Top Ten Tuesday: Books to discuss.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

Who doesn’t love a good discussion? I’m not actually part of a book club but I love the idea of one. So when I thought about the books I’d recommend I thought I’d go for the ones that would generate discussion. 

1. Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta: This book is very understated but extremely poigniant. Saving Francesca does an incredible job of exploring the affects of depression on the individual and the family.

2. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios: PTSD. Poverty. Identity. There is a lot to talk about with this book. Josh and Skylar go through a lot in this book and I think PTSD is such an important topic of discussion. This issue impacts so many lives and through Josh we get to see how hard it is to adjust to life back home after serving. 

3. More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera: Where do I even begin with this book? You could easily spend hours discussing the themes of this book. At its core, this book has a strong emphasis on the importance of embracing who you are. It’s a messy journey and none of the characters in this book is perfect but the journey they take is incredibly impactful.

4. Half a King by Joe Abercrombie: Let’s talk about strength. My favourite aspect of this book was the exploration of strength. Throughout the book we get a representation of all the different ways one can be strong. It’s the ultimate underdog story as Yarvi is shunned for his crippled hand, believing it to be a weakness and making him a lesser man. However, Yarvi’s journey, as brutal as it is, gives us a great progression in his character as he begins to see that brute force is not the only way to be strong.

5. Something Real by Heather Demetrios: Celebrity culture. Something Real looks at the obsession people have with “celebrities” and the ugliness that comes with it. Chloe grew up in front of the cameras and through her we get to see the toll it takes on someone so young, especially when the choice of whether or not they want to be on camera is removes from the equasion. 

6. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: The character complexities makes this book an excellent book for dicussion. These characters are all morally ambiguous and the dynamics within the group are so fascinating. More than that though, this book draws attention to the horrible world of human trafficing and explores the experiences of someone that endures so much yet still hold on to that hope. 

7. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: This book is a tangled web of messy emotions. The family dynamic in this books is a huge hit for me. We also have a great exploration of sexual identity and the affects of losing a parent.

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: You knew this one was coming? Between using death as a narrator and the setting of World War II, The Book Thief is the ultimate discussion book on the brutalities of war.

9. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta: I could easily include Jellicoe Road on this list as well but I though the exploration of communal identity was phenomenal in this book. With a community so broken and divided how can you possibly unite again. 

10. The Hard Count by Ginger Scott: This is quite possibly my favourite sports contemporary novel. The Hard Count covers a range of topics that are still very relevant to society. We look at social divisions, racial issues, family tensions and how a sport can tare something apart as easy as it brings people together. AMAZING.

Those are the books I’d recommend for a good discussion.
Which books would you recommend?