its novels to be at least 50,000 words.
T
- Thriller (25)Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively. Thrillers often overlap with mystery stories, but are distinguished by the structure of their plots. In a thriller, the hero must thwart the plans of an enemy, rather than uncover a crime that has already happened. Thrillers also occur on a much grander scale: the crimes that must be prevented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Jeopardy and violent confrontations are standard plot elements. While a mystery climaxes when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others.
- True Crime (1)True crime is a non-fiction literary genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people. The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Still others revisit historic crimes (or alleged crimes) and propose solutions, such as books examining political assassinations, well-known unsolved murders, or the deaths of celebrities.
