Religion & Spirituality

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 1713

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Objects

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Metaphysical, History: World, Philosophy, Irish Literature, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1957

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, History: World, Biography


Publication year 1883

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a work of fiction written by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Published between 1883 and 1885, the allegorical novel also known as Thus Spake Zarathustra is a collection of speeches by a character named Zarathustra to the villagers of The Motley Cow. Nietzsche uses many literary devices such as personification, allegory, and allusion. The philosophical points referenced in Thus Spoke Zarathustra include the death of... Read Thus Spoke Zarathustra Summary


Publication year 1956

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Mythology, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature, Fantasy

C.S. Lewis’s final novel, Till We Have Faces, is a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche. The novel is narrated by Orual, the Queen of Glome, and is framed as a complaint against the gods. Orual is the eldest of three sisters; her siblings are Redival and Istra—whom Orual calls Psyche. Orual is an ugly child who resents Redival’s beauty and whose only friend is her tutor, a Greek slave called the... Read Till We Have Faces Summary


Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Self Discovery

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Children's Literature, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story is a gothic middle grade novel written by Mary Downing Hahn and published in 1994. Hahn is known for incorporating elements of the thriller and gothic genres into stories for young readers. This novel follows 12-year-old Drew as he spends the summer with his Aunt Blythe and an irritable great-grandfather in their creaky, shadowy ancestral home. When a dying boy who looks strikingly similar to Drew mysteriously appears in... Read Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story Summary


Publication year 1678

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Identity: Gender

Tags LGBTQ, Fantasy, Relationships, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Siblings

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1773

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Lyric Poem, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Religion / Spirituality, Neoclassical, African American Literature, Colonial America


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2005

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is a young adult adventure-romance about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire. Her struggle to build a relationship in a world filled with suspicion and danger helped make the book a number-one New York Times bestseller. The novel launched the Twilight book series including New Moon (2006), Breaking Dawn (2008), and Midnight Sun (2020), which has sold more than 100 million copies and received multiple young reader... Read Twilight Summary


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Crime / Legal, Religion / Spirituality, History: U.S., Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, History: World, Biography

In 2003, Jon Krakauer, nonfiction author and journalist, published Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith. Now the inspiration for a television series of the same title on Hulu, the story sent shockwaves as it explored religious extremism on American soil that closely resembled the Taliban-style extremism that had captured the country’s attention following the September 11 attacks. This guide refers to the 2004 paperback edition published by First Anchor Books.Content warning:... Read Under the Banner of Heaven Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Modern Classic Fiction, Magical Realism, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2012

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Self Discovery

Tags Religion / Spirituality, Gender / Feminism, Jewish Literature, Biography


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: Asian, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Politics / Government, Psychology, Technology, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

UnWholly (2012) by Neal Shusterman is Book 2 in the Unwind Dystology. Shusterman originally planned the series to be a dystopia trilogy, but the third book, UnSouled, was split into two for publication due to length. While it was nominated for several awards in Young Adult literature, it did not win any, in contrast to the first book of the series, Unwind, which won nearly a dozen awards and prizes.UnWholly is science fiction, specifically YA... Read UnWholly Summary


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Written in 2007 by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy is the first of six novels in the Vampire Academy series, which follows the coming-of-age journey of Rosemarie “Rose” Hathaway, a dhampir (half vampire) who is training to become a guardian for her best friend, Vasilisa “Lissa” Dragomir. Lissa is a royal Moroi (or full vampire) with mysterious powers. The novel addresses themes of friendship, forbidden romance, and personal responsibility within a school setting. In 2014, Vampire... Read Vampire Academy Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Society: War, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, American Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction