Inspirational fiction is a sub-category within the broader categories of "inspirational literature" or "inspirational writing." It has become more common for booksellers and libraries to consider inspirational fiction to be a separate genre, classifying and shelving books accordingly. Reasons for this include the increased popularity of inspirational fiction in recent years, and the appeal of inspirational fiction beyond readers of the genre that these books would otherwise be classified in. Definition and classification Libraries are increasingly recognizing and using the categories of inspirational writing and inspirational fiction, although there is no universally accepted definition for these categories. Some books obviously fit into the category of inspirational writing, such as the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, which was explicitly written to inspire readers by means of true anecdotes. While the subgenre of inspirational fiction is not considered a rigorous category by many libraries, it is frequently used. Possible criteria that have been suggested as categorizing a book as inspirational fiction include novels whose main purpose is depict an example of change in the life of a major characters in order to inspire readers to make such changes in their own life. For example, one library explains its list of "inspirational fiction" books with the statement, "Any good book can be an inspiration, but many of these books highlight people overcoming adversity or reaching new levels of understanding. Whether they pull themselves up by their own bootstraps or have help from a higher power, these books will uplift and entertain you." Classifying a book as inspirational fiction based on the effect on the reader is difficult since personal choice, taste and even personal beliefs are factors that affect the way a book can "inspire" a reader. For example, a study of inspirational literature by Professor Lisa Jardine in 2006 revealed that gender may also be a factor in a reader's reaction to inspirational literature. Sub-genres Some libraries have begun to classify some books written in other genres as inspirational fiction. The American Library Association'sThe Readers Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction lists "inspirational" as a subgenre in every type of fiction it discusses, e.g. Romance or Westerns. Another method of categorization is to divide inspirational fiction into these subgenres, e.g. Inspirational Romance Fiction, Inspirational Western Fiction. Due to the absence of strict rules for categorizing books as inspirational fiction, libraries often include explanations or disclaimers when using this category, such as this