Do Better: SFF without Sexual Violence discussion

Welcome to our February chat! This gives us chance to get together and share our previous month's reads with each other, in and around the same time. Our Recommend Books thread remains open 365 days a year.

Note: Our new goal is for moderators to research/validate all members suggestions for the group bookshelf database within 30 days, at the latest.


📘📘 YOUR RECENT READS: 📘📘

1) What did you read in January?

2) Which are you recommending for the DB bookshelf-database (if any)?

3) For any books you are recommending, are there any common content warnings we add shelf tags for? Here is our current list: (view spoiler)[

Animal abuse
Animal Death
Body Image - (fat shaming, eating disorders)
Bullying
Child Abuse
Child Death
Child Neglect
Graphic Violence
Homophobia (that is acknowledged)
Low female rep
Oppression
Racism (that is acknowledged)
Self harm
Sexism (that is acknowledged)
Slavery
Transphobia (that is acknowledged)
(hide spoiler)]

4) Are there are aspects of the books you aren't recommending that you'd like to discuss with us?

Hey, how is everyone doing? How is your reading?

Just a friendly reminder to share any of you recent reads that you think might fit the group guidelines.

I myself didn't have anything to add for January, I had a big reading slump, but I'll have some to share next month.

@Elena & Mary - I'm working on your late January submissions. Updates are coming soon. Thanks again! 😁

I wanted to give Piranesi its own detailed post.

As Elena mentioned in her recommendations for this book, there was some earlier group discussion about a possible hint/interpretation of SV having occured. I have followed our agreed upon process and will share the details for transparency.

Research Results:
1 out of 7000+ reviews mentioned a possible hint at SV, this makes it an outlier review. That review belongs to our member Kristinelle, who was part of the group discussion, so no additional GR members have (yet) raised that pov.

When we have an outlier review, we ask for members to volunteer to read and confirm for SV. Both Elena and Nefeli read and felt it was matter of emotional abuse, that did not occur in an adult relationship. They did not feel there was a hint of SV.

Decision:
I will approve it for our group shelf, with a CW for emotional abuse.

I hope using our agreed upon process proves satisfactory to all. And of course, it is our policy to reopen the discussion/decision if another member (now or in the future) raises a concern.

@ Elena - Thanks again for sharing your January reads! 🤗 Here are the results of my research.


ADDING to Bookshelf-Database:

1) How to Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend - insuffient reviews, but both you and Nefeli are vouching for no SV, so onto the shelf it goes!

2) Six Months, Three Days, Five Others - no CW, adding a tag for humour because quirky and wry seemed to be common ways to describe these stories. Having read 1 of the 6 stories myself, I agree wholeheartedly.

3) The House of Shattered Wings - CW for graphic violence


ADDING to Pending:

Each of these shorter works have insufficient reviews and require another member to read and confirm

Stone and Steel
Of Books, and Earth, and Courtship
In Morningstar's Shadow: Dominion of the Fallen Stories

@ Mary - Thanks again to you too! 🤗 Here are the results of your recent submissions.

ADDED to Bookshelf-Database:

1) Finna - I just finished this too! I added a CW enbyphobia, which is the term used to describe discrimination/fear of folx who identify as non-binary (NB/enby)

2) Persephone Station - Added a tag for Friendship and CW tags for (view spoiler)[ animal death, graphic violence, and mild racism/homophobia (hide spoiler)]
Note: Anyone interested in reading this with others is welcome to join us in April HERE

3) The Pride of Chanur - Agreed, no SV or CW that I could find

4) How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe - Agreed, no SV or CW that I could find

Thank you so much for your work, Jo!

I'm looking forward to seeing what new DB books February will bring us 😁