I started this book expecting the usual historical mystery fare just with older leads (42!), but no. From the start, it was clear that this novel was something different entirely. I’m going to try to keep my superlatives under control, but just know that I made Good Book Noise from page 1! This novel is divided into three parts, and each part focuses on a different adventurous rescue mission. One overarching plot ties the three … Continue reading The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman →
Happy Cover Snark Monday! Amanda: Sir that is going to be a melty mess in under an hour. Elyse: Imagine you’re already lost in the desert, thirsty as fuck, and some dude comes up to you with a chocolate sampler platter. Carrie: I mean… not even an iced mocha? I didn’t know you could go wrong with chocolate but here we are. Tara: I’d tuck a couple of brownies in my bag for later and … Continue reading Cover Snark: Chocolate in the Desert? →

Welcome back to Get Rec’d! How are we all doing? I haven’t said it in a while, but thanks to all the people who lurk on these posts and interact in the comments. I hope I’m able to introduce hidden gems to your TBR pile or find that perfect book for the reader in your life. What great recommendations have you received lately? I want to hear all about ’em!

It’s time to wrap up May with our second Whatcha Reading! It’s also Memorial Day weekend in the States, which seems like a perfect excuse to get even more reading done before the month is over. Sneezy: I’m reading Right Wing Women by Andrea Dworkin. She takes no prisoners. Sarah: What’s that? The library has the next Veronica Speedwell audiobook? Don’t mind if I do! Currently listening to A Murderous Relation and having a splendid … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? May 2023, Part Two →

Malice by Heather Walter is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet and is a spin on Sleeping Beauty. This is definitely on the darker side and has a romance between Princess Aurora and the evil sorceress.
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I really loved Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. Celebrity romance is one of my favorite tropes, and for me this book stands out. Romantic Comedy features a hero who is not purely defined by celebrity status, gives readers a deep dive into a world I found fascinating, contains an epistolary courtship, and at times is laugh-out-loud funny. Sally Milz is a writer for a weekly late-night sketch comedy show called TNO that is based on … Continue reading Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld →

In September of 2022, we snarked a cover, Planet Oster: Fertility Fusion. The cover designer, who is also one half of the writing team behind the series, reached out to me saying that they were unironically flattered that we’d snarked the cover, and asked if I’d like to talk about the process and the behind the scenes of the design work. Of course I said yes. Music: Purple-planet.com

The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe is $1.99! This is the first book in Shupe’s Uptown Girls series and I gave this one a B. I loved the heroine, but felt the sexism and patriarchy in this one hit too close to home when I read it. I am, however, very excited about the next book.
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When I’m not in the mood for a romance, I need a cosy mystery, especially an old school murder mystery. Murder mysteries set in post-WW2 Britain – particularly the variety featuring small villages? Yes, please! They tend to lean towards ‘cosy’ on the ‘cosy’ to ‘hard-boiled’ spectrum, and there is a glorious escape from modern technology and its baggage. If you, too, enjoy this type of story, may I propose Catherine Aird’s book The Religious … Continue reading The Religious Body by Catherine Aird →
Welcome to Wednesday Links! A Toast update! We installed a cat cam in the spare room, just to see how much exploring Toast was doing. That boy loves gazing out the window and looking at himself in the mirror. This weekend, we have plans to open up the second floor a little bit (which is just a bathroom, master bed, and spare room) and put a gate up at the top of the stairs. Linus … Continue reading Links: Graphic Novels, Dungeons and Dragons, & More →