I'm going to share something extremely personal. I'm 17. I started reading fanfiction at age 9. For 8 years I've struggled with sexual thoughts and other horrible stuff. Thank you so much for saying if a book is clean or unclean. I have now stopped reading all fanfiction and other stuff. It's really a blessing that God can wash us all as white as snow with the blood His son shed. This is sadly a common occurrence, even among other christian teens and women. If anyone reading this would please pray for us women and teens to break this bondage.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’m with you! I also started out with fan fiction in high school. It was so addicting! Praise God that you are free from it!

@bethj2590

2 жыл бұрын

@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll I'll admit, I still struggle with the temptation to read it again, but so far, thank the Lord, I haven't! It really is so addicting. The clean ones were few and far. I only read christian fiction (I adore Lisa Harris, Terri Blackstock, and Dee Henderson's O'Malley series, haha!)

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

@@bethj2590 the temptation is there for me too. There’s abundant grace for us!

@bethj2590

2 жыл бұрын

@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll Amen!

@emily-co2lj

2 жыл бұрын

i can relate to this, thank you for sharing!!

Amen Oceana! The Holy Spirit guides and urges us toward godly living and it is sooooo beautiful to see you respond with obedience! Praise Jesus!! 🤗

Yes romance can definitely be full of smut, and I think the saddest thing for me is the YA books that are now what we used to consider smut in adult books. thank you for your honest video.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’m so sad that it has transitioned into YA now too. Scary

I used to read books that had those scenes and I also used to feel so guilty after, but I kept reading them because I was afraid that I would never find good romance books without those scenes. Then I found your channel where you have so many clean romance options and now I can read clean books again! Thank you so much for sharing these and warning people because it can be so damaging! God bless you Oceana!💛

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad I could help highlight fantastic clean books! I know how hard it is to find them. Thank you for being here❣️

I’ve been down the same path. I used to read all kinds of books and for some series that was part of the draw for me. I’ve since been feeling convicted that there is absolutely no reason I should be reading those types of books or even watching most R rated movies. Even if there isn’t sex in the movie there is no doubt language that I hate so what’s the point? Anyway thanks to your channel and other Christian booktubers I’ve really enjoyed finding books by Christian authors in many genres. I thought they were all Little House on the Prairie type books. Lol. I’m very happy to say they aren’t and I’ve found some fantastic reads. It also breaks my heart that there are so many YA books now with sex in them. When I gave up the adult books YA books are where I went and I found that even some of those weren’t clean and on top of that all of the LGBTQ books that have been trending for the past couple years. It definitely makes me sad because when I was a young teen I was reading adult books. Back then there wasn’t really any YA books. My view of relationships was influenced by what I read.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

There are definitely some cheesy Christian books out there but some amazing ones too! It’s fun to find those hidden gems! The content in YA is very upsetting. It’s getting worse and I don’t think it’s going to stop. I wish there were better options for teens now.

I hear you on romance being smut heavy now..(and in the past)...even the cutesy ones. I've read my share of smut and heavy making out and have been convicted abt not reading it. I have gotten strong enough now (through my convictions) that I am able to skip (even without skimming.... I'll skip a few paragraphs, check for words, skip, until I'm past those parts. ) I also don't say the words in my head. Lol. I take that as "not reading" just looking at a word to make sure it's "safe" to keep reading. I know not everyone is at the same place to be able to skip. I appreciate you sharing abt how God spoke to you.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’m similar. If I say the words in my head it makes it worse for me. For some I can skim and it’s fine. Sometimes it’s not fine though. That’s why it’s so hard 😟

Thank you for this video Oceana! 💗 I also feel like I am on a mission to find good clean books as well. "What a treat" is exactly how I feel if a secular book is clean too. I love how you say and explain this as a journey and not judging others. Personal convictions are just that. Skipping content is something I will *try* to do, but hate having to do that! But you're right about the language around it. Though I still get very vexed if it's spicy, steamy or objectify-ing of men or women. I get so affected by it and it's not something I want to be surprised by. Especially in Christian fiction. Again, love this video. So good to be aware of! And wonderful to hear the Holy Spirit working in you!!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Melanie! I skip often but sometimes it requires a complete dnf!

As someone who also likes to read romance books, my "antenna" is always on. There are several non Christian romance books that sound so good, but just when I am flipping through them I see questionable things, and now unfortunately I cant unsee it. Your point was spot on with how the covers are designed, they make you want to read the book....they do that intentionally because it sucks people right in! Thanks for shining light on this topic Oceana!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

💕

I so ralate to this! Isn't it so interesting how our convictions work? Stuff I would have rated so high, now Its such a turn off. It's like those things are so blaring now and its so uncomfortable. I'm glad you're not reading our group read. The relationship between the preacher and the young girl he's taking care of was gross. There were multiple times I thought of you when reading it, and wondered if I should give you a heads up.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I’m thankful that you told us the content of the group book!

