The cover was innocent enough: a horse-drawn carriage gliding across the snow. I can’t remember the title or the author, only that my conservative, Christian grandfather gave me this book after buying it at Costco. He had no idea he was handing a 15-year-old girl smut, and despite knowing better, I had no intention of putting it down once my curious teenage flesh realized its contents. Because these sorts of explicit books often look harmless on the surface, many people stumble into them unwittingly. But with the rise of #BookTok and book influencers trending on social media platforms, there’s also a growing number of women, even Christian women, who seek out these books as a form of escapism. While reading fiction is certainly a worthwhile pastime, we need to use discernment about the kind of fiction we read. “Spice,” the popular term for explicit content in romance books, can fool us into downplaying the danger of these books. Spicy Books Are Pornography Many people associate pornography with pictures and videos. But by definition, it includes books as well. Explicit content doesn’t lose its danger when it’s printed on paper instead of paraded across a screen. Written pornography can burrow deeper into the imagination because it asks you to create the scene yourself. Many spicy books are written in first-person narrative, which research says creates “higher immersion and emotional engagement” than fiction told in third-person. Explicit content doesn’t lose its danger when it’s printed on paper instead of paraded across a screen. The negative effects of habitual pornography viewing have been well reported, including decreased gray matter in key reward centers of the brain; altered sexual appetites; and the need for heightened, even riskier, stimulation to achieve the same satisfaction. If the brain can be rewired this drastically during visual pornography, it’s reasonable to question whether repeated exposure to written sexual content is reshaping our minds and hearts in similar ways. Spicy Books Dishonor Marriage Early in my marriage, I still consumed spicy romance books as regularly as I did in my teens, but I felt “holier” because I was allowed to enjoy sex. I rationalized that reading these books could even encourage intimacy with my husband. But my reasoning was flawed because, married or not, we’re all commanded to honor marriage and keep the marriage bed undefiled (Heb. 13:4). Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church (Eph. 5:25–27), and reading fiction that doesn’t respect the design of marriage or the sanctity of sexual intimacy subtly trains our hearts to disrespect marriage and its Creator. These novels glorify sin, and over time, reading them dulls our discernment sensors. What once would have grieved us begins to feel normal and maybe even desirable. Just as the Bible warns that bad company corrupts good character (1 Cor. 15:33), keeping company with fictional characters who celebrate worldliness and sinfulness can lead us to corruption. Reading fiction that doesn’t respect the design of marriage or the sanctity of sexual intimacy subtly trains our hearts to disrespect marriage and its Creator. Moreover, reading these explicit descriptions can begin to normalize inappropriate sexual behavior. What the world finds sexually exciting is a deep, dark pit. It’s easier than you might think to go from reading straightforward bedroom scenes to scenes that would have once repulsed you: violent foreplay, throuple engagement, homosexual relations, and even a sort of bestiality in books that feature mythical creatures or shape-shifters. This type of literature is a mockery of God’s design, and it’s unwise for his children to consume it. Find Better Books I decided to stop reading spicy books when I realized I was desiring the main love interest in these books as if he were human. There were times I felt disappointed that my husband didn’t measure up to these fictional men, and at that, I knew I’d started to desire a lie more than the truth. But avoiding spicy content isn’t as straightforward as it might seem. Unfortunately, spice is no longer confined to romance books. Explicit content is now woven into nearly every genre, from the wildly popular fantasy novel Fourth Wing to the time-traveling historical fiction series Outlander. Here are some ways to find good fiction books that don’t include explicit content: Follow no-spice or clean bookstagrammers: Several book reviewers on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube give recommendations for wholesome reads. Some of my favorites are @bookloveramanda, @becomingbookbybook, and @christianbooksandcoffee. Check for reviews on Plugged In: Plugged In by Focus on the Family is a free review site. It has a limited selection of book reviews, but the ones they offer include a section identifying sexual content. Read one- and two-star reviews: Negative reviews on Amazon or other booksellers’ websites can be a huge help because they often mention inappropriate content. You can also search reviews for specific terms, such as “sex,” to find the most relevant reviews. Ask like-minded friends: There’s bound to be a book lover in your friend group or Bible study. Ask her what she’s currently reading or what books she’d recommend that don’t have sexual content. When it comes to any media consumption, my motto is now “When in doubt, do without.” The Bible is the only book we truly need. Still, God has given us the gift of enjoying books in various genres. May we exercise discernment about what we read that we may “have a clear conscience toward both God and man” (Acts 24:16). A good book can be a great delight, but no book is worth sacrificing your conscience.