diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/discover/large-book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/discover/large-book.html
index 401411a11..7881a33ab 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/discover/large-book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/discover/large-book.html
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 <div class="columns">
     <div class="column is-narrow">
         <a href="{{ book.local_path }}">{% include 'snippets/book_cover.html' with book=book size="large" %}</a>
-        {% include 'snippets/stars.html' with rating=ratings|dict_key:book.id %}
+        {% include 'snippets/stars.html' with rating=book|rating:request.user %}
     </div>
     <div class="column">
         <h3 class="title is-5"><a href="/book/{{ book.id }}">{{ book.title }}</a></h3>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/discover/small-book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/discover/small-book.html
index d1676b6b1..72108c309 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/discover/small-book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/discover/small-book.html
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 {% load bookwyrm_tags %}
 {% if book %}
 <a href="{{ book.local_path }}">{% include 'snippets/book_cover.html' with book=book %}</a>
-{% if ratings %}
-{% include 'snippets/stars.html' with rating=ratings|dict_key:book.id %}
-{% endif %}
+{% include 'snippets/stars.html' with rating=book|rating:request.user %}
 
 <h3 class="title is-6"><a href="/book/{{ book.id }}">{{ book.title }}</a></h3>
 {% if book.authors %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_helpers.py b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_helpers.py
index 10221933c..c61505c2e 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_helpers.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/views/test_helpers.py
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ class ViewsHelpers(TestCase):
 
         statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
             self.local_user,
-            ['public', 'unlisted', 'followers'],
+            privacy=['public', 'unlisted', 'followers'],
             following_only=True,
             queryset=models.Comment.objects
         )
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class ViewsHelpers(TestCase):
 
         statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
             self.local_user,
-            ['public', 'followers'],
+            privacy=['public', 'followers'],
             local_only=True
         )
         self.assertEqual(len(statuses), 2)
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class ViewsHelpers(TestCase):
 
         statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
             self.local_user,
-            ['public', 'followers'],
+            privacy=['public', 'followers'],
         )
         self.assertEqual(len(statuses), 3)
         self.assertEqual(statuses[2], public_status)
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ class ViewsHelpers(TestCase):
 
         statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
             self.local_user,
-            ['public', 'unlisted', 'followers'],
+            privacy=['public', 'unlisted', 'followers'],
             following_only=True
         )
         self.assertEqual(len(statuses), 2)
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ class ViewsHelpers(TestCase):
         rat.followers.add(self.local_user)
         statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
             self.local_user,
-            ['public', 'unlisted', 'followers'],
+            privacy=['public', 'unlisted', 'followers'],
             following_only=True
         )
         self.assertEqual(len(statuses), 5)
@@ -170,18 +170,18 @@ class ViewsHelpers(TestCase):
                 content='blah blah', user=rat)
 
             statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
-                self.local_user, ['public'])
+                self.local_user, privacy=['public'])
             self.assertEqual(len(statuses), 2)
 
         # block relationship
         rat.blocks.add(self.local_user)
         statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
-            self.local_user, ['public'])
+            self.local_user, privacy=['public'])
         self.assertEqual(len(statuses), 1)
         self.assertEqual(statuses[0], public_status)
 
         statuses = views.helpers.get_activity_feed(
-            rat, ['public'])
+            rat, privacy=['public'])
         self.assertEqual(len(statuses), 1)
         self.assertEqual(statuses[0], rat_public)
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/books.py b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
index 3d4b3fafd..d59eb4aa0 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/books.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/books.py
@@ -50,9 +50,7 @@ class Book(View):
         )
         # all reviews for the book
         reviews = get_activity_feed(
-            request.user,
-            ['public', 'unlisted', 'followers', 'direct'],
-            queryset=reviews
+            request.user, queryset=reviews
         )
 
         # the reviews to show
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
index d309df945..a320162d7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@ from django.views import View
 from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from bookwyrm.activitypub import ActivitypubResponse
 from bookwyrm.settings import PAGE_LENGTH
-from .helpers import get_activity_feed
-from .helpers import get_user_from_username
+from .helpers import get_activity_feed, get_user_from_username
 from .helpers import is_api_request, is_bookwyrm_request, object_visible_to_user
 
