Special Topics: Steam ratings for romance books

I wrote my paper on "steam" ratings after attempting to help a patron who asked for "sexy books." I found two different websites that accepted reader-submitted descriptions and ratings for both quality and sexual content. Allaboutromance.com and romance.io both have five point sensuality/steam scales that are comparable, beginning with kisses/innocent and ending with burning/explicit-and-plentiful. The websites agreed with my assessment of Colleen Hoover (however only one site had a listing for the title It Ends with Us) (a 3 rating) and of TJ Klune's The House in the Cerulean Sea (a 1 rating). Helpful!

Also, limited. With fewer contributors, fewer titles are reviewed leaving a mainstream book like Hoover's out. The other important limitation of these sites is that with fewer contributors, the ratings can skew more easily. While both sites provide descriptions of each point on their five-point scale in the interest of objectivity, contributors may disagree. On a site like Goodreads.com, there are hundreds of thousands of reviews which makes for a more reliable score than either of the romance sites, which only receive a couple dozen reviews at most. A final limitation is that the sites focus on romances, which may leave out a lot of other books that contain (or don't) steamy sex scenes. I'm reminded of the blog assignment where a patron asked for a "clean" mystery. Neither site had reviews for mystery author CJ Box, for example.

Finally, what does the American Library Association have to say about rating scales? The ALA Bill of Rights maintains that readers are to be free to choose whatever they want to read. Yes, of course. And that rating scales can be--but are not required to be--included in records with the source of the rating score identified and an explanation that no rating scales are endorsed by the ALA. My conclusion was to keep steaminess stickers off of book spines, but to keep both websites in mind when advising readers who specifically ask for a certain type of book.

On a titillating note, check out some of the titles on romance.io's site--they really go down the rabbit hole of alternative romances, including a whole fictional universe called the omniverse that has its own rules about alpha and beta personalities, and books that are so over-the-top, they made me blush more than Fifty Shades of Grey.

Relationship Fiction: It Ends with Us

 Author: Colleen Hoover

Title: It Ends with Us

Genre: Emotion—Relationship fiction

Publication Date: 2016

Number of Pages: 384

Geographical Setting: a small town in Maine and Boston MA

Time Period: present day (2016) and 2007

Series (If applicable): It Ends with Us series (2 books)

Plot Summary: Reeling from her father’s funeral, Lily meets a handsome doctor (Ryle) who says he doesn’t want a relationship, ever. After it turns out Ryle is the brother of her new friend Alyssa, they begin to see each other, tentatively. As Lily and Ryle’s relationship grows into something far more serious, Lily revisits her teenage diaries, which tell the story of her first relationship with a homeless boy named Atlas and her father’s abuse of her mother. Spoiler: As Lily finds herself forgiving Ryle for hurting her, she gains an understanding of her mother’s choices and ultimately makes the decision to leave him.

Subject Headings:

Man-woman relationships – fiction

Triangles (interpersonal relations) – fiction

Business women – fiction

Neurosurgeons – fiction

First loves – fiction

Boston (Mass.) – fiction

Domestic violence – fiction

Appeal:

Relationships—It Ends with Us focuses on romantic relationships in youth and early adulthood, the complexities of loving someone dangerously flawed, and friendships that endure.

Sexuality—The novel does not shy away from intimate encounters.

Pacing—Hoover’s novel clips along at a rapid pace, providing a sense of tenuous control of Lily’s life and loves.

             

3 terms that best describe this book: bittersweet, tense, hopeful

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

Goodbye, Sweet Girl: A Story of Domestic Violence and Survival, Kelly Sundberg

              This is a memoir about surviving domestic violence and the loving relationship that confused Sundberg for nearly a decade.

No Visible Bruises: What We Don’t Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us, Rachel Louise Snyder 

              Snyder explores the epidemic of domestic violence as providing the roots of more public acts of violence.

Small Business for Dummies, Eric Tyson and Jim Schell

              Lily starts her own business in It Ends with Us, and Atlas owns his own restaurant.  

