What have you read that's good and clean lately?

[Shirley]

A few of my favorite clean authors are
Anything by Jennifer Peel
Same for Shannon Guymon
Jenni Jones who writes some darling modern adaptations of Jane Austen
For terrific Regency Teresa McCarthy, Karla Darcy and Marie Higgins. Teresa and Marie also write contemporary romance
Marcia Lynn McClure contemporary & Historical
A wonderful series by a variety of authors called
The Matchmaker Series.
A fun series also by a variety of authors
A Billionaire Bride Pact

[Polo]

Comment: Hi, I want to know of some recent British writers of Regency Romance. I have found hundreds, but those are all American. I am confused as to why Brits are not writing Reg Rom, when it is their very own legacy. Thanks

[C.]

My first legal thriller by John Grisham~ Just a few scattered-mild curses.

[Ken]

C. wrote: "My first legal thriller by John Grisham~ Just a few scattered-mild curses."

I really didn't care for the last Grisham I read (Rogue Lawyer), but maybe I'll give The Whistler a try before assuming he's gone down the tubes.

[C.]

Re: Ken, there are quite a few Amazon reviewers who were critical of it, so I plan to read something older by him.

[Marlo]

I just finished The Scent of Water by Goudge. It's a quiet book that's thoroughly filling.

[Ken]

I just finished Wish You Well by David Baldacci on audio--thanks to whomever it was (C?) that recommended it. I haven't been enthralled with his books before, but thought this one was excellent. Other recent reads include The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer (entertaining, but a bit convoluted and manipulative for my taste), A Penny For Your Thoughts by Mindy Starns Clark (a good "cozy"--but suspend your critical thinking), and Under the Sweetwater Rim by Louis L'Amour (well-paced, and typical of his work).

Oh, and I also just read Edgewood by Karen McQuestion, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't get it on audio (my preference) or e-book, so I had to use an actual paper copy. I almost couldn't remember how to work it!

[C.]

I loved the Edgewood trilogy by Karen McQuestion! I got the first book as a Kindle Freebie, Then I took the 30-day free trial of Kindle Unlimited so I could read the next two books on my Kindle, since my library didn't have them.

[Ken]

My library didn't have Edgewood either, but when I requested it they purchased it. I'll have to try for the next two as well.

I listened to Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech, a couple of days ago. It's a kids' book, but certainly held my interest, alternating between heartbreaking and hilarious. The narrator was very good.

[Terri]

Ooh Ken - I did love "Walk Two Moons". That was a good one.

[C.]

Re: Ken, I'm glad you mentioned the 'heartbreaking' element to "Walk Two Moons" because I really make it a point to try to avoid books with a lot of ANGST!

[[deleted user]]

I'm reading Kissed: Once Upon A Time Omnibus Belle/Sunlight and Shadow/Winter's Child. I'm about ten pages in to the second story, and it's very clean! There was one use of the word he**, but it was appropriate/fitting. I think the romance in the first story moved/developed too fast, but it was enjoyable anyway.

[Ken]

C. wrote: "Re: Ken, I'm glad you mentioned the 'heartbreaking' element to "Walk Two Moons" because I really make it a point to try to avoid books with a lot of ANGST!"

I wouldn't call it angst--just heartbreaking in the sense of feeling empathy for characters learning to cope with changed circumstances. Again, I thought the narrator brought a lot to the story--I'm sure it was partly her performance that made me care about the characters. Here's part of a goodreads reader ("Laura") review that I thought summed it up very well:

"Every once in a while, you find an author that is truly gifted with word choice and the art of story-telling. In this book, there are three stories being told at the same time:

1) Salamanca (what a great name) traveling across the United States with her grandparents, following the path her missing mother took when she left
2) Salamanca's own memories of her mother and the events that took place before her leaving
3) Salamanca telling the story of her friend Phoebe and Phoebe's family and the lunatic.

The author weaves these three stories together so perfectly, switching between the stories in a way that is smooth and easy to follow. In some parts of the book, she switched between stories every few paragraphs, but the train of thought of Salamanca was so fluid and well-written, the switching was effortless. I think this is a rare gift in an author.

The story is about loss and forgiveness, but the way the story is told, it came across as soothing. Instead of feeling sad, I somehow felt more at peace with myself and the world at the end of the book.

Not a book I would ever recommend to a teenager or anyone who likes action or drama. Instead, this is a book for readers who like to ponder the world and how their life fits in with the bigger world picture."

[April]

These two were good stories and clean:


I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

[April]

Shirley wrote: "A few of my favorite clean authors are
Anything by Jennifer Peel
Same for Shannon Guymon
Jenni Jones who writes some darling modern adaptations of Jane Austen
For terrific Regency Teresa McCarthy, ..."
Good tips! Thanks.

[C.]

