I suppose I should have expected this week's Booking Through Thursday topic, given last week's question about humorous books. Today we have:What’s the most serious book you’ve read recently?
I think this might be more difficult than last week's question because "serious" can mean different things in different contexts, and to different people. Also, most of the books I've read lately have been in the "popular fiction" category, with a heavy emphasis on mysteries, whodunits, thrillers, and the like. Not much classic lit, nonfiction or other really serious writing. As I've said before, I tend to shy away from books without at least some humor in them. If a book's blurb claims it's "a fascinating look at real life, written with gritty honesty and leaving no brutal detail unexplored," then I know it's not for me.
Looking back over my reading list for this year, I can really only come up with a few that I'd call serious: Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, and The Longshot by Katie Kitamura. And of those three, only Kitamura's wonderful debut novel would get my recommendation as a great read.
And for a nonfiction title, I'd have to go all the way back to last year – I think the last nonfiction book I read was The Concord Quartet, by Samuel A. Schreiner, Jr. I've got lots of nonfiction works on my TBR list, but I just never seem to get to them. I guess I'm just not a serious kinda gal.
I'm the same way, Joy. It was a bit difficult to come up with a serious book because I generally do prefer books with at least a little humor to them.
ReplyDeleteI've read Lem in the past. He goes very deep at times.
ReplyDeleteYou'll find mine here.
These titles are all new to me...time to do a little investigating!
ReplyDeleteTHE UNIT sounds very serious!
ReplyDeleteI like books with humor too, but I do like to read serious (depressing??) novels too.
ReplyDeleteBtw, if the movie of the House of Sand and Fog was depressing for you, the book is the same. They seem very similar so far, and the movie was very stark and hopeless.
I'm not much for "serious" books either. Even the non-fiction I read is not very serious, in my opinion. I've some classics, but most are not what I would consider "serious." Maybe it's all in how we define the word.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog today! Your answers look seriously good :)
ReplyDeleteHere's my response.
I typically enjoy reading more serious fiction than the lighter works. I consider 'serious' as anything that gets me thinking, not necessarily 'sad' or 'depressing'. I didn't list it in my post, but as far as non-fiction I would say Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the most serious, although I read that last year.
ReplyDeleteInteresting books. I will check those out. My reading is almost entirely serious!
ReplyDeleteSeriously booking through it!
Thanks for visiting my blog today! I will have to check out the books on your list.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine
I tried to read "The Unit." My mood must have been totally wrong. I just couldn't flow with the book. I do want to try it again one day. I bet my library has that book.
ReplyDeleteThese titles are all new to me to. I will have to look them up. right now I'm re-reading Emma. I enjoyed reading your post. Happy BTT!
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