It's Cover Snark, but Just one Book
Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders is 99c! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and is being price-matched by a couple other places. Readers warn that this is a contemporary romance on the darker side, but many say this is a great debut by Anders. I know I’m picking this one up.
Never Caught: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge is a nonfiction book about the efforts of one of George and Martha Washington’s slaves, Ona Judge, to secure her freedom. In the process, the book describes the struggle the new nation had with slavery and how different states and different individuals dealt with the matter. When Martha Washington married George, she was a widow with about 100 “dower slaves” (slaves that she … Continue reading Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Greetings, everyone! It’s time for the April Smart Bitches Business Update, a monthly feature wherein I happily dive deep into the nerdy depths of the Smart Bitches and bring you all with me. In past months, I’ve done surveys and have a few requests for additional questions. It seems you’re as curious about each other as I am about you! I mean, I already know that you all know pretty much everything, and you’re fabulously smart and discerning, but … Continue reading Smart Bitches Business Update: April 2017
Worlds of Ink and Shadow is a YA fantasy about the Brontë siblings (Branwell, Charlotte, Anne, and Emily). As children, Branwell and Charlotte created the kingdom of Angria, and Anne and Emily created Gondal. Worlds of Ink and Shadow imagines that the siblings had the ability to step into one of their fictional worlds and interact with the characters as though they were real people. In doing so, the book answers many questions about the … Continue reading Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley
When I first started listening to the Knit 1, Geek 2 podcast I immediately felt as though I had found my people. This podcast is a wonderful blend of discussion regarding knitting, geek culture, gaming, movies and television. The hosts, Karen and Maggie, are both funny and also welcoming. They use the f-word liberally. It’s like sitting down with friends you didn’t know you had. I love to knit (if you didn’t already know), and … Continue reading Podcast Review: Knit 1, Geek 2
Avast ye, mateys! It’s my birthday month and it’s cocktail time! Both are two very good things. This month’s drink is tropical and delicious. I desperately need it because Massachusetts is getting buckets of rain just as we start to get a glimpse of spring. It also includes one of my favorite things: boozy fruit. The Romance Reader’s Guide to Life by Sharon Pywell is my inspiration for this tasty drink and it required doing … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: The Castaway
Carrie and I chat with author Cathy Pegau, who writes lesbian science fiction romance and historical mysteries, and who also lives in Cordova, Alaska. We talk about living in Alaska (Carrie lived for several years in Bethel, Alaska) and the Alaskan’s love of the Anchorage Costco, asking crucial questions like, “Can you go to Target or Costco for just one thing?” And, “What is the plural of pegasus?” We also cover life in Alaska, weird … Continue reading 241. Living and Writing in Alaska, and Making Your Own Fun: An Interview with Cathy Pegau
Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught is $1.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and so far, hasn’t been price-matched. This is one book I could never read because the hero has the exact name (first and last) of an ex-boyfriend. Awkward. Many readers loved this book and McNaught’s writing, though there were some who thought both main characters were kind of awful.
The difficulty of playing with the Pygmalion/My Fair Lady trope is that in its original form, it’s inherently mean. Making bets on whether you can change a person to pass for gentry, even if the author is doing it to make fun of the ridiculousness of the British class system, is still making someone the butt of a joke. Happily, Frampton seems to understand this, and made a conscious choice not to make anyone the … Continue reading My Fair Duchess by Megan Frampton
Big thanks to Reader Shimonishi for sending in this Rec League request, with a particular twist on the “fish out of water” trope: I would love some help finding contemporary romances that are set in the U.S. but feature a non-American hero. I can’t figure how to search for these. There seems to be many romances with an American heroine in foreign countries. I really enjoyed : Kristan Higgins – The Perfect Match; and Christina Lauren … Continue reading The Rec League: Fish Out of Water Heroes
