So it’s going to be very hard to write this review, because basically I am sitting here flailing (which makes it very hard to type), and it is taking everything I’ve got not to just scream “Eeeeeeeee this is so adorable everyone should read it right now!” and then just dive back in for another reread instead of writing a proper review. Therefore, in the interest of not standing between you and an AWESOME ADORABLE … Continue reading Hearts on Hold by Charish Reid →
I saw Charlie’s Angels by myself in a theatre the Friday of opening weekend. It was absolutely delightful, and immediately upon exiting I told Amanda that she needed to see it. I also said, “If you go see Charlie’s Angels, I’m going to need you to text me when you’re done to let me know you’re okay.” Amanda: Is it good?! Sarah: I had SUCH a good time. But the amount of lesbian energy is … Continue reading Charlie’s Angels (2019) →
The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer is surely one of the Ur-texts of the romance genre. It is also the very first romance of any kind that I ever read, and was instrumental in launching my lifelong affection for the ‘heroine dresses as a man’ trope. As a bonus, it also has a hero who dresses as a woman and who manages to be EXCEEDINGLY hot while doing so. Just to clarify, there are two couples … Continue reading Squee from the Keeper Shelf: The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer →
We’re so glad to welcome this guest squee by HeatherT, especially as some of us are Schitt’s Creek fans. We hope this squee gets you to watch it, if you haven’t yet! HeatherT is a lawyer in Minneapolis who lives by a lake (really) with two cats. She loves cooking, reading, watching great shows and writing about them. She would like to enjoy gardening, but that’s more aspirational than real. … If you are like … Continue reading Guest Squee: Schitt’s Creek →
This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next … Continue reading Guest Squee: The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite →
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh is a gorgeous novella that feels somewhere between fairy tale and myth, only it’s the kind of myth that is probably true. One comes away from reading it with the feeling that yes, this is what happens in the woods, and also feeling both eager and afraid to go for a walk in the woods and perhaps lose oneself there. It’s very hard to say much about the … Continue reading Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh →
In Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, the heroine is mesmerized by the scandalous gothic novel, The Mysteries of Udolpho. Readers, I read that novel. My paperback Oxford World’s Classics edition (1998) of The Mysteries of Udolpho is 679 pages long, not counting introduction and notes. That’s a lot of mysteries. I read this so you don’t have to. SPOILERS AHEAD. The Mysteries of Udolpho was a huge hit for author Ann Radcliffe when it first came out in … Continue reading The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe →
Cranky Ladies of History is an anthology of short fiction about real historical women who were angry and did things with that anger. Some of these things were spectacular, and some were just spectacularly appalling (looking at you, Erszebet Báthory) (but not looking too closely, because I really don’t want to provoke you), but it makes for a fascinating anthology theme, tailor-made for fans of Carrie’s ‘Kickass Women in History’ series. In the introduction, Tansy … Continue reading Cranky Ladies of History edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts and Tehani Croft Wessely →
Note: This review contains minimal spoilers for the first book A Spark of White Fire. The YA SFF trilogy must be read in order. If this review piques your interest, then I recommend that you start with the previous book. If someone asked me what the happiest event of my life has been up to this point, I’d point to the moment when my parents decided to leave Asia and relocate our family to the … Continue reading A House of Rage and Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna →
CW/TW: Sexual harassment Some of you know that I’ve been doing guest reviews here at SBTB for a couple of years. So when it came time to choose a book for my first review as an official part of the team, I knew it had to be this one. It’s my favourite book of all time and to read it is to know me, so what better way to introduce myself? Jill “Friday” Fryman is … Continue reading Hoosier Daddy by Ann McMan & Salem West →
This guest review is from Lisa the Librarian: Yes, I’m a librarian, and yes, being surrounded by books all day long is great. But it’s not “I-can-just-read-all-day” great as many people seem to assume. Oh, how I wish that were a thing! I would spend my days reading Regencies, funny contemporaries, cowboy romances, and all the other beautiful books I see every day. My favorite authors include Loretta Chase, Tessa Dare, Kristan Higgins, Eloisa James, Lisa Kleypas, … Continue reading Guest Review: Squee Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes →
