Clean Reads discussion
Books I've had to put down and why
So, I'm going to start out with some books that I've had to put down.I put down My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (which I was thoroughly enjoying) because of the "F word". That word jolts me when I hear it in a movie, but when I hear it in my own voice in my head, it's particularly offensive.
Another one I stopped reading, even though I was really enjoying it, was the Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. There was a kiss that involved some groping, and the description made me uncomfortable. I could not recommend this to a young person, and would hesitate to recommend it to other sensitive readers.
The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield, was another one I put down. It described some sexual exploration on the part of some young people, and left me feeling kind of "icky". 
I liked The Thirteenth Tale, but can understand why you put it down.I couldn't finish "Julie and Julia" -- the F-bomb started on page two -- and she used it prolifically!
I started Tithe: A Modern Fairy Tale by Holly Black, and made it through the second or third chapter before I put it down. It's a "YA" novel, and had the "F" word on several pages. It talked about drinking, smoking, and a scene where a guy tries to take advantage of a girl. Normally, I'm okay with cursing and just ignore it, but the whole time I read I just knew I wasn't going to be able to finish it. I know a ton of people loved the book, but I think it's the only book I have ever not finished.
I agree about the "f" word. Why do so many authors do that??? I did finish "My Sisters Keeper" though. It is mostly just sad, I enjoyed it, but didn't LOVE IT. So don't feel bad if you put it down. Recently I stopped reading "Outlander" because I heard it was graphically sexual. Luckily I quit before it got to any of that.
And I have Julie and Julia on my hold list at the library so I'm sad to hear it has F-bombs too. dang it.
I could not finish "The Time Traveler's Wife." The language was strong and the sexual content made me very uncomfortable.
Tracy wrote: "Another one I stopped reading, even though I was really enjoying it, was the Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. There was a kiss that involved some groping, and the description made me uncomforta..."i managed to finish that one, but i would highly advise avoiding jennifer donnelly's other books. i was very disappointed in their content, and never got more than 30 pgs in.
Boy, I have to second some of the other opinions! I didn't know about 'Pillars of the Earth' when it was given to me as a gift. I eagerly started it, but got only about 70 pgs in when the explicit sex scene reared its ugly head. I had enjoyed the book to that point, though, & was disappointed to have to put it down.I actually did finish 'Outlander', but only because I justified it by thinking about it as married sex. I totally loved the book except for those parts. It was well written & I was hooked by the Scottish history. So I reasoned it was okay. I wouldn't make the same decision today. There are just too many good clean books out there.
I finished "Cold, Sassy Tree" but only because it had been highly recommended to me by two different, conservative aquaintances and I kept rationalizing that it must surely have some great redeeming value at the end. It didn't. There were numerous incidents of vain references to Deity; unlikeable,crass, common people exibiting similar behaviors; some sexual innuendo's; and a disturbing suicide.
i quit reading "blindspot: a novel" by Jane Kamensky about half-way through. i should've stopped reading even before that, though. here's the review i wrote, as i would definitely warn others away.this is an unfortunately immoral book. i was sorely disappointed in the morality, or lack thereof, since the plot and the writing are superb. i quit reading sometime between sodom and gomorrah... oh well.
i've flipped through "julie and julia" myself, and wouldn't even consider reading it. the language, even at a glance, is highly offensive. what a waste of talent and energy, to write something so, oh, what's a good word for "non-uplifting"? degrading, depressing?
and here are two vampire books i put down. 1. Sunshine by Robin Mckinley. it's all about sex... it seems to be the end-all and be-all of the plot.
2. The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause. seriously explicit blood and gore. ick. way too violent to be on the YA shelf.
I couldn't finish "The Red Tent" which portrays Old Testament prophets in a very negative light. They perform sexual acts which I won't go into. Left me feeling like I needed to repent for reading it...
Virginia: You will never let me forget that will you!!! :)
I had to put down Wicked. It's sad because the musical is so family oriented (so I've heard) but the book is definitely not.
Melissa: You are too funny! I promise I don't hold it against anyone. It just wasn't a book for me.
well, i guess you're her mom, then. welcome, mom of christine. :)
if you would like an interesting and clean view of the old testament matriarchs, pick up water from the well by anne roiphe.
