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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2008
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Marriage
Tags Sociology, History: Middle Eastern, History: U.S., Race / Racism, Education, Education, History: World, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality
How Does It Feel to Be A Problem: Being Young and Arab in America (2008) is a nonfiction text by Brooklyn College English professor and Arab-American Moustafa Bayoumi. The title comes from W.E.B. Du Bois’s 1903 text, The Souls of Black Folk, wherein he directed this question toward the African-American experience. Following the stories of seven young ArabAmericans living in Brooklyn, and including their struggles after the 9/11 attacks, Bayoumi’s book suggests that present-day ArabAmericans absorb the... Read How Does It Feel to Be A Problem Summary
Publication year 1850
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality, Victorian Period
Publication year 1995
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Nation, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Education
Tags History: European, Irish Literature, Religion / Spirituality, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: World
How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe is a popular history by Irish American author Thomas Cahill, published in 1995. The book argues that Ireland’s conversion to Christianity was instrumental in preserving the remnants of classical culture that survived in Western Europe after the Roman Empire’s demise. The book was on The New York Times Best Seller list for... Read How the Irish Saved Civilization Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Tags Psychology, Depression / Suicide, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Self Help, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence (2018) was written by Michael Pollan after curiosity and a personal desire to experience psychedelics for himself prompted exploration into psychedelic research. Pollan uses multiple forms of narrative to weave a story that’s part history, part memoir, part biomedical nonfiction, and part travelogue. The book follows the history of LSD and psilocybin as well as... Read How to Change Your Mind Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2023
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family
Tags Religion / Spirituality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Afro-Caribbean Literature, Gender / Feminism, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Christian literature, Religion / Spirituality, Self Help
Publication year 1963
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Historical Fiction, History: European, WWII / World War II, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Military / War, History: World, Classic Fiction
I Am David by Anne Holm is a children’s historical fiction novel written in 1963. It was originally written in Danish but has since been translated into many languages, including English, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, and Konkani. It was first published in the United States under the name North to Freedom but eventually was retranslated into its original title. It was made into a movie in 2003. The novel received several awards... Read I Am David Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Tags History: Middle Eastern, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Gender / Feminism, History: World, Biography, Religion / Spirituality
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced tells the story of Nujood Ali, a Yemeni girl who is possibly the youngest divorcée in the world. Nujood published her biography, co-written with French journalist Delphine Minoui, in 2010, two years after her controversial divorce. The novel begins with an introduction to the country of Yemen and to Nujood’s story written by Delphine Minoui, the book’s second and adult writer. Minoui never specifies how she and Nujood... Read I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Relationships, Science / Nature, Class, Fantasy, Romance, Action / Adventure, Religion / Spirituality
I Am Number Four (2010) is the first book in the modern young adult science fiction series Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore, the pseudonym of authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes. Despite the novel’s mixed reviews, I Am Number Four spent seven successive weeks at the top of the New York Times children’s bestseller list. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 2011 by DreamWorks Pictures.Other works by this author... Read I Am Number Four Summary
Publication year 1923
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Relationships, Existentialism, German Literature
I and Thou is a book of existentialist philosophy composed by Martin Buber. First published in 1923, the book explores the meaning of human relationships, and how relationships bring us ever closer to God. Critics consider the book to be one of the most significant philosophical texts of the 20th century. Buber was a writer and philosopher best known for his contributions to religious existentialism and the philosophy of dialogue. Before World War II, Buber... Read I and Thou Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity
Tags Romance, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Love / Sexuality, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1967
Genre Novel, Fiction
Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
American journalist and short-story writer Margaret Craven released her debut novel, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, in the U.S. in 1973, where it became a New York Times best-seller. Originally published in Canada in 1967, the novel, like her later works, centers around the native population of British Columbia. Mark Brian is a 27-year-old Anglican vicar sent by his bishop to the coastal village of Kingcome to live among the Kwakiutl Indians and... Read I Heard The Owl Call My Name Summary
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Inspirational, Fantasy, Philosophy, Self Help, Classic Fiction
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah was written in 1977 by American writer Richard Bach and is a philosophical novel that questions the nature of reality. This novel was a follow-up to Bach’s bestseller Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), which has similar themes and imagery. Illusions suggests that all of reality is a construct of the imagination and can facilitate or hinder a person on their path to having the life that they want. One... Read Illusions Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Science / Nature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Politics / Government
Publication year 2018
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past
Tags Race / Racism, Black Lives Matter, Biography, Social Justice, Religion / Spirituality
I’m Still Here is a nonfiction memoir published in 2018 by the American author Austin Channing Brown. Subtitled Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, the book chronicles Brown’s lifelong efforts to navigate White spaces as a Black Christian woman. Amid a surge of interest in the wake of the 2020 George Floyd protests, actress Reese Witherspoon selected I’m Still Here for her popular Hello Sunshine book club.This study guide refers to the 2018... Read I'm Still Here Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Jewish Literature, Romance, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1955
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Play: Drama, Historical Fiction, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Education, Education, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
Inherit the Wind is a 1955 play by American playwrights Jerome Lawrence (1915-2004) and Robert E. Lee (1918-1994). It is based on the 1925 Scopes trial, where schoolteacher John T. Scopes was put on trial for teaching the theory of evolution at a time when doing so was illegal. Although Inherit the Wind draws from the events of the Scopes trial, it deviates significantly from the details of the case, as Lawrence and Lee were... Read Inherit the Wind Summary