I am in quite a reading slump and am in the mood for a deep, thoughtful book but not too depressing.
I love books by Murakami, I love Toni Morrison as well (only read bluest eye) and books like the book thief. I guess these books are a little depressing – but they really made me think about my own life.
What are books that made you (re)think your life?
by Greedy_Survey_6447
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Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It is technically about surviving the Holocaust, so it sounds like it would be devastating, but the way Frankl writes about finding purpose even in suffering completely reframed how I think about my own life. It is one of the few books that made me feel both more grateful and more responsible at the same time. Very short too, which helps during a slump.
If you want something with a Murakami-adjacent vibe but more warmth, try When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. A neurosurgeon diagnosed with terminal cancer reflecting on what makes life worth living. It sounds heavy on paper but it reads like a love letter to being alive. I finished it in one sitting and then just sat there for a while.
And since you liked The Book Thief, you might really connect with A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. It starts with a grumpy old man who seems like he has given up on life, and then slowly reveals how much love and meaning was hiding underneath the surface. It is funny and tender and it makes you look at the people around you differently afterward.