Clean, 'Amish-themed' suspense, love these!

[Libby]

Love the Historical fiction by Jennifer Chiaverini. "Mrs Grant and Madame Jules", etc

[Sandy]

Anything by Mary Alice Monroe and Kristin Hannah is clean and well written.

[C.]

[Margaret]

Libby wrote: "Love the Historical fiction by Jennifer Chiaverini. "Mrs Grant and Madame Jules", etc"

I did love that book as well. I was surprised that I did. But it was excellent.

[Ken]

I just finished the audio version of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan, and quite enjoyed it. I'm not sure how to classify it--sort of a fantasy-quest mystery (sans magic), tech-geek adventure, kids' book for adults. Well-written and skillfully narrated. A mild PG, with several S-words.

[Kit]

I started a list for books that are are not romance, but also clean, because they're really hard to find! I thought some of you might be interested in a list like that and have some books to add that fit in that category! :) https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[C.]

Nice list Zoe! You might also like my group's bookshelves, feel free to add titles to your list from them.
Also I have many more on my bookshelves on my profile page.

Clean,Non Religious-Reads

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Clean Mystery/Suspense for the Squeamish

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Clean, Non Religious, "Seasonal" Reads

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1...

[Kit]

C. wrote: "Nice list Zoe! You might also like my group's bookshelves, feel free to add titles to your list from them.
Also I have many more on my bookshelves on my profile page.

Clean,Non Religious-Reads

ht..."

Thank you! I have actually reached my limit on adding to books on this list (Why does goodreads limit this to 100 anyway!?) so please feel free to add some of your favourite clean non-romance books to this list! I'm hoping have lots of books added in lots of genres so that everyone can enjoy them! :)

[Libby]

Just finished "Angel Eyes" by Shannon Dittemore. Christian Worldview YA Fantasy

[[deleted user]]

Dr. R.L.Mabry's medical mystery books are always good. Although Lynette Eason, Irene Hannon, and Terri Blackstock have written different types of novels their suspense novels are best. My favorite Terri Blackstock novel is Evidence of Mercy, part one of a series. I just finished two books by Janice Cantore (police/crime/cold cases).

[[deleted user]]

Iforgot to mention Lorena McCourtney. Her Ivy series about an elderly woman who gets involved in all sorts of crimes is funny and easy to identify with ,especially if you are a senior citizen. I think the first in the series is called Invisible. I was able to read the first four as free ebooks from my library.

[[deleted user]]

Forget John Grisham. Read Randy Singer's legal novels--all clean. Be careful with Marta Perry. Some stuff is clean, new stuff may not be.

[[deleted user]]

P.s. How can a book be clean if it has a few S words(or D words, or F words)? Clean means no foul language and no graphic sex. If you drop just a little mud into a glass of water it isn't clean!!

[[deleted user]]

I'm tired of Amish books but for those who like them the best are by an actual Amish woman Carrie Bender who wrote A Fruitful Vine, Miriam's Journal #1 and others.

[Vicki]

If you like dogs (and especially if you have a "problem" one or you are thinking about getting a new one), check out: Smile! and other practical life lessons your dogs can teach you (while you are training them)." It is positive, practical and pro-active... an interesting combination of human psychology and canine psychology, and it emphasizes rewarding the behavior you want to see with smiles! Quoting from the back of the book: "It is about reducing tension, communicating clearly, leading the way and honoring pivotal differences. It is about practicing kindness, dumping bad habits and finding happiness. It is about the energy we share and the state of mind behind that energy. It is about letting go of the stuff that isn't working, and it is about teamwork." A clean (and very informative) read, with principles that are easy to put into use moment-by-moment. Got in December 1 from givesmiles dot us. Just finished it today.

[Amanda]

Polo - Georgette Heyer is kind of like the queen of regency romance and she was British.

[C.]

Christine wrote: "Forget John Grisham. Read Randy Singer's legal novels--all clean. Be careful with Marta Perry. Some stuff is clean, new stuff may not be."

I have never read a Marta Perry book that wasn't clean, including this one from last year~

All of her "In Plain Sight" series is clean. Which of her titles have you found not clean?

[[deleted user]]

When secrets strike is a Harlequin book but not labeled inspired so I thought maybe it was like other Harlequin novels that throw in a graphic soft porn sex scene. I may have maligned the author and mixed her up with another author whose book I downloaded on my library's ebooks site. Sorry!

[C.]

No problem, I was just surprised since I have read several by her, and none so far have had any objectionable elements. :D

[Amy]

Im new to the group! Can anyone tell me is there a list of clean reads that members of this group have put together?

