May 2021 - What did you read?

[Beige]

Hey everyone! I hope you're all well

Where did your reading journey take you in May? Let us know what you liked, didn't like and what (if any) you think might be suitable for our DB bookshelf-database

Pop by anytime this month and share. Elena and I will research/validate all member's suggestions for the DB bookshelf-database at the end of the month.

Note: For any books you are recommending, if possible, let us know of any common content warnings that you noticed. Here is our current list on our bookshelf-database: (view spoiler)[

Animal abuse
Animal Death
Body Image
Bullying
Child Abuse
Child Death
Child Neglect
Emotional Abuse
Fat Shaming
Graphic Violence
Homophobia (that is acknowledged)
Low female rep
Mental Health
Memory Manipulation
Oppression
Racism (that is acknowledged)
Self harm
Sexism (that is acknowledged)
Slavery
Suicide
Transphobia (that is acknowledged)
Enbyphobia (that is acknowledged)
(hide spoiler)]

[Louise]

Hiya all,

I inadvertently read a few books from the bookshelf without realizing it, so my list is small this month. I also read a couple of paranormal romances that did not have any SV, but did have few "alpha male" tendencies, which I find annoying.

That said, maybe Fortune's Pawn might be a candidate. Decentish sci-fi action space opera with kick-ass female MC. I really liked the universe and its concept, execution was a bit lacking. No SV - some light consensual steamy scenes. Child abduction. But: I am not sure where the group stands on non consensual memory wipes (not sexual in nature), or as several reviewers put it brain-rape. :/
So Child abuse and memory manipulation tags?

[Silvana]

Quite confident that A Master of Djinn is free from SV. But it also has non consensual memory wipes, racist/colonialist remarks from some characters. Acknowledged oppression and sexism too.

[Beige]

Silvana wrote: "Quite confident that A Master of Djinn is free from SV. But it also has non consensual memory wipes, racist/colonialist remarks from some characters. Acknowledged oppression and sex..."

Silvana, thanks for seconding!!! I've added a memory manipulation tag to our list of CW for this one.

[Beige]

Louise wrote: "I inadvertently read a few books from the bookshelf without realizing it, so my list is small this month. I also read a couple of paranormal romances that did not have any SV, but did h..."

Hey, Louise 😁 I'm glad you found a few SV free reads last month and didn't find anything that would warrant removing them from of DB shelf.

And yeah, I hear you in the alpha male thing in romance. I read a few too many of these in the past and my tolerance quickly waned.

I was a huge fan of Fortune's Pawn when I read it a years ago. I really enjoyed the pacing and the mystery. And it didn't annoy me the way that many romance leaning SFF does. Not sure if I'd love it as much these days, but it certainly was the right book at the right time back then. I look forward to researching it later this month 😃

[Louise]

Beige wrote: "Louise wrote: "I inadvertently read a few books from the bookshelf without realizing it, so my list is small this month. I also read a couple of paranormal romances that did not have any SV, but di..."

Yay for Fortune's Pawn, it was fun and fast! Forgot to mention I read the sequel too. Honor's Knight. Same tags as Fortunes's Pawn. I am not sure I will read the 3rd installment as many reviewers say it spends a lot of time with the romance plot that is unnecessary and has the weakest writing of the three.

As for the others, seconding:
Beggars in Spain
The Galaxy and the Ground within
The Stars are Legion
Fugitive Telemetry

[Beige]

Thanks again for sharing your May reads with us here and in the main general thread 😁😀😁


Louise:
Fortune's Pawn and Honor's Knight - ✔️ Both added to our DB shelf with CW for (view spoiler)[ memory manipulation and graphic violence (hide spoiler)]

And we didn't have a few of your seconds on our DB shelf. While it's easy to browse the DB shelves, it's not as simple to search the DB shelves. Anything you search will appear if it has a listing on GR. Unfortunately, the only indication that a book is on the DB shelf is if the title appears as greyed out. Not very intuitive at all, GR! 😒

So I did research one of your seconds that wasn't already on our DB shelf, Beggars in Spain - 🔄 I'm adding this to pending due to a couple of outlier reviews that mentioned uneasiness around the (view spoiler)[ consent. Underage girl marrying a 70 year old? And a culture of rape/incest? (hide spoiler)]. Further research did not turn up any details. So onto our pending list it goes until another member decides read it 😁