Inspirational Fiction
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Fiction & non-fiction books that inspire & enlighten.
Created by the Popular Reading Library. |
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Saramago, Jose A political allegory of a society under siege as an epidemic of sudden onset blindness overtakes a city. The government of the unnamed country responds by quarantining the victims in an abandoned mental asylum. The lone sighted person at the asylum takes on the task of guiding the inmates back into the world.
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Galloway, Steven Following a brutal mortar attack in Sarajevo which kills 22 people, an unnamed cellist vows to play Albinoni’s Adagio in the bombed street once a day for the next 22 days as a memorial to the victims. Galloway’s book is a testament to love and hope.
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Doctorow, E.L. Ambitious novel compares turn-of-the- century New York with St. Augustine’s City of God. Doctorow combines elements of mystery fiction with theological speculation in his account of mankind’s spiritual state.
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Steyn, Johan A powerful and compassionate social document set in an age where public services are being regulated and run as businesses and doctors become “managers” forced to operate as bottom-line medics. Meanwhile, millions of Africans are caught in this bureaucratic nightmare and denied the drugs that might commute AIDS from a death sentence to a manageable disease.
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Hesse, Hermann Hesse’s final book features an elite, intellectual community whose goal is to master the complex rules of the Glass Bead Game. The game is a synthesis of all branches of knowledge. The book is complex and fascinating and will appeal to fans of multi-dimensional games, haiku, and philosophy.
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Zusak, Markus 19-year-old cabbie, Ed Kennedy’s life is going nowhere. One day he helps foil a bank robbery and, later, starts receiving coded messages on playing cards directing him to specific addresses where he finds people in need of help.
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Angelou, Maya Angelou writes a moving account of her life detailing lessons learned in her journey to self-discovery. Dedicated to the daughter she never had, Angelou offers a guide to living a meaningful life.
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One day in the South African town of Yearsonend, a merman sculpture magically appears triggering a re-examination of the town’s violent past and the legend of a secret horde of gold. Deaf, dumb, and blind stonecutter Mario Salviati seems to hold the key to the town’s secrets.
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The tragic death of his young daughter leaves Mackenzie Allen Phillips bitter and depressed. One day, he receives a strange invitation – from God. Phillips must revisit the site of his tragedy and reconsider the question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?”
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Gaarder, Jostein This is a metafictional novel about a young girl, Sophie Amundsen, who is being introduced to the great philosophical ideas from ancient to modern times. Suddenly, a mystery develops and Sophie begins to suspect she is a character in someone’s novel.
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Russell, Mary Doria In 2019, life is discovered on the planet Rakhat. A group of Jesuits organize a first-contact mission and are overwhelmed by what they encounter. Contact forces them to re-examine what it means to be human. Intriguing!
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Mona Ahmad is left a widow after being a dutiful wife for thirty years. She slowly begins to appreciate her new financial and personal freedom. When a new neighbour, Salamat Ali, shows an interest in her, Mona finds that her family and friends cannot stop interfering with her choices.
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Eagleman, David For anyone who has ever speculated on the afterlife, neuroscientist Eagleman’s mini tales of the hereafter will prove a source of intrigue and will both unnerve and amuse the reader. Eagleman presents forty different versions of what may be in store for us after death and, at the same time, shows us how we should live our lives in the present.
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Lenz, Frederick This is the story of a young American boy who sets out on a snowboarding adventure in the Himalayas. There, he meets a Buddhist monk and becomes his spiritual apprentice. The book offers a unique glimpse at Eastern thought and Buddhist tradition from the perspective of a boy raised in Western culture.
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Knausgard, Karl Knausgard offers the reader a history of the world based on mankind’s interaction with God and the angels - from man’s expulsion from Eden, to the artistic triumphs during the Renaissance. Knausgaard introduces us to the character Antonius Bellori who, after reinterpreting traditional stories about God, comes to question the true nature of the divine.
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Sullivan, Tom After losing his eyesight in a mountain climbing accident, Brendan McCarthy feels he has lost everything. When Brendan meets Nelson, a “last-chance” seeing-eye dog, the two bond and Brendan learns to hope once again.
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Glavin, Terry B.C. writer Glavin’s book offers a contemplative account of wildlife on the verge of extinction. He examines man’s place in the natural world and looks at proposals to prevent further extinctions. This powerful book is beautifully written and a provocative challenge for our age.
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Coelho, Paul Coelho’s novel is a fusion of morality parable, philosophy and spirituality. The book documents the life and spiritual awakening of Sherine Khalil a.k.a. Athena.
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Ackerman, Diane Set in Warsaw during WW II, zookeeper Jan Zabinski and his wife Antonina struggle to keep their animals safe and, at the same time, aid the Polish resistance movement. An inspirational story.
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