How to find clean books (a free guide)

Have you ever gone to the library or a bookstore and picked up a book but questioned if it was safe to read? I have been there. Over the years, I have put together a list of resources for finding and vetting the content in books.

Why look up the content in books?

The short answer is that I am a Christian and I have values I want to preserve and honor.

While I am an adult now and have probably grown out of my parents’ book rules, I still want to be careful about what books I read and the thoughts I put into my mind. The kinds of things I avoid reading may not be what you avoid. I think it is important to hold to your values.

Sometimes the only way you can do this is by looking up the content and not being surprised.

Also, if you are a parent or a grandparent and you want to give your children or grandchildren books without accidentally giving them something scandalous…looking up stories is a must. My siblings know they can come to me and have me look up any story they are interested in and tell them if it is safe or not.

I still look up every book I read before reading it to check the content unless they are trusted Christian authors, or the writer is dead.

For some reason, many dead authors (not all) had moral backbones different from our modern sensibilities. Not all. This isn’t a rule. I just know if I’m going to read a classic, nine out of ten times it is safe. For example, I don’t feel the need to look up the content for novels written by C. S. Lewis, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, J. R. R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery or Beatrix Potter.

When looking up content (and this is unavoidable) you will see SPOILERS. I am sorry, but there is no way around this. In the name of reading “clean” books (however you define this term) you will be met with spoilers. Not always, but much of the time. If you don’t want spoilers, then you may have to read only Christian books or books written by said dead authors. Though again, this is not a rule that dead authors will write completely clean books (I’m looking at you The Great Gatsby) or that Christians will always write what you define as “clean.”

What is included in the PDF?

• A 16 page guide on how to research the content of books
• Explaining why it is important as a Christian
• Defining "clean" books
• My TOP 10 clean book resources (that are also FREE)

Who is this for?

This guide is for the moms, dads, and grandparents who are looking for good, clean, and safe books for their children to read that don't compromise your values. This is also for the teens and young adults who are wanting to find books without stumbling into novels with excessive cursing and scenes you have to skip or DNF. I hope this guide will give you confidence to go forth and research books and not feel afraid or like you are compromising when reading.