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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nYes! Absolutely! What it all boils down to is clarity of spirit, mind, and communication. Are we looking at life\u2014which can be difficult and downright perplexing\u2014through a lens that\u2019s clean or cloudy? Can we discern the hope that comes from God, or is our lens so crusty with muck that we see nothing of God in our lives at all? For the importance of cultivating a clear perspective in difficult times, and how the things we take into our minds can either help or hurt that effort, please see the blog post I wrote about J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s Return of the King<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n For more on why what we choose to read matters so very much, see \u201cWholesome Literature\u2014A Realistic Choice<\/a>.\u201d This essay approaches the topic from a literary and spiritual point of view and addresses a general faith-based audience. If you would like insights on the subject from a more focused spiritual frame of reference, please see \u201cDelicious Literature to Nourish the Soul<\/a>\u201d and a chart I put together entitled \u201cThe Power of the Word<\/a>.\u201d Both contain references from the Bible and other scriptures used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In preparation for writing this post and those that follow, I did many searches online to see what tips others were giving for finding \u201cclean reads.\u201d I learned that most of the information on this topic involves linking to websites that list clean books. These are terrific resources, but there\u2019s a caveat\u2014clean reading in the 2020s is every bit as relative as it was in the 1970s when I was a teenager. Every reader has a slightly different set of standards, and a book that one reader thinks is clean may offend another.<\/p>\n\n\n For that reason, I designed my own list\u2014\u201cMy Favorite Clean Fiction<\/a>\u201d\u2014to meet a particular set of suggestions, which I explain in \u201cMy Clean-Reading Criteria<\/a>.\u201d Some readers will think these suggestions are too flexible\u2014even lax. Most will think they’re too strict. Whatever the case, readers who use \u201cMy Favorite Clean Fiction<\/a>\u201d can rest assured that I won\u2019t put anything on it that doesn\u2019t meet that particular standard as I define it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can find other lists at libraries, on library websites and book sharing sites such as Goodreads, from booksellers, and on blogs. If you have children in school, you may already be looking over their book lists and discussing what they read with them. Here are examples of these lists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking beyond the lists, search for websites that rate books. These sites can be helpful in both finding and evaluating books, as long as you keep in mind that they often do a very good job of alerting readers to content and don\u2019t always do as well judging the context of that content. Here are a couple of these sites:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also like websites that review books. I prefer those that discuss context and theme, as well as specific content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So far, I\u2019ve only discussed digital sources of information about books, but there may come a time when you\u2019ll want to ask an expert. Many librarians and booksellers read a lot and specialize in different types of material. You may want to join a book group affiliated with your community or religious congregation. You\u2019ll read a lot, learn a lot, and make new friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People who read a great deal love to talk about books. One of the best ways to get recommendations and information about specific books is to connect with readers who have similar standards. Many of my reading friends still aren\u2019t on Goodreads or any other book sharing site. Many years ago, I compiled a list of book recommendations from many of the women I went to church with: \u201cClean Reads for Adults, Teens, and Children<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n Absolutely use these lists and information from other sources, but be skeptical. And try not to be judgmental. We all swim in different parts of Babylon\u2019s toxic sea, and we\u2019re all at different levels of desensitization. In the end, you\u2019re the only one who can decide what to put into your mind, just as you\u2019re the only one who can decide what to put into your mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this series of posts, I\u2019m going to tell you the tactics I use to find wholesome books to read that go above and beyond relying on websites (such as Novaun Novels<\/strong><\/a>) that list, rate, and review books. In the next post in this series, I\u2019ll tell you the best places to \u201cfish\u201d for clean books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note:<\/strong> This series of blog posts features covers for many of my favorite books in multiple categories and from various time periods. Some are well-known, and others aren\u2019t, but I believe that all of them will be accessible and enjoyable to many teens and adults looking for outstanding clean fiction. Click on the cover to learn more about the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Book](\"https:\/\/novels.zerosilver.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/Bronze-Bow.jpg\")
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