Positionality as a Reader: A Light Disclaimer
Before I discuss my review policy, here are a few things to know about where I’m coming from as a reader and consumer of media:
- I’m from the island of Bohol in the Philippines, now a member of the global Filipino diaspora and a naturalized U.S. citizen.
- English is my second language (technically third, but I don’t know a lick of Tagalog). The road to ‘good-enough’ fluency was a six-year struggle that somehow culminated in an English Literature degree (but the ghosts of being an English Learner still linger)
- The combination of anime, Magic Tree House, and Pokémon Emerald at eight years old turned me into a reader and lover of learning. Growing up in performing arts and with artistic siblings turned me into a student in creativity with an immense appreciation of the multimedia creative expression.
- On paper, I studied English Literature — but it was more along the lines of postmodern literature, speculative fiction writing, and transmedia worldbuilding. Very little of anything before the 18th century.
- I work in K-12 education and am aspiring librarian; a good portion of my job involves providing avenues for people to become readers, writers, and critical media consumers.
All of this to say — this does shape a lot of my preferences in what I prefer to read, watch, and listen to.
Reading & Media Preferences
I’m a mood/thematic reader and consumer who loves to take her time and leaps into rabbit holes like wormholes. I hold myself accountable to reading across different genres and topics, but here are some of the works that I generally gravitate towards:
BOOKS
I’m often in the mood for reading these…
- Speculative Fiction (except Horror) with Action and Adventure elements — open to Middle Grade, Young Adult, and Adult (with little to no erotica)
- Poetry — more contemporary and experimental
- Investigative Journalism (especially around politics, corruption, international issues, and public interest cases)
- Translated Fiction (especially Japan and Korea, but hoping to branch out to more!)
- Microhistories (also includes books that have elements of microhistories)
- Fanfiction of Various Anime, TV Shows, and Books (I love character studies and Alternate Universe settings)
Based on my academic and professional background, I’m also well suited to read…
- Self-Help Books (geared for young people and young adults)
- Any Nonfiction in the Education field (especially if discussing topics involving educational equity in K-12 education and postsecondary access)
- Any Fiction set in academia-like settings (especially in underserved communities) and/or have teachers or students (of color) as protagonists or in the main cast
- Books that have an extensive worldbuilding component (likely Science Fiction and Fantasy)
- Any Works that involve Filipino characters, settings, and/or issues, especially as it pertains to the diaspora (Bonus points if Visayan!)
Open to reading more…
- Contemporary Literary Fiction
- Romance
- Horror (as audiobooks)
- Essay Collections
- Short Story Collections
- Nonfiction in Science and Philosophy (written for mainstream audiences but have avenues for further exploration)
I generally do not read…
- Erotica (especially if there are lots of it)
- Thriller and Suspense (if it’s the main genre, though I like elements of it in other books)
- Humor (don’t usually seek this out)
- Western
Screen
- Heavily skewed towards TV Shows rather than movies — especially anime and K-Dramas
- I do love documentaries and docuseries — open to all kinds, but gravitate towards food competitions and the investigative variety
- I’m more likely to watch animated movies, but a good soundtrack is enough to pull me in.
MUSIC
- Soundtrack is my favorite genre.
- Classical music, choir and musical theatre are a big part of my life growing up — they show up a lot on my playlist
- I listen to a lot of pop — but I’m a bigger fan of acoustic and ballad versions of songs that show off the vocals nicely
Want more concrete examples of my preferences? Check out my (future) post, Gale: Media Profile in Data, from 2022 to 2024!
Review Policy & Protocol
The works (books and other media) will be evaluated in two different ways: 1) Recommendations (for Others) and 2) My Personal Preference. The former rating will be reflected on my Goodreads and Storygraph accounts (to be connected and shared at a different day). The latter rating will have its own dedicated section on the review’s post.
See Recommendations for more detailed descriptions of each rating.
| Rating | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| ✭✭✭✭✭ | Highest Recommendations (to anyone) |
| ✭✭✭✭ | High Recommendation (to most people) |
| ✭✭✭ | Would Recommend (for Certain Audiences/Contexts) |
| ✭✭ | Could Recommend (but with Considerable Caution) |
| ✭ | No Recommendation |
| Rating | Personal Preference |
|---|---|
| ✭✭✭✭✭ | An All-Time Favorite (Probably) |
| ✭✭✭✭ | I loved it! |
| ✭✭✭ | I like it and appreciate what the work is trying to do! |
| ✭✭ | Probably not for me. But it could also be worse. |
| ✭ | I hated it. Might not have been able to (or will not) finish it. |
Review Policy
All of my reviews are honest, fair, and provide credit to other sources when needed. I reserve the right to express my own opinions, even if said opinions are perceived to be negative toward the media being reviewed in question. The intention is to call in, not necessarily call out, particularly when it comes to uncontested, harmful content.
I personally don’t like to classify works as “good” or “bad”. As a reviewer, I’m more interested in talking about my experience with the work and putting my own two cents about what I think and who might be a good fit to engage with it.
I will not write reviews of everything that I read, watch, or listen to, but I will give ratings to every book I read and finish. As of 12/23/2023, I write the following types of reviews:
- Traditional Review (1 work = 1 review post)
- Mini-Reviews in a Series (3-5 works in one review post that are thematically connected)
- Review in Discourse (2-5 Books or Other Pieces of Media reviewed within the context of each other.)
Since I’m still starting out, I will wait until I’ve gotten into a good rhythm before having a set schedule for posting reviews. Between the different types of media reviews, I will focus more on writing book reviews before branching out to other types of media.
If there is a need for me to publish by a certain time of the year (as outlined in the request), I need at least 3 weeks advance notice of the deadline. If given less time, a compensation fee will be requested.
Open to Review Requests!
OPEN TO REVIEWING:
- Books (including Audiobooks and Advanced Reader Copies)
- TV Shows
OPEN TO REVIEWING (LATER):
- Music (Performances, Individual Songs, and Albums)
- Movies
Want Me to Check Out Something You’d Think Would Be a GREAT Read?
1. Fill out contact form in the Contact page OR email gale.irene@crossworldreads.com for your request with the subject: “Review Request: [Title] by Author” (Book) or “Title” (Media). In that form or email, provide the following information:
- Trigger warnings (if any)
- Genres/Subgenres
- Deadline (If the proposed deadline provides less than three weeks of writing time, I will ask for compensation)
2. If interested, I will contact you. If you don’t hear back from me in a week, I am likely not interested in taking up the request.
3. When in doubt about whether or not I am likely to accept a request, please review my reading preferences.