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[ebooksupremacy]

My bad, I misread that part of your post! I absolutely agree that, regardless of the age group, books should be listed and marketed correctly. With adult books it's less dangerous and more frustrating when you enter a book only to find it's sex with no substances, but with YA I completely agree that it's dangerous to expose teens (and children) to sexual content without taking property steps to make it safe for them. It's concerning that publishing companies and authors are able to do it with little to no backlash.

Abusive relationships in fiction, especially YA fiction, is just another layer to it. How on Earth people can write the romanticisation of this, in YA no less, and not think it's a problem? Rough sex and dysfunctional relationships are one thing in adult fiction, but including that in YA (and then extending that dysfunctionality into abuse) is grooming behaviour. It spits in the face of decades of fighting for justice and support for abuse victims.

“Booktok just enjoys turning off their brain and reading, it’s like watching bad reality tv.” Except it’s not. We all make fun of bad reality shows but booktok romanticizes the poor portrayal of romance and abuse in their books.

“How spicy is it? I need spice.”

Half of it is filled with 🌽 addicts, but because it’s not visual it doesn’t seem like it. If erotica is your thing, that’s great, but let’s not pretend like it hasn’t irrecoverably messed up people by the way authors have inserted it into every damn teen girls book. If the only reason you can enjoy a book is smut, then that needs to be addressed. I will die on this hill.

[ebooksupremacy]

It's my 1 year anniversary on Tumblr! 🥳

This blog as been open for a year now and I haven't posted half as much as I thought I would. Here's to changing that this year!

[ebooksupremacy]

I don't agree with it being wrong to only want to read books with sex in them, it's not a problem that needs to be addressed and it never will be. Implying it needs to be addressed insinuates that there is a problem. Sex in books is nothing like porn, nor are all books with sex in them classed as erotica or erotic romance. Claiming or assuming that only a certain genre (i.e. erotica/erotic romance) can contain sex can be harmful, especially when purity culture already negatively impacts the way people view how normal sex is.

There's no place for gratuitous sex in YA, though, I agree there. Sex that shows teens that it can be awkward, shows teens what consent looks like, and normalises safe sex practices is important, but the amount of sex and the content of it in books pushed towards a YA audience is disgusting. Teens don't have the experience or maturity to read scenes where the protagonist is having rough or borderline violent sex and realise that the consent is implied via the protagonists narrative. They don't realise that you must get explicit consent, especially for rougher scenarios, and sex in books aimed at teens need to show what explicit consent looks like.

You're right that this sort of stuff messes up young people who read it. Sure, young people can get hold of adult books whenever they want, but the content in those books should not seep into YA. Young people deserve to be able to make informed choices, and know that the books in their own demographic are safe for them to escape in.

There is a problem that needs to be addressed and it's this: why are authors so insistent on marketing unchallenged adult material to teens? And why are the adults reading this material continuing to market it to teens knowing it's not appropriate?

“Booktok just enjoys turning off their brain and reading, it’s like watching bad reality tv.” Except it’s not. We all make fun of bad reality shows but booktok romanticizes the poor portrayal of romance and abuse in their books.

“How spicy is it? I need spice.”

Half of it is filled with 🌽 addicts, but because it’s not visual it doesn’t seem like it. If erotica is your thing, that’s great, but let’s not pretend like it hasn’t irrecoverably messed up people by the way authors have inserted it into every damn teen girls book. If the only reason you can enjoy a book is smut, then that needs to be addressed. I will die on this hill.

[ebooksupremacy]

I know this is an old post from months ago but Oobah Butler is a real person and I hope that poor boy doesn't share a name with any Hoover characters. No one deserves to Google their own name and turn up an abusive love interest in a badly written romance.

really been getting everyone with the colleen hoover name round in my booktok book quiz . possibly my finest work tbh

[ebooksupremacy]

@themoonking

acotar and priory are not ya though? acotar was originally marketed as ya but hasn’t been in years (good, it never should have been) and idk where you’re getting that priory is ya bc it is not and never has been marketed as such.

I was wrong about The Priory of the Orange Tree, a Google search said it was YA but it isn't listed as such on any book seller. However, ACOTAR still comes under Children's and Teenage. Whether it's marketed as such or not, booksellers are still shelving it there.

Waterstones (UK) lists it as YA and Barnes and Noble (USA) lists editorial reviews stating it's aged 14+. It doesn't matter what Bloomsbury markets it as, chart lists are based on what the booksellers sell it as. TOG is also on that list and still comes under YA in bookstores.

11 titles in the top 50! If anyone has a subscription to The Bookseller, please let me know if it gives the source for the top 50 as I can't find anything anywhere. The only list I can find is from the American Booksellers Association and that's a top 25.

