Check ins and other randomness

[Alwynne]

Nope, snowing today and very drear! Not sure how long the cold snap will last but it's making me feel very lazy!

[Rebecca (Adventurer)]

Happy International Women's Day everyone!

[Alwynne]

And to you 😊

[Carol]

Poetry. Goodreads has trained me that poetry = non-fiction. Do you agree that it's nonfiction, or does it depend on the poem or poet?

I'm still not convinced, but I'm open to convincing. Some poetry reflects the author's inner most very real feelings and observations. Don't some poets some times create characters and settings and an imaginary universe? Am I the only that struggles with this categorization of poetry as ... fact?

[Liesl]

Carol wrote: "Poetry. Goodreads has trained me that poetry = non-fiction. Do you agree that it's nonfiction, or does it depend on the poem or poet?

I'm still not convinced, but I'm open to convincing. Some poe..."

I don't agree at all. Poetry is fiction. If we return to the beginning of literature, everything was poetry.

I think this might be the modern day equivalent of the debate about the superiority of poetry over the novel. People trying to attach greater importance to the form so as to increase its popularity.

I agree with you Carol. A lot of poetry is based upon the poets creating stories. Even if the poet uses something they have observed as an inspiration, that does not make the details in the poem itself factual. Also, if authors use things they have observed or felt as inspiration for their writing, then that would lead to all fiction being categorised as non-fiction which is simply absurd.

[Jassmine]

Carol wrote: "Poetry. Goodreads has trained me that poetry = non-fiction. Do you agree that it's nonfiction, or does it depend on the poem or poet?"

I guess, I'm coming from a little different place.
For a short time, I was in Masters program of Comparative Literature (it didn't turn out as a good fit for me) and there the main consensus what that literature (poetry included) should have been read in the "death of the author" approach and shouldn't be read autobiographically. Which... to a certain degree, yes, but also trying to pretend that piece of art exists in a void is incredibly short sighted.
I guess, I'm not really answering your question, because autobiographical doesn't exactly mean the same thing as non-fiction, but I guess... my point is that I sometimes like to read poetry in relation to the life of its author, which kind of makes me read it like a non-fiction, but at the same time I wouldn't say that it's a non-fiction about the author's life...
It also depends on the poetry... there is poetry that is very simply fiction (especially the older poetry, I guess...), but then there is such thing as social justice poetry that clearly comes up from author's personal experience and maybe even is intended to work as non-fiction in some ways...
I have to say that differentiating between Fiction and Non-fiction in general is often trickier than would one think...

[lethe]

Liesl wrote: "I don't agree at all. Poetry is fiction. If we return to the beginning of literature, everything was poetry."

+1

[David]

I tend to see poetry as a counterpoint to prose. Just as prose can be used for fiction or nonfiction (or memoir or other modes), poetry can as well.

[Anita]

I was just struggling with this myself recently. I'd always been taught that poetry and folklore is non-fiction, because it's reflective of the author's real emotions or thoughts, in poetry's case, or of the history of a culture in the case of folklore. Was a little torn myself when shelving some books, but I stuck with non-fiction in the end.

[lethe]

I don't get it. To me, poetry is the most fictional of all fictions.

[Carol]

I'm so glad to read everyone's responses and feel a lot less lonely in my thoughts about poetry. I've always thought of literature falling into 4 buckets - fiction, non-fiction, drama/plays and poetry. I've gotten back my confidence now to conclude that trying to fit either plays or poetry into the F/NF scheme is difficult enough on a case-by-case basis, but doing so in whole is preposterous.

@Anita - and now you remind me of folklore. Are you distinguishing between folk tales and folklore? I don't think I've ever considered folk tales as other than fiction, because even though the stories are culturally shared, foundational texts, they are about imagined persons and don't purport to tell of events in a real person's life. Help me understand how a collection like Grimm's Fairy Tales or even the Odyssey would be non-fiction. (that's a set-me-straight request, not push back on your conclusion).

[lethe]

I didn't have time to add a PS this morning, but I saw David's comment and I actually agree with that. Like prose, poetry can be fiction (like epic poetry, Homer, etc.) and non-fiction (autobiographical).

Interesting discussion!

