CW/TW: stalking A few weeks ago, three people sent me (Tara) a link for Boyfriend Dungeon in the Nintendo Store. I don’t really believe in signs, but by the third message, I was sold. I started playing that evening and was totally hooked. And luckily, Amanda was into it too! Amanda: I was blessed enough to back it on Kickstarter and got some cool limited edition swag. I’ve been anxiously awaiting its release! Tara: Boyfriend … Continue reading Boyfriend Dungeon
We Are Lady Parts is a British sit-com about an all-girl Muslim punk band, and it is glorious. It is sweet, empowering, and very, very funny with a diverse, female-led cast and some very clever writing. The series runs for six 25-minute episodes written and directed by Nida Manzoor, and we watched the whole thing in a single sitting, alternately cackling with laughter and hiding behind the sofa in an agony of vicarious embarrassment. The … Continue reading We Are Lady Parts, created by Nida Manzoor
If you follow video games at all, you’ve almost certainly heard of Hades. It was named Game of the Year by many people and publications, and for good reason. It’s impeccably written, has interesting characters, and it’s fun as hell (heh) to play, making it a seriously compelling game. And it’s addictive! So much so, that it’s directly responsible for my buying a Nintendo Switch Lite, so I didn’t have to fight with my kids … Continue reading Game Review: Hades
Romance fans, there is a version The Bachelor that isn’t terrible! Let’s visit New Zealand, where at least one man will fall for you when a koala poops in your belly button. My reading took a nosedive as we hit the March pandemic anniversaries, so I turned to television. Every season I try to enjoy The Bachelor, and most years I angrily give up midway and read Elyse’s recaps instead. I want my dating shows … Continue reading Squee: Bachelor New Zealand
CW: transphobia experienced by a character I recently got a Nintendo Switch Lite and my husband started sliding me links for games he thought I might like. One was for a dating sim with elderly people called Later Daters. I thought it sounded cute, bought it, and promptly forgot all about it for a month because I was addicted to Hades at the time. Holy smacks, was I ever right about it being cute, and … Continue reading Game Review: Later Daters
If I had to pick one video game that had the most significant combined impact on me as a gamer and a romance reader, it has to be Final Fantasy VIII. FFVIII is essentially a romance novel in RPG video game form and it had an indelible impact in making me love tropes that are STILL major catnip for me, like settings that combine science fiction and magic elements, political intrigues, girls dealing with possibly … Continue reading Squee From the Keeper Shelf: Final Fantasy VIII
I love made-for-tv Christmas rom-coms, and I’ve been soothing myself with them since Halloween. My expectations for these movies aren’t high, but every once and a while I come across one worth a rewatch. One of my faves this year is Christmas Ever After because of its catnippy premise—a romance novelist who falls for her cover model. It’s pretty much tailor-made for romance fans who like lighthearted holiday movies. Izzi is a successful author whose … Continue reading Movie Review: Christmas Ever After
This guest review comes from Rhoda Baxter! Rhoda writes contemporary romantic comedies about smart women and nice guy heroes. She also writes multicultural women’s fiction as Jeevani Charika. Her latest book is That Holiday in France . Rhoda can be found on her website or on Twitter (@rhodabaxter). … I’m new to K-drama (but not new to Asian teledramas as such: we used to watch Oshin – dubbed into Singhalese – when I was a … Continue reading Guest Squee: Crash Landing on You (Netflix)
I am so in love with The Next World Tarot. This deck is perfect for our current moment of national and planetary turmoil. In concept and execution, it is inspiring on a personal and political scale. The creator, Christy C. Road, describes the deck thus: Featuring body outlaws, endangered cultures, and anti-colonial belief systems, THE NEXT WORLD TAROT envisions a world where justice relies on respect and revolutionary love. The Fool’s Journey is about smashing … Continue reading The Next World Tarot by Cristy C. Road
The new Netflix movie Enola Holmes has Sherlock Holmes, Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things, and suffragists, so it is relevant to our interests (Victoriana, feminism, actors who have been in geeky things). What follows is a joint running commentary and review by Tara and CarrieS, with additional input from Linden (age 16). The plot is that Enola Holmes, younger sister of Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft Holmes (Sam Clafin, hiding his beauty behind a … Continue reading Movie Review: Enola Holmes
If you’re anything like me, you need some comfort in your life and quite urgently. If you do, consider The Baby-Sitters’ Club, the new series on Netflix, a prescription-strength balm for the soul. It will ease your tired mind and your sore heart and make you feel hopeful for what is to come. First a little background. Books were my first real friends. Hell, they still are my friends. And it started with Sweet Valley … Continue reading The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix 2020)
