Readers be warned: Read This Before You Purchase A Book
As you are probably well aware of, there are millions of books in the world today and it can sometimes be quite difficult to figure out just what pieces of literature are worth spending your time reading. But I have been finding that sometimes, as lovers of words, we can often be a bit too careless in what we read.
Now suppose you walk into a book store, browse the genre that most interests you, and pick up a book that you believe would be an interesting read. You have never read this author's work before but based on the back-cover blurb you think that it might prove to be a good novel. So you buy the book and walk out of the store.
Think carefully now, before answering this question. What did you just do? Yes, you just bought a novel, as is the obvious, but dig a little deeper. You have just financially supported the author's work. At face value this may seem to be very basic. But contemplate deeper.
Let's suppose even further that when you got home you immediately began to read the novel that you just purchased. A quarter of the way through you find that there is sex, violence, and some other unsavory subjects are mentioned. You are very disappointed at the money you spent on this novel, and naturally so.
Think. You have just invested money in supporting an author that writes of things you don't believe should be put down on paper and goes against your beliefs. Now of course you probably won't support that writer anymore but it's too late. By buying that novel you just basically stated "I agree with what this author writes" because you financially supported the author's work.
I have had to learn this lesson the hard way. I have wasted hundreds of dollars on novels that I didn't end up liking in the end. And I invested two hundred dollars in supporting the writers who wrote those novels. I can't go back and retract that.
So I'm asking you now to always know what you are buying. If you see a book in a bookstore that interests you, don't just pick it up and buy it. Go home, research the author, read some samples from GoodReads to get an idea of the story, look at reviews from others, and maybe you can even find some free Audio books on YouTube of the writer's works. After all all this research, most importantly, make sure that your findings are in line with what you believe in. The last thing you want to do is support a writer - even if it's just once - that writes contrary to your beliefs.
I have been following this process for a while now, and don't regret it one bit. Even novels marked under "Faith" or "Christian" should be diligently researched. Christianity has taken on a variety of meanings in the past few decades and even Christian writers can write questionable content.
I hope that you will take the advice above and not just pick up any old story off the shelf. It might make a bigger difference than you think...and it's all worth it when you can snuggle down with a good novel knowing that you are supporting the right person.
~ Lydia Sherren