Little over a third of books by female authors on that list are by Sarah. No other female author has multiple books on there, and the majority (if not all) of Sarah's books on that list are from her ACO series.

Where's the variety? And what about her ACO series makes it so popular compared to her first series?

[ebooksupremacy]

@themoonking

re your tags - maybe the list is only adult, not ya? bc if ya isn't included, then bardugo's grishaverse stuff wouldn't be considered.

I can't reply to you as this is a side blog so I hope you don't mind me tagging in the post! ACOTAR is classified as YA too and so is The Priory of the Orange Tree, which features in the list as well, so I don't think that's why Bardugo's books aren't on there.

11 titles in the top 50! If anyone has a subscription to The Bookseller, please let me know if it gives the source for the top 50 as I can't find anything anywhere. The only list I can find is from the American Booksellers Association and that's a top 25.

Little over a third of books by female authors on that list are by Sarah. No other female author has multiple books on there, and the majority (if not all) of Sarah's books on that list are from her ACO series.

Where's the variety? And what about her ACO series makes it so popular compared to her first series?

[ebooksupremacy]

11 titles in the top 50! If anyone has a subscription to The Bookseller, please let me know if it gives the source for the top 50 as I can't find anything anywhere. The only list I can find is from the American Booksellers Association and that's a top 25.

Little over a third of books by female authors on that list are by Sarah. No other female author has multiple books on there, and the majority (if not all) of Sarah's books on that list are from her ACO series.

Where's the variety? And what about her ACO series makes it so popular compared to her first series?

[ebooksupremacy]

"Authors should be allowed to explore dark themes in fiction! WRITING IS NOT CONDONING!"

That's so cool dude I agree with you absolutely!!! I am also against censorship and purity politics in fiction!!!! Wait dude- what are you doing- why did your white MC just call their POC love interest a racial slur and assault them......... ah........ I'm "moral policing" you???........ I see I see , my bad....... I just thought when you said you're "anti censorship" it meant you wanted to meaningfully explore complex themes in fiction........ oh nvm you just wanted to write a dark romance with a barely legal teen banging a 35 year old and not be judged for it........ My bad dude. My bad.

[ebooksupremacy]

i’ve come to realize that some readers may not know the difference between a book that is something vs a book that contains something.

a racist book is different than a book that contains racism

a misogynistic book is different than a book that contains misogyny

an ableist book is different than a book that contains ableism

[ebooksupremacy]

It baffles me when I see people posting their book hauls of about 10 books because, how are you able to find that many books to read? I'm so picky with books that it takes me weeks to decide whether I really want to read something that's been on my TBR list for a year.

[ebooksupremacy]

Some people will be like, "Neil Gaiman stole my trolley in Tesco while I was down the cake aisle 20 years ago and I ended up crying so hard I had my tear ducts removed and that's why we need to all boycott him. Peace and love!"

And there'll be replies like, "OMG, are you okay? Please hydrate and make sure you're safe. He almost killed me when he looked my way in the street and didn't even smile and I've been in hospital since."

One person with a full brain in their head instead of a pea surrounded by air will come in like, "it was 20 years ago and an honest mistake. I can understand why it could be frustrating but it might help to talk to a therapist instead of pushing blame onto someone."

Then dozens of clones will jump on the only sane user in the thread with, "found the trolleyphobe. KYS loser." While more clones cheer them on.

And that's weirdo behaviour. Please calm down. It's okay to be upset by personal things without trying to get validation by trying to convince others to boycott them, and you can support someone without enabling irrationality.

[ebooksupremacy]

Does anyone know which of the trans and nonbinary achillean books feature trans male characters and which feature nonbinary characters? From a quick search of two of them, The Fox and the Dryad features a trans masculine nonbinary character and Hyacinth features a trans male character.

I'd like to add Darkling and Undertow by Brooklyn Ray to that category too, as they both feature a trans male character (main in Darkling, love interest in Undertow). They are adult books with incredibly mature themes though, and they're from an indie publisher rather than self published.

Editing to add what I've found in case others are interested.

The Fox and the Dryad: Trans Masculine

Hyacinth: Trans Male

The Orchid and the Lion: Trans Male

How Not to Date a Dragon: Nonbinary

By Pain of Death: Trans Male

Welcome, Caller: Trans Male

[ebooksupremacy]

I was thinking about this today, wondering who would find this endearing. Not every piece of literature is made to be endearing, or attractive, or palatable, but ACOTAR is a "romance" that pretty much pulls from the author's fantasies and the scene itself isn't painted negatively. I can't seem to figure out why someone would fantasise about their love interest imagining their future child just as they're orgasming.

