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| Image courtesy of Surachai/FreeDigitalPhotos.net |
Several people have
told me they enjoy Christian Fiction (Inspirational Fiction) because they don’t
have to worry about it containing explicit language or graphic scenes, yet they
still get a great story. A few of those folks have even said they’ve chosen to
only read Christian Fiction (CF) from now on, but struggle with knowing how to
decipher them from the general market when shopping in places such as garage
sales, flea markets, and even some used bookstores where the books aren’t separated
by category. Here was my best advice:
*Get to know the authors by name. Authors can be found in a variety
of places online such as Facebook and Goodreads, but a great way to get
acquainted with Christian authors is through websites dedicated to CF like
NovelCrossing.com, ChristianBook.com, and “Fiction Finder” at acfw.com (American
Christian Fiction Writers). Just to name a few. By getting to know the authors’
names, you’ll be able to pick out CF books from a mixed pile.
*Get to know the Christian publishing houses. There are too many
publishing houses dedicated to CF to name in this post with new ones sprouting
every day. Bethany House, Thomas Nelson, Waterbrook Multnomah, Barbour, Revell, Howard,
Pelican Book Group, and OakTara are just a handful of CF publishers that
immediately came to my mind. By memorizing the names of CF publishers, you can
watch for their mark on the covers and know you’re guaranteed a clean read.
*Look at the barcode on the back cover. This area isn’t just for the
cashier. It tells the reader what genre the book is (suspense, romance,
thriller) and sometimes—I do mean sometimes—it will tell if it’s Christian or
not.
*Judge the book by its cover. I know golden rule warns against this,
but in this case it can be very helpful by considering what the cover is “selling.”
For example, if a romance cover dons a bare-chested man groping a barely
clothed woman that’s a huge indication it’s not a clean read. Since I know you’re
already aware of that, let’s contemplate more subtle clues.
§
The man is fully clothed and modest but only his
lower portion is visible on the cover and is the main focal point regardless of
the gorgeous backdrop (ocean, mountains, etc.).
§
If the characters are holding each other or even
kissing does it look lusty or make you blush? That’s a good indication it’s not
CF. Cover designers for CF books strive to focus on drawing the reader in by matching
the feel of the cover to the story and concentrate on the characters as people
and not their bodies. As mentioned above, what is the cover selling?
§
The title. I’m aware that this is another no-brainer,
but a title like One Night Stand is a
red flag. (I did not check to see if there are any books with the mentioned
title, but I’m sure there is, and I mean no harm.) However, if the title is
questionable, knowing the publisher can set your mind to rest because in some
cases the title could be a play on words.
§
The book’s description on the back cover, better
known as the blurb. Is there any indication of a faith message? Does the blurb
use words such as steamy, hot, or passionate in regards to how the characters
react to each other? This can be another indication it’s not CF.
*Read book reviews. If you’re not a member with Goodreads or Novel
Crossing, you can read customer book reviews on Amazon and other book selling
websites. If a person has been offended by the book’s content, they’ll
generally say so in their review. Sometimes their description of the book put in
their own words will clue you in on what to expect. This method is harder to
use while at a flea market or garage sale unless you own a smart phone.
*Don’t be afraid to ask. You’d be surprised how many people love to
talk books. I’ve had people stop me in a bookstore before and ask what I’d
recommend simply because I’m there shopping too and love to read.
I hope this information is helpful to you. Do you have a method you use that wasn't mentioned above? Please, share it in the comments.
