OUR READERS RECOMMEND
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“I am the Messenger” Marcus Zusak. I bought this book for my daughter (19 years old) after reading “The Book Thief” which was sort of dark but had a great message. “I am the Messenger” won a Childrens book award in Australia but it is NOT a childrens book. The main character starts out telling the reader how sexually inadequate he is and this is repeated throughout the book. He also talks at length about his friend Audrey and fantasizes about having sex with her. Meanwhile she is having sex with her boyfriend Simon. None of these are described in detail but they made me uncomfortable. There is also a pretty horrible rape scene. I am sad that these things are in the book because overall it was good and it does have a wonderful message
Oops I forgot to give it a rating. Based on the rating system here I think it is Moderate. But I think it is getting close to a High rating.
Thanks for this. I borrowed it from the library but it was due before I got past the first few pages. I had planned to borrow it again because it looked interesting and because I loved Book Thief. After your review I won’t bother (I can’t handle any sexual violence in books)
I found no mention of one of my favorite authors, Bodie Thoene. She has written several novels in three different series of books. They are historical fiction, clean as a whistle, and enjoyable reads besides. Some are written in collaboration with her husband. (Personally I prefer the ones she authored herself alone with Brock, her husband, doing all of the historical research for her, but they are still good.) I recommend them to everyone.
Some of her later books get to descriptive sexually and are inappropriate in this day and age of so much pornography even words can provoke sexual desires and feelings. The same goes for some of Francine Arnold’s books also.
Thanks for giving readers more information.
I would recommend Angela Elwell Hunt as a great Christian author. Almost every book of hers that I have read has been wonderful and nothing to make one uncomfortable.
I totally agree! Angela Elwell Hunt is Terrific.
Angela Hunt is a favorite of mine too! Another great author is Francine Rivers.
Remembering Isaac by Ben Behunin is a very inspiring book. I met the author at Cosco and bought 3 of his books. I’ve just finished the first one and I’m looking forward to the other two. The first one left me with a great feeling and I was sad to see it end. Thank heaven the story of Jake the potter of Niederbipp is continued in Discovering Isaac. Here is a quote from the book “Joy in all its Glory can only be obtained through unselfishness”
Remember Isaac is a great, feel-good, clean series. It is harder to see the overall series plot in the 1st book because background has to be given. However, it is very enjoyable along with the next two especially from Christians.
Num8ers by Rachel Ward has not been rated here but I would give it a high. I rarely stop reading a book once I’ve started but I have with this one. I picked it up because Amazon recommended it for people who liked The Hunger Games.
Just finished “Brooklyn” by Colm Toibin. I’m drawn to historical fiction, so the idea of a young Irish girl traveling to Brooklyn, NY after WW II intrigued me. The innocence ended half way through the book. There is vulgar language but the sexual scenes outnumber even that. I read reviews before I bought the book, but of course they favored the book to encourage sales. I was so disappointed that I had wasted my money.
I would rate this book HIGH
Too bad! I recommend the movie to you. The sex scene in the movie is a lot more mild than your description of how it was in the book. Check it out, it’s wonderful!
I read Water for Elephants on a friend’s reccomendation and was appalled. I would give it a High rating or even a DIRT. The language is vulgar
and continues that way through out the book and the sex is extremely explicit. I was saddened by this book because it was well written and would have been phenomenal without the explicit content. Don’t waste your time here…
I would reccomend “I’ll be there” by Holly Goldberg Sloan. This is a very inspirational, heart-breaking, and amazing book. This book’s plot seemed very original. The downer for me was the swearing and two or three very brief scenes that made me uncomfortable. It mostly swears in certain characters point of view, so I pretty much skimmed over those parts. Anyways, I would rate this Mild.
The book is: “Looking for Alaska” by John Green. Even though this book is a YA book, has won some awards, and is rated really high on goodreads it would definitely be a DIRT book.
