Books about Introspection

  1. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

    by Rick Warren
    An exploration of faith and life's meaning, providing readers with an actionable manifesto for living.

    A #1 New York Times bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life will help you understand why you are alive and reveal God's amazing plan for you both here and now, and for eternity. Rick Warren will guide ... (Goodreads)

  2. Nine Stories

    by J.D. Salinger
    Nine short stories of insight into the human condition and its mysteries.

    Nine Stories (1953) is a collection of short stories by American fiction writer J. D. Salinger published in April 1953. It includes two of his most famous short stories, "A Perfect Day for ... (Goodreads)

  3. The Catcher in the Rye

    by J.D. Salinger
    A teenage boy's journey of self-discovery, navigating complexities of the adult world.

    An angry, depressed 16-year-old (Holden Caulfield) lives in an unspecified institution in California after the end of World War II . After his discharge within a month, he intends to go live with his ... (Wikipedia)

  4. The Stranger

    by Albert Camus
    A man's journey of existentialism, questioning the meaning of life and death.

    Meursault learns of the death of his mother, who has been living in a retirement home. At her funeral, he expresses none of the expected emotions of grief. When asked if he wishes to view the body, ... (Wikipedia)

  5. An Abundance of Katherines

    by John Green
    A teenage boy's quest for love and self-discovery, learning to accept himself and find happiness.

    Colin Singleton, a child prodigy living in Chicago , fears he will not maintain his genius as an adult. Over the span of his life, Colin has dated nineteen girls named Katherine, all spelled in that ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

    by Alison Bechdel
    An autobiographical story of a daughter's complex relationship with her father and her own journey of self-discovery.

    The narrative of Fun Home is non-linear and recursive. , Incidents are told and re-told in the light of new information or themes. , Bechdel describes the structure of Fun Home as a labyrinth , ... (Wikipedia)

  7. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis

    by J.D. Vance
    An exploration of the struggles of working-class Americans, and the power of family and culture to shape one's life.

    Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for ... (Goodreads)

  8. Siddhartha

    by Hermann Hesse
    A spiritual journey of self-discovery for a young man in search of enlightenment.

    The story takes place in the ancient Nepalese kingdom of Kapilavastu . Siddhartha decides to leave his home in the hope of gaining spiritual illumination by becoming an ascetic wandering beggar of ... (Wikipedia)

  9. White Noise

    by Don DeLillo
    A darkly comic exploration of modern life, examining the effects of technology and consumer culture.

    Set at a bucolic mid-western college known only as The-College-on-the-Hill, White Noise follows a year in the life of Jack Gladney, a professor who has made his name by pioneering the field of Hitler ... (Wikipedia)

  10. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

    by Fredrik Backman
    An imaginative quest to uncover the truth behind a beloved grandmother's mysterious stories.

    The story takes place in Sweden and follows Elsa, a 7-year-old who knows she is different from other children her age. Elsa has a habit of correcting others' grammar, she is smart for her age, and is ... (Wikipedia)

  11. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

    by Donald Miller
    A Christian's exploration of faith and spirituality, navigating its relevance in the modern world.

    The runaway New York Times bestseller that became a cornerstone of Christian nonfiction, Blue Like Jazz is a fresh and original perspective on life, love, and redemption. ,"I never liked jazz music ... (Barnes & Noble)

  12. The Elegance of the Hedgehog

    by Muriel Barbery
    A story of two unlikely outcasts who find solace and comfort in each other's company.

    The story revolves mainly around the characters of Renée Michel and Paloma Josse, residents of an upper-middle class Left Bank apartment building at 7 Rue de Grenelle – one of the most elegant ... (Wikipedia)

  13. The Republic

    by Plato
    A philosophical discourse on justice, examining morality, politics, and virtue.

    Presented in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and three different interlocutors, this classic text is an enquiry into the notion of a perfect community and the ideal individual within it. ... (Goodreads)

  14. Less

    by Andrew Sean Greer
    A man's journey of self-discovery and coming to terms with his life choices.

    PROBLEM: You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years now engaged to someone else. You can’t say yes–it would all be ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Dispossessed

    by Ursula K. Le Guin
    A sci-fi exploration of utopian and dystopian societies, and the struggle for a better world.

