I love love love reading and always have, and my favorite genre has always been contemporary realistic… but I'm unpacking some trauma right now and have recently found myself unable to tolerate certain themes or references, namely:
S***ide
S***idal ideation
Graphic violence or injury
Medical descriptions
I don't know if I'm just unlucky but so many books I pick up seem to contain these either as central themes, twists or prominent references, and choosing my next read has started to feel like a bit of a minefield.
As a result I've retreated into lighter, 'safer, genres like romcoms, but while they are enjoyable in the moment they aren't really satisfying the hungry reader in me. I want to find my new favorite book!
I love meaty, character-driven novels and also books where "nothing really happens" but you feel you really know the characters on the page.
For example, Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors of all time and I've read and loved all of her previous books (Demon Copperhead sounds like it depicts a lot of trauma so I think it'll have to wait until I'm ready to handle that). The themes she tackles carry weight and her characters feel real. Her writing is so warm, I adore it. Also Jhumpa Lahiri for gorgeous writing and character-driven narrative.
I know some people might roll their eyes reading this but while I don't want to be triggered I also don't expect (or want) completely sanitized fiction! I appreciate that if I want to read realistic fiction Bad Shit is going to happen to the characters. Hopefully this is just a temporary situation and one day I can go back to picking up any book and just diving in.
Thank you in advance ☺️
by puzzle-peace