Reading Profile

About Me

In order to learn more about me as a reader, I believe it is important to delve into my personal background. After all, there are a variety of factors that can influence one's reading preferences, including political and personal identities. When I read a book, I am not just reading it as a cut-and-paste person; I am a gender-fluid, autistic Marxist-Leninist, who spends their time creating art and participating in political activities. As one can imagine, I read books with a keen eye towards feminist, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, and class-related issues.

Beyond that, I am thankful to work at the West Carrollton branch of Dayton Metro Library, which is based in and around Dayton, Ohio. In my free time, as one can see from my other, more well-established Blogger blog (after pink), I am extensively involved in both the poetry and art communities. 

My Reading Overview

I tend to bounce around from genre to genre and subject to subject. I enjoy learning about a variety of human experiences and gaining as much knowledge as I can about the human experience. However, there are a few genres that I gravitate towards the most, and likewise, there are genres that I have not explored as much. Additionally, there are themes and aspects of books that I particularly enjoy (these are the "Literary Green Lights" I have detailed below), and there are also themes and aspects that I find to be triggering/turn-offs (these are the "Literary Red Lights" that I have detailed below). 

For this reason, I appreciate Saricks' approach to Readers Advisory, as detailed in the 2009 article, At Leisure: The Rule of Three. I am ultimately most concerned with the tone and flavor of a book - how it makes me feel.

My Favorite Genres (in no particular order)

1. Non-fiction
2. Poetry
3. Science fiction
4. Urban fantasy 
5. YA fiction
6. Horror

My Least Favorite Genres (in no particular order)

1. Westerns
2. Comic Books
3. Inspirational or Religious Fiction
4. Mystery
5. Thriller
6. Suspense

Literary Green Lights

1. Inclusive dialogue
2. Diverse characters 
3. Streamlined plots (i.e. the plot doesn't dive into unnecessary descriptions and characters)
4. Feminist perspectives and perspectives from other traditionally marginalized groups
5. Dialogue that has a sense of levity, despite potentially difficult scenarios
6. Authors from traditionally marginalized groups
7. Banned or controversial due to socially progressive qualities

Literary Red Lights

1. Highly triggering topics (detailed descriptions of abuse, rape, etc.)
2. A worldview that promotes imperialism, capitalism, racism, sexism, etc.
3. Authors who are sexist, racist, etc. (this can include research into an author's personal life)
4. Drama for drama's sake (I'm looking at you, The Great Alone)
5. Poorly written or overly academic language

A Note

Throughout the upcoming months, I will be annotating and reviewing five books from five genres. In addition to a review, I will also pair each book with a piece of art, as a nod to both my degree in art history as well as my life-long love of art. 

Thank you for stopping by!

References

Saricks, J. (2009). At leisure: The rule of three. Booklist, 106(3), 25.