Wow I was just about to read Alex Approximately, didn’t realize it wasn’t clean. Thank you for this video!

I really appreciate this video Oceana. You're right, sometimes it's not an absolute black and white issue and does take discernment. Something we could read in the past, we may not be able to read anymore because of the growth in our sanctification (the process of becoming holy/ more like Jesus) and because of our own personal experiences in life/ what God has planned for each of us. Even as a woman married for over 22 years, I have to really be careful with this topic because I want my relationship with my husband to be the outlet for desire as well as keeping my thoughts about it beautiful, romantic, lovely, clean, holy etc. not smutty like some of what I've come across in books. Jesus's words are so helpful here, "If a man has looked on a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:28. It doesn't change for us ladies! 🤣 I think you're right, it is MARKETED to us differently, in super cute/ charming packaging that often appears harmless and sweet - but that's where we have to be on guard and FLEE (yes, it's Joseph and Potiphar's Wife 😉👍) when things go against God's Word. I had to DNF Beach Read as well, but, like you I did read further than I should have, definitely started getting convicted but just kept reading. I was so disappointed in myself for doing that, but God is gracious, forgiving and keeping no record of our wrongs once we have trusted his precious Son. He washed away that guilt and I'm trying to be much more careful now. I've also given up on Christina Lauren, after trying In a Holidaze - which got so much love around Christmas by many booktubers I love. I agree with you that everyone may have differing levels they're ok with, but I really WOULD prefer if they're openly Christian creators that they would give a heads up if something might be problematic for someone else - exactly like you've done here today. Thanks again!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU for sharing. Agree with all you said. Christina Lauren is an author that I have been super tempted to read before but I really feel like that would not be a wise choice for me.

I really appreciate your honesty and convictions! As a mom of a 13 year old daughter who loves to read, it makes me so mad how many YA books are full of sex and bad language! So, thank you for the warnings on what not to read. ❤

wow, I discovered your channel at just the right time! I have been also realizing the need to set more intentional boundaries for every kind of media I consume, praise God!!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’m so happy this video was helpful! It’s really encouraging for me to know that my experience with this topic can help other people feel less alone by talking about it. I would totally do a part 2! It will depend on if I read more books that aren’t clean 😄

I have a pretty strong personal conviction about adult content, too, Oceana. I’m finding it really hard to read contemporary books because of so much I don’t want to have in my mind.😞 I wish there was REALLY well written romance with good romantic tension, but everything else off page. I understand that it’s hard to write something that seems real without the bedroom scenes because unfortunately many relationships are centered on just the physical relationships. I think it can be close to p* r n in the mind. I really try to stay away from it. I really love your story about the story of Joseph fleeing. Yes. ♥️💜💚

@Thecatladybooknook_PennyD

2 жыл бұрын

I've been reading a lot more classics just because the romance (if there is one) is clean or closed door. I have no issues skipping paragraphs in books to get past spicy scenes but I know that doesn't work for everyone.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Yes Amy! I don’t mind romantic tension but when it leads to more details it’s too much. And that’s the thing- sex is so normal now! Why wouldn’t it be in books too?

I liked hearing your testimony of God speaking to you about those books while you were reading them. It really is a problem, even a lot of Christian books toe the line with sexual content. Not as bad as those secular books, but sometimes I'm like, come on, why you gotta add all this sexual tension and make things weird? 😂

Debbie Macomber’s books aren’t considered “Christian” (though she is), but they are clean.

The same thing happened to me. I can’t believe I read some of the books I did and even rated them highly. I knew they were wrong but I wanted to read them. Holy Spirit kept convicting me about it and when I finally listened, I remember looking at my shelves and just making a choice. I chose to get rid of all of them and switched to pretty much all Christian fiction and the desire I had to read them left me completely and now I feel nothing but absolute disgust for them. The devil always packages his garbage in pretty boxes with pretty bows on top but what’s inside is always a trap. He doesn’t care about entertaining us, he wants to lead us away from God. Holy Spirit never brings guilt or condemnation, He brings conviction because He loves us and wants us to repent so He can restore us to righteousness. I love your channel, please keep promoting good, clean content like you are. You’re one of the best Christian booktube channels out there and I always look forward to your videos!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate you saying this Rachel!

Thank you for posting this video. Within the last few years, I have had the same encounters. I understand what you are saying about it being difficult to stop reading. Thanks for the reminder to listen to the Holy Spirit when He prompts us.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Heather🥰

Thank you for sharing this. The last graphic sex books I read before I really started to read Christian was 50 Shades. After that I said I need to stop listening to these books. That is why I love your channel so much I because you give clean books & for those who struggle with it, your channel helps. Please keep telling us what is clean & not. It is greatly appreciated.

