As time in my writing career marches on, I meet lots of new people. A subject that has come up about my books recently is content. Anuka is kind of a rascal and can be sophomoric at times. But generally, my books are 'clean' fantasy. Don't get me started on the 'does that mean all other fantasy is dirty?' discussion. I actually prefer the classification of NobleBright. It's sort of the opposite of GrimDark.

My books don't use a lot of foul or crude language (except Anuka) and I don't have any on page sex. Traditionally, that would mark my books as Young Adult, but I have some violence and deal with complex political issues and the like. So; NobleBright.

Why does it matter? Parents certainly have an interest in what their kids read, and many adults do as well. Trigger Warnings aren't something I've used for my books, but people ask for them.

These conversations with potential readers got me thinking about my own diet. I believe we are impacted by the media we consume. I once read "Show me your friends and the books you are reading right now and I'll tell you the kind of person you will be in five years". Wow. Personally, I have to be careful. As research for upcoming parts of my Nolan Keller series I've been listening to crime podcasts on my commute. Lately, when I meet someone new, I'm a little more apprehensive than I used to be. Instead of 'Hi, I'm Jack' I'm like 'Be Weird, Be Rude, Stay Alive'. The way I think about strangers has shifted a little.

All this to say, I'm trying to be more conscious about what types of stuff I read and watch. Garbage in, garbage out. I also try to mix things up a bit. What about you? Do you think about your literary diet, or do you each everything on the buffet? Let me know: jack@authorjackadkins.com.

Here are some book recs I think fall into the 'clean fantasy' category. These are specifically for the couple I spoke with last week about books for your teen. You know who you are. (;)

LOOK AT THIS COVER!

Another stunner. Dragon themed, too :)

I've had a thing for satire and humour in fantasy lately. This looks amazing.