 
@@ -28,15 +27,8 @@ class Feed(View):
             page = 1
 
         if tab == 'home':
-            activities = get_activity_feed(request.user, following_only=True)
-            # we only want to show private messages if they're related to books
-            activities = activities.exclude(
-                review__isnull=True,
-                comment__isnull=True,
-                quotation__isnull=True,
-                generatednote__isnull=True,
-                privacy='direct'
-            )
+            activities = get_activity_feed(
+                request.user, following_only=True, hide_dms=True)
         elif tab == 'local':
             activities = get_activity_feed(
                 request.user, privacy=['public', 'followers'], local_only=True)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
index 1e96ec1c3..78f210bfb 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/helpers.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ''' helper functions used in various views '''
 import re
 from requests import HTTPError
+from django.core.exceptions import FieldError
 from django.db.models import Q
 
 from bookwyrm import activitypub, models
@@ -98,17 +99,23 @@ def privacy_filter(viewer, queryset, privacy_levels=None, following_only=False):
 
     # exclude direct messages not intended for the user
     if 'direct' in privacy_levels:
-        queryset = queryset.exclude(
-            ~Q(
-                Q(user=viewer) | Q(mention_users=viewer)
-            ), privacy='direct'
-        )
+        try:
+            queryset = queryset.exclude(
+                ~Q(
+                    Q(user=viewer) | Q(mention_users=viewer)
+                ), privacy='direct'
+            )
+        except FieldError:
+            queryset = queryset.exclude(
+                ~Q(user=viewer), privacy='direct'
+            )
+
     return queryset
 
 
 def get_activity_feed(
         user, privacy=None, local_only=False, following_only=False,
-        queryset=None):
+        queryset=None, hide_dms=False):
     ''' get a filtered queryset of statuses '''
     if not queryset:
         queryset = models.Status.objects.select_subclasses()
@@ -120,6 +127,16 @@ def get_activity_feed(
     queryset = privacy_filter(
         user, queryset, privacy, following_only=following_only)
 
+    if hide_dms:
+        # dms are direct statuses not related to books
+        queryset = queryset.exclude(
+            review__isnull=True,
+            comment__isnull=True,
+            quotation__isnull=True,
+            generatednote__isnull=True,
+            privacy='direct'
+        )
+
     # filter for only local status
     if local_only:
         queryset = queryset.filter(user__local=True)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/landing.py b/bookwyrm/views/landing.py
index 3be3eb312..2774e7428 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/landing.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/landing.py
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 ''' non-interactive pages '''
-from django.db.models import Avg, Max
+from django.db.models import Max
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.views import View
 
 from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from .feed import Feed
-from .helpers import get_activity_feed
 
 
 # pylint: disable= no-self-use
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ class Discover(View):
         ''' tiled book activity page '''
         books = models.Edition.objects.filter(
             review__published_date__isnull=False,
+            review__deleted=False,
             review__user__local=True,
             review__privacy__in=['public', 'unlisted'],
         ).exclude(
@@ -42,18 +42,9 @@ class Discover(View):
             Max('review__published_date')
         ).order_by('-review__published_date__max')[:6]
 
-        ratings = {}
-        for book in books:
-            reviews = models.Review.objects.filter(
-                book__in=book.parent_work.editions.all()
-            )
-            reviews = get_activity_feed(
-                request.user, ['public', 'unlisted'], queryset=reviews)
-            ratings[book.id] = reviews.aggregate(Avg('rating'))['rating__avg']
         data = {
             'title': 'Discover',
             'register_form': forms.RegisterForm(),
             'books': list(set(books)),
-            'ratings': ratings
         }
         return TemplateResponse(request, 'discover/discover.html', data)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/rss_feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/rss_feed.py
index aad227bff..c211f991f 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/rss_feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/rss_feed.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class RssFeed(Feed):
     def items(self, obj):
         ''' the user's activity feed '''
         return get_activity_feed(
-            obj, ['public', 'unlisted'], queryset=obj.status_set)
+            obj, privacy=['public', 'unlisted'], queryset=obj.status_set)
 
 
     def item_link(self, item):
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/user.py b/bookwyrm/views/user.py
index 7a238ce7c..01002ce54 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/user.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/user.py
@@ -71,8 +71,8 @@ class User(View):
         # user's posts
         activities = get_activity_feed(
             request.user,
-            ['public', 'unlisted', 'followers'],
-            queryset=user.status_set
+            queryset=user.status_set.select_subclasses(),
+            hide_dms=True
         )
         paginated = Paginator(activities, PAGE_LENGTH)
         goal = models.AnnualGoal.objects.filter(