[Anita]

Carol wrote: "I'm so glad to read everyone's responses and feel a lot less lonely in my thoughts about poetry. I've always thought of literature falling into 4 buckets - fiction, non-fiction, drama/plays and poe..."

The reason I was taught is because folktales/folklore/mythology tell the history of a culture, and that usually revolves around spiritualism and religion. If a culture believes in its dieties, it wouldn't describe stories of them as fictional. I'm not fighting any battles or holding any hills on this. It's pretty moot to me, haha.

[Carol]

Anita wrote: "Carol wrote: "I'm so glad to read everyone's responses and feel a lot less lonely in my thoughts about poetry. I've always thought of literature falling into 4 buckets - fiction, non-fiction, drama..."

Totally makes sense. Thanks, Anita!

[Mj]

I’ve been following this discussion about how poetry should be classified but haven’t commented yet because I was finding it too difficult to put my thoughts into only a few words.

First my bias – I am not a fan of using simple categories and/or labels to differentiate and supposedly describe things or people. I realize there is a need to use categories to organize information but when people and/or books are used with a 1 word description – it is oftentimes more incorrect than correct.

People and books are so multi-dimensional that I believe a one word label does more of a disservice than enlightenment. I don’t think one size can fit all and that one word or category could begin to get close to fully describing all the complexities in books and/or people.

The integration of people, travel, movement and access to cultures around the world are making it even more difficult to describe anything or anyone in one word. Many people have multiple bloodlines, heritages and life experiences. Similarly growing personal freedom (in some countries), the discussions and sharing of people’s sexual identities and preferences and growing capacity, technically and socially to be fluid suggest that will only keep changing and becoming even more complex in both books and people.

It’s terrific that all this is happening but how could we accurately label a book or describe a person or author with one or a few words. I look upon categories in general as guidelines only that oftentimes cause more division than clarity.

[Jassmine]

Mj wrote: "I am not a fan of using simple categories and/or labels to differentiate and supposedly describe things or people. I realize there is a need to use categories to organize information but when people and/or books are used with a 1 word description – it is oftentimes more incorrect than correct."

I actually identify with this approach a lot. Labels are useful, but only as far as we recognise them as limited...

[Mj]

There was a lot of great response to Carol's initial post and question about categorizing poetry. Thought members might find the following from a Full Stop interview to be of interest. An author was asked about Writing Both Poetry and Fiction.

I was checking out a new book Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century for Bingo and came across an interview with the author Kim Fu (Canadian with Asian background) by Megan Kakimoto (Hawaiian) author of upcoming Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare in Full Stop. The full interview is below the quote if you’re interested.

One of Megan’s questions:
In addition to writing remarkable prose, you are also an accomplished poet. Do you see your poetry figuring into your short stories?

Kim Fu’s response:

I think there’s a lot to learn from poetry, for fiction writers. Poetry tends to put a lot of faith in the reader, for example—poetry trusts the reader to make leaps and connections that aren’t obvious—and I think the moments where fiction demands that level of construction and engagement are often the most powerful. I also think reading and writing poetry encourages you to try to see the world in new ways, to find fresh descriptive language and new associations, to treat everything around you as worthy of close study, which is useful in every kind of writing.

https://www.full-stop.net/2022/03/29/...

[Alwynne]

Someone was asking how to add links to reviews in their comments. I just go to 'My Books' and then to the review and copy the address line then paste it into comments later.

[Carol]

Mj wrote: "There was a lot of great response to Carol's initial post and question about categorizing poetry. Thought members might find the following from a Full Stop interview to be of interest. An author wa..."

Mj, I loved this discussion and your comments are a perfect wind-up. I asked not because I need to put any writing into a box, mentally, but because I used my shelves for everything relating to nominations and discussions. In other words, if a book is added to my TBR without any shelving, I'll never see it again. OTOH, the more shelves a book is on, the more likely I am to chase and read it, nominate it, share it with folks looking for X or Y, etc. So there's a benefit in understanding how other readers shelve books. Philosophically, it's really interesting to think about plays and poetry distinct from other writing forms, too. I hope everyone else got as much out of this exchange as I did : )

[Carol]

Alwynne wrote: "Someone was asking how to add links to reviews in their comments. I just go to 'My Books' and then to the review and copy the address line then paste it into comments later."

Alwynne - do you have the same experience i'm having with respect to 3rd party links, e.g., some days GR allows them and some days it does not, at least in reviews? OTOH, I'm almost always able to share 3rd party links in group threads, but get error messages when trying to upload reviews that include external links maybe 30 - 40% of the time. Please advise : )

[Carol]

I finished reading this LitHub article on the newly heightened visibility of translators and have so, so many thoughts, but mostly I'd like to hear your take on it.

https://lithub.com/spokesperson-intel...

It starts off in the grumpy-old-guy-mourning- the- loss- of- the- good-old- days mode (IMO), but after finding smelling salts apparently, it goes on to include quite a lot of interesting data and opinions for any reader interested in #WiT to respond to.

Thoughts?

[Alwynne]

Carol wrote: "Alwynne wrote: "Someone was asking how to add links to reviews in their comments. I just go to 'My Books' and then to the review and copy the address line then paste it into comments later."

Alwyn..."

Not recently but gave up on trying to use them a while ago, too frustrating.

[Anita]

Carol wrote: "I finished reading this LitHub article on the newly heightened visibility of translators and have so, so many thoughts, but mostly I'd like to hear your take on it.

https://lithub.com/spokesperson..."

I gave up on posting links a while ago. It's been very frustrating for me and it definitely cripples me in creating threads for the group the way I'd like to.

As for the translator's article, I really liked that one. I was already thinking about the modern translations of classics, and authors (specifically female) who have taken the story and tried to take a different perspective to the translation. It does take a more creative run with the work, and perhaps it becomes more of a "re-telling" but I've really enjoyed these. Beowulf translated by Maria Dahvana Headley is probably one of the funnest, best examples I can think of to describe this modern translation with liberties of classic works.

However, I do see how contemporary books and probably especially non-fiction books should be translated as close to the author's intent as possible. As far as colloquialisms, I can see how they can make a difference in translation, and where does the translator draw the line on translating the story's intent versus the words on the page?

In instances of preserving the author's cultural and racial identity, I'm not sure that it's wrong to look for translators who share similar social or racial traits, but across cultures, wouldn't it be hard to assume one race in Asia will have the same social experiences as the same race in Europe? I have to leave this up to the publishing houses in charge of making those distinctions in their own countries, as they're the ones both experiencing it and also footing the bill. I don't see anything wrong with trying.

I would hope they would take the original author's opinion into consideration as well. Does the author want the book translated purely, or does the author want the story to carry? If telling a cultural story, for example one of American slavery, I wouldn't think there's a way to change that to reflect the translator's market's culture without erasing the culture within the story, and thus should be translated as is.

Just some thoughts, but a great topic and article. Thank you Carol!

[Carol]

share 1 or more favorite book covers you've encountered in the last several months




Yours?

[Jassmine]

Carol wrote: "share 1 or more favorite book covers you've encountered in the last several months"

I really like Babel's cover, though I didn't enjoy the book very much:

I'm also very partial to the penguin clothbound edition. The one that I have on my shelves and recently finished is Cranford:

Also, tor.com tends to have amazing covers:

[Carol]

Wow! That Cranford cover is stunning. I haven't encountered Penguin other than in trade paper; must keep an eye out for more.

I hadn't realized that tor.com covers were so stunning. I'll have to look for them more often.

Today, I saw this one for the first time and I'm a fan. If only we could enlarge book covers when we want to, and have the "old" book pages back with their reasonably-sized covers. *sigh* The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

[Melissa]

My favorite recent book cover is The Girl Who Outgrew the World by Zoje Stage. A wonderful novella!

[Carol]

That is a gorgeous one, Melissa!

[Jassmine]

Carol wrote: "Wow! That Cranford cover is stunning. I haven't encountered Penguin other than in trade paper; must keep an eye out for more."

There is a list for them on GR, I really LOVE some of those, but there are a few that are kind off misses... (Also, from practical perspective I mostly like them, but I know some people complain that with some books from the edition the font - inside the book - is too small.)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
And these are the paperback twins
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...

If only we could enlarge book covers when we want to, and have the "old" book pages back with their reasonably-sized covers. *sigh* The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

I recently BRed another book by V. Castro - The Queen of the Cicadas - and she is such interesting author to me. None of us really loved the book, but a lot of the ideas were stimulating...

