In this latest installment of our semi-regular Themed Reading adventure series, we tackle the heaviest theme of all: Life and Death!
 
It’s not as serious as it sounds, really. We’re mostly just selecting for popular Goodreads books that play off the words “life” and “death” in the title. Many of the books listed here are funny as well as exhaustive in scope, as evidenced by Douglas Adams’ classic Life, The Universe, and Everything—the most thorough topic declaration ever set to print.
 
You’ll find plenty of genre choices here, from rich speculative fiction (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) to metaphysical suspense (Death in Her Hands); romantic comedy (Get a Life, Chloe Brown) to Lit 101 classics (Death of a Salesman). Alert readers will note that “The [Adjective] Life of [Full Name]” remains a go-to template for novelists. Also on tap: memoirs, biographies, and plenty of old-school murder mysteries.
 
Scroll over the book cover images below for further links and details. Feel free to add further suggestions in the comments and keep track of potential reading list items on your Want to Read shelf.

Have a suggestion on the theme of life-and-death titles to contribute? Let us know your pick in the comments below!

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