Clean books you would recommend (Authors)

Hooray for May. It's one of the loveliest months of the year, and I'm glad searching for and discovering new books has added to your joy.

I view books as "clean" based more on the intentions of the writer, and mine as a reader. The worth of the book as a whole is far more significant to me than the word choices or whether there are more mature themes.
If a book is littered with profanity it can become eyesores on the page, but if it's sprinkled in as a realistic part of a character's vernacular then I accept it as such. Really, words have the power we decide to give to them. Classic literature of the past contained words and phrases that were considered to be profane, vulgar, or salty then at the time they were written. There's also plenty of ugliness from words that are not profane, and goodness from words classified as such. Context is what matters the most to me. One of my favorite leisure books last year was "The Goldfinch" by Janet Fitch, and the teenage protagonist's roughhewn, abused but resilient friend has quite a mouth, but it's fitting to his character. It would be a shame to miss out on the book due to something that was tangential to the story itself. As for sex, since it's a natural part of human life, it's written about or referenced in many books. I can understand avoiding erotic fiction, but sexual content in a book that doesn't revolve around sex isn't the same at all. Some of the books that have expanded my compassion and been to significant to me like "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and "The Color Purple" have been banned due to sexual content, and that's a shame to me. Some celebrated classics like "The Canterbury Tales" are proliferated with sexual innuendos.

Anyhooo. I'll try to comply with the request.

I think you might enjoy Willa Cather's books. In particular "The Song of the Lark" because it is about a vibrant songstress named Thea who uses music as a companion in her loneliness, as artistry, and a way of fulfillment. She also has some insightful observations about Christians. The end of the book isn't as good as the beginning, but it's all worth reading. "O, Pioneers" and "My Antonia" are also very good. Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters wrote books that are engaging but not really that provocative. "Emma" is a fun read.

Tracy Chevalier's books tend to be PG but with more mature themes, like "Falling Angels" and "The Virgin Blue." I know you've already read "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Piccoult. Her books are very formulaic, but I've still liked some of them. The impetus for the plot of "The Tenth Circle" is an alleged date rape, but the heart of the story is really the relationship between a teenage girl and her father. It's what is of far more importance than the few pages relating to sex. If you can get beyond the sexual content I think it's a book that would be very meaningful to you. Another book that in particular I think would have some relatable aspects is "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. "Some Luck" by Jane Smiley is about a farm family, and is very good.

E. Lockhart, also credited as Emily Lockhart, has written children's books as well as "young adult" and "adult" (not in that way), and my favorite is "We Were Liars." It's a YA book, but it topped several lists of the best books of 2014 for adult readers, too. The protagonist is our age. Other favorites from last year are "The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden" by Jonas Jonasson, "I'll Give You The Sun" by Jandy Nelson (a YA writer).

This is a list of teen books that might be of interest: Best Young Adult Novels, Best Teen Fiction, Top 100 Teen Novels : NPR
I definitely recommend "The Giver" series.

Taste Kid lets you enter the name of a book, author, song, movie, or TV, and then it will generate recommendations for things you might also like. It doesn't really have that expansive of a list of books, but it's worth trying.
TasteKid | Recommends music, movies, TV shows, books, games



ETA
I wanted to add: Veronica Roth (Divergent), Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees), Kate Chopin, Mitch Albom (Tuesdays with Morie), Frank McCourt (Angela's Ashes), Markus Zusak (The Book Thief), Rebecca Skloot (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) and Laura Hillenbrand (Seabiscuit).

John Green is such a huge part of my childhood. He's old enough to have perspective and young enough to still be in touch with adolescence, and I love his writing style. He does write a bit about sex sometimes, but not gratuitously. There is some language. Still, his books are written for YA readers.

Have you read "The Help" yet? I liked the book better than the movie.

I would focus more on finding books of good value

some might have profanity, but is that as big of an issue?

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene

Fahrenheit 451

Hi Jen,

I just finished a book called Heavens Prey by Janet Sketchley ( except I can't remember if you were the one who recommended it). It was very good!

As far as authors who don't use profanity and (leave sex to the imagination), there are so many but often you are safest with Christian authors. I know sometimes I get tired of the sugary sweet, happy stuff too. It is hard to just go to a book sale and pick books at random. Bring your phone and google authors while you're there. I done that before when I've been really gung-ho and had a lot of time on my hands.

Ok so here a few authors:
Lauraine Snelling
Lynn Austin
Francine Rivers
Karen Kingsbury
Grace Livingston Hill
Kathy Herman

Those are just a few off the top of my head. As far as more mainstream authors, it's hard to know unless you stick to YA genre, but I know it can be tiresome.
I will check out some of my shelves at home.
Also try googling authors. I have a pin on my Pinterest with clean authors too.
Peace out,
Athena

It is difficult for me to remember which books lack sex. Oh I remember ones where it plays a key role (at least for a while). I tend to think ill of those that are gratuitous and after a coupe of decades forget why I think ill of the book. But I will try.

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. Actually there may be some 'profanity' but if so profane in terms long dead, less shocking and for sure not offensive.

I think The Pearl by Steinbeck may fit. Far from positive it has been 45 years. In any case there are real issues far more disturbing than any sex or profanity. ASk Artemis97 on this. I'm having second thoughts. Steinbeck was far from shy about profanity in his other books. Good chance she has read thsi and remembers far better than I do.

