So Flavorwire did a post called 50 Sexy Books To Get You In The Mood (For Valentine's Day) which didn't actually include any romance novels on it. Also it features Lolita but Ceilidhann already did a great post about it for Bibliodaze.

What is pissing me off, still, is the inclusion of Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. Here's what they said about it on its entry:

The first book in Auel’s legendary series about the lives of prehistoric humans. Read: Cro-Magnon love lives as written by a Mensa member. A must for anyone on the Paleo diet.

 

But here's the thing: while as the series progresses the books get more emphasis on the porn end of the "anthropology porn" feel (thanks to the arrival of Jondalar's penis) the first book isn't romantic and sexy.

In fact, it is a major part of a plot that a man who hates the protagonist starts to rape her as a means of asserting his dominance. Also, she is TEN at the time this starts, and ELEVEN when she gives birth.

So according to this list: raping a child = sexy, but romance novels with consenting adults isn't. Wonderful.

Fuh-get about all the hype on reviewers threatening authors with rape that a very small group of temper-tantrum-throwing indie authors trumpeted about.

Give some headlines over instead to real issues and real victims.  Help RAINN and their upcoming 4th Annual Celebration of Hope.

Join in to support RAINN Day! In the midst of Banned Books weeks and how the new goodreads policy announcement and responses to casually fling around phrases like bullying and rape threats, please don't overlook the very real rape threats and concerns. Help share awareness for those causes.  Today is for increasing awareness of and trying to prevent rape culture.