 

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

The Happiness Plan, Susan Mallery

              Three best friends navigate their own relationships; like It Ends with Us, Novelist describes this book as “heartwrenching, moving, and intricately plotted” with the theme of “surviving abuse.”

Love and Other Words, Christina Lauren

              Both books are about bumping into their first loves while in relationships with someone else. Lauren’s book is less intense than Hoover’s.

Under Her Skin, Adriana Anders

              Both books are about heroines who survive abuse and the gentler men whose paths they cross.

Week 7 Prompt response: authentic voices in fiction

In the TV show “The X Files,” David Duchovny’s character has a poster of a UFO with the message below, “I want to believe.” We do. To quote Menand’s “Literary Hoaxes and the ethics of authorship (2020),” “We are complicit in the attempt to get us to believe because we already want to believe. Writing is a weak medium. It has to rely on readers bringing a lot of preconceptions to the encounter, which is why it is so easily exploited.” I trust fiction authors like Khaled Hosseini. Jhumpa Lahiri, Sandra Cisneros for two reasons: the spellings of their names and that their stories ring true. I’m not reading fiction for facts, but I expect to be exposed to “realistic” cultures and eras beyond my own experience. I’d like to pick apart both of those reasons.

Voice. Social scientists I read in the 90’s were passionate about authenticity of authors–nobody can speak for anyone else. I recall one book (but not its title!) that claimed that one shouldn’t write for any voice that didn’t match one’s (socially constructed) demographics: only a Latin paraplegic lesbian could write about Latin paraplegic lesbians, for example. Taken this far, I concluded, the only thing anyone should be “allowed” to write is an autobiography. No room for imagination or research to fill in gaps in one’s knowledge of another’s experience. “If you were not born it, you should not perform it,” explained Menand. Taken to the extreme, this is absurd. So what does that mean for authenticity in fiction–I guess I’m comfortable with some murkiness in the realm of the authentic voice, at least enough to tolerate (and thoroughly enjoy) fiction. But I do want to read about another culture as it’s been written by an insider of that culture. And I trust my authors to be who they claim to be. There is another sociocultural issue going on: we are extra sensitive to exploitation of minority groups, appropriating cultural artifacts that we, in polite society, have no business taking advantage of.

I am reading a novel right now about Black culture in the 70’s, written by a Black author. The story, the social and family dynamics, the style, and the language ring true. And I wouldn’t feel right reading this novel if it were written by a White person–but… But I think that has more to do with current affairs and respect for underrepresented authors portraying underrepresented characters. Set in the 70’s, the book I’m reading is historical fiction. This author didn’t live in Harlem in the 70’s; he had to research the time and setting for the book in order for it to ring true. I guess I’m trusting that he did so and is giving me a realistic portrayal of a time and place that neither of us experienced, but only he has the cultural authority to bring to life on the page. I don’t hold all authors and novels to that strict adherence to appropriateness. Louis de Bernieres is an English author who has written historical fiction outside his own ancestors’ cultural maps (unidentified Latin American country, fictional Turkish/Ottoman village). I trust him, too, to have done his research. De Bernieres’ novels ring true. Of course, he is not claiming to represent a particular group or to tell a true story. Is that why I give him a pass?

Finally, I’d like to recommend a novel I read several years ago. What is the What, by Dave Eggers, is the true but fictionalized story of a Sudanese man. As I recall, Eggers’ introduction explained that it was the life story of a real Sudanese he interviewed several times, but that it would have been too difficult to pin down actual facts and produce a true biography, so he and the Sudanese subject agreed that Eggers would write a fictional story that instead rang true–the experiences, relationships, emotions were authentic even if dates were invented and characters were amalgamations. I trust this author and would feel very betrayed if I were to find out that the Sudanese man was also a figure of his imagination.

