Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Dealing with Tough Subjects

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. I'd love to here what made it on your list, just leave me a comment and I'll visit and find out!

I quite like this week's Top Ten because I think some books don't get enough credit for dealing with the tougher issues as well as they do... Some of the books deal with tough issues in general and some just deal with issues that I found tough to take.

1. Dearest Rose by Rowan Coleman. I thought that this was such a wonderful book and it's won an award to prove it! It deals with the issue of domestic abuse so so well. Normally I find this personally tough to deal with in a book and have had to stop reading books because I've felt too uncomfortable to carry on reading, but Dearest Rose portrays the feelings involved so realistically and yet, without sensationalising anything. Rowan Coleman asked people on Facebook to share their experiences of domestic abuse with her and used these to write her novel in such a sensitive and touching way. The book in awesome in itself, all the tough issues that it dealt with aside, but I could make this just every item on the list!

2. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I spoke in my review on here about how this books deals with the issue of how someone gets on with their life, or doesn't, after an accident. Normally I find it a struggle to cope with a book where I know that there is a strong risk that the main character may not make it to the end of the novel, but this novel is so cleverly written using various different narratives that I really enjoyed reading it as a beautifully written novel, rather than a book that deals with such a difficult issue.

3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. A book that deals with cancer and death in teenagers is a brave book to write, but again, this book is so beautifully written that you hardly notice the risk of death for any of the characters in this novel. You can look back at my review of this one two, if you want to find out what else I thought about it...

4. All the Single Ladies by Jane Costello. This deals with the issue of alcoholism. It deals with it very well also, and recognises the fact that things don't just get better over night, they take time. It mixes the serious moments dealing with this issue in with some of the comedy moments in the book and so this works really nicely. I reviewed this book recently so feel free to take a look!

5. Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes. I read this book just under ten years ago, but I could always re-read a Marian Keyes novel! This deals with the issue of drug addiction, and again recognises the fact that things don't just get better overnight, it shows Rachel's addiction and also how those around her manage/don't manage to cope with what she is going through at the same time.

6. The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. This deals with the issue of depression incredibly well. It doesn't just cover the depression itself, but the effect on those around you, and also the consequences that ebing mentally ill can sometimes have. This is something that I read all at once because I found it so interesting as well as entertaining.

7. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I found this book quite an uncomfortable read but something that covered the issue of depression really well as well. There was some controversy recently when an anniversary edition of the book was released with a new cover. The cover was criticised for being too bright and 'jolly' something which people thought was inappropriate for a book dealing with such a lot of darkness...

8. Big Girl by Danielle Steele. Perhaps a bit different from the other books on the list, but I found that this book covered the feelings associated with being overweight really well. It covered how it can feel to be rejected by peers and colleagues because of your weight and how strange it can feel when someone is attracted to you and wants to be with you despite you being overweight. This author also covered what it was to be a yoyo dieter and I think that whole thing was actually a really good (and quick) read!

9. The Secret Shopper Affair by Kate Harrison. This books deals with the issues of what it is like to be a new mum, living on your own and fast running out of money. I think it is fabulous the way Emily gets revenge on some of the people in her life whilst getting herself back on her feet again. Its a really entertaining read at the same time as dealing with this difficult issue!

10. I'm going to finish as I started, with another Rowan Coleman novel-The Happy Home for Broken Hearts, the blurb says it all really... "Ellie Woods spends her days immersed in the escapist pages of the romantic novels she lovingly edits. But her reality is somewhat less rose-tinted. Once upon a time, Ellie had her 'happily ever after' moment when she married her beloved Nick, but fifteen years later her husband's tragic death leaves her alone with their soon-to-become-a-teenager son, faced with a mountain of debt, and on the verge of losing the family home." This book was utterly fabulous and I enjoyed every single second of it, despite it covering all of these big issues.