Totally agree with you! I feel like this is a journey of tolerance...because, initially sometimes I don't get affected by it as I simply skip them, sometimes I feel like it's small and a mature adult or something kinda has meaning but not deep & dirty...but it gets hard to put off a good story so I try to skim & sometimes I did fail & read them ...but I felt like initially it did not affect my brain or my emotions but going on it does! and I felt the loss and fear of God hating me! I asked God to speak to me about this, I know it's not good but you know how I as a human drag it I just want to know Him, I want to hate it but I need God's strength for it, I need to fight this temptation to read, I need to set myself right After all this, I'm at a stage where I totally cut off books that are dark & steamy, I mostly skip if it's easy to skip it off and go on if it's a good story but since my decision to put a change it's been a few months so, I am going through this journey...as you said sometimes I forget how steam affects me after a time I can maybe able to skip and read books but I cannot & I can't & I hate reading books with too many cuss words or language or totally objectifying, that's the serious stop for me please pray for me Oceanna I'm so so glad you made a video about this I want how God asked you to stop, I too literally had Joseph's story flash through my mind in such a similar situation All I can say now is I'm on this journey and would absolutely love ot if you can pray for me As a sister in Christ, I thank you for making this video and sharing it Love talking to you ❤❤ So glad I found you ❤❤❤

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Love you girl! Jesus sees you. You are not alone. It’s okay! I know how hard it is to stop. Cry out to him. It took me years to get to the place where I can safely avoid it and stop if I’m surprised by it. Don’t give up😘❤️❤️

Thanks so much for sharing this 💗 I wish more people would talk about this!! Its been a journey for me the last few years. I had read a couple of these books in the past, but now I’m a lot more selective about what I’ll read. When I started reading, I didn’t really even know that Christian fiction existed but I knew that I liked rom com movies so I tried to find books like that. Well, little did I know all the books that people on KZread would rave about were not what I thought they’d be like. I find it so hard because SO many books that are popular are not clean by any means, and the premise can sound so interesting but I know it won’t be good for me! I have been tempted to read some of Sarah J Maas’ newer books, and even borrowed them from the library multiple times and I keep returning them without reading when I have that “what am I doing!” moment.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

That’s what I find hard about booktube sometimes. It’s hard to know if the book is clean without knowing the person’s standards. Sometimes there’s just no avoiding it. Plus everyone is so different! I know I’ve recommended books in the past that aren’t at my standard now. It’s definitely a growing process!

Thank you so much for this video Oceana:) This literally is so helpful. I appreciate you doing it. So disappointed that "Beach Read" is not clean - I've been seeing it around and wanting to check out its reviews but never really gotten to do that somehow. I wanted to read the book but not anymore. It's really kinda hard to find non-Christian romance books that are clean. I love it when I read something that the Holy Spirit approves of. I always try to make sure what I read is clean. Thanks once more.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I was disappointed that Beach Read wasn’t at least a little less graphic than it was, but nope. It’s all there. Thanks for watching 😊

I feel the same way! I went through a period of reading those ‘unclean’ books. I would come away feeling dirty and guilty. It is so hard to find clean books now days. I have found a few authors that aren’t Christian but are clean. One in particular is Lynn Kurland, her de Piaget series and MacLeod series. Give her a try if you haven’t before. Thank you so much for all the content you provide! God Bless

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! And for that author rec!

I loveee your honesty and testimonies with your struggles and the books ♡

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you🥰

This is why I love your channel. I am so glad I found you. I used to read a lot of Christian romance, but even it being clean, it made me discontent with my husband and my marriage. I am just now starting to read again after years of not reading a single fiction book. And now, the waters are so murky with all the "spicy" content in the books, even "Christian" fiction.

Such a needed video! I was just talking to my husband why I struggle reading out side of Christian genre. I just don’t know who’s books are clean! That’s why I’ve fallen in love with channels like yours! Like I am really excited to read a Katherine Center book lol!!! Question: if you read a book you really like and it’s Christian but the faith is very loosely sprinkled in do you rate it lower? I’ve loved some of these new to me authors but I’ve not rated them a 5 bc of that. But im like maybe I being to hard lol?

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tabitha! I think it’s personal preference and there nothing wrong with rating lower for less faith content. It depends what my expectations are going into the book. For the most part, if the story is good and is clean, I’m happy. If it has strong faith content then I will enjoy it even more though. So yeah actually I don’t tend to give out 5 stars unless the faith is prominent now that I think about it!

Thank you for sharing you journey and struggles. I appreciate hearing a Christian talk about those kind of thing, because not many Christians talk openly about the struggles we face. I feel like so many books that are marketed towards teens and YAs are so unclean now. Books and movies are normalizing things that shouldn’t and it’s very saddening to see.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for saying this💕 yes the content standard is dropping even for YA and it’s really sad

This is how I feel about foul language in books. I don't like the unnecessary "bedroom" scenes either. The story can work perfectly fine without that, in my opinion. Thanks for sharing your heart.

