Fear

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.

Sylvia And Aki

by Winifred Conkling

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Race, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Family, Fathers, Mothers, Siblings, Social Class, Community, Equality, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Social Justice, World War II, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History, Arts & Culture

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System Collapse

by Martha Wells

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Space, Fear, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Justice

Tags Science Fiction, Fantasy, Humor

Published in 2023, Martha Wells’s science fiction novel System Collapse is the seventh installment in the critically acclaimed and bestselling series, The Murderbot Diaries. The story continues the journey of Murderbot, a rogue security android that has hacked its own control module. In this entry, Murderbot is struggling with the aftermath of a traumatic event that causes it to have system-crashing flashbacks. It must overcome this internal crisis to help its human allies rescue a... Read System Collapse Summary

Taming 7

by Chloe Walsh

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Friendship, Safety & Danger

Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult

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The ABC Murders

by Agatha Christie

Publication year 1936

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Good & Evil, Justice, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Trauma & Abuse, Relationships, Social Class, Horror & Suspense, British Literature, Classic Fiction

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The Acorn People

by Ron Jones

Publication year 1976

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Shame & Pride, Disability, Mental Health, Childhood & Youth, Appearance & Reality, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Politics & Government, Equality, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt

Tags Memoir & Autobiography, Children`s Literature, Disability

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The All of It

by Jeannette Haien

Publication year 1986

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Mental Health, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Environment, Plants, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Friendship, Marriage, Siblings, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature, Literary Fiction

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The Anniversary

by Alex Finlay

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Love, Revenge, Mental Health, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Good & Evil, Justice, Trust & Doubt

Tags Horror & Suspense

Set in Monarch, Nebraska, and spanning 1992 to 2011, the story follows two intertwined lives across a decade of trauma, loss, and resilience. Each section takes place on May 1st, a date of devastating significance. The prologue shows an unnamed figure at Megan Tucker's grave, examining her driver's license and reflecting on the murder as their first kill.In 1992, Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley are eleventh-graders at Monarch High School. Jules is popular; Quinn is... Read The Anniversary Summary

The Artist's Way

by Julia Cameron

Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Fear, Hate & Anger, The Past, Art, Language

Tags Self-Improvement, Psychology, Arts & Culture, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy

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The Art of Fielding

by Chad Harbach

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Love, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Midlife, Death, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Beauty, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, 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

The Art of Happiness

by Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler

Publication year 1998

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Joy, Loneliness, Regret, Mental Health, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Order & Chaos, Truth & Lies

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Psychology, Self-Improvement, Asian History

In 1998, the 14th Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) and psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler released The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living. Combining spiritual teachings and clinical framing, the book has become an example of where popular psychology, applied ethics, and secular spirituality converge. The book targets a broad audience seeking practical ways to decrease suffering, enhance interpersonal connections, and develop a more stable, compassionate mindset—regardless of whether they have a religious affiliation.A collaborative project... Read The Art of Happiness Summary

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Fear, Disability, Family, Colonialism, Community, Fate

Tags Romance, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Relationships, Asian Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

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

The Bean Trees

by Barbara Kingsolver

Publication year 1988

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Hope, Love, Family, Friendship, Daughters & Sons, Nature Versus Nurture, Plants, Community, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Relationships, Animals, Depression & Suicide, Diversity, Immigration & Refugeeism, Parenting, Poverty, Politics & Government, Race & Racism, Science & Nature, Social Justice, Trauma & Abuse, 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

The Beast in the Jungle

by Henry James

Publication year 1903

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Grief, Fate, Love, Fear, Regret, Death

Tags American Literature, Modernism, Education, Education, World History, 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

The Beginning of Everything

by Robyn Schneider

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Grief, Guilt, Love, Disability, Sexual Identity, Fear, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Truth & Lies

Tags Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Bullying, Disability, Education, Grief & Death, Love & Sexuality, Relationships, Trauma & Abuse, 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

The Best of Friends

by Lucinda Berry

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Love, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Friendship, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Justice, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Contemporary Literature

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The BFG

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1982

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Conflict, Gratitude, Loneliness, Joy, Love, Death, Childhood & Youth, Safety & Danger

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Humor, Action & Adventure

IntroductionBritish author Roald Dahl first made his mark as a leading writer of children’s literature in 1961, when he published James and the Giant Peach. His subsequent books include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Matilda, and his 1982 novel The BFG (Big Friendly Giant), which was illustrated by Quentin Blake and based on a segment of Dahl’s 1975 book Danny, the Champion of the World. His books have been viewed as darker... Read The BFG Summary