Let’s Read!
I love talking books! Reading is an important part of my life. After years of reading only nonfiction books, I have rekindled my love for fiction and am working on building a home library for myself and my daughters. Join me for the fun!
~ Katie Bookey
~ Instagram @katie.bookey: https://www.instagram.com/katie.bookey/
~ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/154365232-katie
~ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/katiebookey/
~ Shop my top rated books on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/momsmusings
The Books I Like to Read and Share About
I have varied but…specific tastes. I will share about the following kinds of books:
Kid Lit - what I’m calling books that are not leveled readers but are intended for young children who can read
Middle Grade fantasy, sci-fi, alternate world, historical, mystery, contemporary, and classics. These do not need to be Christian books but do need to line up with my Christian values (see more below).
Young Adult fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, alternate world, historical, fairytale retellings, royal/princess stories, and classics that align with my Christian values. (Mysteries at this level are usually too intense for me and contemporary lit at this level also tends to be really cheesy or exposes young adults to content I don’t believe they are quite ready for.)
adult Christian fantasy, sci-fi, or alternate world-building.
adult Christian regency-era novels that are clean, and preferably funny.
adult Christian historical fiction. These may include stories set in biblical times but I am VERY picky about those stories.
nonfiction books by Christians, or secular books about health, parenting, or marriage.
What Makes a Good Book
I have some important criteria for books that I give high ratings to. These books must:
be free of sexual scenes. I am okay with flirting, kissing on cheeks/hands, and hugs/hand-holding. I am NOT okay with make-out scenes, focus on bodies, or descriptions of nudity or acts of marriage (these may be mentioned in passing).
display healthy relationships. It is not okay for the romantic relationship to happen in an unhealthy way, like kissing the first time they meet or never talking to each other/being dishonest. It is not okay for familial relationships to be abusive while being portrayed as an acceptable or normal situation.
be free of words I don’t want to read. I have a low tolerance for cussing or using the Lord’s name in vain. I just don’t want to hear myself say those words in my head.
have “okay” theology if they are Christian books. I come from a fairly conservative Reformed Wesleyan/Lutheran (that is not an actual denomination but a way to sum up my beliefs) theological viewpoint. As an example, it is okay for characters to pray, but I don’t want to feel like they are manipulating God. I also tend to stay away from books that promote patriarchal relationships.
These criteria also apply to my nonfiction reads, especially if it is by a Christian author. If it is a non-Christian book, I can overlook disagreeable theology, but I still don’t want to read about the other 3 bullet points.
What My Ratings Mean
I set ratings based on the intended age of the book. If it is a Middle Grade book, I will rate it based on if I would let my 9-12 year old daughters read it. If it is a Young Adult book, I will rate it based on if I would let my 13-17 year old daughters read it. Kid Lit is for ages 5-8 in my reviews.
5 STARS = All criteria is met PLUS it’s an enjoyable or entertaining read. Recommended for the age group.
4 STARS = Either the criteria has been met but I didn’t enjoy the story OR the story is good but it didn’t meet all of the criteria. Recommended with discretion.
3 STARS = May have been interesting but maybe only half of the criteria is met. Not recommended but may be okay for some.
2 STARS = Not an enjoyable read and only half of criteria is met. Not recommended.
1 STAR = Not an enjoyable read and NO criteria is met. Not recommended. I don’t usually finish books I would rate 1-2 stars, so I hope to not have many of these.
Content Warnings
In addition to evaluating books through the criteria provided above, I will give short content warnings in the following categories:
Violence
Sticky relationships
Death & other suspense
Paranormal or supernatural things
Religious themes that are not Christian
Possible triggers like abuse, severe illness, birth stories, murder
About Me
I am a homeschooling mom of 4 girls ages 8 to 2. I am a Myers-Briggs INTJ, so I love to learn and make connections, and I’m always trying to get to the bottom of my latest problem. This has led me down many interesting paths.
I have a music education degree, I am a certified homeopath and family health coach, and I was raised and confirmed in a confessional Lutheran church but also draw from many Reformed materials in my theological formation.
When I have nothing to do or just need a break, I like to sit down and play piano, try my hand at calligraphy, and read books outside in the sunshine.
Reading Disclaimer
The only way to know for sure if a book meets your standards is to read it. I may not have the same standards in some areas that you do. Or I may overlook something that I would normally dislike because it was handled well or only mentioned in passing. I also will let my daughters read books that I give low ratings. We have lots of conversations and I trust them to be discerning and make decisions about the reading content they consume. And since the majority of our time/life is spent with each other and with other Christians, some of these books give us things to talk about because the world acts differently than we do. As long as there is nothing explicit, I will let them read less-than-perfect books.
Disclaimers if you happen to read my past health coaching posts :)
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