I'm same way. I tend skip if more than one page. It was bit much for me. I do try read clean fiction. It can be hard sometimes.

THANK YOU. I cannot tell you how much this video resonates with me. It’s actually funny because I use to read years ago when I was a teen (im 26 now) and loved reading. I never encountered books really that weren’t clean back then because I was reading YA. Well I got back into reading this last year and a half. Well when I started reading contemporary fiction romance I was blown away at how much sex and smut there was in them. I tried reading different authors and all this stuff and just everything had so much inappropriate things in them not just sex. I started feeling awful when reading and I would also get anxiety because I would start to compare my story to these peoples stories even tho I am staying pure until marriage. It just started to really mess with my head. I just felt so convicted reading these books. So I decided to get into Christian romance and that’s exactly how I discovered you and your videos! I’ve found so many great books through you and im so thankful you make the videos that you do. There’s amazing stories to be told and it doesn’t need to be filled with sex, bad language, and other things that are inappropriate and dark. So sorry for the long comment I just felt so strongly about this. Thank you so much for this now I don’t feel so alone anymore with my convictions on this! I also try to follow the same morals with anything I watch or read. Not just with books!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I'm so thankful for you sharing Baylie and I am with you! Most of the time, we innocently start reading books with content like this and then unintentionally get exposed to it. When I started making these videos, I had no idea that there was such a need for sharing clean books! I'm so happy that I get to be a part of spreading safe and wholesome content.

@bayliesbookshelf

2 жыл бұрын

@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll so true Oceana! I totally agree. There is such a need for more light to be shed on clean books and I’m so thankful God brought your videos to me! 🤍

I appreciate this video, Oceana! I have been trying to do better with being aware of content I read in books. I decided to sell my Sarah J Mass books actually! Sold the second one and hopefully will sell the rest. Don’t plan to read them either. LOL AT THE STEPHANIE P BOOK 😂 whyyyyyy Love your story on the simple wild sister. ❤️ I unhauled the Tourist attraction recently. You are so right that they make the covers look so pretty and nice but the content isn’t. Outlander has been my favorite series for soooo long and I have been so invested but anytime there is a sex scene anymore, I skip it because I’m so invested in the story itself but don’t want to read the sex stuff anymore. Thank you for this video!!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I think it’s a smart move to not read SJ Maas! Thanks Amanda❤️

Thank you for sharing your convictions, I'm a child of God and He will guide His children with moral discernment, and I have the same convictions, I don't want to hinder the Holy Spirit.

Thanks for this video! My daughter is 13 and starting to navigate away from middle grade reads. (And we've had issues with some middle grade reads that have included sex.) I've known for years that the YA tends to be full of darker themes. It's not surprising that they're full of sex, too. Now walking into the Teen section of a bookstore is a horrible experience! I haven't read much YA so where to direct her has been daunting! I'm not sure if you have done so (I'll look at your channel after), but any recommendations for younger teens is a video idea!

You are so brave to tell us about this struggle for you for our benefit. I do not want to read books with sex or foul language, and they’re everywhere. So, thank you for taking that task for the sake of your conviction and us as your viewers.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

💕 I appreciate you saying this!

A bit late in the game but thank you for sharing. I find that the hardest for me is when the books are labeled « Christian » and yet have more explicit scenes. In that moment I find it hard to put it down. But knowing one’s limits and keeping them is essential. Thanks again! Great video.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for commenting, and don’t feel late! There’s a lot of content to watch these days😊 I agree that we have to be careful with all books lately and it’s harder and harder to find quality stories without all the details.

I absolutely loved this video. I don’t really read a lot of romance but I try to stay clear of books that are “steamy” cause it makes me uncomfortable. I tend to read a lot more fantasy so I worry about rape and a ton of cursing more so than sex. Sometimes I wonder if I read things that the Lord would not be happy with. I will dnf books and movies that are making me uncomfortable but sometimes it is so hard. There are so many books out there that so many talk about that I want to read but I don’t think I should. Does cursing bother you? BTW I am new to your channel

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, the fantasy genre has its own set of issues. Cursing is another aspect of “clean” that I am aware of. I don’t find it as harmful so that’s why I didn’t mention that part. I do try to mention in my reviews if there is swearing. I find one word way easier to skip over than a steamy scene! I’m happy you’re here!😊

Thank you so much for this video!! I’ve always loved reading, and before I was saved steamy scenes never bothered me.. but now they do and it’s been incredibly hard to find books I can enjoy recently. But your channel and recommendations have helped so much!!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’m so glad it encouraged you! 🥰

another clean book recommendation that I have read recently: a lowcountry bride!

