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 1990
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New Age
Tags Psychology, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality
Full Tilt is a young adult psychological horror novel written by author Neal Shusterman. Shusterman has written over 30 books, many of which have won literary awards. He was born in New York City but moved to Mexico City as a teenager. From there, he studied psychology and theater at the University of California in Irvine. He is also a screenwriter for both television and film. Full Tilt earned over 20 literary awards after its... Read Full Tilt Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Race, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gender / Feminism, Religion / Spirituality, Science / Nature, Race / Racism, Fantasy
Future Home of the Living God is a 2017 speculative fiction novel by American author Louise Erdrich. Told by Cedar Hawk Songmaker, a pregnant Native American woman in her mid-twenties living in Minneapolis, the story consists of her reflections as she waits to give birth. In the novel’s pre-apocalyptic America, human evolution has reversed, meaning that the species has begun to biologically regress into an infertile state. Meanwhile, the United States government has undermined citizens’... Read Future Home of the Living God Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature
Publication year 1881
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity
Tags Play: Drama, Psychological Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Realism, Victorian Period, Drama / Tragedy, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Finance / Money / Wealth, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
The play Ghosts (1881) by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen chronicles the complicated relationship between Helen Alving and her son, Oswald. Ghosts documents a day in the life at the Alving estate as Helen prepares to open an orphanage in honor of her late husband. A three-act play, Ghosts explores the complex social issues of sexually transmitted infections, incest, and euthanasia—topics that made the play highly controversial when it was first produced.Ghosts followed the success of... Read Ghosts Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Fantasy, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1979
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1990
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags Health / Medicine, Inspirational, Biography, Religion / Spirituality
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (1990) is a memoir written by Ben Carson, a former neurosurgeon turned politician, and coauthor Cecil Murphey. Born Benjamin Solomon Carson Sr., Carson served as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Donald Trump. The book explores how Carson’s gifts from God, his mother and older brother’s influence, and his faith in God and himself allowed him to escape the Detroit ghetto and become a... Read Gifted Hands Summary
Publication year 1955
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage, Life/Time: Midlife, Identity: Femininity
Tags Inspirational, Philosophy, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, Philosophy, Biography, Self Help, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Gift from the Sea is a 1955 work of inspirational nonfiction literature by American author Anne Morrow Lindbergh. While vacationing on Captiva Island, Florida, Lindbergh explores the questions of how to find a new, more natural rhythm of life and how to gain a deeper relationship with herself and others. To gain inspiration for this, she discusses various shells that she finds on the beach. The first two shells she finds symbolize the importance of... Read Gift From The Sea Summary
Publication year 2007
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Sociology, Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Politics / Government
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007) is a polemical text by English writer Christopher Hitchens. The author argues that religion is a cultural construct that represses people more than it liberates them. He examines religion’s role in sexuality, science, and human dignity and posits that organized religion rarely (if ever) benefits humanity at large. Hitchens was a noted columnist and contributing editor to Vanity Fair magazine.Its themes include mass delusions, the misogyny... Read God Is Not Great Summary
Publication year 1872
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger
Tags Russian Literature, Classic Fiction, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality
“God Sees the Truth, but Waits” is a short story by Leo Tolstoy originally published in 1872. The story, a parable about forgiveness that explores religious and spiritual themes, tells of a man sent to prison in Siberia for a murder he did not commit. The story has been adapted for various media, including films and radio programs. This guide refers to the 1990 Norton Critical Edition.Set in Tolstoy’s contemporary Russia, the story is narrated... Read God Sees the Truth, but Waits Summary
Publication year 1918
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Victorian Period, Industrial Revolution, Education, Education
Publication year 2008
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Self Discovery
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Fantasy, British Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Humor
Good Omens, The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is a darkly comic novel originally published in 1990. It is a satirical imagining of the Biblical apocalypse featuring angels, demons, humans, and the hosts of Heaven and Hell.Pratchett is well known for his ˙comic fantasy Discworld series, which spans 41 books. Gaiman is the author of, among other titles, Stardust, American Gods, and the graphic novel series... Read Good Omens Summary
Publication year 2019
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Life/Time: The Future, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Inspirational, Health
Publication year 90
Genre Scripture, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Christian literature
The Gospel of John is the last of the four biblical gospels in the New Testament, each offering a biography of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is traditionally attributed to John, one of Jesus’s 12 disciples and a major leader in the early church, though some scholars dispute that attribution. The Gospel of John, most likely written in the latter decades of the first century CE, is part of the Johannine corpus... Read Gospel of John Summary
Publication year 1953
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Auto/Biographical Fiction, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Race / Racism, American Literature, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Go Tell it on the Mountain is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin. Published in 1953, the novel tells the story of a teenager in 1930s Harlem named John Grimes as well as his wider family, dealing with themes of religion, sexuality, and race. This guide uses an eBook version of the Modern Penguin Classics edition of the novel. Plot SummaryGo Tell it on the Mountain is set on the 14th birthday of the protagonist... Read Go Tell It on the Mountain Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Society: War, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Place, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, WWII / World War II, Military / War, Grief / Death, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, History: Asian, History: U.S., Religion / Spirituality, Children's Literature, History: World
Publication year 1965
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community
Tags Anthropology, Education, Education, Anthropology, History: World, Travel Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Biography
Guests of the Sheik is a nonfiction book set in Iraq in the early years of the Cold War. In 1956, Elizabeth Warnock Fernea accompanies her husband, Bob Fernea, on a two-year, anthropological, dissertation research trip. As a new bride who is entirely unfamiliar with the Middle East or its history and culture, Elizabeth lives in the rural tribal settlement of El Nahra among the El Eshadda tribe. Though she is unable to speak Arabic... Read Guests of the Sheik Summary