The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion
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This is less a question about how to "work" the site, and more a request about how we might go about adding a discussion group of the "types" of m/m love demonstrated in various books and series. For example, I was talking to @PaperMoon(?) about how the attraction between Val Toreth and Keir Warrick in The Administration series resembles that of the sexual shenanigans of Zane Garrett and Ty Grady in the Cut & Run series. Yet everyone seems to love the latter series, while getting anyone new to read the former is like forcing spinach on a youngster.
Does this make any sense, and would it be a large-enough subject to be worthy of a standalone thread? Perhaps it should just remain as back-and-forth within the threads discussing the various novels and series.
Thoughts?
I'm a little intimidated by the idea of starting new discussion topics too (other than adding books/or authors). These are things I might've just tossed out there on our old disorganized forum. For instance, I've had a few ideas to put in the Everything Else bin:
1. Some sort of general discussion thread for miscellaneous thoughts that while on-topic aren't necessarily about a book. I swear I had an example a minute ago, but it's gone now..... Ah! It's back. Is anyone else a little OCD about clearing off all those little red "new" tags? I'm clicking on them all even if I've read the review on AE or have already determined that the author is just not for me. I'm afraid I won't catch a "new" that I really do want to read amongst all that red.
2. A place to post the most god-awful (but amusing!) titles we come across. Every Tuesday when I look through the 15% off New Releases at Rainbow, I find the most ridiculous titles & I've often thought of sharing the little laugh they give me.
3. A thread to discuss tropes we hate (or love, I suppose, but hate is more fun) or little tropettes that we'd like to never see again in another book (like that electric jolt when they first touch baloney).
So what's the etiquette here? I don't have a problem running things by the moderators first so as not to clutter things up with my own little amusements.
Mod
I'm not quite sure I know what you mean---is this a topic you think you could introduce as a message in the "Everything Else" folder?
Mod
Well, my initial thought was that the contents of the "Everything Else" folder would be gay-entertainment oriented---if not about books, then perhaps films or even television shows, though that isn't the main point of the site...
However, I've gone ahead and taken a page from the LGBT YA group, and added one additional folder titled "Totally Off-topic." There's a description attached to the folder, and I hope this will serve everyone's needs.
I agree that a forum that insists on sticking very strictly to narrowly-defined topics of conversation may feel a little oppressive. After all, when groups of friends get together in real life they have conversations about all sorts of things, not just a single subject.
So, I hope the addition of this folder will foster a sort of easy give-and-take conversation between forum members.
I'm fine with whatever you want to put up for discussion in the Everything Else - book/author related issues, trope-bug-bears, silly/ridiculous phrases or sentences found in a read. I seem to recall we had a small discussion back at the 'home country' over incredible names some authors chose.
A funny running thread on new incredible titles would be good. I enjoyed myself late last year speculating on the variety of possible titles for Elle Parker's next book in her Dino Martini series. We should post that here to see if one of our predictions actually come to pass - that would be a lark! With bets taken too??
I don't think in general you would need to run things past me or Fred regarding posting to the 'anything else' (and I'm speaking for myself here but I'm fairly certain Fred would be of like mind). Let's not stifle creativity and amusement - after all, we'll need those by the bucketloads whilst we all feather the new nest and possible foresee the demise of the homeland. Just my thought here.
Mod
Oh, PaperMoon, I have to smile here because here we were responding in basically the same fashion at the same time! But---I should have run the new folder by you first---please understand, I'm still getting used to this "moderator" role.
Oh, PaperMoon, I have to smile here because here we were responding in basically the same fashion at the same time!..."Tis too spooky for words! I like your new Totally Off-Topic option :)
Mod
I don't want to post in the wrong genre...where would I post about a rom-com? Contemporary romance didn't seem like the right fit, would I just use general fiction?
Mod
Hmmmm, tough one---perhaps it depends on how strong the romance aspect of the plot is? I think either genre folder would do.
I realise that a LOT of books fit into several genres, and as a result we're not going to be too picky about how reviews are filed. Just place your review where you think it fits the best---no worries, no problems.
Octobercountry wrote: "Hmmmm, tough on--perhaps it depends on how strong the romance aspect of the plot is? I think either genre folder would do."Thanks for the input. I scrolled through some of the titles in the CR category, and decided general fiction was a better fit for this one. :-)
Octobercountry wrote: "Charles wrote: "This is less a question about how to "work" the site, and more a request about how we might go about adding a discussion group of the "types" of m/m love demonstrated in various boo..."This is what happens when I type before I've thought an idea completely through.
What I realize I want is to go into the "Everything Else" folder with a topic something like "Theorum: My favorite pairs of lovers can blow yours out of the galaxy - without using their hands!"
Perhaps toned-down a tad......but, then, it IS me doing the talking. :-)
Mod
Charles wrote: "What I realize I want is to go into the "Everything Else" folder with a topic something like "Theorum: My favorite pairs of lovers can blow yours out of the galaxy - without using their hands!""LOL! Please do!
How do I get the book cover pic to be nice and big like Charles (aka Tall CR) did for The Administration books? The one I put in the Boystown discussion is just the little thumbnail. Help!
Mod
You can link to the image on the book's main Goodreads page, using the HTML code you'll see if you click on the little "(some html is ok)" link above the message box. For instance, the URL of the book in question is:
http://d.gr-assets.com/books/13645162...
(To find the URL of an image you want to use, just right-click on it and then click on "copy image URL.")
This isn't about the forum, but GR in general. Does anyone know if there's any rhyme or reason to how the books are listed on an author's page? They aren't alphabetical or chronological so what then? If an author doesn't have a blog entry about a new book at the top of their page, it's hard to tell if there's anything new since the last time I checked. Or am I able to do something to organize them the way I want? (Because usually when I complain about 'I can't believe there's no way to.....', there actually is some way that I just don't know about.) Also, does anyone have trouble searching for books/authors? I very frequently get no results, but when I put the exact same thing into the Google search box, the GR page is usually in the top few results. Very annoying.
Thanks!
JaxI have noticed the books are listed based on the number of reviews it has received. it seems they provide a measure of popularity.
I agree on the search thing. sometimes you have to spell the book perfectly ot you get no results.
ok, one more thing. on the web based version of GR you should be able to use the drop down menu available right before the books by the author are listed to sort the books using a few different options. this drop down menu is to the right where it says "XY's Books."
Oh that drop down menu is exactly what I was hoping for! Thank you!
Mod
From what I can see, the drop-down sorting box doesn't appear on the author's main Goodreads page. But, click on the "more books by...." link that appears at the end of the list of titles that appears on the author's main Goodreads page.
This brings up a new page that contains ALL of the author's books, and this list is sortable by title, original publication year, etc.
Is there a place for non-fiction gay books? I looked through and didn't see one where I could add Closets, Combat, and Coming Out by Rob Smith. I just finished it and thought it was definitely worth recommending to everyone, but don't know where to put it! Thanks.
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...
If a folder doesn't receive any new posts for an extended period of time, it falls off the main page, which I believe is what happened in this case.
To see all folders, even those that aren't showing on the main page at the present time, just click on "Discussions"---that's on the upper right of the page, just above the search bar.
To start with, however, it may be helpful to first read the "how do I post" topic to see if that answers any questions.