Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish. Every week, bloggers from all over are invited to share their own Top 10 lists based on the topic of the week. You can find all past Top 10 Tuesdays here.
Top 10 Books Dealing With Tough Subjects
This topic is right up my alley, because there’s something about books dealing with the tough stuff that makes me want to pick it up and read it. I think I’m drawn to it because I really like seeing how characters deal with their own problems. And as much as I love the light, fluffy stuff, it’s always nice to balance it out with something a little more “serious.” Narrowing it down to head was hard, but I went with the 10 that really stood out to me.
- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson was one of the first books that came to mind. Melinda was easy to relate to (something Anderson is good at) and everything felt so honest and real. And Melinda becoming more mute as a way of dealing…even if you’ve never experienced what Melinda has, she’s still a character you can relate to in some way.
- Hate List by Jennifer Brown. Hate List deals with a school shooting and its aftermath. I’m not kidding when I say that I was curled up on the couch sobbing for 5 minutes after finishing it. It’s really emotional and intense, and even though I’ve (very thankfully) never been involved in a school shooting in any way, I could relate to Valerie in so many ways.
- If I Stay by Gayle Foreman. I can’t imagine being the sole survivor of a car accident, and having to decide if you should live or die, knowing that your parents and brother are gone…but also knowing that you’ll be leaving behind other people who love you.
- Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I couldn’t limit myself to just one LHA book, hence Wintergirls. Wintergirls is great because it deals with both anorexia and the loss of a friend. Not only that, but you get a glimpse of what Lia’s family went through.
- Reason To Breathe by Rebecca Donovan. It’s a heartbreaking tale of a girl who’s abused by her aunt. It was so sad but I also wanted good things to happen for Emma. And her friends wanting to say something, but not saying something because Emma insists everything’s fine…
- Exposed by Kimberly Marcus. While Speak is about Melinda, who was raped at a party, Exposed is about a girl who lost her best friend because her BFF was raped by her brother. It definitely stood out because it’s not a perspective you’d typically see, and it’s a good reminder that families are affected by it too.
- The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. This was a tough book to read, but in a really good way, because it’s so emotional, and I could relate to Lennie’s emotions being all over the place.
- The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. This is probably an obvious pick, but I couldn’t help but put it on the list. Hazel and Augustus are just 2 teens who happen to have cancer, and are trying to live a life that’s as normal as possible.
- Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas. What I found interesting about Because I Am Furniture is that Anke is an invisible witness to the abuse that her brother and sister have to deal with. It was sad to see her wish that her dad abused her because it meant that he actually noticed her.
- Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara. This is another book where a character is grieving. What separates this one from a lot of others I’ve read is that Wren goes off to live in the woods with her dad, and wants some time alone to just be. it’s beautiful but heartbreaking and I can’t stop thinking about it.
Reading Books With Coffee 