[[deleted user]]

Ethan: Love and Gelato doesn't sound clean to me.
Amy: You can scroll through the various comments or start reading books by Christian publishing houses which are always clean. I can personally recommend R.L.Mabry, Lynette Eason, Janice Cantore, Dee Henderson, Terri Blackstock, Randy Singer for suspense. I've read lots more. I prefer romantic suspense or mysteries to plain romance. I don't like junior-high level romance writing where the couple spend every other page thinking about how great the other is at the expense of a good plot---even if the books are clean.

[[deleted user]]

P.S. I'm currently reading Catching Heat by Janice Cantore (third of a series) and have read all her other books. I want to get the next two books in Lorena McCourtney's Ivy Malone series. I have a Kindle app on my tablet, get lots of ebooks on Overdrive from my library free, also get real books from my library, and am always visiting yard sales and various book sales. Since I read hundreds of books every year I like to get as many free as possible.

[[deleted user]]

P.P.S. For anyone with a Kindle app I believe The Widow of Larkspur Inn by Lawanna Blackwell is still free through January. It is volume one of a series--humorous historical fiction. Not too much romance, no heavy writing,interesting and varied characters all well-developed. The Dowry of Miss Lydia Clark is the funniest in the series.

[The Flipped Page (Susan]

If you haven't read any Susan May Warren, I love her novels. She always has some family plots, and some intense action/suspense where lives are on the line (firemen, rescue, police, etc). There are definitely fallen characters, and a Christian tilt, so not for everyone.
I personally love Painting Kisses
Interesting twists, and compelling story.

[[deleted user]]

Ethan:You mentioned "minor lust and foul language" so the book does not interest me. I don't care if others rave about it. That's their privilege. I'll stick to books I know won't have that stuff in them.

[C.]

Christine wrote: "P.P.S. For anyone with a Kindle app I believe The Widow of Larkspur Inn by Lawanna Blackwell is still free through January. It is volume one of a series--humorous historical fiction. Not too much r..."

I loved that 4-book series! Set in a small village in England.

[[deleted user]]

To C: Glad you enjoyed it. I bet others would,too. As a former history teacher I'm picky about historical fiction. Gilbert Morris writes lengthy, involved historical fiction (not always accurate) but I can recommend a book with his name on it which is so different that I've wondered if one of his students wrote it. Charade is atypical Gilbert Morris--a story of a lonely obese computer genius who invents something that makes him an extremely rich man and prey for those who want to cash in on his wealth. No plot spoilers--you just have to read it. Maybe your local library can borrow a copy from another library.

[Ethan]

Christine wrote: "To C: Glad you enjoyed it. I bet others would,too. As a former history teacher I'm picky about historical fiction. Gilbert Morris writes lengthy, involved historical fiction (not always accurate) b..."

Off topic, what are your standards? Basically, what do you do and do not consider appropriate for you personally to read in books, so I can recommend some that you think are clean and not ones that aren't, etc. I said etc because there was more that I thought about, but forgot.

[[deleted user]]

Ethan: I don't want any foul language, graphic sex scenes, silly love relationships, paranormal, New Age, demons, vampires,etc.

[[deleted user]]

Christian since I am a Christian and within that area I find lots of good romantic suspense, historical fiction, mysteries and medical and legal thrillers. Some authors are better than others and some of their books are better than others. I have in the past read some of the older(way older, now dead) writers who may have one or two things objectionable now but basically clean. I stay away from most new books from non-Christian publishers because the books can't be trusted. I've heard and seen it all but I don't intend to wallow in filth. I don't think I'm missing out on anything good.

[[deleted user]]

I am not opposed to reading good, clean non-Christian books and do read them when I can find them. Where do you get the idea that a person can wallow in filth and it doesn't matter? I'm married so can cheat on him and keep begging for forgiveness? What kind of love is that? Christianity isn't rules but a love relationship and if I love God and believe the Bible I do what makes Him happy. Yes, he will forgive me if I sin but why deliberately miss all the spiritual benefits of a loving relationship by going back to the old ways which didn't satisfy? I have no plans to cheat on my good husband--why should I pull away from God and his love to follow junk and the sins of the world?

[Ethan]

Christine wrote: "I am not opposed to reading good, clean non-Christian books and do read them when I can find them. Where do you get the idea that a person can wallow in filth and it doesn't matter? I'm married so ..."

I agree with you.

[Hannah]

A good reader imagines the scenes as they go. Ethan, to watch the amount of sex and perverted violence on Game of Thrones is not "thinking of things that are good, pure, clean, edifying" as Christians are advised to do in the New Testament. Just because it's in the world around us doesn't mean it's a good idea to do it recreationally.

[Hannah]

Oh...and if anyone thinks there's not a lot to read, take a glance at my personal shelves. None of the books there have any sex scenes, and the worst cursing is d* and h*, which I try to avoid also. I do occasionally enjoy a silly romance as a palate cleanser between books, but not very many.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...