Every year I ponder the April Fool’s Day post, and try to come up with ideas. This year, Amanda nailed it. This year: Our blind (book) dating reality show has been optioned! Introducing The Bookshelf. Contestants – Readers, of course – search for their OTPR™ , their One True Perfect Read. Combining the WTFery of The Bachelor/Ette franchise with the individual pods of Love is Blind, contestants on The Bookshelf begin in private libraries, listening to audiobooks … Continue reading April Fool’s 2023: The Bookshelf! →
RECOMMENDED: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian is $1.99! Carrie gave it a B+:
This book succeeds in that it gives an irresistible couple in sweet, goofy Rob and grumpy Marian. I adored this couple for their ability to think outside the box, their easy and complete acceptance of each other, and their banter.
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Olivia Waite joins me to talk about her New York Times romance column, and her best-of coverage for 2022. We talk about her favorite books of 2022, about writing grief, writing her column, and what’s next. We take a side trip into discussing the emotionally intense books that are popular now, and the properties that had an emotional wallop on us when we were younger. (Hello, Titanic.) … Music: purple-planet.com
The Proposal by Mary Balogh is $1.99! This is the first book in her Survivor’s Club series, which is a favorite amongst the Bitchery. Readers loved the hero, Hugo, but I’ve never felt particularly moved to pick one up. Balogh fans, what do you love about her books?
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After many showers (so, so many showers) and much pointlessness, season 27 of The Bachelor is over. So who “won?” I don’t care. Anyway, thanks to some comments from last week’s post, I found Pudding a shirt that covers the spot she isn’t supposed to lick so she doesn’t need a cone. She doesn’t love the shirt, either, but it’s better. She’s still going to poop in my shoes. We open in a studio in … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelor–S27 E11: Poop in Shoes →
We are in the middle of a witchy pop culture wave (see: many, many recent witch-themed romance novels, for example). Toil and Trouble: A Women’s History of the Occult looks at the roles that women have played in America’s occult history. It’s a very complicated topic, and I admired the authors for being able to present an organized and inclusive, although not comprehensive, look at some of the many ways that women have been active … Continue reading Toil and Trouble by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson →
Hello, everyone! How are we all doing? While spring has sprung, I feel like I’m in a bit of a funk. It’s definitely been busy in the household and I’m looking forward to getting a moment to breathe. (Allergies notwithstanding, of course.) Any anime watchers in the house? I used to be a big anime fan in high school, but dropped off for a while. I got sucked back in by first half-listening to my … Continue reading Links: Patterns, Picture Books, & More →
Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik is $1.99! This is book two in the Starlight’s Shadow series. Book three is out this summer. I remember reading book two, though found it heavier on action that romance.
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The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is a traditional Gothic novel that suffers from uneven pacing and a lack of tension. While I was intrigued by some of the themes, overall the book was a bit of a drag to get through. Margaret Lennox is a young widow who is facing poverty after the death of her husband. A former governess, Margaret takes a job at the remote Hartwood Hall teaching ten-year-old Louis Eversham. Right away … Continue reading The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden →
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater is $2.99! This is book one in the Regency Faerie Tales series and subsequent books in the series were listed in latest Hide Your Wallet. There’s another YA vs. Adult debate for this one as well. I believe there is no sexual content in this one.
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This HaBO comes from Emily, who is trying to find this historical romance: I recently listened to the Fated Mates episode about Twins in romance, and it made me think of a book. I read it within the last year but it definitely had old school vibes. The heroine is this feral child who is isolated and left to run wild by negligent parents. She eventually learns she has to marry to save her family … Continue reading HaBO: He Was the Pirate the Whole Time →