I started "The Devil Wears Prada" but put it down only a couple pages in because of the F word. I was disappointed too because I really enjoyed the movie.
Damaged by A.M. Jenkins...not explicit sex or anything, but I think it was building up to it. I just got tired of him talking about his lust...Also put down Wicked...couldn't get through the first chapter.
Oh, and Crank, I don't remember who it's by...but the whole thing is about drugs, and there's sex in it.
Marked by P.C. Cast. I didn't put it down, but my cousin did. Her teacher recommended it to her (scary) and she said she had to give it back. She said it was full of the f-word. Ironic thing is, she told me this at my birthday party. 2 hours later, I unwrap a present from a different friend and lo and behold, it's Marked. It has been sitting on my shelf since then, unread.
i am so happy to have found this group! i have to tell you that Water For Elephants is not one that should be read. I am still scarred by what I did read, it is very sexual and the swear words are horrible. Don't even start it!
Jessica - I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I quit after only a few pages. And yet, it's way up there in the recommended books list. Drives me crazy. Why can't there be a 'warning label' like on videos: strong language, sexual situations, etc? Would it really be that difficult?
I agree with you Laura. I have been thinking about starting my own list of books I have read and giving them some sort of rating so I can share that recommendation with someone else. Has anyone on here ever found anything like that or made one?
there are several blogs out there -- some by members of this clean reads group. poke around the discussion boards for the links, as i'm sure they're here. i would love to have some sort of rating system for books, but it's probably not going to happen officially anytime soon. i think it would be a lot more difficult to rate books than movies. there are SO many more of them. plus, you rarely get two readers to agree on one interpretation.
and then there's the problem that some people want ratings on books mostly so they can ban books they don't agree with.
so for now, we're it! hope you find the group helpful.
Jessica wrote: "I agree with you Laura. I have been thinking about starting my own list of books I have read and giving them some sort of rating so I can share that recommendation with someone else. Has anyone o..."I have a book review blog that rates books according to content. It's called Library of Clean Reads. Here's the URL:
http://libraryofcleanreads.blogspot.com
Hope this helps!
Laura Fabiani
In YA Fiction, I put down Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle after a being told it had some 'issues' (I had already encountered some racy bits and an 'almost' sex scene). I was sorely disappointed in the author after that part of the book.
Lately, I also put down A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine l'Engle when we came across the spirit medium (she had a christal ball and everything.) It wasn't just a passing scene. We were halfway through the book. What a disappointment. I also put down The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson because of a shallow main character who was having an affair with her best friend's husband for 7 years! Too bad because the premise of the book was a good one.
I started reading Wurthering Heights but I could not finish it. The affair between Catherine and Healthcliff was too much and I really could not stand them. I know this is a classic, but I definitely would not recommend it.
I had to read Ethan Frome in high school and was disturbed by the almost affair between two of the main characters. A sad book overall.
I am so glad to see a review for this. I saw the movie last night with my husband and thought that if it wasn't for the language it would be one of the most perfect films ever. I love stories about women who are in love with their husbands. I wanted to read the book, but looks like I will be avoiding it. Too bad. Thank you.Melissa wrote: "I liked The Thirteenth Tale, but can understand why you put it down.
I couldn't finish "Julie and Julia" -- the F-bomb started on page two -- and she used it prolifically! "
Tracy wrote: "So, I'm going to start out with some books that I've had to put down.I put down My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (which I was thoroughly enjoying) because of the "F word". That word jolts me ..."
Thanks for this review, it was on my to read list.
Laura wrote: "Jessica wrote: "I agree with you Laura. I have been thinking about starting my own list of books I have read and giving them some sort of rating so I can share that recommendation with someone els..."Laura, thanks for this. I have been looking for a book list of clean books!
Loralee wrote: "I could not finish "The Time Traveler's Wife." The language was strong and the sexual content made me very uncomfortable. "Another on my to read list - I am so glad I found this group!
I couldn't finish the Time Traveler's Wife either for the same reason.Amanda, you're welcome. You can stop by my blog anytime!