    Librarian note: Alternate cover edition of ISBN, 9780061054884,. Shevek, a brilliant physicist, decides to take action. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the ... (Goodreads)

  16. Till We Have Faces

    by C.S. Lewis
    An ancient myth re-told, exploring the complexity of divine love and its effects on human life.

    The story tells the ancient Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche , from the perspective of Orual, Psyche's older sister. It begins as the complaint of Orual as an old woman, who is bitter at the injustice ... (Wikipedia)

  17. The Great Divorce

    by C.S. Lewis
    A spiritual journey through Heaven and Hell, exploring the consequences of our decisions.

    The narrator inexplicably finds himself in a grim and joyless city, the "grey town", where it rains continuously, even indoors, which is either Hell or Purgatory depending on whether or not one stays ... (Wikipedia)

  18. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

    by James Joyce
    An exploration of a young man's struggle to find his identity and place in the world.

    The portrayal of Stephen Dedalus's Dublin childhood and youth, his quest for identity through art and his gradual emancipation from the claims of family, religion and Ireland itself, is also an ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Death of Ivan Ilych

    by Leo Tolstoy
    A man's journey of self-reflection in the face of death, confronting mortality and the meaning of life.

    Ivan Ilyich lives a carefree life that is "most simple and most ordinary and therefore most terrible". Like everyone he knows, he spends his life climbing the social ladder. Enduring marriage to a ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Conversations with Friends

    by Sally Rooney
    Two college students explore the complexity of relationships and their place in the world.

    A sharply intelligent novel about two college students and the strange, unexpected connection they forge with a married couple. Frances is twenty-one years old, cool-headed, and darkly observant. A ... (Goodreads)

  21. Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

    by Pablo Neruda
    Collection of poems exploring love, heartache, and the complexities of relationships.

    When it appeared in 1924, this work launched into the international spotlight a young and unknown poet whose writings would ignite a generation. W. S. Merwin's incomparable translation faces the ... (Goodreads)

  22. Brief Lives

    by Neil Gaiman
    A journey of self-reflection as a man discovers the power of stories and their ability to shape our lives.

    Dream's youngest sister, the loopy Delirium, convinces him to go on a quest for their missing brother, Destruction. But Dream may learn that the cost of finding his prodigal sibling is more than he ... (Goodreads)

  23. Veronika Decides to Die

    by Paulo Coelho
    A young woman's journey of self-discovery, learning to confront mortality and the power of love.

    Veronika is a young woman from Ljubljana , Slovenia, who appears to have a perfect life, but nevertheless decides to commit suicide by overdosing with sleeping pills. While she waits to die, she ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Immortality

    by Milan Kundera
    An exploration of the human desire for immortality and the implications of eternity.

    Divided into seven parts, Immortality centers on Agnes, her husband Paul and her sister Laura. Part One: the Face establishes these characters. Part Two: Immortality depicts Goethe 's fraught ... (Wikipedia)

  25. Ficciones

    by Jorge Luis Borges
    A collection of short stories exploring the limits of the imagination.

    The seventeen pieces in Ficciones demonstrate the whirlwind of Borges's genius and mirror the precision and potency of his intellect and inventiveness, his piercing irony, his skepticism, and his ... (Goodreads)

  26. Cloud Atlas

    by David Mitchell
    A dynamic narrative spanning centuries, exploring the interconnectedness of humanity.

    The book consists of six nested stories; each is read or observed by a main character of the next, thus they progress in time through the central sixth story. The first five stories are each ... (Wikipedia)

  27. A Prayer for Owen Meany

    by John Irving
    A boy's search for faith, set against a backdrop of unlikely events.

    The story is narrated by John Wheelwright, a former citizen of New Hampshire who has become a voluntary expatriate from the United States, having settled in Toronto , Ontario , Canada and taken on ... (Wikipedia)

  28. Kafka on the Shore

    by Haruki Murakami
    A surreal journey of self-discovery, exploring the boundaries between the real and surreal.

    Comprising two distinct but interrelated plots, the narrative runs back and forth between both plots, taking up each plotline in alternating chapters. The odd-numbered chapters tell the 15-year-old ... (Wikipedia)

  29. Anathem

    by Neal Stephenson
    A philosophical novel set in a monastic society, exploring the limits of knowledge.