The book is about a boy who goes off to a boarding school and makes new friends. However, there is so much horrible language in it that I had to give up on it fairly quickly. I wanted to see what happened in the book so I thumbed through it quickly only to come across lots of teenage drinking, smoking, explicit sexual content and bad language on almost every page. I counted the F-word used 4 times on just one page. I would avoid this book and make sure it didn’t get into my children’s hands.
I just thought maybe you could put something on your website to warn other people.
Thanks!
This book by a former KGB superspy and CIA/FBI/US Secret Service “Filament” is a story of a huge KGB and CIA conspiracy to control and destroy the USA. Who killed JFK, Marilyn Monroe and added Diana to the list ? How KGB recruited Bill Clinton and who wanted him dead? What was the 9/11 technology? Why Barack Obama is working for Russian Intelligence and what is the plan? How KGB blackmailed Hillary Clinton? What the darkest White House and the US Congress secrets are? Who’s pushing us to World War III and who can stop it ? And much more by the author of the White House Special Handbook (in use by American presidents since 1996, published in 2007) and Espionage and Counter-Espionage Handbook (2012).
Available from the publisher and on Amazon.com
Title: “Barack Obama” Operation
Author: Mikhail Kryzhanovsky
Publisher: Miraclaire Publishing
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
ISBN: 0615980759
The Signature of all things by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Rating: HIGH for sexual content – it’s not overly frequent but very graphic. If it was a movie it would be rated R, at least.
The book itself had an ok story but it’s unnecessarly long.
Don’t waste your time on it.
Thanks for the information! That’s useful.
Some of the books I’ve read this year that you don’t already have, or are not classics:
1. Gifted Hands by Ben Carson – great, inspiring, I don’t remember any language or other negative content
2. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls – fabulous book, but rated high. Details of child neglect, lots of language from a drunken father, and some child sexual abuse. The only high rating book I finished and would possibily recommend.
3. Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson – none to mild. Cute possible pre-sequal to Anne of Green Gables. Content very consistant with Anne books.
4. The Sisters Romanov by Helen Rappaport – mild. Non-fiction. Only content I remember was details of their murder.
5. The Rent Collector by Cameron Wright – mild No language. Great book – thematic content of harsh living
6. Gilead by marilyn Robinson – FABULOUS – pulitzer prize book. No language. No sex. Slow character sketch
7. Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman – mild. I don’t remember anything major that would be negative. Some mild language I think. Not fantastic but cute.
8. The Night Circus by Erin Mortenstern – strange book, still not sure how much I liked it. Interesting and confusing but really fun in parts – MILD – 1 F word, and not much other language. 1 non graphic sex scene
9. Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls – Great book. Same writting style as her Glass Castle but without all the language and distributing elements. Mild – very little language, no sex
10. WIld Swans by Jung Chang – Non Fiction – good book. Really interesting in parts…boring in others. Adult content of historical/politcal issues in China. Talks about concubines in China, foot binding, marital issues etc. No language that I remember but political violence.
11. Atlantia by Allie Condie – YA – “ehh” It was ok. I’d rate none to mild. I don’t remember langage or sex. Just teenage romance – without the sex.
12. The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan – Moderate – Rape scene, a couple of F words and other mild language. A couple of non-graphic or off screen sex scenes. This is female Da-Vinci code type story. It was “OK”, but entertaining.
13. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger – Fabulous book, slow, moving, unique. MILD – no language or sex that I remember. Mild is for adult themes, a murder and an physical assault.
14. LIla by Marilyn Robinson – Really great sequal to Gilead. MILD for some mild language and more adult themes of abuse, prostitution
15. Letters for Emily by Cameron Wright – Sweet book. writting is poor in parts. I loved the letters, didn’t like the rest of the book near as well. NONE to MILD – I don’t remember anything negative.
16. The Silver Star by Jeanette Walls – MILD to MODERATE for some mild language, an attempted rape and adult themes of men trying to take advantage of girls. Good book but not great.
17. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See – MODERATE to HIGH. Really interesting book, still not sure how much I liked it. Really interesting and thought provoking, but not satisfying. There was a lot of adult themes in this book as it talks about women in China during the 1800s.