Reference

Menard, L. (2024, February 23). Literary hoaxes and the ethics of authorship. New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazien/2018/10/literary-hoaxes-and-the-ethics-of-authorship

Sci-Fi annotation: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Title: Ready Player One

Genre: Intellect—Science Fiction

Publication Date: 2011

Number of Pages: 384

Geographical Setting: Oklahoma City, Columbus OH, and cyberspace

Time Period: 2045

Series: Ready Player Two is the sequel

Plot Summary: In the not-too-distant future, climate change and an energy crisis have caused reality to become pretty bleak. Teenage Wade lives in abject poverty with three other families in one of many towers of trailers in a neighborhood known as the Stacks. To escape reality, he and the rest of civilization tune in to OASIS, a virtual reality world that dominates all culture and commerce on Earth. The brilliant and eccentric creator of the OASIS dies and leaves his fortune to whoever is the first to find an Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS world. Wade and other egg hunters, known as gunters, are on the hunt but so is IOI, a corporation that wants to take over and monetize the OASIS by any means necessary. When Wade finds the first key in the puzzle, his avatar becomes instantly world-famous. 80’s pop culture—both mainstream and nerd-specific—is embedded in many of the games, clues, and conversations.

Subject Headings:

Utopia–fiction

Dystopia–fiction

Virtual reality–fiction

Video games–fiction

Pop culture–fiction

Appeal:

Character: Features orphaned teenage and young adult computer/gamer geeks obsessed with 80’s pop culture.

Setting: Cline describes a bleak, chaotic, and violent reality rife with poverty and crime and also presents a virtual world where anything is possible yet much relies on 80’s SciFi lore.

Time Frame: Set just a generation into the future (2045), the book challenges readers to make the all-too-easy leap from our present-day sociocultural circumstances to a worst-case tomorrow.

 

3 terms that best describe this book: teen, adventure, virtual reality

Similar Authors and Works (why are they similar?):

3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works and Authors

The History of the Future: Oculus, Facebook, and the Revolution That Swept Virtual Reality, Blake J. Harris

       Like Wade, the creator of Oculus was a teenager living in a trailer. Like Ready Player One, the history of Oculus’s creation is a collaborative adventure story.

Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100, Michio Kaku

       Ready Player One is set halfway to Kaku’s imagined future; both consider the economic ramifications of technological advances.

Dawn of the New Everything: Encounters with Reality and Virtual Reality, Jaron Lanier

       Lanier, the “father of virtual reality,” offers a book that is at once autobiography, science writing, and cultural commentary.

3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors

The Impossible Fortress, Jason Rekulak

       Less action-oriented, The Impossible Fortress also features a teen romance and technological strategies, but this novel is actually set in the 1980’s.

The Endless Vessel, Charles Soule

       Both books are set in near-future dystopias where technology is required to fulfill a quest.

This is Not a Game, Walter Jon Williams

       Both near-future books feature a culturally-dominant virtual world that focuses on games and blurs the lines between reality and VR.

Week 6 Blog Prompt: Promoting Romance at the Library

Romance novels offer readers a guaranteed happy ending and often follow comfortable tropes: meet cute, enemies to lovers, friends with benefits, marriage of convenience, etc. Rom-com movies can be just as comfortable. For reluctant readers, knowing what to expect in a book might convince them to give it a try. I’d like to create a display that features new and old favorite rom-com movies and pairs them with rom-com romance books with an “if you liked this movie, try these books” angle. For example:

If you liked the movie The Lost City, try reading Romancing the Stone by Joan Wilder

If you liked the movie When Harry Met Sally, try reading Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

If you liked the movie Just Go With It, try reading The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

If you liked the movie You’ve Got Mail, try reading The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi

If you liked the show Schitt’s Creek, try reading It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Week 5 RA Prompt: Book reviews for personal reading and library purchases

 Week 5 RA Prompt: Book reviews for personal reading and library purchases

Professor Cataldi explained that ebook-only publications rarely get reviewed in professional publications and that they are growing in popularity, especially for romances. So are ebooks not worthy of printing because they are not as good? Or because they are expected to have a much smaller audience? Are reviewers snubbing ebooks because they are lower quality or lower readership than print books? 

