Clean Reads discussion

Laura wrote: "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 throug..."
I hated that book, but not because of that medium. I just hated it. Hated that I couldn't visualize any of the creatures, hated how everything important happened in the last two pages. Stupid, stupid.

Confessions of a Shopoholic has the F word in it at least twice (I have a 2 f-word rule). This SHOCKED me so much since the movie is PG. I was at DI one day and it was in the kids section. I gave the lady stocking books a heads up and I'm pretty sure she put them in the cart instead of with adult books, just to get rid of them.

Also, I WISH I had put down 19 Minutes by Jodi Piccoult. It has been recommended to me by two friends, neither of whom remembered much swearing. I broke my rule. I think the Fbomb was dropped a minimum of 50 times AND there was a violent scene. It infuriates me to no end that it's required reading for AP English 9th graders in some parts of New Hampshire.

The most recent book I had to put down was Daughter of the Forest. I was enjoying it for story and writing style up until a rape scene with way too much information. Had to put it down to save my conscience.

A lot of the DnD based books have offensive material in them. Among them are Venom in her Veins, the Linsha trilogy, the Taladas trilogy, War of the Spider Queen..... Quite a few. Some are listed on a shelf I have called "Will never touch again". They are all chock full of adult themes, strong language, and violence and gore, especially. The Linsha books offended me mostly because of the violence aimed toward women.

Another book I was horrified with was Secrets of the Ancient Goddess, again on my no-touch shelf. It was heavy with themes of sex, rape, and violence. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card was one that offended me because of violence and more adultish themes. I made it to the eighth page in that before giving up.

Hi everyone, I've just joined your group and had a look through this thread last night... I've still got 2 more years of comments to race through.

So glad I've been warned about Water For Elephants as I had that on my TBR for this year.

My Sister's Keeper, I've seen mentioned a few times, I don't remember it in that way (lots of swearing)... I remember crying at the end..

I think this is a great place to be able to get a sense of what might be inappropriate, but then put it into perspective within our own icky boundaries.

Dusty wrote: "I started this Listopia list for Clean Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

You guys can head over and check ..."

Great Dusty, I'll go and have a look

Dusty wrote: "I started this Listopia list for Clean Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

You guys can head over and check ..."

PS A Girl with a Dragon Tattoo ????? Did someone else add this? I wouldn't think this was clean ?

Dusty wrote: "I started this Listopia list for Clean Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

You guys can head over and check ..."

Someone's having you on... playing a sick joke Dusty !

Fifty Shades of Gray: Zombie Sex Dungeon ??????

I started to delete the erotica titles on that list (I'm a GR Librarian), then decided to see if the user who added them could be sanctioned or something. Will report back.

Yeah, it's sort of a joke. Bullies can always fall back on that crap: "But I was just joking...!!"
Glad you're pursuing this. I get so tired of people who have to swear because I ask them not to do it around me, or the guy who has to keep bringing up porn when I ask him not to. It's like, they can't stand to see someone else keeping their own standards.

That's too bad. People who react like that to someone else's standards come across as very immature to me. And, a little uncouth.

Above by Leah Bobet - cursing and the f-word.

Beth wrote: "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."

Ditto I was so upset because I bought this book off to charity it wetn.

The Casual Vacancy


I made it to page 14 but that was pushing it for me. The language and suggestive descriptions, led to me putting this book down for good. It has been years since I tried to read an "adult" novel now I remember why I stick with teen books.

The Program


I would not recommend this as a teen book. The use of foul language and sexual moments take over the book. While I found the idea of the story intriguing, I believe that this was just a dime store romance novel dressed up as a teen novel. I have run into teen novels that I feel cross over the line as far as foul language and sexual moments but this book took the line and smashed it into little bits. This is another book that I should have just put down after the first few pages.... I sorry that I did not.

I've pressed on when reading a rather foul book before- it's because I keep hoping it'll get better. Or I give them the benefit of the doubt. One thing I've become aware of: the people who want to foul our minds really do not give us any benefit of the doubt...and yet they fully expect to take advantage of our tendency to give the same to them. It's insidious, and I have wised up. It isn't that I lost patience, per se- I am patient. But it's wiser to not put that stuff in my head and then try to get it out. I might as well pour grape juice over the carpet just to clean it up. That kind of image helps me remember not to be so generous- it's a foolish kind of generous! Once I discovered that, like I said, I wised up. But I still get tempted, wanting to know how the story plays out or something. I still get tempted. I remind myself of that yucky feeling and how it can take days to clear it out of my system, and that helps. Avoidance of pain, lol! Does anyone else have any tips for helping to decide to avoid, to stop reading a book you may feel invested in? I;m a fast reader, and can do myself some damage very quickly.

"I might as well pour grape juice over the carpet just to clean it up."


Lora I love the way you put this. That visual image defiantly makes a big visual impact. I might have to make a book mark with that on it... just incase I need help putting a book down again in the future.

I know what you mean by the feeing takes days to go away, I am on a string of bad books so I just fell all kinds of smoke whirling round in me not wanting to leave.

I was also thinking why do we push ourselves to finish books... for any reason It is not like the author is going to call and ask you how the book was. It is not like there is a quiz at the end. I think sometimes our brain makes up rules that have no bases.

I've finished a bad book before in hopes that it would somehow redeem itself in the end and I could justify the garbage I had to read to get to that point. Like it would make it easier to swallow. I learned the hard way that when a book presents a scene that is shocking or upsetting, it's not worth reading beyond that. Now whenever I run across something I don't like, like violence, the book gets kicked to the curb. There are plenty of books out there with higher standards that are waiting to be read.

its really true... except there are some books that i've regretted the bad parts and still love the book... Hold Still by Nina LaCour for one.

Ah. That's happened to me, too. All the same, I think I can at least say I've learned to minimize the damage, shall we say.

Bittersweet

Stopped listening to the audio a couple chapters in for sexual content.

Also, The Blonde Language and sexual references from the beginning. Disappointing because I loved The Luxe and Bright Young Things series by her.

Just so you know, I was looking at a synopsis for Laurell K. Hamilton's new book, and it mentioned that it "lived up to her reputation for writing steamy romance scenes". So, if anyone has been thinking of reading some sci-fi, she's probably not a good bet.

"morally complex" is another of those phrases that serve as a warning label. Because being morally simplistic, dontcha know, smacks of absolutes.

Did I already mention Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter?Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

It was SO SO SO gory. I didn't know they wrote books that gory.

ugh. that really creeps me out. Im not sure why that stuff is necessary.

Today I put down The Observations by Jane Harris. The narrator uses vulgar language from the beginning and it continues throughout. Sometimes I can overlook that but this book felt like it had a dark undertone rooted in sex - cant really put my finger on it but it was enough to make me give up. I wasn't even half way through so I may have judged too quickly but I am at a point in my life where I don't have time to waste on trashy books. There are too many really good books still unread! (the jacket cover mentions this being a book about sexuality but somehow I completely missed that!)

B wrote: "ugh. that really creeps me out. Im not sure why that stuff is necessary."

That's a great question- why is it necessary? And the answer is that it is not. Writers and publishers always have choices with each word, with each book they publish. To push a pornographic or explicitly violent writing is a choice, not a necessity.
It is also a choice to avoid those, and in my thinking, this is a good choice.

The more of us who commit to standing up and not being afraid to say when something's trash, the more we do to reclaim American literature. We should not be afraid of our peers' reactions when we say we didn't finish a book because of content; they're the ones showing they can be content with a world full of sex and violence and profanity.
You have no obligation to anyone to ingest poison and call it good.

Hannah wrote: "The more of us who commit to standing up and not being afraid to say when something's trash, the more we do to reclaim American literature. We should not be afraid of our peers' reactions when we ..."

Amen!

I bought J.K. Rowling's book "The Casual Vacancy". There were so many F words on every page that I threw it out. I loved her Harry Potter series so much and know what a talented writer she is, but I don't even know what the story was about here because I couldn't get through it.

Thank you for the warning on The Casual Vacancy. The language in the later Harry Potter books bothered me, so this one is definitely on my Banned shelf.

Fran wrote: "Dusty wrote: "I started this Listopia list for Clean Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

You guys can head over and check ..."