    Anathem is set on the fictional planet of Arbre. Thousands of years before the events in the novel, the planet's intellectuals entered concents ( monastic communities) to protect their activities ... (Wikipedia)

  30. The Illustrated Man

    by Ray Bradbury
    A collection of short stories about the human condition and its connection to the universe.

    That The Illustrated Man has remained in print since being published in 1951 is fair testimony to the universal appeal of Ray Bradbury's work. Only his second collection (the first was Dark Carnival ... (Goodreads)

  31. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

    by Elizabeth Gilbert
    A woman's journey of self-discovery, exploring spirituality, culture and life's purpose.

    A celebrated writer's irresistible, candid, and eloquent account of her pursuit of worldly pleasure, spiritual devotion, and what she really wanted out of life. Around the time Elizabeth Gilbert ... (Goodreads)

  32. Stories of Your Life and Others

    by Ted Chiang
    A collection of short stories exploring themes of science, technology, and humanity.

    Ted Chiang's first published story, ",Tower of Babylon," won the Nebula Award in 1990. Subsequent stories have won the Asimov's SF Magazine reader poll, a second Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon ... (Goodreads)

  33. Tropic of Cancer

    by Henry Miller
    A young writer's journey of self-exploration in Paris, confronting life, love and lust.

    Now hailed as an American classic Tropic of Cancer , Henry Miller’s masterpiece, was banned as obscene in this country for twenty-seven years after its first publication in Paris in 1934. Only a ... (Goodreads)

  34. Walden

    by Henry David Thoreau
    A reflective journey into nature, exploring the power of contemplation and simplicity.

    Originally published in 1854, Walden; or, Life in the Woods, is a vivid account of the time that Henry D. Thoreau lived alone in a secluded cabin at Walden Pond. It is one of the most influential and ... (Goodreads)

  35. The Prophet

    by Kahlil Gibran
    Collection of poetic musings about life, spirituality, and love.

    Kahlil Gibran’s masterpiece, The Prophet, is one of the most beloved classics of our time. Published in 1923, it has been translated into more than twenty languages, and the American editions alone ... (Goodreads)

  36. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

    by Cheryl Strayed
    A woman confronts her past and finds herself through a solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.

    Wild is Cheryl Strayed's memoir of her 1,100-mile solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail . Strayed's journey begins in the Mojave Desert and she hikes through California and Oregon to the Bridge of ... (Wikipedia)

  37. White Teeth

    by Zadie Smith
    A multi-generational saga exploring identity, race, and culture in modern-day London.

    On New Year's Day 1975, Archie Jones, a 47-year-old Englishman whose disturbed Italian wife has just walked out on him, is attempting to take his own life by gassing himself in his car when a chance ... (Wikipedia)

  38. Cosmos

    by Carl Sagan
    Voyage through the vastness of space, unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

    Cosmos has 13 heavily illustrated chapters, corresponding to the 13 episodes of the Cosmos television series. In the book, Sagan explores 15 billion years of cosmic evolution and the development of ... (Goodreads)

  39. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

    by Haruki Murakami
    A man's journey of self-reflection to address his past and understand his place in the world.

    A mesmerising mystery story about friendship from the internationally bestselling author of, Norwegian Wood, and, 1Q84, Tsukuru Tazaki had four best friends at school. By chance all of their names ... (Goodreads)

  40. Franny and Zooey

    by J.D. Salinger
    A brother and sister's journey towards finding spiritual understanding and inner peace.

    The short story concerns Franny's weekend date with her collegiate boyfriend, Lane Coutell. Lane takes her to a fashionable lunch room, where Franny quickly becomes exasperated when he only appears ... (Wikipedia)

  41. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

    by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
    Two teenage boys explore friendship, identity, and family, with unexpected results.

    The book is divided into six sections. In each part we see the two main characters, Aristotle and Dante, discovering more about themselves, more Aristotle than Dante. 15-year-old Aristotle "Ari" ... (Wikipedia)

  42. Starship Troopers

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    A futuristic military drama, exploring the consequences of war and human nature.

    The novel opens with Rico aboard the corvette transport Rodger Young (named after Medal of Honor recipient Rodger Wilton Young ), , serving with the platoon known as "Rasczak's Roughnecks". The ... (Wikipedia)

  43. A Game of You

    by Neil Gaiman
    A woman's journey of self-discovery, exploring the mysterious, magical world of her imagination.

    The central character of A Game of You is Barbie, introduced as a resident of the house where Rose Walker stayed during the events of, The Doll's House, , wherein Barbie dreamt a vivid dream of ... (Wikipedia)

  44. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory

    by Caitlin Doughty
    A journey through the funeral industry, exploring death, grief, and the beauty of life.

    "Morbid and illuminating" ( Entertainment Weekly )—a young mortician goes behind the scenes of her curious profession. Armed with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre, Caitlin ... (Barnes & Noble)

  45. Midwives

    by Chris Bohjalian
    A midwife's journey of self-discovery, uncovering secrets of her own past.

    The time is 1981, and Sibyl Danforth has been a dedicated midwife in the rural community of Reddington, Vermont, for fifteen years. But one treacherous winter night, in a house isolated by icy roads ... (Goodreads)

  46. The Fall of the House of Usher - an Edgar Allan Poe Short Story

    by Edgar Allan Poe
    A man's descent into madness as he visits an ominous estate, beset by death and horror.

    The story begins with the unnamed narrator arriving at the house of his friend, Roderick Usher, having received a letter from him in a distant part of the country complaining of an illness and asking ... (Wikipedia)

  47. Things Fall Apart

    by Chinua Achebe
    Exploration of African culture and traditions, grappling with the tension between modernity and tradition.

    The novel's protagonist , Okonkwo, is famous in the villages of Umuofia for being a wrestling champion, defeating a wrestler nicknamed "Amalinze The Cat" (because he never lands on his back). Okonkwo ... (Wikipedia)

  48. The Bhagavad Gita

    by Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
    Epic poem exploring the nature of duty, faith, and morality.

    The Bhagavad Gita is an intensely spiritual work that forms the cornerstone of the Hindu faith, and is also one of the masterpieces of Sanskrit poetry. It describes how, at the beginning of a mighty ... (Barnes & Noble)

  49. To the Lighthouse

    by Virginia Woolf
    Exploration of the complexities of human relationships and family life.

    The novel is set in the Ramsays' summer home in the Hebrides , on the Isle of Skye . The section begins with Mrs Ramsay assuring her son James that they should be able to visit the lighthouse on the ... (Wikipedia)

  50. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

    by Haruki Murakami
    A surreal journey of self-discovery, exploring the inner and outer worlds.

    The first part, "The Thieving Magpie", begins with the narrator, Toru Okada, a low-key and unemployed lawyer's assistant, being tasked by his wife, Kumiko, to find their missing cat. Kumiko suggests ... (Wikipedia)

  51. Life After Life

    by Kate Atkinson
    A woman lives multiple lives, reflecting on choices and consequences and the power of love.

    The novel has an unusual structure, repeatedly looping back in time to describe alternative possible lives for its central character, Ursula Todd, who is born on 11 February 1910 to an ... (Wikipedia)

  52. Apology

    by Plato
    Socrates’ defense of his life & beliefs in the face of death.

    The Apology of Socrates is Plato's version of the speech given by Socrates as he unsuccessfully defended himself in 399BCE against the charges of "corrupting the young, and by not believing in the ... (Goodreads)

  53. The Symposium

    by Plato
    A philosophical dialogue among ancient Greeks about the nature of love.

    A fascinating discussion on sex, gender, and human instincts, as relevant today as ever. In the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. ... (Goodreads)

  54. Small Gods

    by Terry Pratchett
    A humorous fantasy tale of a god struggling with his dwindling power and followers.

    The Great God Om tries to manifest himself once more in the world, as the time of his eighth prophet is nigh. He is surprised, however, when he finds himself in the body of a tortoise, stripped of ... (Wikipedia)

  55. The Problem of Pain

    by C.S. Lewis
    Exploration of the philosophical and theological implications of pain and suffering.

    For centuries Christians have questioned why, if God is good and all-powerful, he allows us to suffer pain. C.S. Lewis sets out to disentangle this knotty issue, but adds that, in the end, no ... (Goodreads)

  56. Notes from Underground

    by Fyodor Dostoevsky
    A portrait of the struggles of a troubled man, exploring his inner turmoil.

    The novel is divided into two parts. Serving as an introduction into the mind of the narrator, the first part of Notes from Underground is split into nine chapters: The narrator observes that utopian ... (Wikipedia)

  57. The Waste Land and Other Poems

    by T.S. Eliot
    A collection of poems exploring themes of identity, mortality, and spiritual and psychological desolation.

    The Waste Land and Other Poems , by T. S. Eliot , is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including ... (Barnes & Noble)

  58. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    by Barack Obama
    An exploration of the Obama family history, tracing the threads of identity and race.

    In this lyrical, unsentimental, and compelling memoir, the son of a black African father and a white American mother searches for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. It begins in New ... (Goodreads)

  59. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself

    by Michael A. Singer
    A spiritual exploration of the soul and its connection to the world.

    What would it be like to free yourself from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries? What can you do each day to discover inner peace and serenity? The Untethered Soul offers simple yet profound ... (Goodreads)

  60. The Hours

    by Michael Cunningham
    Interwoven stories of three women and the impact of Virginia Woolf's novel, Mrs. Dalloway.

    Note: This Summary does not contain the whole book, nor end at the ending. The stream-of-consciousness style being so prominent in this work, a summary of the plot based on physical action does not ... (Wikipedia)

  61. The Raven

    by Edgar Allan Poe
    A man is visited by a mysterious raven, leading him on a journey of grief and reflection.

    In Gustave Doré, one of the most prolific and successful book illustrators of the late 19h century, Edgar Allan Poe's renowned poem The Raven found perhaps its most perfect artistic interpreter. ... (Goodreads)

  62. Angle of Repose

    by Wallace Stegner
    A man's search for his ancestors and their stories, leading to a journey of self-discovery.

    Lyman Ward narrates a century after the fact. Lyman interprets the story at times and leaves gaps that he points out at other times. Some of the disappointments of his life, including his divorce, ... (Wikipedia)

  63. Swann's Way

    by Marcel Proust
    Autobiographical novel tracing the narrator's reminiscences of an aristocratic upbringing.

    Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time is one of the most entertaining reading experiences in any language and arguably the finest novel of the twentieth century. But since its original prewar ... (Goodreads)

  64. The Snowy Day

    by Ezra Jack Keats
    A young boy's joyous exploration of the world on a winter's day.

    Peter, The Snowy Day's protagonist, wakes up to the season’s first snowfall. In his bright red snowsuit, he goes outside and makes footprints and trails through the snow. Peter is too young to join a ... (Wikipedia)

  65. Ishmael

    by Daniel Quinn
    A gorilla's provocative teachings on the human condition, exposing the flaws of modern society.

    Implicitly set in the early 1990s, Ishmael begins with a newspaper advertisement: "Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person". , The nameless narrator and ... (Wikipedia)

  66. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

    by Yuval Noah Harari
    An exploration of human evolution from the Stone Age to the present day.

    100,000 years ago, at least six human species inhabited the earth. Today there is just one. Us. Homo sapiens. How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors ... (Goodreads)

  67. Lincoln in the Bardo

    by George Saunders
    A spiritual exploration of death, exploring the afterlife through the eyes of President Lincoln.

    In his long-awaited first novel, American master George Saunders delivers his most original, transcendent, and moving work yet. Unfolding in a graveyard over the course of a single night, narrated by ... (Goodreads)

  68. Demian

    by Hermann Hesse
    A young man's spiritual journey towards self-discovery and enlightenment.

    Emil Sinclair is a young boy raised in a middle class home, amidst what is described as a Scheinwelt , a play on words meaning "world of light" as well as "world of illusion". Sinclair's entire ... (Wikipedia)

  69. As a Man Thinketh

    by James Allen
    A philosophical work about the power of thought and its potential for unlocking one's inner greatness.

    James Allen was an inspired spiritual mind; whose work was so highly applicable that many consider him the father of the self-help book genre. As an orphan, Allen had a difficult life and learned to ... (Barnes & Noble)

  70. The Divine Comedy

    by Dante Alighieri
    A poetic journey through the afterlife, guided by the Roman poet Virgil.

    The Divine Comedy describes Dante's descent into Hell with Virgil as a guide; his ascent of Mount Purgatory and encounter with his dead love, Beatrice; and finally, his arrival in Heaven. Examining ... (Goodreads)

  71. Mere Christianity

    by C.S. Lewis
    An exploration of Christianity and its implications for believing in God.

    Mere Christianity is C.S. Lewis's forceful and accessible doctrine of Christian belief. First heard as informal radio broadcasts and then published as three separate books - The Case for ... (Goodreads)

  72. When You Are Engulfed in Flames

    by David Sedaris
    Humorous reflections on everyday life, navigating the absurdities of the human condition.

    It's early autumn 1964. Two straight-A students head off to school, and when only one of them returns home Chesney Yelverton is coaxed from retirement and assigned to what proves to be the most ... (Goodreads)

  73. The Left Hand of Darkness

    by Ursula K. Le Guin
    A diplomat's mission to a distant planet, exploring themes of gender and identity.

    The protagonist of the novel is Genly Ai, a male Terran native, who is sent to invite the planet Gethen to join the Ekumen, a coalition of humanoid worlds. , Ai travels to the Gethen planetary system ... (Wikipedia)

  74. Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science

    by Atul Gawande
    Exploration of the human costs and consequences of medical care, highlighting our imperfections and vulnerabilities.

    In gripping accounts of true cases, surgeon Atul Gawande explores the power and the limits of medicine, offering an unflinching view from the scalpel's edge. Complications lays bare a science not in ... (Goodreads)

  75. History of Beauty

    by Umberto Eco
    An exploration of the concept of beauty throughout time, from antiquity to the present day.

    Umberto Eco’s groundbreaking and much-acclaimed first illustrated book has been a critical success since its first publication in 2004. What is beauty? Umberto Eco, among Italy’s finest and most ... (Goodreads)

  76. Fables & Reflections

    by Neil Gaiman
    A collection of myths and tales about life, morality and the search for answers.

    NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Neil Gaiman's transcendent series SANDMAN is often hailed as the definitive Vertigo title and one of the finest achievements in graphic storytelling. Gaiman created ... (Goodreads)

  77. The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

    by Edgar Allan Poe
    A collection of dark and mysterious stories and verses, exploring the human psyche.

    The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe , by Edgar Allan Poe , is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the ... (Barnes & Noble)

  78. When Nietzsche Wept

    by Irvin D. Yalom
    Exploration of the relationship between a doctor and his patient, a tormented philosopher.

    From the acclaimed author of Love's Executioner and Schopenhauer’s Couch , comes a “fascinating…shrewd intellectual thriller” ( Los Angeles Times Book Review ) about pioneering Viennese psychoanalyst ... (Barnes & Noble)

  79. A Tale for the Time Being

    by Ruth Ozeki
    An exploration of the connections between two lives, bridging time, space and cultures.

    In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates’ bullying, but before she ends it all, Nao plans to document the life of her ... (Goodreads)

  80. The Argonauts

    by Maggie Nelson
    A personal exploration of gender, sexuality, and love, weaving together memoir, criticism, and philosophy.

    An intrepid voyage out to the frontiers of the latest thinking about love, language, and family. Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts is a genre-bending memoir, a work of "autotheory" offering fresh, ... (Goodreads)

  81. Why Not Me?

    by Mindy Kaling
    A humorous and candid exploration of the highs and lows of life, love and work.

    From the author of the beloved ,, New York Times, , bestselling book ,, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? ,, and the creator and star of ,, The Mindy Project, , comes a collection of essays that ... (Goodreads)

  82. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

    by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    A man's journey through life in reverse, exploring the meaning of life and death.

    In 1860 Baltimore , Benjamin is born with the physical appearance of a 70-year-old man, already capable of speech. His father Roger invites neighborhood boys to play with him and orders him to play ... (Wikipedia)

  83. The Slow Regard of Silent Things

    by Patrick Rothfuss
    A solitary journey into the depths of a mysterious underground realm.

    Deep below the University, there is a dark place. Few people know of it: a broken web of ancient passageways and abandoned rooms. A young woman lives there, tucked among the sprawling tunnels of the ... (Goodreads)

  84. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

    by Claire North
    A man born again and again, living the same life with different outcomes.

    Some stories cannot be told in just one lifetime. Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a ... (Goodreads)

  85. The Razor's Edge

    by W. Somerset Maugham
    A spiritual journey in search of personal fulfillment, as an individual in a rapidly changing world.

    Maugham begins by characterizing his story as not really a novel but a thinly veiled true account. He includes himself as a minor character, a writer who drifts in and out of the lives of the major ... (Wikipedia)

  86. Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography

    by Roland Barthes
    An exploration of the nature of photography and its power to evoke emotion.

    A graceful, contemplative volume, Camera Lucida was first published in 1979. Commenting on artists such as Avedon, Clifford, Mapplethorpe, and Nadar, Roland Barthes presents photography as being ... (Goodreads)

  87. After the Quake

    by Haruki Murakami
    A collection of short stories exploring humanity in the wake of an earthquake.

    The six stories in Haruki Murakami’s mesmerizing collection are set at the time of the catastrophic 1995 Kobe earthquake, when Japan became brutally aware of the fragility of its daily existence. But ... (Goodreads)

  88. The Vegetarian

    by Han Kang
    A woman's radical decision to pursue a vegetarian lifestyle, leading to unexpected and far-reaching consequences.

    The Vegetarian tells the story of Yeong-hye, a home-maker who, one day, suddenly decides to stop eating meat after a series of dreams involving images of animal slaughter. This abstention leads her ... (Wikipedia)

  89. Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour: An Introduction

    by J.D. Salinger
    Examination of family relationships, growing pains, and human connections.

    The author writes: The two long pieces in this book originally came out in The New Yorker ? RAISE HIGH THE ROOF BEAM, CARPENTERS in 1955, SEYMOUR ? An Introduction in 1959. Whatever their differences ... (Goodreads)

  90. Big Mushy Happy Lump

    by Sarah Andersen
    A collection of humorous comics exploring the struggles of everyday life.

    Sarah Andersen's second comics collection picks up right where the first left off - huddled under a pile of blankets avoiding the responsibilities of the real world. These new comics (and illustrated ... (Goodreads)

  91. Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

    by Elizabeth Gilbert
    A candid exploration of marriage, examining its ups and downs with a humorous and skeptical eye.

    At the end of her bestselling memoir Eat, Pray, Love , Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe, a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. ... (Goodreads)

  92. The Mothers

    by Brit Bennett
    An exploration of motherhood, faith, and identity in a close-knit Black community.

    Living in Southern California, 17-year-old Nadia, grieving her mother's suicide, becomes pregnant by her boyfriend Luke, a local pastor's son. She has an abortion and leaves her hometown to attend ... (Wikipedia)

  93. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

    by A.J. Jacobs
    An exploration of faith and morality through the lens of the Bible.

    From the bestselling author of "The Know-It-All" comes a fascinating and timely exploration of religion and the Bible. Raised in a secular family but increasingly interested in the relevance of faith ... (Goodreads)

  94. The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

    by Ian Morgan Cron
    Exploring personality types and learning to better understand yourself and others.

    Over 500,000 Sold,, Foreword INDIES 2016 Book of the Year Awards Finalist,Missio Alliance Essential Reading List of 2016, Ignorance is bliss—except in self-awareness. What you don't know about ... (Barnes & Noble)

  95. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

    by Dan Harris
    A story of self-improvement through mindfulness and meditation.

    Winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir, Nightline, anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of ... (Barnes & Noble)

  96. The Social Contract

    by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
    Exploration of the relationship between a government and its citizens, and the rights of individuals.

    "Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains." These are the famous opening words of a treatise that has not ceased to stir vigorous debate since its first publication in 1762. Rejecting the ... (Goodreads)

  97. Concerning the Spiritual in Art

    by Wassily Kandinsky
    A philosophical examination of the spiritual and creative power of art.

    A pioneering work in the movement to free art from its traditional bonds to material reality, this book is one of the most important documents in the history of modern art. Written by the famous ... (Goodreads)

  98. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

    by Michael Finkel
    Story of a man who isolated himself in the woods for 27 years, and the journey of understanding his motivations.

    Many people dream of escaping modern life, but most will never act on it. This is the remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a ... (Goodreads)

  99. The Interpretation Of Dreams

    by Sigmund Freud
    Analysis of dreams, exploring their unconscious meanings and implications for the psyche.

    Freud's discovery that the dream is the means by which the unconscious can be explored is undoubtedly the most revolutionary step forward in the entire history of psychology. Dreams, according to his ... (Goodreads)

If you enjoyed this, try uploading your goodreads reviews and seeing what recommendations we can come up with for you.