Yesterday I wrote about a book (Confessions of a Serial Dater) that was a fun easy-to-read work of fiction. Some people believe that all fiction is “fluffy” like this. I beg to differ. There are some novels that really address important issues and cause you to think about the lives of the characters even if those characters aren’t real. One great example of such a book is The Effects of Light by Miranda Beverley-Whittemore.

This is a book that I came across randomly at a book store many years ago. I read it once then and it struck me as a great book. Then I forgot about it until about a year ago when I re-read it. Once again, it struck me as a really great book. Things that are terrific about it:

• The writing is really stellar. Sometimes you get that in fiction and sometimes you don’t. With this book, you do.
• The imagery is impressive. The book is related to photography and you can tell that the author has an interest in the topic simply by how well she describes the images in the book.
• The topic is controversial. Without giving too much away, the story is about two girls who had nude pictures taken of them and these pictures create a controversy that makes for an interesting storyline.

This is one of those books that I don’t want to describe in too much detail because it’s really a lot better if you read it yourself! I’ve read it a few times but now I’m done with it so I’ve posted it for trade at Paperback Swap. You can also get it at Amazon through the link above.

Tags: book recommendation, book review, books, effects of light, fiction, kathryn vercillo, miranda beverley-whittemore, paperback swap, reading, smartchick