Let’s Talk Bookish: Seeing the Real World Through Books

Hey, everyone! I hope you’re all doing well. I have an LTB post today, which is the only time I’ll be posting on a day that’s not Monday. I figured that since I don’t do LTB every week, having a couple of Friday posts won’t stress me out too much.

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where we discuss various topics and share our opinions. Today’s topic is Seeing the Real World Through Books.

Prompts: Many fiction books have messages about social issues, current events, and more. Some are underlying themes, and others are much more overt. Are you more drawn to books that dive into these serious topics, or do you prefer to have fiction be more of an escape from the world? What are some novels that have impacted you? What do you think are the most effective ways for authors to get their messages across?

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Though I read because I want to escape from the world, a lot of the books I do read include relevant topics that reflect our own world and society. I think it’s important for them to be in the stories we read. It’s a way for us to examine the challenges of the world from an outside lens.

Most of the books I read that have messages about social issues are contemporary or historical fiction. A majority of these issues include discrimination, including racial and gender. I enjoy reading about these topics. Well, not enjoy per se, because it’s not a good thing, but I think you know what I mean.

Some novels that have recently impacted me are Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley and You Are Here: Connecting Flights by Ellen Oh (editor). WGU was a very eye-opening read for me; I don’t know a lot about Native American tribes and repatriation, and this book taught me so much about what these people have been through, trying to get their ancestors back. YAH was a powerful anthology that explored themes of identity and racism. While I haven’t been directly discriminated against to my face, I was still able to relate to the characters, especially in the their identities as Asian Americans.

There are definitely books I read that don’t have messages about these topics, and I enjoy them just as much. A lot of these are fantasy and romance books. Sometimes, these genres have books that include social issues, namely romance books that focus on LGBTQ+ relationships. There are small topics that reflect our world that are in the other genres as well.

I don’t know any specific ways that authors can get their message across effectively, but I do know that bringing difficult topics to light is important for our society. A lot of the topics that are important for us to talk about are topics that are stigmatized in our society. By reading about them, we can begin to understand them.

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Do you like books that dive into serious topics?
What are some books that have impacted you?