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The New York Times Terminates Contract with Romance Columnist Olivia Waite After Bluesky Repost

"The value of being neutral depends entirely on what you’re staying neutral about."

Books On Sale

Cowboys, Cozy Fantasy, & More

Books on Sale: Crochet for Beginners by Arica Presinal & More

Crochet for Beginners by Arica Presinal is $3.99! It’s also a Kindle Daily Deal. This craft book contains ten beginner friendly projects and may be a good pickup if you’re already thinking about new hobbies to try in the new year.

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Friday Videos Like Milk and Cereal

An image of a VHS cassette with a label that reads FRIDAY VIDEOS Smart Bitches Ep. 21 against a pink crosshatch background

Long ago, back in the 1900s – 1995, I think – I went to a music festival called H.O.R.D.E. at the Star Lake Amphitheater in PA. Y’all would not believe the lineup. I had NO idea of who I was watching sometimes and then later I realized I’d been to one of the best festivals of my life. I saw Blues Traveler, Dave Matthews, The Black Crowes, God Street Wine, Joan Osborne, and G. Love … Continue reading Friday Videos Like Milk and Cereal →

Podcast

744. RT Rewind: October 2015 Reviews

We are recapping the October 2015 issue this month, in part because of a letter to the editor from last month’s issue, which was June 2007. This magazine is going to be in conversation with itself whether it likes it or not! We’ve got so many books in this issue that this will be a beefy episode. And the erotica section is top tier this month, too! Be aware: mention of suicide about 23 minute … Continue reading 744. RT Rewind: October 2015 Reviews →

The Rec League: Epistolary Romance

The Rec League - heart shaped chocolate resting on the edge of a very old book

This request is from Sarah: Inspired by The Killer Question by Janice Hallett , which is told through group text threads, email messages,  and 1-star Google reviews, I’m curious what everyone’s favorite epistolary romances are lately. I’m especially curious about modern epistolary stories told through group texts and similar (look I just want to read the group text chain, I’m not ashamed!) because the communication styles are so different depending on the digital venue. Alison: … Continue reading The Rec League: Epistolary Romance →

Book Review

The Revolution of Olivia Witherson by S. Isabelle

The Revolution of Olivia Witherson

Social upheaval, a smart, evolving heroine, and the power of questioning authority all decorate the pages of The Revolution of Olivia Witherson, an excellent sequel to The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgewick. Olivia is delightful to read about, and while the narrative might feel a little bit immature for adult tastes, I’m fully confident that teenagers are going to love this book. I may not have loved it, but I definitely enjoyed it. It’s 1872, … Continue reading The Revolution of Olivia Witherson by S. Isabelle →

Holiday Gift Guide 2026: Puzzles and Rad Swag!

Stuff We Like Holiday Gift Guide: Puzzles and Rad Swag!

Holiday Gift Guide 2026, Volume 2, reporting for perusal! As I mentioned last week, we’ll be posting weekly collections of gift ideas until Christmas week, so come back every Wednesday for shopping with Smart Bitches! If you’ve got ideas for our gift guides, there’s a whole post for you to share your suggestions so I can highlight them in future collections. This week: Puzzle subscriptions! Gorgeous washi tape! And many of your fine and excellent … Continue reading Holiday Gift Guide 2026: Puzzles and Rad Swag! →

Links: Stamps, Fall Out Boy, & More

An illustrated image of a desk space with a computer, stack of books, reading glasses, and a mug.

Welcome back, everyone! I impulse bought and treated myself to a 3-book special edition book box from Probably Smut. They let you choose the genres and it was a tough choice. I went with Omegaverse Why Choose, Small Town Why Choose, and Billionaire Marriage of Convenience. I was very tempted by the Dark Cowboy option, but alas, the next tier up was for six books. We’re attending a Friendsgiving today for a dear friend (and … Continue reading Links: Stamps, Fall Out Boy, & More →

Tarot After Dark: Down the Rabbit Hole

Smart Bitches After Dark Tarot Smart Bitches in a blue typewriter font, and After Dark in a neon pink lettering with a massive amount of pink neon glow around it. In the lower left corner are three tarot cards, two black, and one white with blue and gold accents

This piece of literary mayhem is exclusive to Smart Bitches After Dark, but fret not. If you’d like to join, we’d love to have you! Have a look at our membership options, and come join the fun! If you want to have a little extra fun, be a little more yourself, and be part of keeping the site open for everyone in the future, we can’t wait to see you in our new subscription-based section … Continue reading Tarot After Dark: Down the Rabbit Hole →

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