The Menace from Earth by Heinlein fits perfectly. While the title sounds like a monster story it is anything but it is a romance.

Any of the Lucky Star stories by Asimov. Also the collection I Robot (Warning it pretty much only shares a few characters and the title with the film. Susan Calvin also is not young and beautiful, she is described at one point as caring more about robots than humans).

Time for the Stars I'm pretty sure of. Oops If one is a legalist there is an incest issue.

I had confused this with Starman Jones. I'm positive no sex, some romance, absolutely nothing where clothes come off. That said at least 2 gruesome and relevant scenes. Not something for those who like their hero's and villains black and white.

The Rolling Stones. Perhaps the most spot on re no sex or swearing of all of Heinlein's works. Small spoiler. The Startrek episode The trouble with tribbles is a direct steal from one incident here.

Actually all of Heinlein's Juveniles should be OK as they were written in the 50s for teens or younger. That said they have far more adult themes than is typical.

If one is desperate The Leatherstocking stories by James Fenimore Cooper fit the no swearing or sex. At least The Deerslayer does. But Twains criticism of the author holds and they are ponderous reading. Cooper never misses the chance to take 2 pages to say what could be said in one sentence.

If you read and like Heinlein's juveniles do not assume his adult stories are sex free. There is sex where it fits. In some cases very explicit.

Drilling down the Link Artemis97 gave of the top 100 books to the 235 finalists I noticed one of those was the OZ Chronicles.

That reminded me of the original OZ books. I have not read them, but I'm sure they fit the criteria and there are scores of them.

I'd say it is worth the risk to check out the first one The Wonderful Wizard of OZ.

But if you have a shelf full of possibilities.

I love Christian romance and books such as Chicken soup for the soul

I just started a series of action/adventure intrigue books by author Steve Wilson, because I was looking for something similar to what Tom Clancy and Vince Flynn had written, but without the profanity. Steve Wilson's first book is Red Sky at Morning, the second is Tempest of Fire, and the third, which I'm just beginning, is Trinity Icon. If you like books of that genre, then definitely check his out. Also, I've just started exploring different authors writing for the Love Inspired Suspense books. So far so good, but I haven't been reading those very long. If you do a search at Goodreads you can search by type of book you want and browse reviews. I hope you find what you're looking for.

I've posted some reviews on these mentioned, and I have several more books still on my review list. You can read my reviews at Show-Me-Reviews or Idyllbooks.com.

Also, Michael Shank's book, Muscle and a Shovel has been recommended to me several times, but I haven't read it yet. Ordering it soon.

The other thread made my mind flash back to enjoyable paperback books I read by the pool. You might enjoy some of Anita Shreve and Jacquelyn Mitchard's books.


Robert Galbraith is a penname JK Rowling uses for the books she's written since she ended the Harry Potter series. They are a totally different genre and she wanted to appeal to adult readers who associate her with HP. I didn't love The Cuckcoo's Calling and The Silkworm, but I did like them! They're sort of like the John Grisham books I read in a way. There's a few profane words sprinkled in just as there are in Grisham books, but for the most part they are "clean."

I also recommend Kristen Hannah's The Nightingale!


Edit - Huh. When I wrote the post the links were visible but now I can't see them. There's just a gap on my screen where the links should be.

Tithe by Holly Black has some profanity in it
but it is a cool book

No sex & profanity is what makes a book clean?

well that would be part of it, do you not agree Butterfly?

Rhamiel said:

well that would be part of it, do you not agree Butterfly?

Click to expand...

Nope. I don't at all tbh. Cause I mean there's sex in the Bible so does that mean the Bible is dirty? I think Ella nailed it right on the head with what she wrote in post 2. "I view books as "clean" based more on the intentions of the writer, and mine as a reader. The worth of the book as a whole is far more significant to me than the word choices or whether there are more mature themes. If a book is littered with profanity it can become eyesores on the page, but if it's sprinkled in as a realistic part of a character's vernacular then I accept it as such. Really, words have the power we decide to give to them. Classic literature of the past contained words and phrases that were considered to be profane, vulgar, or salty then at the time they were written. There's also plenty of ugliness from words that are not profane, and goodness from words classified as such. Context is what matters the most to me." That makes way more sense 2 me tbh. I have flipped through Mary Higgin Clark books cause my grandma likes them. They're all really dumb whodunnit stories about murders. No offense to Hannah cause I know lots of folks do like those books. It's just kinda confusing to me cause a book about murder is clean but if it's got a cuss word or sex in it it's dirty.

butterfly, I think I would agree with you about books

but some people are more sensitive then others
we are recommending books for the OP
so we should put her preferences above our own

Rhamiel said:

butterfly, I think I would agree with you about books

but some people are more sensitive then others
we are recommending books for the OP
so we should put her preferences above our own

Click to expand...

Well I was trying to understand her preferences, that's all. That's why I asked my question. Then you asked me your question & I answered you. Cause I was confused about what she considered to be clean. Her newer post is less confusing than the OP. People are sensitive about different things. Sensitive to way different degrees too. Some folks would consider murder mystery books to be bad, others think they're ok. Lots and lots and lots of Young Adult books have a cuss word or two, or some sex, but are still PG or PG-13 kinda books that are real popular. It sounds like she's wanting G rated classics.

Hannah have you read Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm or The Railway Children? You might like them.