Category Archives: up for discussion

I know I’m going to get flack for this, should the very men I am writing this to avoid find it. But I am no longer interested in accepting books written by men for review. I am literally changing my book review policies to bar men.

I understand fully that it’s not all men, and the very men who are going to show up in my comments claiming to be victimized and oppressed by my personal decision to avoid them are the very same men I’m hoping to avoid interacting with. Those that are tolerable will kindly leave me alone as asked. There is no winning in this situation.

I’ve been following the Matt Shaw drama online. He’s an extreme horror author who has gone after a reviewer for a poor review. (No, I’m not linking him.) He apparently wrote a whole book that he nastily dedicated to her. I’ve not read it. I’m not going to read it. But the screenshots that I have read scream misogyny made deniable because it’s packaged as ‘art.’ Therefore, anyone who criticizes it (i.e., women) must not be smart or cultured enough to understand it. *Insert eye-roll at the most trite, over-used strategy imaginable, again, being passed off as intellectually top-tier.* Men and their delusions of grandeur are so exhausting.

As if art can’t be (and often is) author-self-insert abusive fantasy. In fact, it so often is that it’s a large part of why women say men can’t write women well. Too many can’t keep their rape fantasies out of sex scenes or their dehumanizing ideation of women out of the most basic character descriptors. Hell, a certain portion can’t keep their rape fantasies out of the most basic character descriptors or their dehumanizing ideation of women out of sex scenes. It’s exhausting, and I long ago limited how many male authors I trusted because of it.

Here’s the cliff-notes version of the Matt Shaw situation if you want to catch up:

Thread ???? about Author Matt Shaw disturbing behavior towards a negative reviewer. (Women) in the extreme Horror community.

In late Dec 22- Jan 2023, Hailey a YouTuber, posted a video with the worst books she has read, one of them being Matt Shaw’s book. 1/ https://t.co/qpPaFa0zka

— Discover Latinx Lit ???????????? (@exclusivePBL) August 21, 2023

I’ve not had a male author write a gross dedication to me, let alone one in an extreme horror book whose introduction includes a dead mother and multi-generational incest (possibly rape, depending on how young the sister is meant to be). But I have had an author write a rape scene so graphic that when he told his writers’ group it was based on punishing a reviewer who gave him a bad review, one of the members felt compelled to warn me about it. (This is another common male tactic, the use of rape as punishment and fantasies about it to soothe their bruised ego.) So, I 100% understand why this reviewer feels threatened by this behavior. (If I have to explain to you why Shaw or Mann’s actions are a problem, then you are part of the problem, and I do not intend to waste my time with you.)

I’ve also had far more male authors than female ones aggressively tell me my review is wrong or mansplain my own opinion to me. And when it comes to book-review requests, more male authors than females ignore my stated genre preferences and waste my time requesting a review for a book (or entire back catalogs) that my policies tell them I’m not interested in (and not infrequently try to convince me to change my mind once I’ve politely declined). I received a request today, for example, to review a coming-of-age crime thriller, when my policies state that I’m only open to non-YA “Monster and Why Choose Romances of the fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi (etc.) variety.” *big exhausted sigh*

Men also frequently have a perplexing habit of sending me book review requests that include no actual request but rather an assumption that I’ll read their book. The palatable sense of entitlement is often astounding. None of this even touches on how often men just think they are smarter and all around better than everyone else, in general. *Again, men are exhausting.*

And, men, if you are tired of hearing how exhausting you are, then maybe do something about not being so exhausting. If you’re not one of these men doing gross, threatening, or entitled things, it’s time to step up and start talking to those who are. Because until you do, you are complicit and also exhausting, just in a different manner. Thus, you are still part of the problem and exhausting.

You can now thank that same lack of action for the loss of a review resource. I feel no need to continue to function within a space where I have to navigate such behavior. Seeing the Matt Shaw scenario play out is just my personal last straw. I’m out. I will no longer accept review requests from men, regardless of the genre, plot, praise, or circumstances under which I’m asked. The answer is and will be no.

It’s not that I’ve never had good interactions with male authors or given any of their books five stars. But as is always the counter to the tired ‘it’s not all men’ mantra, maybe not, but women can’t know which men. So, I’m choosing to simply avoid you all. Thank your toxic bros for that. That’s where the blame lies—not with me, not with feminism, and not with women in general. But with you and your brethren.

Good-bye.

#ReadForMaui: A Read for Maui Read-A-thon

Read for Maui Read-a-thon on Storygraph

Please read entire information below prior to signing up:

TikTok has created miracles for many. Booktok alone has encouraged people to read, created a space to promote indie authors, and aided diverse communities in times of need (See #TransRightsReadAThon in the news). Booktok is a space that brings together many readers of different backgrounds (at times).

