I’m going to need to make a logo for Friday Videos, huh? Suggestions welcome! This week’s Friday Video comes from Varian via the podcast Patreon Discord, and when I say I sent to everyone I know, I mean every person I could think of. Please welcome Lizzy and the Triggermen performing Irving Berlin’s 1941 chart, “When That Man is Dead and Gone.” You’ll want the good speakers for this one. I also found a recording … Continue reading Friday Videos Like Irving Berlin→
My guest this week is Julia Quinn and we are talking about, of course, JQ Editions, a new subscription service creating special limited editions of historical romances. I’ve been writing about this since it was announced, and so I got to ask all my questions – and some of yours. Along the way we talk about the historical romance genre, administrative mayhem, and the practicalities of creating special editions of beloved books. Plus you get … Continue reading 704. JQ Editions with Julia Quinn→
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 News Bites, Feb 2-6 2026: Cancellations and Endings→
Prairie Nightingale has formally opened her detective agency with the people who helped her solve her last case and the book begins with the four of them having a multilayered, multidirectional disagreement. Since each of them are unflinching, stubborn, sometimes prickly women, they get on each other’s nerves, even as Prairie reminds herself and them not to “flatten [someone] to the most annoying aspect of [their] personality.” Then a wealthy, iconoclastic woman walks in with … Continue reading Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare→
This guest post is from Lucynka! Lucynka is a long-time lurker, who has occasionally commented under a couple different names in the past. Over the last few years, she’s become really interested in the history of the romance genre, particularly those forgotten or oft-overlooked parts. You can find her on Bluesky @lucynka.bsky.social, or else over on her WordPress, where she blogs about “obscure bullshit,” including a lot of romance pulp magazines from the 1920s-’40s – which is … Continue reading The Best of All-Story Love: 1929 Stuff→
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 What Have You DNFd Lately?→
Smart Bitches Trashy Books is 21! Twenty-one years ago, on 31 January 2005, Smart Bitches began. As we’ve noted, the site launched with a review for Angel-Seeker by Sharon Shinn and for The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann. We’ve cover snarked, helped bitches out, talked about what we’re reading, and, as a neat coincidence, Smart Podcast Trashy Books published its 700th episode on Friday 9 January 2026. (You can watch the video of the episode on … Continue reading Cheers! Happy 21st Anniversary, Smart Bitches!→
Kayleigh Donaldson is back! She is the guest on some of the most popular episodes, and I know what that is: she’s brilliant. We recorded this just before the Oscar nominations were announced, so Kayleigh is making (some pretty accurate!) predictions about Oscar nominations, and explaining what makes this year’s group of films so interesting. Along the way we also talk about vintage Hollywood gossip, character actors who go weird gremlin, and the way actors … Continue reading 703. Oscars and Gossip with Kayleigh Donaldson→
Dr. Bruce Gleason forwarded me a truly enraging email. It’s allegedly from me. Spoiler: it’s not. You might have seen or perhaps received a marketing pitch filled with AI-written and deeply florid compliments to your writing and your book. I’ve received a few and have been trying to track down who actually sent it (mine was sent on behalf of a library in Charlotte which disavowed all knowledge of this person – more on that … Continue reading SCAM ALERT: There is no Smart Bitches Strategic Partnerships→
