Well expressed, Nadine. People who prefer “clean books” are not holier-than-thou readers to whom any book not labeled “clean” is Evil with a capital E. I look for “clean” literature to avoid explicit sexual content and to incorporate mild language. Other readers prefer literature that expresses the “gritty” side of life with the kind of language and imagery that might be encountered in society’s bleak underbelly. Readers know what the world is like. They simply differ in the way they like to see the world portrayed when reading for entertainment. Some want ultra-realism no matter how dark, while others want to escape the dark side of life and read sunnier stories.
I choose my reading matter for what entertains me, and I do not condemn someone who chooses different reading matter for themselves. However we label it, none of us have the right or qualifications to condemn someone who prefers a different style.