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.

City Spies

by James Ponti

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Gratitude, Joy, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Justice, Art, Good & Evil, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Truth & Lies, Trust & Doubt, Science & Technology, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Teamwork, Family, Climate, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Self Discovery, Community, Wins & Losses, Friendship, Place, Order & Chaos

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction

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Clean Getaway

by Nic Stone

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hate & Anger, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Love, Shame & Pride, Race, Aging, Death, Grandparents, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Fathers, Equality, Politics & Government, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags African American Literature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, US History, Black Lives Matter, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction

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Clown in a Cornfield

by Adam Cesare

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Loneliness, Nostalgia, Revenge, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Fathers, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, LGBTQ+

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Confessions of a Shopaholic

by Sophie Kinsella

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Hope, Love, Regret, Shame & Pride, Mental Health, Midlife, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Politics & Government, Beauty, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Romance, Humor

Published in 2000, Confessions of a Shopaholic was the breakout success of British novelist Sophie Kinsella (the pen name of Madeleine Wickham), a former financial journalist from London. Before adopting the Kinsella pseudonym, Wickham published several traditional novels, but she gained international recognition through the Shopaholic series, along with later stand-alone works such as Can You Keep a Secret? and The Undomestic Goddess.The novel follows Rebecca Bloomwood, a journalist whose compulsive spending habits clash comically... Read Confessions of a Shopaholic Summary

Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket

by Jack Finney

Publication year 1956

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Safety & Danger, Family, Death, Fear

Tags Horror & Suspense, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction

“Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket,” a short story by American author Jack Finney, was first published in Collier’s magazine in October 1956. The story subsequently was published in literature anthologies, including the one referenced in this study guide: the Heritage edition of Adventures in Appreciation, published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in 1980.As a novelist and short story writer, Finney is noted for his artistry in creating suspense and heightening tension until the plot resolves... Read Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket Summary

Corrupt

by Penelope Douglas

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Revenge, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Coming of Age, Social Class, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Horror & Suspense

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Count Me In

by Varsha Bajaj

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Shame & Pride, Race, Childhood & Youth, Objects & Materials, Friendship, Grandparents, Self Discovery, Community, Immigration, Art, Safety & Danger

Tags Children`s Literature, Social Justice, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture

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Cross Down

by James Patterson

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Family, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military & War, Action & Adventure

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Crossing the Mangrove

by Maryse Condé

Publication year 1989

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Colonialism, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Memory, Sexual Identity, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Afro-Caribbean Literature, Women`s Studies, Education, Education, French Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Crossing the Mangrove (1995) by Maryse Condé was originally published in French as Traversée de la Mangrove. It was translated to English by her husband Richard Philcox. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel opens with a mystery—that of Francis Sancher’s murder. As characters gather to speak at Sancher’s wake, they reveal his impact on the village of Rivière au Sel (“Salty River”), as well as why he returned to the village of his ancestors. While... Read Crossing the Mangrove Summary

Cursed Bunny

by Bora Chung, Transl. Anton Hur

Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Fear, Loneliness, Revenge, Disability, Gender Identity, Language, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Appearance & Reality, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Economics, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense, Magical Realism, Science Fiction, Korean Literature

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Daring Greatly

by Brené Brown

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Fear, Shame & Pride, Community

Tags Self-Improvement, Parenting

Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2012) is a self-help book that argues people need to embrace vulnerability and live courageously. Rooted in 12 years of ground-breaking research, the book shows that vulnerability is not a weakness but instead it is a measure of courage and the key to a fulfilling life. Daring Greatly is a New York Times best seller and... Read Daring Greatly Summary

Dark Places

by Gillian Flynn

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Truth & Lies, Family, Hate & Anger, Fear, Masculinity

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Crime & Law, Modern Classic Fiction

Dark Places is a 2009 mystery thriller novel by American author Gillian Flynn. The narrative moves between two time periods, 1985 and 2009, as the protagonist, Libby Day, tries to solve her family’s brutal murder. The novel deals with the consequences of the 1980s Satanic Panic and the fallout from the 1970s Farm Boom for a community in the rural Midwest. Flynn is also the author of Sharp Objects (2006) and Gone Girl (2012).Dark Places... Read Dark Places Summary

Daytripper

by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá

Publication year 2010

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Fear, Aging, Death

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Grief & Death, Relationships, Depression & Suicide, Latin American Literature, Surrealism, Arts & Culture

Daytripper is a graphic novel written and illustrated by comic book artists Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá. Originally published in 2010 as a comic book series by Vertigo, the collected series was published as a completed book in 2011. Daytripper won the 2011 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series. Bá has also worked on popular comic series such as Umbrella Academy and Casanova. Both Moon and Bá are twins, and they sometimes refer to themselves... Read Daytripper Summary

Dead Lions

by Mick Herron

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Death, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Grandparents, Teamwork, Politics & Government, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Horror & Suspense

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