What do you look for in a book?

I used to read mostly for information, to learn something new and stimulate my mind. But over the past few years I've sought out fiction as a comforting distraction from the grim realities of Real Life in the 21st century.

While working my way through the library's collection of "Golden Age of Mystery" authors, I started scanning the weekly book review section of the local newspaper and soon noticed a modern trend in novel themes:

The Prophets - An exploration of love and betrayal in the worst of times.

Lord, the One You Love is Sick - Tragedy, guilt, and grief in rural North Carolina.

The Most Fun We Ever Had - Midwest family in continual crisis.

The Nickel Boys - A teenager endures an institution of abuse.

The Color Inside a Melon - Noir meditation on race, class, and murder.

Writers and Lovers - Dropped into a forest of misery, with no way out.

Foster – In a world where kindness is a stranger.

Are we having fun yet? And that's just a small sampling of tales fixated on dark and dismal circumstances. The longer list at the end of this post highlights many more examples, clipped over a two-year period.

Without doubt, some of these topics are worthy of discussion—ideally in a balanced, well-reasoned non-fiction treatment. But the growing prevalence of fictional dystopias raises the question, why would contemporary readers so often choose to "escape" to an imaginary place where everything is as bad as it possibly can be? (Encarta Dictionary)

I think it has a lot to do with living in a society whose institutions have evicted their Creator. Secular social policies that hold man responsible for things beyond his control, like the climate, yet assume full responsibility for his womb-to-tomb care and provision do not mold confident, self-reliant, optimistic citizens. Perhaps a frustrated subset of readers immerse themselves in worst-case scenarios to offset the prevailing gloom that surrounds them: See, things could be even worse!

But I'm not interested in courting depression, thank you. Simply revisiting reviews for this topic brought me down a few notches on the contentment scale. That's when I started combing my memory for volumes I've enjoyed over the years.

So, if you're looking for an uplifting read, I recommend . . .

•The entire James Herriot series, from If Only They Could Talk (1970) through Smudge's Day Out (1991).

•The Enchanted April (1922) - Elizabeth von Arnim's richly staged and hopeful novel about rediscovering contentment.

•Our Hearts Were Young and Gay – A lighthearted memoir of the authors' 1924 European tour, by Cornelia Otis Skinner and Emily Kimbrough.

•A year in Provence and Toujours Provence – Humorous and warm-hearted accounts of expatriates living in provincial France, by Peter Mayle.

•Mark Twain's essays and Ogden Nash's poetry – For the sheer joy of wise and witty word crafting.

•And for something meaty and challenging, Gilead – an inspired, serene refuge for readers, by Marilynne Robinson.

These are a few of my old standbys, but I'm always panning for new literary gems. Got any titles you'd care to share?

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The list of dispiriting themes, continued:

The Book of X - Indignities and visions haunt a lonely woman.

Women Talking - Dystopic novel with real-life roots.

In the Dream House - Documents the heroine's two years in an abusive relationship.

Must I Go - The days after love are long and empty.

Mill Town - A paper mill, a father's death, and a river of poison.

The Lying Life of Adults - Uncovering the painful secrets of a parent's past.

Winter Counts - A tale of drugs and violence on the Rosebud Reservation.

Summer - A season of renewal amid a bleak internal landscape.

Dead to Her - Sex, betrayal, and darkness.

Stillicide - A bleak and thirsty new world order.

How I learned to Hate in Ohio - A teenager confronts bullying, racism, and a broken, home.

Rest and Be Thankful - Details a pediatric nurse spiraling into burnout.

In the Shadow of Dora - Profiting off the murder of thousands.

Land of Big Numbers - Deep wounds lead to deep confusion.

Annie and the Wolves - Taking aim at childhood trauma.

The Parted Earth - Follows people whose lives are ripped apart by the Partition of India.

The Return of Faraz Ali - Prisoners of birth in Lahore's red-light district.

The Latinist – Obsession, violence, and academic corruption.

Strange Flowers – The sadness and secrets of a rural Irish family.

Men in My Situation – Restless, rudderless, alone.

Ocean State – A tragic story of teenage love.

An Island – A probing look at the roots of inhumanity and how the past can poison our compassion

Planes – Love, pain, and betrayal during a time of terror.

Mother Country – A heartbreaking novel that probes a daughter's wounds.

Happy-Go-Lucky – Turning on the gloom. (?!)

Violets – The deceptively quiet and devastating story of a lonely woman.

If I Survive You – Burning up in pursuit of survival in a menacing society.

Our Missing Hearts – Delves into a dystopian world where librarians are heroic figures.

Hester – A gifted seamstress embroiders color into a society shrouded in its sins.

The Slowworm's song – A British ex-soldier comes to terms with a terrible incident in his past.

Crossroads – Delving into a deeply troubled Nordic soul.

The Marriage Portrait – A picture of lust, power, and blood.

The Sisters Mayo – Considers the toll of extremist beliefs.