18. Persphone series by Kaitlin Bevis – Fun series. Interesting take on the Greek gods. Moderate rating – first book is pretty clean (MILD), other 2 have 2-4 F words in each, mild language and non graphic sex.
19. The Snow Child by Eowlyn Ivey – Interesting, sweet and unique but plot issues that really bothered me. MILD – 1 non graphic sex scene and other mild language
20. If I Should Die Series by Amy Plum – First book is the best, 2nd one is a bit slow, 3rd got better. INtersting plot/unique…but typical YA series with the perfect guy and the ordinary girl. Lots of talk about how fabulous he is and how she can’t live without him. MILD – pretty clean series. 3rd book has more language and lots more talk about sex, I still think its mild but its been a little bit and I don’t remember everything.
21. Dad if Fat by Jim Gaffigan – FUNNY, and pretty clean. MILD for some mild occasional language and some talk of married sex.
22. The SHoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani – Really liked this one. Writing not perfect, but sweet love/family history story. Fun. MILD – not a lot of language if any, mild talk of sex – mostly married, most off screen.
23. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard – fabulous, interesting book. Loved it. NOn-fiction – Details of assisination of James Garfield. MILD for adult themes and medical graphic details.
24. Enchanted Inc by Shanna Swendon – Cute, fun read. MILD for a couple of mild swearing and mild sex talk.
25. Calico Joe by John Grisham – Really great..lots to discuss. MILD to MODERATE for language. Main character is a real jerk with a mouth.
26. These is My Words by Nancy Turner – Sweet story, got tired of everyone being killed. MILD for adult themes of pioneer life
27. BIg Stone Gap by Adriana Trigani – MILD to MODERATE – not near as good as The Shoemaker’s Wife. Cute, southern book. Lots of talk about sex, mild swearing with no F words. A couple of scenes of nearly having sex and 1 of actually have sex – not graphic. Typical PG-13 movie.
28. Home by Marilyn Robinson – the best of the series. Fabulous. Moving, a must read. MILD for some mild language.
29. Go Set the Watchman by Harper Lee – Really wonderful. Lots to discuss. Fabulous – MILD for adult themes of racism, some mild language
30. 7 Miracles That Saved America by Chris Stewart – NON fiction – Fabulous book, moving, patriotic, spiritual. rating NONE – unless you count historical events.
31. Beautiful Creatures Series by Kami Garcia – Cute series. I really enjoyed it. Better than most YA. Overall pretty well written for the genre. MILD rating – all the books are pretty much the same (including Dangerous Creatures)…a little mild swearing, teenage angst talk
32. A Girl and Five Brave Horses by Sonora Webster – so great. Realy story behind the movie Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. NONE for a rating
Classics I loved this year so far:
1. Little Women series – a must read. Jo’s Boys is the poorest of the series
2. Angle of Repose by William Stegner – Incredible writing, a couple of F words, adult themes…lots to discuss.
3. East of Eden by Steinbeck – very interesting, so well written. Some adult themes and language.
4. Scarlet Pimpernal – LOVED this one. So great
5. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck – Tragic, hard to read, slow, didn’t like her written style
6.
BOOKS I DIDN”T FINISH –
1. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrow of Ava Lavenger – Too much sex for me
2. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger – Beautifully written…wanted to finish, but too much langague, too much talk of sex
3. The Art of Racing inthe Rain by Garth Stein – too much language, too much talk of sex….all there for shock value
4. Shadow of the Wind by Carlos RUis Zafron – beautiflly written, interesting but too much talk of sex, language, sex scenes
5. Alice I have Been by Melanie Benjamin – Really enjoying but it was suggesting that Lewis Carrol was a pedofile. Didn’t want to read about that.
6. Ben Hur by Lew Wallace – everyone should read at least once
7. The Robe – one of the best books I”ve ever read. INCREDIBLE!
8. The Chosen – loved learning about orthodox Jews. Really interesting
9. Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge – so good. Really fun, wonderful story
10. Enchanted April by Elizabeth Van Arman – Love this story. Very much like the movie, but really a wonderful read.
11. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier – Such a page turner
12. A Town LIke Alice by Nevil Shutte – Really a great story. A little slow in parts, but a page turner in others. Some more adults themes in the beginning of the book. SOme talk of sex.