Ebook only reviews

We read two reviews of an ebook, The Billionaire’s First Christmas. The first, an Amazon customer review, called it “a beautiful sweet Christmas romance.” This reviewer explained, “I do love a good Christmas romance,” leading me to expect a positive review. And so it was: “This is a beautiful, clean Christmas romance…I had tears rolling down my face.” I absolutely trust this review. My interpretation is that this ebook is a good book for lovers of the Christmas romance genre–but perhaps nobody else. The second review is from a blog that said of the book, “It’s just fine.” This reviewer’s critique is that the book is “too Christmassy,” but “very warm and cozy,” again leading me to conclude that the book is good for lovers of the holiday genre only. Both reviews read like amateur submissions. Would I purchase this title for my library? I’m not sure–there are a zillion holiday romance books out there, both ebooks and print copies.

Out of curiosity, I looked for a holiday romance covered by Kirkus. I found It’s a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer. Kirkus’ conclusion: “For fans of chaste Christmas romances and narratives that glorify small-town America.” Exactly. And there are fans.

Professional reviews of a print book

We also read four professional reviews of Angela’s Ashes. The Kirkus reviewer called it “an extraordinary work in every way.”  These four reviews give a more detailed summary of their book than the ebook reviewers offered. Is this because…

1. Angela’s Ashes is a way better book

2. Professional reviewers write way better reviews

3. Probably both [I read Angela’s Ashes when it came out; it was extraordinary.] 

The Booklist Review pointed out that Angela’s Ashes was slated to receive a publicity push as it received accolades from reviewers. Would I purchase this book for my library? It has lots of great reviews and received lots of publicity. It was made into a movie. Yes, it belongs in my library’s collection.

I also just learned that Booklist will not publish negative reviews. What does this mean? All of their reviews are just advertisements for the books covered? Do they simply not write reviews about lousy books? Or do they find a reader who likes everything to do the review?

A word on negative reviews, though: I just wrote one for Ready Player One, which in my opinion, with my personal tastes, was Not A Good Book. Ready Player One got a negative Kirkus review as well, but it was a bestseller and made into a movie and received lots of positive reviews from other sources. It belongs in my library… I don’t like Christmas romance novels either but they are very popular and therefore belong in my library. 

So, how to choose among the myriad Christmas romance books out there? I asked the e-book buyer from our Collection Development department. She said that Overdrive/Libby provides lists of upcoming titles which she ranks according to what is popular at other libraries and also the number of patron requests for a title. 

Of course! Patron requests! But how do patrons learn about these books? Are they reading professional reviews? Amateur reviews? I have a lot more questions than answers.

Kirkus-style review: Ready Player One

In an homage to pop culture of the 1980’s, a lonely teen in a dystopian near-future embarks on a high stakes virtual reality quest.

The year is 2045, and following a global energy crisis, most people have flocked to city outskirts for the relative safety they offer from poverty and lawlessness. Wade Watts is a teenager that lives in a shantytown of trailers stacked one on top of another just outside Oklahoma City. He spends most of his time in the virtual reality world of OASIS, now the center of all society, culture, and commerce. When James Halliday, the wealthy and eccentric creator of OASIS dies, he leaves behind a contest for control of OASIS--and unfathomable wealth and power. The contest is to find an Easter egg hidden somewhere in the OASIS universe.  Halliday was obsessed with 80's pop culture, and would-be egg hunters--known as "gunters"--study the films, other cultural artifacts, and especially video games of that decade in hopes of having a leg up on the competition.

Wade--or rather, his avatar, Parzival–is on the hunt for the Easter egg, along with thousands of others, including the powerful corporation IOI, who will stop at nothing to gain control of the egg and commercialize OASIS. In order to find the egg, gunters must first find three keys that open three gates. Each key and gate requires the gunter to complete a riddle or game steeped in 80's pop culture references. When Wade is the first to find one of the keys, his avatar instantly becomes world-famous--and in danger. 

The story unfolds like a classic D&D game, one quest following the next, without the interactive thrill of rolling the dice.