I wish there were more videos and book reviews like this out there! It’s pretty easy to figure out if a movie is clean before watching it, but for books it’s so hard to know unless someone who has read it lets you know. So thanks for this!

I love that you shared this. It is so refreshing to see how honest and real you are about how these type of books make you feel. I don't have the same struggles but it is easy to become so numb to the damage and then it becomes something so big. I value your opinion on books so much and because of you I have found some very good books.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for saying this!💕

Thank you so much for making this video! It’s so helpful. I totally get it about the Holy Spirit convicting you. Honestly, I hardly read popular nonChristian books anymore because it’s not even worth the stress of deciding to continue reading a book if it has smut in it or not. Just a quick question, I recently started a bookstagram…do you have any tips on how to grow an account and anything else that might be helpful?

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Bethany🥰 For bookstagram, consistency and hashtags are really helpful. Nice photos help too😄 Comment on other peoples photos too and that is likely to attract attention to your account!

@bethanyr645

2 жыл бұрын

@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll thank you so much!

Yes. I started reading Beach Read and was enjoying it until it got to one point to a steamy scene. It made me feel uncomfortable so I didn’t read the scene and put the whole book down. It’s sad because I was enjoying it up until that point. It threw me off and I still can’t wrap my mind around why scenes like that are included. To me it had nothing to do with the storyline. Thank you for sharing!

This is one of the reasons I mainly focus on reading Christian fiction. Once I start a book I have a really hard time not finishing it, so it's better if I stick with books that are clean.

You are Awesome!!! I have been watching loads of your videos and love them so much, I don't want any of that stuff either even in films, I feel so uncomfortable. Thank you so much for recommending so many book to read, I'm now collecting my own stack of TBR books so exciting!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Aw I really appreciate this! I’m so grateful that sharing what I’ve been through encourages other people💕

Awesome video! You are doing great! Thank you for sharing your journey! I go thru seasons of being able to skip thru scenes and not being able to read the book at all due to "steamy" scenes. I won't read a YA with those scenes. Gives me the heeby jeebies...ugh I'll try to see if I can recommend some clean books 📚.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

This video was so helpful as a Christian who is also seeking to be more careful guarding my heart when reading. It is incredibly easy to downplay the effects of reading books with sexual content but, as I have seen in my own life, it really is so harmful and leaves you feeling so dirty. Thanks for this, Oceana!

I recently had a struggle with "not stopping" when I (against my better judgement) read the first 2 books of the Shatter Me series. There was no actual sex in the first 2 but there was an insane amount of played up tension so by the end of the 2nd, i just knew within my spirit that to continue with it would sin and I would feel the need to repent. I repented still because i felt like i should have just shut the books and stopped but i relate to you saying its hard to stop once you've gotten pulled in. Theres so many books that get so much hype that i struggle with feeling pulled to want to read yet dont bc i know that afterwards, im likely going to feel guilt and shame so its not worth it. Lately the temptation to read The Summer I Turned Pretty has been big and also pretty much anything by Colleen Hoover bc theres just SO MUCH hype but I have continued to steer clear knowing I'm probably doing my heart a favor by staying away. I say all that to say, the struggle to stand firm is real!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

11 ай бұрын

I know exactly what you’re talking about Shannon. You’ve explained a situation I’ve been in many many times. I know how hard it is. There’s something in us (Holy Spirit) pleading with us to stay away from those books and we get to decide. The hyped books look so enticing though. I want to read them so badly, but I feel such a strong NO against them. I believe it is God’s protection over us that he says no to those books. When we listen, there is victory in heaven and the enemy loses his power. Thank you so much for sharing with me. I’ve experienced that sharing about this also encourages others to share and to consider how what they read affects them. You’re doing great and you’re not alone🩵🩷

@shannonbolton553

11 ай бұрын

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll I agree! I think there's power in sharing our struggles so we can know we arent the only ones and be empowered to fight against the temptation. A verse that I've tried to keep at the forefront of my mind the last few months when choosing books (TV shows and movies too!) is Philippians 4:8, "Finally brothers and sister, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent and praiseworthy - thinks about such things." ❤️

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

11 ай бұрын

@@shannonbolton553 love this🙏🏼

I agree with you about sex in books. Why? It doesn't make the story better. I read The Lady Emily Mystery Series by Tasha Alexander. They are non Christian but clean. They are historical , romance, mysteries. She has 15 so far in the series. I used to read non Christian romance with sex when I was young, but now they are boring. There is no real story in them. I have been to Vancouver Island and the mainland. Such a beautiful place. I'm from Southern California.

