This reminds me how in my country (Russia), a publisher recently demanded changes in a book about invertebrates. Because of things like snail reproduction. The publisher was worried that a book failing to condemn the snails for their hermaphrodite ways would run afoul of the LGBT propaganda laws.

Thanks to another book club talk that turned into rants after rants from all of us involved…I need my bounders (is that what we call ourselves?) opinions on tropes that illicit a visceral reaction from you!

For me, it’s cheating trope. I just… don’t have it in me when this leads to a second chance. Because, I’m sorry, but there is no amount of groveling that’s going to make me root for them to get back together. Once it’s done, it’s done. No rewrites. No retries. And don’t even get me started on the miscommunication trope piled on top of that! If a simple question or conversation could solve everything, I’m immediately annoyed. 😒

Whereas my book club friends eat that shit uppppp. No thank you.

So now I have to know, what’s the trope that has you immediately thinking, “nope, not reading that”? h

I've been having fun going through @catbitesback 's post least bookish hobbies? & trying to think of links to books/reading

Start at your non bookish / reading hobbies, & try to reach your reading in the fewest steps of association possible (either eye or ear reading) You could also comment hobbies you can't find a path for, to crowd source links!

A few of mine as examples:

Crochet → I read audiobooks & eye books as I crochet & I'm currently making cover tiles of my dog's favourite books so he can bring them to people to ask for them to be played for/read to him. (Solving the issue of no one else being able to find out which he wants when I'm not around) =1 link

Foraging → reading about foragable foods, materials & recipes. Those local to my area & also further afield. =1 link

Needle Felting → one of my first projects was making a mouse from the show Bagpuss → there are multiple accompanying books that, now I know they exist, I want to read because they look adorable. =2 links

Wild Swimming → It's Not That Radical by Mikaela Loach features wild swimming =1 link

I'm struggling to think of other examples of mine that are more than 1 or different kinds of connection, so I'll leave it there for now. Go forth & link fellow Boundlings!

In this way, their egocentrism is more like the self-preoccupation of someone with a chronic pain condition, rather than someone who can't get enough of himself or herself.

wtf??? what an absolutely fucking wild & wildly ableist comparison, on top of the transphobic microaggression. yikes. if i weren't so desperate for some of the information in this book, that bullshit would have made me DNF