If you have seen the news lately, you might have seen apocalyptic wildfires scorching various districts of Maui. Ancestral lands, royal history, Hawaiian artifacts, families, businesses, and priceless ecosystems have been impacted by the wildfires. Many people have been displaced from their homes, many separated from their families—as well as those for whom their whereabouts are as yet unknown. Even though 80% of the wildfire in Lahaina is contained, the aftermath of the fires has and will continue to devastate the island.

Our goal is to use our booktok platforms and/or online presence to garner support, solidarity, awareness, and raise monetary donations to help the people who have been affected by one of the largest natural disasters Maui has seen in recent history.

The Maui Relief Effort Read-A-Thon will start August 14th-28th (participants can join at any time during the timeframe). We will be encouraging readers to donate to trusted local organizations recommended to us by people on the ground, on Maui, as well as those from Hawaii.

Please note – We realize the Read-A-Thon is super soon. This is because many cannot wait for help. Government aid often takes days, and certain criteria have to be met in order to receive assistance. Many had to flee quickly to survive with their lives. However, not everyone carries vital paperwork on their person. Other losses like that of key documents, government identification, insurance, registration, etc, are not to be overlooked. We are doing our best to heed the suggestions and ideas of Maui people and aid them whenever and wherever possible.

If you want to join or participate in the Maui Relief Effort Read-a-Thon, please read our guidelines and fill out our Google form:

Guidelines

Before August 14-

Circulate graphics for Maui Relief Effort Read-a-Thon by liking, commenting, sharing, reposting, posting, etc.
Announce your intentions to participate in the readathon by using our hashtag #ReadForMaui on whichever online platform of your choice.
How you want to set up the donations is completely up to you! We just ask that you research and confirm the organization of your choosing will DIRECTLY aid Maui. We will have a list of suggested organizations and individual fundraisers from which you are welcome to choose.
PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS of SCAMS. We are endeavoring to help Maui directly and will do our best to do so, but we are not infallible. Do your own vetting at all times.
It is important to note that there are many ways to help! Your support efforts may land across someone’s FYP or feed that can help financially. Honestly, just showing that we care and hear Maui’s need for help may just make someone’s day.
Do you want to support Hawaiʻi authors in general? We have lists available! Hawaiian authors

August 14th-28th

Content is key, baby!
Feel free to post resources, uplift Hawaiian content creators, book reviews, etc!
The read-a-thon is NOT ABOUT US. It is about HELPING MAUI.
If you are unsure if your content is insensitive to the situation, it may be best to ask someone how to improve or skip the idea for now.
Utilize relevant hashtags to boost content, such as #ReadingForMaui.
Keep followers updated on fundraising efforts (only if you are comfortable sharing). Anything helps! Whether it be $1 or $50! How you want to structure your Read-A-Thon is up to you! (Pledging by chapters, word count, or number of books).

DONATING PROCESS:

We highly suggest that if you and your followers donate to an org/family of your choice, that receipts are submitted to our email queercollective.booktok@gmail.com!
Please omit any personal information(card number or bank numbers). We just want to see the org/family you’re choosing and how much was donated!
At the end, if you opt to share your email in the form, we will let our participants know how much was raised for Maui orgs/families across the board to share with followers????????!
Post Readathon
We would love to see your conclusion videos/posts to see how you felt during the read-a-thon and a wrap-up of all the books you read (favorites, if any new auto-buy authors, books that brought in new information and perspective, etc.)
Read diversely all year round and encourage followers to do the same.
Remember that even though news outlets may find new stories and various online platforms/niches, attention spans may be long gone, Maui will still continue to hurt. Please keep your heart open to additional fundraising efforts in the future <3

Lastly, dear participant,

Thank you for all that you are able to do. We love you for it. And we love Maui! #ReadForMaui #MauiStrong #MauiReadAThon #AidForMaui

If you have any questions, concerns, or any items/suggestions you want addressed, please contact us at queercollective.booktok@gmail.com!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Huge thank you to the Queer Collective on Geneva, all in Maui Relief Effort – queer collective group chat on WhatsApp, @simbooktokbadly on TT for paving the way for Read-A-Thons on BookTok, @kahaulaauthor on TT for reading over our mission statement/guidelines providing us with feedback and suggestions relating to cultural sensitivity, @prblyreadingrn on TT & IG for sharing Maui Resources while on the ground, and to the countless other bookish folks who made this effort a reality.

Books I purchase from the above list

Odd Blood, by Azalea Crowley
Green Eyed Wolf, by Kahaula
The Mea Lupus series, by Kahaula
Wings Once Cursed & Bound, by Piper J. Drake
Weird Fishes, by Rae Mariz