Thank you for the heads up on The 13th Tale. Just getting ready to go to bookclub to set up our list for next year and someone recommended it, but from the comments here, I will leave it at home. Anyone read A Woman of Independent Means?
Later when I have time I will update my list of good clean reads - I have come across quite a few in my bookclub.
One I just finished was a fun read: Ella Minnow Pea, very clever idea, satire, fable type story.
I really liked A Woman of Independent Means, but I haven't read it since high school ... so it's been a while.
Just put down South of Broad by Pat Conroy. You read a pretty good portion of the book of a group of friends growing up - turn the page and it's twenty years later. Same group of people and how does the author intimate to the reader that they are grown- ups? Well, of course they start cussing like sailors and discuss sex constantly. I stuck with it a lot longer than I should have because I was curious as to how things would turn out for these young characters that I actually had liked. But, it just got grosser and more offensive as it went on - delving into the world of child abuse and death in the aids community.
Cherlyn - I recently read "A Woman of Independent Means" and it is wonderful and clean. The main character is a bit caddy which made me laugh and sometimes not like her, but it was a great story anyway.I agree about "Water for Elephants" - awful awful book! It is one that I put down. Also, the "Red Tent" is one that I finished but would never recommend...definitely not a book for just anyone. And, "Time Traveler's Wife" is also one to avoid for sure!
I did finish "The Thirteenth Tale" and loved it, but can absolutely understand why someone would not. There is no sex, but some violence, and some allusions to incest which are icky, but didn't bother me too much because she did not describe it.
Gee, I forgot about the language in "My Sister's Keeper", but I remember some sexual content for sure.
Thanks for the info on "City of Bones". I got about halfway through and just wasn't loving it... I don't think I'll put any more time and effort into it
Loralee wrote: "I could not finish "The Time Traveler's Wife." The language was strong and the sexual content made me very uncomfortable. "Totally agree with you there, I waited to get it for months, and when I finally did, only read a few pages, before I felt "ICKY". So I drove right back to the library and returned it.
Here's one to add to the list: The Chocolate War. I stopped within the first pages (I don't know how many---I was "reading" the audiobook) because of its obscene references.
"The Mermaid Chair", by Sue Monk Kidd. F-bomb a few pages in. I have no Tolerance for bad language. Other books are "Jumper", by Steven Gould, and the Bourne series by Robert Ludlum. My husband read these books to me and I loved them, but he told me that he edited the launguage for me! What a sweetheart!
I had to recently put down "Always Looking Up: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist" by Michael J. Fox. I was so disappointed... I had watched his special on TV and was so impressed with his attitude. But, the language was bad. I only made it 10 pages in before I put it down.
My book club read "Firefly Lane" and I only read about a third of it because of the references to drugs, alcohol, sex, and rape.
Loralee wrote: "I could not finish "The Time Traveler's Wife." The language was strong and the sexual content made me very uncomfortable. "I totally agree, I started to listen to the first CD for the audio book and had to turn it off because of all the sexual content. I was looking forward to reading it so I could watch the movie but now....
Wicked - I picked it up on a whim while at the book store, read the first few pages and couldn't wait to get home on that Saturday and relax by the fireplace. Well, two pages after arriving home, I shut the book took it back to the bookstore and told them I wanted my money back. What is really interesting is that some friends convinced my wife and I to go to San Diego to see the play. I have never had more fun at the theater than I had watching Wicked.
I had a similar experience. I have never seen the play, but had heard about it and was intrigued by the idea of the Wizard of Oz from the wicked witch's point of view. I actually lasted nearly a chapter before being so disgusted, I quit. Fortunately, it was a library book, so I didn't have to worry about money spent. Made me wonder how many young adults picked it up because of the play. It is definitely an adult book and not a very good one.
Gerald wrote: "Wicked - I picked it up on a whim while at the book store, read the first few pages and couldn't wait to get home on that Saturday and relax by the fireplace. Well, two pages after arriving home, I..."I haven't read the book or seen the play myself but I've heard from friends they are very different from each other.
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Thanks everyone. Loving the group!!!
Tracy