[Carol]

Jassmine wrote: "Carol wrote: "Wow! That Cranford cover is stunning. I haven't encountered Penguin other than in trade paper; must keep an eye out for more."

There is a list for them on GR, I really LOVE some of t..."

Yeah, I've always had challenges with Penguin fonts and not-really-white pages offering less contrast than many other publishers.

what a cool list! Also I need to find a V. Castro book - that's a fun challenge to the new.

[Carol]

Has 2023 introduced you to a new favorite author? Who is it or they, and what made you love their works, if you're willing to share?

Mine are Mary Beard, Sarah Bakewell, Roxane Gay and Parini Shroff. Beard and Bakewell for their ability to organize history in a consumable fashion and do so in a highly appealing literary voice. Gay for her command of the essay form, combining likability and accessibility with a trained debater's skill at driving toward her conclusion/s. Shroff for her ability to address issues of domestic violence in a manner that is serious but not upsetting/depressing, and to keep her focus on the importance of women's relationships with one another as an essential coping mechanism.

[Alwynne]

For me it's R. F. Kuang, loved Babel: An Arcane History and really liked Yellowface. I really like writers who are able to combine intelligence with accessibility and a strong plot line, it's a rare combination.

[Jassmine]

Hmmm... I usually don't use the label of "favourite author" lightly and in most cases I wouldn't call that somebody until I read more of their works, but... I think I actually got some!

I can't believe I picked my first N.K. Jemisin only this year! The Fifth Season was one of the most powerful books I ever read and Emergency Skin was also nice.
On the opposite side of spectrum Austin Chant is such a fun and easygoing author to read, I really loved both Peter Darling and Coffee Boy.

I also think I'm going to try some more books by Hailey Piper, even though horror really isn't my genre, her style just really suits me. Similarly, I really need to try something longer by Laurie Penny, but I feel some favourite potential there as well.


@Alwynne: I'm really glad Babel worked for you! I think it was my biggest disappointment of the year so far 🙈

@Carol: Really need to read some Mary Beard soon! She's burning a hole into my tbr...

[Melissa]

Abigail Thomas for me! I've had several of her books unread on my actual shelves for YEARS and heard nothing but praise for her work (memoir, mostly, but also short stories and fiction). I decided that this is the year I read as many of those books and authors I've been "saving for the right time." (Life is short and there's no guarantees.) Anyway, Abigail Thomas' work is as wonderful as everyone says. She has a way of capturing the small moments of life in short, powerful vignettes. I started with Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life, followed by What Comes Next and How to Like It, and A Three Dog Life. Highly recommend if you're into memoirs about love, loss, grief, marriage, friendship, writing.

I'll also add Zoje Stage because I really liked The Girl Who Outgrew the World. When I looked up more information about Zoje, I discovered that she is a local to me author and would be doing an appearance at our library within a few weeks.

[Carol]

Jassmine wrote: "Hmmm... I usually don't use the label of "favourite author" lightly and in most cases I wouldn't call that somebody until I read more of their works, but... I think I actually got some!

I can't be..."

You've given me several new-to-me authors to explore and I thank you for it !

Mary Beard - yes - at least read a few pages at the library or listen to an audiobook sample and see what you think. There are some authors that totally work for me and work less for others, and vice versa, of course. I just read an Alice Munro short story with another group and confirmed that, no, I still don't appreciate her writing as others do, and, no, trying her again 20 years later didn't improve the experience. I wish it weren't so, but there it is.

[Carol]

Alwynne wrote: "For me it's R. F. Kuang, loved Babel: An Arcane History and really liked Yellowface. I really like writers who are able to combine intelligence with accessibility an..."

I have Yellowface on hold at my library and am anxious for it to arrive. I"m on the fence about Babel for now (on the TBR, but not pulling it higher), but that could change depending on Yellowface.

Adding Austin Chant, Hailey Piper, Abigail Thomas and Zoge Stage to my "woman authors worth chasing" list...

[Carol]

My (adult) daughter and I went to our town's small, renovated artsy theater and saw Emily last evening and loved it. She was googling info about Bran, Charlotte and the gang throughout so we'd know if we had to face tragic deaths or consider leaving, which led to lots of intense learnings about the Bronte siblings in a 2-hour period. My idea of a great evening in wonderful company. I am still not burning to read wuthering heights because, as the character Charlotte says in Emily, it is a book about terrible people doing terrible things, and I'd rather not spend 400+ pages in that environment. But Emily Bronte the person fascinates and it's a shame that we really know very little about her.

