Should we heed our fears, or work to overcome them? Suppress and ignore them, or face them head-on? Do we fight—or should we flight? These books unpack the universal human emotion of fear.
Publication year 2025
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help, Business / Economics
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family
Tags Historical Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, French Literature, Jewish Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Military / War, History: World, Biography
Suite Française, by French-based Ukrainian writer Irène Némirovsky (born 1903), was published in the original French upon its discovery in 2004. However, Némirovsky started writing Suite in 1941, during the Nazi occupation of France, when those with a Jewish ethnic background like her faced persecution under the contemporary antisemitic regime. She and her husband, Michel Epstein, and their two young daughters, Denise and Élisabeth, had fled Paris for Issy-l’Évêque, a rural village in Burgundy. There... Read Suite Francaise Summary
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Romance
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Fantasy, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Sports
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Romance, LGBTQ
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Survival Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Education, Identity: Race, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, WWII / World War II, Children's Literature, Military / War, History: World, Arts / Culture
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult
Publication year 2025
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 1936
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Relationships, Class, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1976
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Children's Literature, Disability
Publication year 1977
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil
Publication year 1992
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Life/Time: The Past, Values/Ideas: Art, Identity: Language
Tags Self Help, Psychology, Arts / Culture, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Religion / Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy
Publication year 2011
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Sports, Relationships, Psychological Fiction
Published in 2011, The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach is a work of literary fiction depicting the interwoven journeys of characters at Westish, a fictional small liberal arts college in Wisconsin. Henry Skrimshander is a talented baseball shortstop whose future is jeopardized by an errant throw. His development intersects with that of his teammate Schwartz; his roommate, Owen; college president Guert; and Pella, Guert’s daughter and a newly enrolled student of Westish. The novel... Read The Art of Fielding Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Disability, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Relationships, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Originally written in German and published in 2002, Jan-Philipp Sendker’s debut novel, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, was translated into English by Kevin Wiliarty in 2006. An international bestseller, the novel received the Indies Choice Honor Award for Best Fiction Novel in 2013. In response to such acclaim, Sendker penned a sequel, A Well-Tempered Heart, in 2012. The novel is international in scope—being written by a German journalist who lived in upstate New York, detailing... Read The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Summary
Publication year 1988
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Community, Self Discovery
Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Animals, Depression / Suicide, Diversity, Immigration / Refugee, Parenting, Poverty, Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Science / Nature, Social Justice, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction
The Bean Trees (first published in 1988) is the first novel by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver is an American novelist, essayist, and poet who holds degrees in ecology and evolutionary biology, and her work often addresses biodiversity, social justice, communities, and people’s interactions with their environment. The Bean Trees is a work of realistic adult fiction that follows Taylor Greer as she leaves her rural upbringing in Kentucky, drives across the country to Tucson, Arizona, and... Read The Bean Trees Summary
Publication year 1903
Genre Novella, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags American Literature, Modernism, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction
The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James, first published in 1903, centers on the relationship between John Marcher, a man haunted by the premonition that his life will be defined by some catastrophic event, and May Bartram. James’s narrative dissects the psychological effects of fear and anticipation by focusing on his characters’ inner lives and existential musings. The tale is an internalized ghost story wherein Marcher’s fears become self-fulfilling prophecies of loss. The third-person... Read The Beast in the Jungle Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Disability, Identity: Sexuality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Bullying, Disability, Education, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance
The Beginning of Everything is a young adult coming-of-age novel by the accomplished American author Robyn Schneider. First published in 2013, it is Schneider’s debut novel and has been nominated for numerous YA book awards. It is published in multiple countries, in the UK under the title Severed Heads, Broken Hearts.Schneider, who lives in Los Angeles, is the author of several other bestselling YA books: Extraordinary Means; Invisible Ghosts; You Don’t Live Here. Her newest... Read The Beginning of Everything Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride
Tags Realistic Fiction, Poverty, Class, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Modern Classic Fiction