ACOTAR and TOG have many many toxic elements, but this is one of them that confuses me to no end. Just why.

Since we’re talking about acotar being a knockoff of twilight..

It’s weird that both series have p*do elements (Jacob imprinting on an infant in breaking dawn and Rhys c**ming at the sight of his child in acofas)

[ebooksupremacy]

Why are there not ratings on books the same way there are on films and TV shows? The YA genre is so broad, as I've mentioned before, and you'll easily find a book aimed and appropriate for 13 year olds on the same shelf as one aimed and appropriate for 18 year olds. Nothing is on the front, back or inner pages to suggest that content will be wildly different and may be inappropriate for a younger audience.

I suggest the publishing industry take a page out of the gaming industry's book and either rate the book according to how mature the content is, or include small warnings of what might be included. If your dark, mature subjects in their vaguest form are spoilers, you should not be publishing YA -- or any novels for that matter. If the words sexual assault (for example) spoil your novel but marketing ploys that reveal all the tropes included don't, there's obviously a problem.

Adult books should also include these warnings, naturally, but the adult demographic isn't as broad as YA. Rating of maturity wouldn't be necessary, just warnings of possibly triggering content.

People can read whatever books like what, no matter the demographic or maturity level! However, being aware of what you're reading and prepared for mature, dark or triggering content is important. This goes double for YA, who are still developing mentally and emotionally.

[ebooksupremacy]

After discovering Read with Rachel on YouTube, I feel the love of literature come rushing back. Her Authors Behaving Badly series is brilliant at highlighting how difficult it is to be a writing, let alone a successful one. I finished her videos on the author of Handbook for Mortals and on Kathleen Hale, and they both highlighted two distinct things that I feel writers need to be reminded of before pursuing publication.

You shouldn't be writing for success, or money, or fame. The project you put out there, the piece you share with the world, should be one that you love so much you want others to experience it too. The author of Handbook for Mortals was so dead-set on getting a movie deal, playing her own lead, and topping the bestsellers list, she seemed to cheapen the whole thing for herself (and others).

If you can't accept criticism, don't share the things you hold close to you with strangers, and certainly don't read the criticism you've been warned against. For Ms. Hale, she's the first half of that saying curiosity killed the cat, without following through with the satisfaction brought it back. Some criticism is important to hear and grow from, but sometimes you're not ready for it. Either keep what you have to yourself for the time being, or ignore what you don't feel is a problem.

I can't wait to watch the rest of the series, and I recommend all aspiring authors do the same. It's important to realise that we're not as caught up in our escapist fantasies as we like to believe we are; we still seek approval, still yearn to be liked, and we're still desperate for people to love our worlds the way we do.

A reality check in the form of learning from the mistakes of others is sometimes needed.

[ebooksupremacy]

Exploring dark, toxic and otherwise unfavourable subjects isn't something that should be discouraged amongst writers and authors. These subjects have produced a multitude of classics and critically acclaimed works such as A Clockwork Orange and American Psycho.

The problem with the modern toxicity in the booktok/booktube YA favourites is the lack of nuance and tone.

These darker subjects, written to be palatable for adults by adults, aren't appropriate for such a broad age demographic as YA.

They go unchallenged with little to no commentary on the subject itself, which leads the work into meta romanticism (which I define as the romanticism of the act and/or subject outside of the fictional work and subjective narrative).

There's no nuance that requires the reader to re-evaluate their views or cause them discomfort. Reading is an emotional experience, and dark subjects should trigger negative responses.

Darker subjects can be included in romances and adventures, as long as you make time to explore them -- all of them, from the build up to the climax to the aftermath. If you can't or won't follow through with the whole thing, it will become meta romanticism and that's not only toxic itself but lazy.

Portraying in-world romanticism of the darker subjects whilst also avoiding romanticising it to your readers is incredibly difficult and shouldn't be added to novels that you'd rather focus on something else. Make sure you know how you want the subject to come across before you commit yourself to writing it.

Booktok/booktube needs to stop fawning over authors who are romanticising the dark subjects in their stories both in and outside the narrative. Yes, reading should be fun, but when we read too much of something we either become desensitised to it or we normalise it.

With booktok/booktubes obsession with certain romantic dynamics, the results of seeing these pairings as "goals" could be damaging.

[ebooksupremacy]

I sometimes miss Shadowhunters; not because it was outstanding with its acting/visuals, but because it was fun in its own silly, theatrical way. It was the last fandom I was actively involved in, so I miss that as well.

I'm not saying the fandom is dead or even dying, but it's not the same when new (canon) content isn't being produced. It goes double since the show was cancelled rather than run its full course.

To those still in the fandom, who was your favourite character? What about favourite episode? Scene? Give me something!