Which also made me think, what movies have you enjoyed that have a strong literary connection - or we can chat about fave adaptations if you like - but I was really thinking about the movie version of books about books. Biographies, context, I don't know . What comes to mind?

[GailW]

Of the 10 books I've read or listened to this month, 6 were from authors I had never before read. Two were standouts that I did not expect: Nan Shepherd who wrote the non-fiction tribute to the Scottish Cairngorm Mountains in The Living Mountain and beautifully narrated by Tilda Swinton; and Suzanne Collins of The Hunger Games fame.

Shepherd wrote a few novels in the late 20's and early 30's, which I want to try. I do not expect that they will provoke the sense of wonder that I felt listening to Living Mountains but want to try at least one anyway.

And when it came to Hunger Games, I have been a snob for the last 15 years. I tend to shy away from massively promoted books and a topic which I felt I couldn't handle. Last Christmas my daughter-in-law and I were having a lovely chat talking about books (and drinking some wine). She asked me if I had read it, I dismissively answered "nah". She was appalled. She (jokingly, I think...) told me I couldn't come back until I did. A gift certificate to Barnes and Noble from her was in my inbox when I got home from the trip. So I bought it. And then read it right before I was to visit them this month. I finished in less than two days. Now I get the hype. I've already ordered the second one. And, yes, I admitted to her that she was right...

[Carol]

Gail W wrote: "Of the 10 books I've read or listened to this month, 6 were from authors I had never before read. Two were standouts that I did not expect: Nan Shepherd who wrote the non-fiction t..."

Way to go in meeting your daughter-in-law in the book space that's important to her. So many people dig in in opposition to books, tv series and movies that aren't in their sweet spot or even that they disdain (too low brow/too high brow) when they might have a solid opportunity to connect with a person they care about if they could give X a try. I had difficulty with the violence/constant mortal threat to my protagonist of the Hunger Games - made it perhaps to page 75 of the first book - but am glad I sampled it to have a first-hand opinion. Basically, I'm a weenie and like my bodies already dead when I encounter them, it seems. Collins has got pacing down, 1000%.

[Alwynne]

Melissa also loved A Three Dog Life, have you tried Mark Doty's Dog Years? Another favourite dog book.

Gail, I devoured the Hunger Games trilogy, loved the radical heroine. I've been meaning to read Nan Shepard bought a collection of hers recently.

I also really enjoyed C. E. McGill's debut Our Hideous Progeny what I'd hoped for from The Essex Serpent but didn't get, with a Sarah Waters flavour. And really liked Mieko Kanai and Kaori Fujino. I'd also happily read more by Shumona Sinha was very impressed by Down with the Poor!

[Liesl]

Carol wrote: "My (adult) daughter and I went to our town's small, renovated artsy theater and saw Emily last evening and loved it. She was googling info about Bran, Charlotte and the gang throughout so we'd know..."

I saw "Emily" a few weeks ago and loved it. I think she is the most talented Bronte. There is a passion in "Wuthering Heights" that is missing from Charlotte's work. After seeing this film, I can understand why the men in "Wuthering Heights" are all so horrible because the men in Emily's life were truly dreadful. To be honest, I thought Charlotte was pretty horrible as well.

Seeing the film gave me an urge to re-read "Wuthering Heights" yet again. I feel as if I might see something I hadn't seen before.

[Liesl]

Gail W wrote: "Of the 10 books I've read or listened to this month, 6 were from authors I had never before read. Two were standouts that I did not expect: Nan Shepherd who wrote the non-fiction t..."

What a lovely story about your daughter-in-law, and how lovely of her to send you the book voucher. For me, the decision about not reading books like this is based more upon the fact that I don't think I am their intended audience. They are YA books and I am sadly long past that group. I have read the Harry Potter books but only because I read them to my son. By the time Hunger Games and Percy Jackson came along, he was old enough to read them to himself.

I did go see the films with him though.

[Liesl]

Carol wrote: "Which also made me think, what movies have you enjoyed that have a strong literary connection - or we can chat about fave adaptations if you like - but I was really thinking about the movie version of books about books. Biographies, context, I don't know . What comes to mind?..."

