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 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Midlife, Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Environment
Tags Self Help, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Inspirational, Psychology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: New Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Relationships, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1377
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Society: Community
Tags History: World, Medieval Literature / Middle Ages, History: Middle Eastern, Middle Eastern Literature, Sociology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1942
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Philosophy, Depression / Suicide, Religion / Spirituality, Absurdism, French Literature, Philosophy, History: World, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
One of the monuments of 20th-century philosophy, The Myth of Sisyphus, by Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus, delves deeply into the emptiness of life and how to cope with it. Published in France in 1942, during the darkest days of World War II, the book resonated strongly with French readers and soon had a worldwide following. The 2018 edition of the 1955 English translation by Justin O’Brien forms the basis for this study guide.The book’s... Read The Myth of Sisyphus Summary
Publication year 1949
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, History: World, Anthropology, Psychology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Fantasy
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality, Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags Inspirational, Fantasy, Christian literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Class, Emotions/Behavior: Grief
Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2007
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1967
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Technology, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Cold War, Post-War Era, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
The Nine Billion Names of God is a collection of science-fiction short stories published in 1974 by the English author Arthur C. Clarke. Most of the stories in the collection were written in the late 1940s and ’50s. One of the most successful and prolific early science fiction writers, Clarke wrote about space exploration, scientific inventions such as satellites, and aliens long before humans even landed on the moon. His short story “The Sentinel,” which... Read The Nine Billion Names of God Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
In The Ocean at the End of the Lane (2013), a dark fantasy novel by Neil Gaiman, a young boy accidentally brings an evil entity from another reality into his world, and he needs the help of three mysterious women to try to get rid of the threat. A number-one New York Times bestseller, the novel won several honors, including the British Book Awards Book of the Year and the Locus Award for best fantasy... Read The Ocean at the End of the Lane Summary
Genre Poem, Fiction
Tags Mythology, Narrative / Epic Poem, Philosophy, Science / Nature, Philosophy, Classical Period, Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
The Theogony is an epic poem by the archaic Greek poet Hesiod. It is both a theogony—or account of the origins of the gods—and a cosmogony, an explanation of the origins of the universe. At just over a thousand lines in length, the Theogony is among the earliest surviving works of Greek literature, dating to the late eighth or early seventh century BCE. It is an epic poem, a genre defined by its meter (dactylic... Read Theogony Summary
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Siblings, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1961
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Satire, Religion / Spirituality, Post Modernism
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Siblings
Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt
Tags LGBTQ, Romance, Arts / Culture, Grief / Death, Health / Medicine, Love / Sexuality, Mental Illness, Parenting, Relationships, Religion / Spirituality, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1678
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Community
Tags Classic Fiction, Christian literature, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Religion / Spirituality
The Pilgrim’s Progress was written by John Bunyan and published in 1678. The work is a religious allegory that is among the most famous works of English literature; many critics also consider it the first English example of the novel genre. Like Christian, the main character in Part 1, Bunyan’s path to Christianity was a journey. After rejecting religion early in his life, Bunyan devoted himself to God and became a Puritan. He believed the... Read The Pilgrim's Progress Summary
Publication year 1933
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Christian literature, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality