Life of Pi

(Another book not technically on the reading list)
This fantasy adventure story portrays the life of Piscine Patel (or "Pi") while he leaves his home town of Pondicherry in india, in order to move to Canada with his parents and his brother. Pi is a young teenager, and the son of a zookeper who,  from a young age, battles with spirituality- following three different religions. (He becomes a practicing Muslim, Hindu and Christian)

When his family decide to emigrate to Canada, bringing all the animals with them to sell in America, they board a cargo ship which sinks just a few days into their voyage.
Pi is the only member of his family to survive and spends 227 days floating in the pacific ocean with a hyena, zebra, orangutan and a fully grown Bengal tiger. The first three animals are quickly killed, but Pi battles with the tiger in order to stay alive throughout their ordeal.

Finally, after reaching the shores of Mexico, Pi is interviewed by two maritime officers who ask him questions about how he managed to survive. After Pi recounts the story (and the officers refuse to believe it, finding it too unbelievable) he tells another in which there are no animals on the boat-only other passengers. The officers notice parallels between the too story's. At the end of the conversation Pi asks them which story they like better, and they reply that they prefer the story with the animals. Pi ends the conversation with the statement "and so it goes with god"

This novel is, in short, deeply spiritual. Although the author advocates neither story, you are left to choose which story you believe. If you believe the story with the tiger, then you are a religious person, and if you believe the other, you are an Atheist. (Of course leaving the choice that if you can't decide-you are agnostic.)