Clean Reads discussion

Hi all! My mom and I both love to read, but we have very different tastes. I'm looking for some books we could both read and talk about together.

She does NOT do any sexual content, paranormal elements, or cusswords.

I don't want to just read children's books, I can't stand most Christian-brand fiction, and there's only so many Victorian literary classics I can get through in a month lol.

Unfortunately, the last three books I've read and loved are things she would not get into: Alias Grace: too grim; Book Lovers: too sexy; V for Vendetta: too...everything.

I'd love to find some more contemporary titles that we could both enjoy. They can be set in historical time periods, but I need something fresh!

Thanks so much!

Hi, I sound like your mom! I too am always looking for books without sexual situations, paranormal or dark plots, and minimal cursing. I have just finished reading "The Orphan Collector" by Ellen Marie Wiseman which may have had one or two curse words - a fascinating, gripping read. Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings" is a good one and "The Moonlight School" by Suzanne Woods Fisher. "The Violin Conspiracy" was tasteful (I don't remember if it had any cursing). Also, anything by Kate Morton, Hazel Gaynor, Robert Whitlow, Lynn Austin, Amanda Cox, A.J. Pearce, Angela Elwell Hunt, William Kent Krueger, Jan Karon's "Mitford" book series, and Patrick Taylor's "Irish Country Doctor" series. I also do like many of the Christian authors, but skip over their romance reads. Hope this gives you a couple ideas!

Check out this thread, too:

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

Anything by Rick Bragg

Thanks so much all!

Forever and Forever by: Josi S. Kilpack (She also has a Culinary Mystery Series that is more contemporary)
Longing for Home by: Sarah M. Eden
A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner
Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin
In Times of Rain and War by Camron Wright

I'd recommend any books written by of the above authors.

Thanks so much!!! I went to the library last night and grabbed The Violin Conspiracy (I play violin so I know I'll be interested), and a couple Kate Morton books that look really good. My mom and I both read fast, so more recommendations are welcome!

Great, enjoy!

Kristy cambron has some great reads, a night of brilliant stars and ice by Rebecca Connolly, Heather Moore has 2 historical the paper daughter's of Chinatown, and the Slow March of light

Alias Grace IS grim! As are all of her books, in my opinion.
Have you read Alexander McCall Smith? I recommend any and all of his books.
Jane Kirkpatrick writes stories about real women, mainly American Northwest pioneers.
Georgette Heyer writes fun and light regency novels.
Edward Rutherford writes epic historical novels. there are some dry parts, but mostly worth reading.
I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Susanna Kearsley is wonderful, but some books contain ghosts or time travel.
The Queens Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner is AWESOME

Thanks so much!! I Capture the Castle is on my to-reads for sure, glad to hear it's something clean.

I’m currently listening to The Gold in These Hills by Joanne Bischoff and it is good and clean. Set in a forsaken gold mining town in the early 1900’s with a parallel story happening in the same house in current day. It’s good.

I just finished The Moonlight School that someone mentioned above. It was SO good!

Also, if y’all haven’t read The Last Bookshop in London, I highly recommend it. My 94 year old mom loved it.

Right now my mom is listening to The Governess of Penwythe Hall by Sarah E Ladd. She’s really enjoying it (and I loved it too).

I've been on a similar quest, except for myself! You might find something in this thread I started: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I always recommend my favourite book, A Waltz for Matilda by Jackie French, while classed as YA, it is really well written and interesting to read, set in Australia in the late 1800s.

While not all contemporary, also not quite 'Victorian classics';
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Blue Castle by L M Montgomery
The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M White (which is technically Christian romance, but I enjoyed it as a story)
I've been enjoying books by James Herriot, and Margery Sharp to recently and a non fiction book I enjoyed recently was The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede.

I just finished “All the Way to Italy” by Flavia Brunetti. It’s mostly set in present day Italy with a few chapters that go back to the main character’s father’s lifetime. There were a couple uses of the h and d word but in other aspects it was very clean.

Dread penny society series by sarah eden
Skymar series by pepper basham
Lisa tawn bergren has series from grand tours of Europe to time travel
Michelle griep, especially blackfriar's lane series

I am very late to this discussion, but I suggest Explosion on the Sound by Gemma Christina (clean crime fiction set in the PNW) or Between the Earth and Sky by Lou Littlefield (dual timeline romance but so much more than that!). They are both free of cuss words, anything steamy, and no gore. (Yes, I wrote them both, so shameless plug). It sounds like your mom is my kind of reader :)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD9RD36Z?...

https://a.co/d/hRsGETk

oh my! my momma and i read a delightful YA book recently called "prisoner of night and fog"! she loved it so much! it reminded her of her childhood! xoxoxo everybody!
- dora <3