Oops – 6-12 on the list of ‘books I didn’t finish”…should really be under classics. Those are all must reads
Wow. Thanks so much for your input! We actually do have “Strange & Beautiful Sorrows…” reviewed and it’s rated High, for that sex. And “Shadow of the Wind,” which I loved but is rated High too for the reasons you mentioned. Also reviewed just the first book in the “Beautiful Creatures” series: Mild. We also have “The Shoemaker’s Wife” and “the Night Circus” and “Snowflower and the Secret Fan” on the site. But these are all great observations. Maybe you should join us as a reviewer!!
Thanks for noting which ones you have. I figured I probably missed a few. I was doing it quickly. I was going off memory on most. Some of them might have been added after I picked up the book. I try to do a fair amount of research before reading…trying to find a content review from at least 1 source. Seems like in my memory, I couldn’t find any for those ones….must have been wrong or missed them. Thanks again for having some great reviews. Not sure if you were serious about becoming a reviewer…not sure I’d do a good job. I rate everything I read in Goodreads and try to include a basic content review…but I’m not a writer. I doubt my reviews would be compelling. 🙂
Well, thanks so much for chiming in!!
Wonderful reviews, thank you. This is exactly the information that I want to know before selecting a book! I’ve only read a few that you reviewed but I agree with what you said about them (the good and the bad) so I’m excited to get going on some others based on your recommendations.
Thank you for your insights!!
I need suggestions for a 97 year old woman who does not want any cursing, sex or violence. Suggestions?
Thank you.
What kinds of books do you enjoy reading? Mysteries? Romance? Historical fiction? Nonfiction (if so, what kinds? Biographies? History? science?) That would give us a better idea of what to recommend.
Recent popular books that I have read:
Silent Patient-high
Big Little Lies-high
Gone Girl-dirt
Where The Crawdads Sing-mild/high
Song of Achilles-mild/high
The Guest List- dirt
The Hunting Party-dirt
The Unhoneymooners- high
Replace “mild” with “moderate”.
I am trying to participate in the Kindle challenges. An example of a challenge is— top 100 books of 2022. I choose not to read anything with foul language or sex scenes. I am trying to find a way to find out about the content in these books and have not found a way yet.
Can anyone recommend some clean to moderate YA romance books? I have a teenage girl who is obsessed with YA romance and fantasy books. I have spent literally hours going through website and i did manage to find quite a few. If someone can recommend some books in these genre, I’d greatly appreciate it.
Hi Steph! I don’t read a lot of YA romance, but I’m a big reader of YA fantasy, so I thought I would share some favorite reads I’ve come across over the years I’ve been reviewing for this site. Hopefully, your teenager can find some favorites among these as well! Reviews for all of these books can also be found on site.
Entwined and The Enchanted Sonata (both rated Mild) by Heather Dixon, Woven in Moonlight (Mild) by Isabel Ibanez, Stepsister (Mild) by Jennifer Donnelly, Long May She Reign (Mild) by Rhiannon Thomas, Sorcery of Thorns and Mystery of Thorn Manor (both Mild) by Margaret Rogerson, Sky in the Deep and The Girl the Sea Gave Back (both Moderate), The Princess in the Opal Mask (None) and The Opal Crown (Mild) by Jenny Lindquist, By the Book (Mild) by Amanda Sellet, The Inheritance Games series (first 3 books all rated Moderate) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, The Lunar Chronicles (all Mild) by Marissa Meyer, East (Mild) by Edith Pattou, Dreams Lie Beneath and Sisters of Sword and Song (both Mild) by Rebecca Ross, The Afterlife of Holly Chase (Mild) by Cynthia Hand, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow (Moderate) by Laura Taylor Namey, and SpyxFamily series (All None or Mild) by Tatsuya Endo.