"Finding Neverland" is another lovely film. It is about JM Barrie and how he came to write "Peter Pan". I'd also throw "Shakespeare in Love" into the discussion because, although it is not biographical, it is a quite delightful farce about Shakespeare writing "Romeo & Juliet".

Is anyone watching "The Power"? I really enjoyed the book and was nervous about watching it because I wondered whether they would do it justice. I think they have done a wonderful job so far.

[Jassmine]

Carol wrote: "Adding Austin Chant, Hailey Piper, Abigail Thomas and Zoge Stage to my "woman authors worth chasing" list..."

Just quickly chiming in, to say that (if I'm not mistaken) Austin Chant is trans-masculine author using they/them pronouns, so I probably wouldn't label them as woman author (but I guess that's my bad for including them... I'm not sure how this group approaches marginalised gender identities...).


I wanted to say that I had to think about the movies, but I just realised that under "bookish movie" The Neverending Story immediately pops into my head I didn't watch/read that in ages though...

[Anita]

Liesl wrote: "Is anyone watching "The Power"? I really enjoyed the book and was nervous about watching it because I wondered whether they would do it justice. I think they have done a wonderful job so far..."

I've been on the fence about the show. I really loved the book and worry about what portions of which stories would be brought to the screen. I'm so happy to hear a vote of confidence though, Liesl.

[GailW]

Liesl wrote: "... They are YA books and I am sadly long past that group...."
Liesl, don't sell your reading life short by aging a book. I did that too for awhile until I started doing different challenges on Goodreads. I have had the privilege of reading some fantastic books that are considered middle grade and ya, that I would have been sorry to miss. Code Name Verity, The Book Thief, and Where'd You Go, Bernadette are just a few of the YA I highly recommend. There's an added bonus that my grandkids will tell me books that they love and then expect me to read at least a few of them so we can talk about them later.

[Alwynne]

I still happily read YA fiction, and I've come across a fair few novels I've really liked. It's like any other genre, some gems, some dross. I think marketing also makes a difference, loads on people who avoid YA loved Abigail but the translation was presented as an NYRB classic in their adult rather than their children's range, although it was originally written for younger readers.

[Melissa]

Alwynne wrote: "Melissa also loved A Three Dog Life, have you tried Mark Doty's Dog Years? Another favourite dog book.

Gail, I devoured the Hunger Games trilogy, loved the radical h..."

Loved Dog Years -- and it's funny (and definitely a minority view), I'm not a "dog book" kind of person. I'll read anything by Mark Doty.

[Carol]

I'm with Gail that the readers age isn't relevant to consuming YA-labeled books.

One of the reasons that label makes me a bit crazy is that it's used in two ways. (a) the protagonist is a young adult (13 - 30 appears to be the range lol) and/or (b) the target audience is young adult readers (maybe more akin to 10 - 25). When it first became broadly applied - maybe 15 years ago? - it was often the case, in my view, that YA = poor or simplistic writing and characters. Then I remember being appalled to see all of LM Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables labeled YA. Using a single category label to basic-sentence-wattpad-werewolf-rom-com stories and also to well-written classic LitFic causes many readers on the LitFic end of the preference spectrum to eschew all books bearing the dreaded yellow YA label.

I push myself to read or at least try 3 - 5 YA books per year, more graphic novels than not, but it's important to me to have that access point for certain experiences. I'm reading The Next New Syrian Girl by Ream Shukairy and highly recommend it as a best-in-class example. I loved The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, and am glad I read Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson to understand the conversation around R Kelly and why so many people blamed the girls.

[Carol]

Jassmine wrote: "Carol wrote: "Adding Austin Chant, Hailey Piper, Abigail Thomas and Zoge Stage to my "woman authors worth chasing" list..."

Just quickly chiming in, to say that (if I'm not mistaken) Austin Chant ..."

Jassmine, Anita and I kick this topic around from time to time and I think where we are is, yes, our members should feel free to discuss any authors of marginalized gender identities in our threads, and if you can educate us on the claimed identity of authors who aren't women, members uninterested in all but women authors can choose to ignore them or add them to their TBR knowing that information. Your follow-on comment was spot-on helpful.