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.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

by Sangu Mandanna

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Perseverance, Truth & Lies, Conflict, Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Loyalty & Betrayal, Community

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Education, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Parenting, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

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The Violent Bear It Away

by Flannery O'Connor

Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags Southern Gothic, Christian, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, Southern Literature, Gothic Literature, Classic Fiction

The Violent Bear It Away is a fiction novel published in 1960 by the American author Flannery O’Connor. Written in O’Connor’s trademark Southern Gothic style, the book chronicles the inner turmoil of a 14-year-old boy from rural Tennessee as he struggles against his destiny of becoming a prophet. It is an expansion of O’Connor’s 1955 short story, “You Can’t Be Any Poorer Than Dead,” which is presented here as the book’s first chapter.Other works by... Read The Violent Bear It Away Summary

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

by C. S. Lewis

Publication year 1952

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Fate, Self Discovery, Friendship

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Christian

C. S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a fantasy novel for children originally published in 1952 as the third installment of The Chronicles of Narnia series. However, because recent editions of the series tend to number the books in chronological order of storytelling rather than the original order of publication, it is most often counted as the fifth volume in modern printings. The Chronicles of Narnia includes seven novels: The Lion, the... Read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Summary

The War for Kindness

by Jamil Zaki

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Apathy, Science & Technology, Mental Health

Tags Psychology, Science & Nature, Self-Improvement, Sociology, Arts & Culture, Technology, Business & Economics, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

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The War Prayer

by Mark Twain

Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes War, Religion & Spirituality, Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government

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The Wayfinders

by Wade Davis

Publication year 2009

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Community

Tags Anthropology, Science & Nature, Technology, Anthropology, Sociology, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Travel Literature, Religion & Spirituality

This study guide refers to the 2009 House of Anansi Press edition of Wade Davis’s The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World. The Wayfinders collects a series of five Massey Lectures that Davis delivered in Canada in 2009. Davis is a Colombian-Canadian anthropologist and ethnobotanist, and the Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. This position, as well as his long anthropological career, has allowed Davis to spend time with many of the... Read The Wayfinders Summary

The Way of Integrity

by Martha Beck

Publication year 2021

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Conflict

Tags Self-Improvement, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Inspirational, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Mental Illness

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The Way of Kings

by Brandon Sanderson

Publication year 2010

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil

Tags Fantasy, Religion & Spirituality, Social Class, Narrative Poem, Action & Adventure

The Way of Kings (2010) is the first book in Brandon Sanderson’s ongoing epic fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive. The Way of Kings won Best Novel at the 2011 David Gemmell Legend Awards for fantasy literature and is considered an exemplary and influential entry to the epic fantasy genre. DMG Entertainment purchased the rights to a film adaptation of The Stormlight Archive in 2016, and Arcturus VR released a videogame adaptation of the novel in... Read The Way of Kings Summary

The Weight of Ink

by Rachel Kadish

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Love, Femininity, Safety & Danger, Perseverance, Regret

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Love & Sexuality, Philosophy, Jewish Literature, British Literature, World History, Religion & Spirituality

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The Witching Hour

by Anne Rice

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, The Past, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Science Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Horror & Suspense, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gothic Literature

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The Woman in Black

by Susan Hill

Publication year 1983

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Death, The Past, Revenge, Trust & Doubt, Mothers

Tags Horror & Suspense, Science Fiction, World History, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Gothic Literature, Grief & Death

The Woman in Black (1983) by Susan Hill follows the gothic literary tradition. Hill explores traditional horror tropes, such as abandoned estates and ghost hauntings, set in an unspecified time in England’s countryside. The horror novella focuses on the first-person point-of-view of Arthur Kipps as he reflects on a ghost haunting he experienced as a young man. Hill explores themes of loss and mourning, the impact of holding onto the past, and the clash between... Read The Woman in Black Summary