This Rec League comes from Sarahjane: Was listening to (and loving, as usual) the latest podcast and have a bit of a Rec League request. I’d love to find more books that have a plot of “We main characters find ourselves on the fringes of spooky/mysterious/magical/alien shenanigans and must solve the mystery (or defeat the aliens or banish the ghosts, etc.) One of my big favorites is KJ Charles’ Magpie Lord series. I especially love … Continue reading The Rec League: Mysterious, Spooky-Adjacent Romances →
   
  Welcome back to Wednesday Links! For those who had a long weekend, was it relaxing? One of my best friends was back in town from Los Angeles and I had such a good time seeing her. I also started listening to audiobooks while I game. Shoutout to Agatha of the She Wore Black podcast for inspiring me to give this a try. I tore through a 10hr book in a little under two days. Now … Continue reading Links: Art, Pet Adoptions, & More →
  
Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey is $2.49 at Amazon! This is a lesbian romance between two musicians and I’m inferring a bit of an age difference. I know the Bitchery has enjoyed Lacey’s books before.
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 It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror is a collection of essays by horror fans who reflect on their experiences with the cinematic horror genre through a queer lens. I enjoyed every essay in this book and gained a new understanding of the complexities of meaning that each viewer can find within a film. As the LGBTQIA+ viewers in this volume strive to see themselves reflected in a media that erases them, they … Continue reading It Came From the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror ed. by Joe Vallese →
  
RECOMMENDED: All Systems Red by Martha Wells is $1.99! I think everyone at SBTB HQ who has read these books has absolutely loved them, myself included. Sarah in particular has been re-reading them consistently. I recommend her squee-filled review of Network Effect.
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This HaBO request is from Alison, who is hoping to find this romance: I’m trying to remember a book I read and have neither the title or author. She has IBS or Crohn’s or UC. She goes on a vacation-ish and ends up staying in a friend’s family vacation house. The brother is fixing up said house. Grumpy/ sunshine romance begins. He has/finds a dog and begrudgingly takes care of it. They go to a … Continue reading HaBO: Heroine with Digestive Disease →
  
It’s Tuesday! I hope everyone in the States enjoyed the long weekend and maybe even got some reading done. It’s a short release week for us at SBTB HQ, though next week is looking rather beefy. We have a contemporary romance, some horror that Carrie just reviewed and enjoyed, and some witchy historical fiction. What’s on your TBR pile for this week?
  
RECOMMENDED: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune is $2.99! Carrie gave it a B+:
I’m glad to have a book like this to read when it’s just all too much. Like Linus, who was slowly charmed by the world he entered, I loved this story so much that I did not want to leave when it ended.
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 TW for description and discussion of violence, including domestic violence, alcoholism, fear, emotional and physical harm to children, death of children and birds. My goodness, I have a LOT to say about The September House, a haunted house story that is emphatically not a romance. This book tackles mental illness, domestic violence, alcoholism, messy parenting, and the logistical difficulties of getting gasoline fumes out of antique upholstery. I didn’t so much read it as eat … Continue reading The September House by Carissa Orlando →
   
  Let’s look at some covers we’re enjoying lately! Cover art by Manzi Jackson Sarah: That is a fabulous illustration. Sneezy: Wow! That’s gorgeous! It’s so evocative and lush! Amanda: I think right now, the key to any standout illustrated cover is making use of different art styles. Cover art by Jenifer Prince Amanda: I really love her covers! There’s always a hint of vintage in the design and style. Elyse: Oooh! Sarah: I love her … Continue reading Cover Awe: Greens and Blues →
  
Welcome back to Get Rec’d! We are rapidly approaching fifty of these things. Wow! As always, thank you for sharing your recommendations with me. This one has some academic texts, a spooky mystery, and an Austen-inspired romance set in Chinatown. Want to pass along any recommendations? Drop them in the comments below!