Someone's having you on... playing a sick joke Dusty !

Fifty Shades of Gray: Zombie Sex Dungeon ??????
..."

After not hearing back from Goodreads after well over a week, I went ahead and deleted all the troll titles.

Thanks for the effort.

Abigail wrote: "I started to delete the erotica titles on that list (I'm a GR Librarian), then decided to see if the user who added them could be sanctioned or something. Will report back."

Oh, wow. I guess this is what happens when you're busy elsewhere. Thank you, Abigail for deleting those, and for trying to report the person who added them. I appreciate it. That's frustrating that someone would do that! I'm sorry to the rest who were a little blown away by the supposed 'clean' titles. :) I'll go check it out, and keep a better eye on it. Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. :)

Abigail wrote: "Fran wrote: "Dusty wrote: "I started this Listopia list for Clean Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

What should I do, Abigail if/when this happens again? I don't know if I have the capability to delete off of the list. Is it just the librarians that do?

Yes, I believe only librarians can delete titles from Listopia lists. Feel free to message me if it happens again. :) Or, you can post about it in the Librarians group: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... Just let them know which titles need to be removed.

Ok, thanks! :)

I put down the author FERN MICHAELS. I was reading "yesterday" and though very interesting , I couldn't stomach the blaspheming anymore. It was really getting to me. So no more of that author.

Fran wrote: "Dusty wrote: "I started this Listopia list for Clean Reads. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

You guys can head o..."

Hi, Fran. A librarian deleted the titles that were erotica. A Troller added titles that shouldn't have been on the list, and I didn't realize until someone pointed it out to me. Sorry about that. :(

I just found this group and I am so thankful for it. I threw away my first book Janes Melody- I read the reviews so thought why not? Very sexual- i realized why I stuck to a few authors, but I have seen the light now and have found lists and good reads that have helped me find wonderful books.

I also put down the casual vacancy about 14 pages in

Thanks Dusty. Glad it got sorted. Not a nice person who did that hey

Jess wrote: "The Program


I would not recommend this as a teen book. The use of foul language and sexual moments take over the book. While I found the idea of the story intriguing, I believe t..."
I've put a lot of books down in the past, but I've also pressed on with books I should have put down, just because I wanted to see how the story turned out and I've regretted it. Now if I find myself in that situation, I just flip to the last page or two to get some closure with the story line and move on.

I like the idea of peeking at the end thanks for
the tip

Peeking at the end is (ahem!) nearly always a good idea...(shamefacedly I peek into anything to make sure it isn't a tragedy, most times). Actually, I buy so many books, I forget the ending long before time to read the actual story.
When I'm sampling a new author, most objectionable material is strategically placed between 1/2 to 2/3 of the way in...just when you care enough about the characters to not stop. Another sweet spot where I look ahead.

I admit it, I peek at the end as well. At least with new authors. I don't want to waste reading time on something with an idiot bad ending. :-)

I like to flip through them thoroughly too. You're right about the 1/3 -1/2 rule, Hannah. I always give those areas a good search and USUALLY I can spot whether its objectionable or not pretty quickly. Not always though. Recently, I put down Olivia and Jai (a chunkster) for sexual content and abusive male hero but I did skim the last few chapters so I could have closure (and see if the jerk changed. Nope) .

Valshar wrote: "I admit it, I peek at the end as well. At least with new authors. I don't want to waste reading time on something with an idiot bad ending. :-)"

I read the newspaper and listen to the news. I find that doing so provides me with a sufficient quota of real, sobering "idiot bad endings" that I don't need to look for more fictional ones in books.

Try rereading a favorite book, or watching a fave movie. Going outside and focusing on the distance, or helping others, it all helps me when I find something horrid stuck in my head.
And yes, I think the sinking of a huge part of our literature into gore and pron is prompting more people to write their own stories. Kudos.

@MaryBliss

"I read the newspaper and listen to the news. I find that doing so provides me with a sufficient quota of real, sobering "idiot bad endings" that I don't need to look for more fictional ones in books. "

Couldn't have said it better myself. Reality has enough idiot bad endings as it is. Only, I try to avoid the news where at all possible.

"I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it."

:-)