Why I Started Reading Christian Fiction for Entertainment


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As a teenager, I loved to read romance novels. However, the Holy Spirit convicted me about the inappropriate content within those books.

I tried to read a Christian romance novel, but to my teenage self, it was slow-paced, dry, and not relatable. In the end, I gave up reading altogether.

For 15 years, I did not read one single solitary novel.

I did read nonfiction books–I even wrote one. I did read and study the Bible.

I did watch television and movies for entertainment.

why I started reading Christian fiction

Yet, as my awareness of God’s holiness continued to grow, I became convicted about the content of those shows. At first, I stopped watching PG-13 movies. Eventually, I couldn’t bear for God’s name to be used irreverently. Because He is holy, I no longer felt comfortable watching His name be disregarded and dishonored for my private entertainment. And that small conviction is no small thing. His name is tossed at nearly every turn.

I subscribed to Hallmark Movies Now (this was several years ago when they were still reliably clean). I enjoyed watching their movies for a while, but because of the limited number, and because the story development and acting aren’t always believable, I soon tired of it.

I decided to pick up a Christian novel and just … see— give it another chance. I had nothing to lose.

I was HOOKED!

It turned out that in the 15 years I had stepped away, the Christian fiction industry had experienced an explosion of quality, amazing writing in almost every genre.

It turned out that character development and believability are much easier to accomplish through written words than on screen. I was able to dive deeply into stories and relish them much more fully through reading.

It turned out that there were thousands of published books I could pick up and read without fear of sinning or being tempted to sin.

It turned out that listening to audiobooks made mundane tasks and housework motivating and enjoyable.

It turned out that I grew in my faith and was deeply challenged by authors who interwove spiritual messages through compelling stories.

It turned out that when I had an ebook on my phone, I would read when bored instead of mindlessly scrolling on social media, and that was much better for my mental state.

Because of this, I’ve read multiple hundreds of books in the Christian fiction sphere over the past several years. My favorite genre is still romance, but now I can enjoy it in a way that points me back to Christ.

I’ve developed a passion for the Christian fiction publishing industry, and I want to share that through Embracing a Simpler Life with monthly emails and blog posts to share book recommendations, author features, and fun giveaways in 2025!

If you’re curious about alternative entertainment options, you’re in the right place.

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Comments

  1. I would like to! I will need to source other readers for those recommendations since I haven’t read widely outside of romance.

  2. Renee says:

    I look forward to seeing what books you recommend. My 24 year old son struggles to find decent fantasy books to read. Would you include books from other genres than romance?
    Thank you 🙂
    Renee

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