Want to find out if a book is clean, or find appropriate books without having to read them all yourself? Book X-ray is the place to find out about the content of books beyond the critical review. We let you know if a book you want to read (or your kids need to read for school, or your book club is considering) contains profanity, sexual content, violence, controversy and more...then you decide what to read.
This is a reader-driven site, so we need your help! Here's how to post a review.
This is a reader-driven site, so we need your help! Here's how to post a review.
Family Happiness by Leo Tolstoy
Does not contain profanity, violence or gore, or sexual content or nudity.
The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy
Does not contain profanity, violence or gore, or sexual content or nudity.
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
Does not contain profanity, violence or gore, or sexual content or nudity.
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Contains no profanity, no sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Sheri!
Thanks, Sheri!
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Contains no profanity, no sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Sheri!
Thanks, Sheri!
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Contains no profanity, no sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Sheri!
Thanks, Sheri!
Frostbite by Richelle Mead
Contains mild profanity, moderate sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Sheri!
Thanks, Sheri!
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Contains mild profanity, moderate sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Sheri!
Thanks, Sheri!
Tall Grass by Sandra Dallas
Contains mild profanity, mild sexual content (rape, but not graphic), and moderate violence.
Thanks, Tansy!
Thanks, Tansy!
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Contains moderate profanity, heavy violence and gore, heavy sexual content, and several graphic episodes of suicide.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Contains mild sexual content and moderate violence and gore.
Thanks, Cheryl-Lynn!
Thanks, Cheryl-Lynn!
Becoming Jane Eyre by Sheila Kohler
Does not contain profanity, sexual content, or violence.
Thanks, Maryanne!
Thanks, Maryanne!
Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky by Chris Greenhalgh
Contains moderate sexual content.
Thanks, Maryanne!
Thanks, Maryanne!
What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us by Laura van den Berg
Contains mild sexual content.
Thanks, Maryanne!
Thanks, Maryanne!
Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood
Contains mild profanity, moderate sexual content, and mild violence.
Thanks, Patsy!
Thanks, Patsy!
Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende
Contains mild profanity, heavy violence, and heavy sexual content.
Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson
Contains mild nudity and sexual content, moderate violence, and mild and brief depiction of child abuse.
The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Contains heavy profanity and mild sexual content.
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
Contains mild profanity, mild sexual content, moderate violence, and a moderate scene dealing with suicide.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Contains very mild language, mild violence, briefly alludes to sexuality.
Thanks, Elissa!
Thanks, Elissa!
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Contains mild sexual content (implied about the mother)and mild violence (handled appropriately for young readers).
Thanks, Patsy!
Thanks, Patsy!
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Contains mild profanity, moderate sexual content and nudity, and moderate violence.
Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas
Contains mild profanity, mild sexual content and moderate violence.
Thanks, Elissa!
Thanks, Elissa!
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Contains moderate profanity, moderate/heavy sexual content, and mild violence.
Thanks, Elissa and Cheryl-Lynn!
Thanks, Elissa and Cheryl-Lynn!
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck
Contains mild profanity, mild sexual content, and moderate violence.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Contaings moderate profanity, moderate sexual content, and mild violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Contains mild sexual content (implied but very, very discreet 19th century sort of way), and moderate violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
The Power and the Glory by Graham Green
Contains mild profanity, mild sexual content, and mild violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Contains mild sexual content and moderate violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Contains mild profanity and moderate violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Contains mild nudity and moderate violence related to WWII concentration camps.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Heavy profanity (mostly German swearwords and Diety) and mild violence (mentions beatings and many deaths, but nothing graphic).
Thanks, Mary W!
Thanks, Mary W!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Contains moderate profanity, moderate nudity, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Mary W!
Thanks, Mary W!
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Contains moderate profanity, moderate nudity, and moderate violence.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Contains mild profanity, heavy sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Contains moderate/heavy profanity (stronger in content than in frequency), heavy sexual content, and mild violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger
Contains mild profanity, mild sexual content, and mild violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Contains moderate profanity, mild sexual content and mild violence. If I remember correctly, there wasn't a lot of explicit sexual detail, but there were frequent references to sex. Definitely a book for adults in subject matter.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Contains moderate profanity, moderate sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Melanie!
Thanks, Melanie!
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Contains heavy profanity, mild sexual content, and moderate violence.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Contains mild profanity, moderate sexual content, and moderate violence.
Thanks, Sarah!
Thanks, Sarah!
Sum: 40 Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman
Does not contain profanity, sexual content, or violence.
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
Does not contain profanity, sexual content, or violence.
Thanks, Maryanne!
Thanks, Maryanne!
The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde
Does not contain profanity, sexual content, or violence.
Thanks, Maryanne!
Thanks, Maryanne!
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Contains moderate violence, racist (but historically accurate) language.
Thanks, Maryanne!
Thanks, Maryanne!
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
Contains moderate profanity, heavy sexual content, heavy violence.
The House of Lost Souls by F.G. Cottam
Contains heavy sexual content and moderate violence. Also contains mild descriptions of child abuse.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Contains moderate profanity and moderate violence.
What's Book X-Ray?

Have you been hearing all the buzz about the latest book, but are unsure if it contains things you'd rather not read? Book X-Ray can help. Has a friend ever recommended a book to you, but neglected to mention that one scene that you wish you'd never read? Let Book X-Ray pass it on. Are the books on your kid's high school reading list, or the titles suggested for your book club, appropriate? Book X-Ray is a site that will tell you if a book contains any of those objectionable things in a brief, unbiased, and easy to access manner. There are a million reasons why a reader would choose to not read certain material at a given time, and Book X-Ray gives them the power to make an informed decision.
What this site is not: It is not a place for full-fledged book reviews. It is not a book recommendation site, although you will probably discover books you want to read listed here. It is not a listing of books that only prudes would want to read, although prudes will find this site immensely helpful for finding books. It is not a site that promotes censorship in any form.
Book X-Ray is a reader-driven site...in other words, it wouldn't exist without you! We rely completely on regular book lovers who are willing to help out their fellow readers by adding short reviews of what they've read. These reviews help all of us to read exactly the kinds of books we want to read. Life is too short--and there are far too many great books waiting--to live with Reader's Regret.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)