@sebastianiwanski841

2 жыл бұрын

I think showing sexuality everywhere is a challenge and a test for Christians because we must have the choice to follow Christ of our own free will😀.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

😊💕

I agree with A Court of Thorns and Roses! I really loved the story when I first read it… I read the first two, and like 20% into the third one God convicted me STRONGLY to stop reading all SJM books. I even tried to go back and read the first ACOTAR again and I was thinking to myself “wow, why did I even like this story to begin with because this is BORING!” Also when I went back I felt the dark feeling you described with the SJM books. This is just scratching the surface with my experience with the acotar series, there is way more NEGATIVE personal things I experienced that I don’t want to share online… I figure now if the book is “book tok popular” it’s probably not a good thing, and most likely NOT one I would enjoy.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

3 ай бұрын

It’s crazy how our perspective on books can change hey? Thank you for sharing and I hope you can find better books to read now!

Thank you for making a stand for righteousness and putting the Lord first💕He is so full of mercy and forgiveness. I like how you said that He told you you did just what He wanted you too❤️ didn’t finish the book

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

😊❤️

This is a personal conviction of mine as well. I personally actively avoid books that I know are “spicy” or when people recommend them that way. I really appreciate this video. Thank you!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

💕

I love a good clean romance book…especially historical Christian romance….thank you so much for sharing. It’s cool to know someone has similar convictions concerning reading.

Thank you for this! I have been much more discerning in what I see and hear.

thank you for this! it’s so frustrating to pick up a book and halfway through you realize it isn’t clean! maybe you could do a video on your reading testimony and why you choose to read clean books and how you managed to move away from not clean books. i still struggle moving away from such books because i love the storylines and i love talking about books with friends but most popular books are inappropriate, but you are inspiring me to move away from those kind of books so maybe you could do your reading testimony? :)

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I will definitely think about sharing more about my reading journey! The stories I shared in this video are the biggest part of it. The best thing to remember is that God sees you and won’t let you go. Even if you continue to choose something he is prompting you away from, he won’t stop pursuing you like that until you’re finally ready to listen and change. I know how great the story lines are and that’s what makes it even harder. It’s ok if it takes years before you stop. Keep holding on to Jesus!

I’m so glad you made this video Oceana :) Thank you!

I'm not religious but do prefer clean reads. It surprises me how much sex is in teen/YA books nowadays. I've seen some crazy things coming into middle grade/picture books. If you like light mysteries, you can try cozy mysteries. They usually have no sex, vulgar language and the crime happens off camera. Hallmark-like romances and maaaybe some old historical fiction sagas might be good too. Fantasy, and especially scifi, is really hard to find clean for adults sadly.

Thank you for this. The Starry Skies was one I had considered but after watching your video, I will not read it. This subject is something I am being convicted of more and more. A Christian book I’d like to recommend with a beautiful clean love story is “A Note Yet Unsung” by Tamera Alexander. I read it a few years back and the story has stayed with me. Thank you for this video 🙏😁

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve heard great thing about Tamera Alexander!

@Eden-Restored

2 жыл бұрын

@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll 😊

Hi all 😊 down here in Melbourne Australia I’m a mum of 5 boys and one girl aged (14-3) I don’t read anything but Christian fiction and some classics so my kids especially teen only reads what I recommend.. he has read so many different books most of the Francine rivers books (not redeeming love though) many Christian suspense and a few classics narnia, screw tape letters etc I really feel our example rubs off on our kids eventually.. I don’t watch tv or listen to worldly music so I hope they will see the difference between bad influence and godly/righteous choices.. sorry I haven’t even watched yet but thought I’d give my experience even if it’s way off topic 😆❤️🙏

Have you read Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It is a wonderful non-Christian historical that is clean?

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve heard of the author! I’ll have to look up that book!

Thank You for this Video - This is why I do not read the more dirty Harlequin Romance Books per say. This is why I love reading Love Inspired Harlequin Romance Books. I started to read A Court of Thorn And Roses by Sarah J. Maas and I just could not get into it and what you said about the book is why I could not finish the book. Sarah J. Maas is a very good Author but I do not want to be reading a book that has Dirty Scenes in it every other Paragraph. I have read her first book in Throne Of Glass Series and I did enjoy this one. I want to finish this Series. You did this Video very well and the way you put things is very well done. Did I hear you correctly that you live in Queensland? Take Care & Happy Reading ❤️🤗🔰📚📖❤️

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

British Columbia is the most western province in Canada :)

@lindaklinedinst9236

2 жыл бұрын

@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll - Oh okay - Wow - I just had my Geography History Lesson thanks to you. This is what I love about Book Tube is that you learn as well about the Countries that Book Tubers are from. I love learning about other Countries and so on. ❤️🔰📖📚❤️

