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 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mystery / Crime Fiction
Publication year 1955
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love
Tags Christian literature, Allegory / Fable / Parable, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Self Help, British Literature, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Hannah Hurnard’s 1955 novel Hinds’ Feet on High Places is an allegorical portrayal of purgation, progress, and ascent within the spiritual life. Born to Quaker parents, Hurnard struggled with her faith in her youth but experienced a powerful conversion at the age of 19. Inspired, she gained theological training in England and went on to author almost two dozen books over the course of her life, including a sequel to Hinds’ Feet entitled Mountain of... Read Hinds’ Feet on High Places Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Appearance & Reality
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Immigration, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Historical Fiction, Politics / Government, Immigration / Refugee, Social Justice, September 11 Attacks, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Race / Racism, History: U.S., Class, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Relationships: Family, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Historical Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Self Discovery, Identity: Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, History: World, Religion / Spirituality, Historical Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2019
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Relationships: Siblings, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Grief / Death, Gothic Literature
Publication year 1974
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Relationships: Teams, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy
House of Stairs, written by William Sleator and published in 1974, is a young adult science fiction classic whose title is inspired by M. C. Escher’s famous lithograph print. The novel explores the social and emotional effects of authoritarianism by placing five teenage protagonists in an enclosed location filled only with endless staircases. Prompted by a strange machine, the main characters undergo a psychological experiment that tests the limits of their morality and sense of... Read House of Stairs Summary
Publication year 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Grief / Death, Climate Change, Technology
Publication year 2004
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Survival Fiction
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff was originally published in 2004. It is a young adult dystopian novel about an American teenager experiencing a near-future world war in England, and it won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Printz Award. In 2013, How I Live Now was adapted into a film directed by Kevin Macdonald and starring Saoirse Ronan. Rosoff also won a Carnegie Medal, a Whitbread Award, and other awards. How I... Read How I Live Now Summary
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Immigration
Tags Gender / Feminism, Historical Fiction, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Leadership/Organization/Management
Published by Minotaur Books in 2013, How the Light Gets In is the ninth book in Louise Penny’s bestselling Chief Inspector Gamache mystery series. The series is famous for its heroic protagonist, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, the head of the homicide division at the Sûreté du Québec. The novel comprises of three narratives: the murder of Constance Ouellet, the internal conflict at the Sûreté, and the mysterious death of a clerk at the Ministry of... Read How the Light Gets In Summary
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Romance, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags History: World, Arts / Culture, Historical Fiction, Race / Racism
Publication year 2005
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags War On Terrorism / Iraq War
Publication year 2013
Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Mothers, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Humor, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Mental Illness, Depression / Suicide, Animals, Biography
Publication year 1954
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Depression / Suicide, Grief / Death, Science / Nature, Fantasy
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson was published in 1954. The novel depicts a dystopian/post-apocalyptic world in which people infected with a contagious disease behave like vampires. The last human man, Robert Neville, must protect himself as he studies the scientific basis for the disease. I Am Legend discusses moral relativism, the evolution of the horror genre, and loneliness. It has been adapted several times, most recently as the 2007 film I Am Legend starring... Read I Am Legend Summary
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Survival Fiction, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction