Parts of this post were originally written in March, 2010, but I’ve revised my thinking a bit. (A friend once asked me if every opinion I had was up for review. The answer? Yes. As I learn more, or think about something in greater depth, I often change what I think.)
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If I want to read a book on macrame, I’ll buy a book on macrame. If I want to read a suspense, I’ll select a suspense. It’s a little disconcerting to be reading a suspense and have the heroine abruptly announce that, as a Christian, she has a higher purpose, one that most non-Christians wouldn’t understand.
It’s like being hit upside the head with a day old halibut.
I went to the publisher page and realized that I’d downloaded a book labeled Christian fiction.
So, what’s the only recourse in this instance? From now on, look at the publisher before I download a book.
What happens, though, when you buy a thriller, and it turns out to have a really horrible scene of animal cruelty in it? Or you buy a romantic suspense and it turns out to be a blood and gore fest?
How can publishers/authors label books correctly? Is it always a gamble? Frankly, I’m beginning to think so, because gore, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps a book by a Christian publisher is the same way. One book might be preachy, while another is delightful and soul-warming. It’s all a matter of personal preference.
Sometimes, a free chapter will give you a clue about the book, but not always. Maybe recommendations from friends count most. Or maybe just being familiar with an author is a better answer.
How about you? Do you ever get one thing, when you thought it was something else entirely? How do you find books that are true to their descriptions?
