Our Book Reading Philosophy

No, this isn't our place. It's another photo of that public garden not far from us.
This place is noted for the beautiful tulip displays every year.
Can hardly wait till May!

How do we choose what books to read? What kinds of books do we read? These are some questions that we thought would be good to answer, especially since we are recommending some of what we read to you.

Usually when we see a book that looks interesting, we first get it from our public library. That way if it is not what we had hoped, we haven't spent a dime on it. If we should come upon questionable language, content, or if it simply isn't well written; we don't waste our time on it. If it is a really good book otherwise, we will sometimes give it the three strikes rule for language. Three foul, gross, or questionable words and it's out of here--no matter how good the author writes. But sometimes we probably shouldn't give it that many chances.

Occasionally one of us likes a book, while the other is less enthused. That usually determines whether or not we purchase the book for our own library. Most of the time and only if we both really like the book, will we actually invest in it.

Another criteria is that we will want to read it again. It is very satisfying to discover a good author who has written a number of books that fit into this category. We had usually felt fairly certain that we were safe to buy more books from this kind of author. But we have been fooled. So now we check out even these authors before making the purchase.

We don't let the term "Christian Writer" fool us. Even those sold in Christian book stores. We have found some pretty offensive stuff from authors that have this description. "Family" is another term that doesn't always mean much either. The best thing is to get into the book. If it's good it will show that very swiftly. And if it is questionable, that will be evident also.

One of us likes true stories, the other likes fiction also, but we both prefer inspirational reading. One has a preference for instructional or informational, while the other prefers stories. One is voracious, the other has trouble finding the time for a good read. We both like to be challenged at times. We also both enjoy children's books at about the 9-12 age level.

So hopefully we can be of some service to you as we recommend our choices. Whatever we recommend, we will try to give you some info about the book so you can make up your own mind. Happy reading!