In this collection we've gathered fiction and nonfiction texts that address humanity's age-old search for meaning and purpose within a higher power.
Publication year 2014
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Parenting, Sociology, American Literature, Science / Nature, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) is Jordan B. Peterson’s second book. Peterson’s self-help book seeks to provide practical and virtuous rules to live by for a wide audience and general readership. The book streamlines, simplifies, and reimagines some of the more traditionally academic topics of Peterson’s first book, Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. Each non-fiction work aims to explain human history and human nature according to universal frameworks. 12... Read 12 Rules for Life Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Self Help, Relationships, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Depression / Suicide, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Canadian Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Miriam Toews’s A Complicated Kindness (2004) is about Nomi Nickel, an adolescent living in the religious Mennonite town of East Village whose coming of age takes place against the backdrop of her family’s unraveling. Toews, who grew up in the Mennonite community of Steinbach, Manitoba, is the author of several novels set in Mennonite communities, many of which are critical of aspects of the faith. This novel, Toews’s third, has garnered considerable acclaim and many... Read A Complicated Kindness Summary
Publication year 1880
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Russian Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, Biography, Politics / Government
Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim in the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation is a book by Eboo Patel. Part memoir, part treatise on the vulnerability of youth who are preyed upon and radicalized by religious zealots, the book examines Patel’s search for his identity, following him from childhood to his time as the founder of the Interfaith Youth Core group. Themes of faith, family, religious doubt, pluralism, and the... Read Acts Of Faith Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Military / War, Journalism, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Biography, Politics / Government, History: Middle Eastern
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality, Fantasy, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Class
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Romance, Religion / Spirituality
A Discovery of Witches is a romantic fantasy by American historian, professor, and author Deborah Harkness. Rocketing to popularity when first published in 2011, the novel received a starred review from Library Journal and became a New York Times Best Seller. The story follows Dr. Diana Bishop, a spellbound witch and scholar of 17th-century chemistry, whose life changes when she calls a long-lost, enchanted manuscript from the Bodleian Library. The handsome vampire Matthew Clairmont and... Read A Discovery of Witches Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals
Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Animals, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Latin American Literature
Publication year 1981
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Community, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Philosophy, Post Modernism, Religion / Spirituality, Arts / Culture, History: World, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
An influential work of moral philosophy, After Virtue (1981) by the Scottish-born philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre takes a bleak view of the state of modern moral dialogue, viewing it as suffering from a lack of rational thought and an inability to resolve disagreements. By looking at older forms of moral discourse, such as Aristotle’s moral framework, and comparing them to the modern version, he generally finds the modern moral framework to be lacking and suggests fixes... Read After Virtue Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: War, Society: Economics, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Disability, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Class, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Grief / Death
A Game of Thrones is a 1996 epic fantasy novel by George R. R. Martin and is the first in his long-running A Song of Ice and Fire series. The novel introduces the audience to the fictional world of Westeros, where characters become embroiled in a complicated web of plots, conspiracies, and betrayals as they pursue power. A Game of Thrones won numerous awards on publication and was adapted for television in 2011. This guide... Read A Game of Thrones Summary
Publication year 1961
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Biography, Classic Fiction
Clive Staples Lewis (1888-1963), known as C.S. Lewis, was a British writer and academic renowned for his works on Christianity and best remembered today as the author of the children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia, which famously includes the novels The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) and Prince Caspian (1951), among others. He graduated from Oxford University and taught there until 1954 when he became Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at... Read A Grief Observed Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Family
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay (2015) is a horror novel published by William Morrow. It is the fifth of Tremblay’s 10 novels, and was optioned in 2016 by Focus Features for screen adaptation. His seventh novel, The Cabin at the End of the World (2018), winner of the Bram Stoker and Locus Awards, was also adapted for the screen; it was released in 2023 as the M. Night Shyamalan film Knock at... Read A Head Full of Ghosts Summary
Publication year 1993
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 1945
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government, History: European
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Class, Love / Sexuality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Southern Gothic
Wiley Cash’s novel A Land More Kind Than Home (2012) is set in rural tobacco country in North Carolina. It focuses on the events that unfold over just a few days involving a charismatic church and its leader, Pastor Carson Chambliss. The story is told in alternating points of view from the perspectives of three characters, each of whom witnesses the events that unfold from a different angle. The story speaks to themes of The... Read A Land More Kind than Home Summary
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Alif the Unseen is the debut novel of G. Willow Wilson, an American-born writer of comics and prose who lived in Egypt for a time and converted to Islam in 2003. Published in 2012, the book won the 2013 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the 2013 Locus Award for Best First Novel. Blending fantasy, dystopian, and cyberpunk themes, it follows a young man’s journey through the seen world of humans... Read Alif the Unseen Summary
Publication year 2000
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Sexuality
Tags Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Psychology, Love / Sexuality, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Relationships, Self Help, Religion / Spirituality