"Reading books makes you smarter" - hyun of xlov
After going through the Evol census for 2025 on twitter, I’ve considered starting a proper club book with deadlines, particular books to read and discuss etc. However, I am very well aware that my disability won’t allow me to run a book club so consistently.That’s why I’m proposing something a bit different. A loose book club where each member reads whatever they want but we share what we read and recommend books to each other.
When everyone is a librarian,
library is everywhere.memoryoftheworld.org, from: Careful: A Repertorium on Shadow Library Practice
so what's the idea?The club is about sharing + motivating so these are the only rules:
Every reading month runs from the 14th to the next 14th.
During that window, each person chooses one longer read: a book, a comic/graphic novel, a zine, a longform article / essay.
Members post what they’re reading using #EvolBookClub + why this one / mood. You can also chat with other evols if they want to join you in reading a particular book this month!
DNF is allowed. Switching is allowed.
the exchange systemI want this club to be easy and I also hope that it can be a good place to share your ideas, passions and interests. That's why I came up with "the exchange system". It's a system where via forms you can share:1. if you finished something good & you want to recommend it to evols
2.you are looking for recs but don't know what exactly to pick
3. you want to borrow a digital form of a book from another evolthe forms, current questions etc. are in another tab. depending on how popular this system is, I might categorise this in a more complex way in the future.
be careful with popups and shady versions of these websites! you can look up information on r/libgen and r/annas_archive
how to access books for free?Of course, one of the first choices that you should consider is going to your local library. The other is to buy the books, especially when they are written by artists just starting out their career.However, it would be naive to think that local libraries are always near enough, accessible to all and have the types of books that would be of interest to you and that everyone has funds to spare for non-necessities. There might also be books that are of interest to you but are too radical, too openly queer, too personal to have written down on your library card record. That is why I hope this fanclub will be a safe space for all that want to discover more literature and broaden their scope & worldview.I encourage you to read the letter “In solidarity with Library Genesis and Sci-Hub” & read more about the concept of shadow libraries in general.these are the reasons why I’m sharing links to various online libraries, including shadow and pirate libraries, that allow you to access books, poems, zines and other forms of media for free. Use at your own discretion and stay safe online.You can check the status of the shadow libraries on here: https://open-slum.org/.
_______book rec & request system____
Form 1 — “Recommend a book”
Use this when: you think other evols should read something.
Required fields: Book title, Author, Why you recommend it (1–4 sentences), Who it’s for (e.g., “if you liked X”, “if you want cozy”, “if you want plot twists”), Are you willing to chat about it? (Yes/No).
Form 2 — “I’m looking for a book / recommendations”
Use this when: you want suggestions OR you’re hunting a specific title.
What you want: “General recommendations” or “Help me find a specific book”. Language(s) you can read, What you’re in the mood for (vibe, genre, length preference), books you liked/disliked, tropes you don't want
| Swartz in Guerrilla Open Access Manifesto (2008) |
|---|
| “But sharing isn’t immoral–it’s a moral imperative. Only those blinded by greed would refuse to let a friend make a copy”. |
book recommendations from other evols
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living: Time-Tested Methods for Conquering Worry by Dale Carnegie
Recommended by Hyun (@xlov_official)
reason: "This is a book I read every once in a while when I need stumulation or when I feel like I need to organize my mind, [...] for self-management" (source)