Thank you for this! I wish more people thought the way you did ❤

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

Жыл бұрын

♥️

I “read” audio books mostly. If a bedroom scene is there I skip past it if I’m really engrossed in the book (like mysteries) but I have definitely DNF’d books with sex scenes. The first book in the Outlander series was so upsetting to me. I did finish it but read no more. If a book promises a “steamy” scene I won’t even pick it up. Basically I don’t really like romance books at all. You go girl.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I could see how an audiobook would be easier to skip over those scenes. I don't listen to audiobooks, so I have to make sure I can skim past it with my eyes! Yeah, any non-Christian adult romance book, I tend to avoid knowing that it will have content I shouldn't read

I am proud of you for seeking the Lord in what you read! It is not easy at all today. I am 30 years old now and am still struggling to find good books that are well written, interesting but don't use bad language or sex scenes to carry a book. It's really sad what is in books now. I think the older generations still hold books to all be great and sadly, not all books are created equal. There's alot of garbage out there. Some popular authors to avoid and stay away from: Colleen Hoover, Jenny Colgan, Ruth Ware, Gillian Flynn, John Greene, Marcus Zusak, Janet Evanovich, Robyn Carr, to name a few. I was really disappointed when I recently picked up a Jenny Colgan book that looked like a cute story but wasn't wholesome at all. Some authors I've really enjoyed that are not in the Christian category would be Debbie Macomber, Fannie Flagg, Joanne Fluke, Amanda Flower, Paige Shelton,etc. Agatha Christie books are awesome and I'd highly recommend trying the cozy mystery genre. I've read the Dangerous Type Mystery Series by Paige Shelton and really enjoyed it. Cozies are great because they're fun mysteries that have a cozy setting and are pretty clean. They may have mild language occasionally but are safe overall. The only one I've come across so far that had some not so clean stuff in there was Cleo Coyle's coffee house mysteries. In the future, I might do a video on books outside the christian genre that are clean and which ones to avoid. I really wish books had content warning labels like the movies because everyone needs to know what they're getting into before picking something up

Thank you for this video now I know what to avoid😀 my personal hero😀 I really liked the part about fighting temptation😀 looking for a clean non-Christian romance is a difficult task😀

Initially, I was expecting you were going to tell that you'd thrown the book overboard the ferry. To be honest I was a bit dissapointed when that event did not occur. Probably would've been a fitting gesture. But yeah, good thing you had the power to resist reading on, or I should say: God gave you the power to stop reading. I fully share your opinion on this subject. I don't read romance often, but I've come across a few books that had certain passages in them and I'm definetely not going to read those ever again. I can read almost anything: violence, gore, you name it, but sexual passages just ruin it for me. Not so much mentioning that it happened, as that might be relevant to the storyline, but actual, graphic descriptions are a big no, and often also act as filler for a lack of a good storyline.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

lol oh that’s awesome. 😂 If it wasn’t a library book, I may have considered it!

Bravo! Love this video and your honesty about what is convicting to a Christian. I'm in the middle of purging my entire library of books that I know contain material (sex, language, etc) that is not glorifying to the Lord. This conviction has, of course, spilled over into other areas such as social media, and entertainment. Thanks for having the guts to say what many of us are thinking!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

🥰💕

I loved this video. Thanks for sharing and making me want to stick with strong convictions of purity.

Thank you for being brave and making this video! I used to read Books with sex in them, bodice ripper books, all the time before I got saved. Now the Holy Spirit has convicted me and I got rid of all my books that have that type of material in it and I just have no interest in reading secular books anymore because I don't want to run across it and put myself in a dangerous position. And I agree the covers are so cute and misleading to what is actually inside.

Thank you for this video! I’m a high school teacher who began BookTube to try and motivate my students to read and I started with Thorns/Roses - EGADS! I decided not to review it at all because even a negative review gives it attention and I don’t want anyone asking me about that awful book! Also, I prayed about it and the Holy Spirit was clear. I’m soon beginning a project I call Phil 4 Project where I want to make a list of lovely books for teens.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

That’s awesome!

Truly enjoyed this video

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

🥰️

🙌 yes! Romance books don't need sex scenes! It's about the romance not the sex.

Hey I found this channel yesterday. I really appreciate for making contents that most of the booktubers hesitate to do so. Jesus will defenitely reward you. God bless

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

8 ай бұрын

😊🩷

Finding your channel was the most awesome thing for me! It's really cool to find someone with the same Christian values when it comes to literature as I do 😊❤

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

🥹💕 it’s so nice to know I’m not alone!

