Here at NoveList, we're big fans of the story elements we call themes. These popular descriptors we add to book records allow readers to search for favorite story types like enemies to lovers in romance or band of survivors in science fiction. But while certain themes require no explanation, others may not be as intuitive. That's why we created Themes guides! Read on to discover this new content type in NoveList.
Themes guides are perfect for when:
- You have heard the term final girls before but don't know *exactly* what it means.
- You understand the term chosen family, but you have difficulty communicating the concept to someone else.
- You are curious where the theme metaphorical racism originated.
- You feel like an expert in unreliable narrators, but just need to know how to find the books!
Themes guides offer a quick snapshot of one of our NoveList themes. Each guide contains a definition, a history of the theme, why readers like it, examples from pop culture, and some recommended book titles. After you gain this knowledge, we give you a generous portion of search strings to find even more books beyond the favorite recommendations.
Check out all five of our themes guides we currently have in NoveList: chosen family, unreliable narrator, final girls, web of connections, and metaphorical racism. Find them all by searching DE “Themes guide” in NoveList.
Want to find more information on themes?
- The Explore Themes page helps you unpack and explore this unique tool in depth, including a list of all the themes. You can find access on the front page of NoveList. (Read more about Explore pages here.)
- Read the latest blogposts about themes.
- Learn more about our Using Story Elements with Readers course from Learn with NoveList where you and your staff can get a deep dive on themes, appeals, and genres.
Lindsey Dunn is a Content Strategy Coordinator at NoveList. She is currently reading Oathbound by Victoria McCombs.