I don't really read "romance" novels at all, so in that sense I'm not part of this conversation. And I 100% support and am inspired by your intent to avoid exposure to what you know might be spiritually harmful to you (we should all do that!). But I'm just wondering, at a more theoretical level, about this use of "clean." I have a few issues here: (1) I think it's important to counter the widespread notion that Christians consider sex itself uniquely "dirty." Yes, sexual acts are sinful if detached from their proper God-designed context, but I don't think they're any "more" sinful than lying, envy, greed, hatred of others, etc. So IMO a book with sexual content (even if non-marital) is not necessarily _more_ "unclean" than a book presenting the kinds of sins mentioned, and using the term "clean" as a simple synonym for "no sexual content" can reinforce some people's mistaken notions that Christians are anti-sex. (2) Obviously sex can be presented pornographically, i.e., with the express goal of titillating the reader, and that's objectively wrong from a Christian perspective (and the pornographic can certainly also seep into "mainstream" literature). But what if the presentation is fully integrated within the story, i.e., if certain points essential to the narrative come to the fore precisely in a sexual context? Since sexuality is such a powerful force in human life, and is integrated with all the other aspects, I find it plausible that this could be the case. (3) What about the Song of Solomon? ;) So again, I completely support and admire anyone in avoiding exposure to whatever is spiritually unhealthy for them, but I just don't know that a simple binary of "clean vs. dirty" can be applied as objective categories here.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I appreciate your engagement, Peter, despite romance not being a genre you spend much time reading. Your points about using the word "clean" are totally valid. However, I still feel that any depiction of sex outside of marriage is not the pure form that God intended and should not be glamorized or desirable - this is the kind of sex I am talking about in the video and I would consider it "unclean". In the case of these books, I do see the sex in them as being pornographic. That's why I'm not ok with it. I agree that there are times when sex is used as a plot device (Redeeming Love is a classic example) and there is a redemption storyline depicted through it. Great. That was not in these books at all. Song of Solomon is a marriage love story. Again, these books were not that. I'm not against sex at all. But there is a distinct line between the places I've read it. These books were firmly on the side of causing impure thoughts and expectations about sex and bodies that is not God's best for us. Again, you make me think deeper about my opinions on things and I appreciate that Peter! :)

@Peter-GG

2 жыл бұрын

​@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll Thanks for such a thoughtful response, Oceana, these are all really good points that I agree with. Mainly I'm just uneasy that certain labels/categories like "clean" can become overly narrow/reactionary/moralistic, as I've commented before about my dislike of the "Christian fiction" category. But yes, if this content is actually pornographic, we should by all means avoid. I do strongly believe, though, that God's grace is present in _all_ the dimensions of human life even in its messiness and brokenness (including sexuality), and that there can be traces, signposts, parables of this grace in every kind of literature and art -- regardless of how far the authors/artists may personally be (or think they are) from Christian beliefs and values. One thing I've noticed as I've grown in my faith is that I don't have to look as hard in the world to find the Christian story preached to me -- it's in plants, in art, in people, in everything if we just have ears to hear it.

I can skip pretty well but I read on my kindle & it's easier, but that's just me. I HATED the series Off Campus, they're so nasty I deleted the book ASAP. They're the worst in my opinion

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah, I’ve heard of that series. There’s some seriously graphic books out there and it’s scary how many people read them

Do you have a video with your testimony or why this is so important for you? I am grateful you make these videos so I know what to avoid!

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

Жыл бұрын

I’ve never shared a video with just my testimony in it. I have 2 Q and A’s where I share a bit about my past. And then this video where I share more of my reading past 🙂

what are your thoughts on profanity like the s word or f-bombs thrown around in books. There are so many relatively clean books but those books has so much foul language. It is such a disappointment. I had to dnf so many books. I agree, those cute covers are so deceiving. Thank you for this video.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Language is another issue for sure. Since it’s one word, I find way easier to skip over and still enjoy a story. When the Lord’s name is used, I’m not ok with that and will usually dnf. Other words it depends how often and how they’re used. I don’t have a strict rule about it at this point

Ya books have really changed over the years and have become so terrible. I saw a conversation on Facebook the other day where someone said they enjoy ya books because they were more clean than adult books 😱, ummm....I feel like ya books are a lot of the times just as bad if not worse than adult fiction. Language, explicit scenes, etc. And you are definitely not crazy, it's called a discerning Spirit where you can feel things are against God and we shouldn't put it in our body. I admit I used to read romance books, and now I can't even stand having one scene in a book and will immediately get rid of it. And because we feel this way about sex scenes, etc and other people don't is because they don't have a strong relationship with Jesus and don't see it as being wrong.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I think you’re right Katie. I can’t see any situation where Jesus would condone reading it. At the same time, people aren’t ready to hear that and it isn’t the time to push it. It’s a slow progression of finally breaking the hold an addiction has with the Spirit’s power.

@paperbacksandponytails

2 жыл бұрын

@@OceanaGottaReadEmAll yes definitely, it took me a long time to break those chains, and I try very hard to not go back.

Please share all the clean books. PG13 is my limit. A lot of the new books have way too much sexuality in them for YA.

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

I will continue to make clean romance recommendation videos for sure😊

Jesus saves 😊

@OceanaGottaReadEmAll

2 жыл бұрын

Amen👏🏼