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purplecat) wrote2025-10-04 03:11 pm
purplecat) wrote2025-10-04 03:11 pm
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booknook2025-10-04 08:21 am
huxleyenne) wrote in booknook2025-10-04 08:21 am
Entry tags:
Book Review: Amusing Ourselves to Death
Full Title: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business
Author: Neil Postman
First Published: In the United States of America by Viking, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 1985
Today I would like to briefly discuss a book I first read two and a half years ago, but has undoubtedly rocked my world, shaken my perception of entertainment, and every television/Internet-connected screen in which I find myself parked and glued.
This book, published in 1985, is as relevant as ever 40 years later, despite being a critical discourse on American television and its role in society.
Postman digs into all sorts of media, none of which he bombards with more side-eye than television news, which he basically regards as the apex of brainrot back in the 1980s, and quite frankly, I think he’s right.
I grew up in America, raised on a glut of television programs and commercials. If I had read his book any time before late 2016, I would have assumed this author was just kind of poo poo and anti-tech, or perhaps I would have likened him to the same kind of people who blame violence in schools on video games. I cannot see myself reading and accepting Postman’s work before 2016.
Now? Of all authors I’ve ever read in my life, I don’t think any have predicted America’s future with haunting accuracy the way Brave New World by Aldous Huxley has. It was Postman’s work that led me to Huxley (I already read Orwell in school by the time I found Postman, but Huxley was new to me.)
The value of reading Amusing Ourselves to Death in 2025 is that it can give readers, both open-minded Americans and folks in other countries, a picture of how it came to be that we, the people, are so easily influenced and swayed by hypnotic video media, and why that might be. It’s like, most of us see it, but don’t quite have the words for it. Instead, many people would lazily dismiss this as mere ignorance/stupidity and walk away feeling superior for the sake of feeling superior, probably.
I'm not here to express a "superior" or "heightened" awareness, as it were, but I am here to encourage everyone to think about what they watch, why, and how it might affect them. I think everyone has a right to know, especially because propagandists and advertisers don't want us to. It's not in the best interest of their bloated wallets for us to think critically about media consumption.
Anyway, Postman, a man who considered himself a “media ecologist,” expressed many concerns regarding television (and many of those concerns apply to how we use the Internet as well.) He has serious doubts about its ability to educate people, especially when education is the intent. He doesn’t regard it as a good source of information at all, least of all that which we call “news.” Heck, this man Postman, especially his 1980s self, would probably argue that a solid half hour of someone swimming in poo is of higher intellectual value than Fox News from an entirely unironic point of view.
As with any nonfiction book, I wouldn’t encourage anyone to read this and take it as gospel. It’s here to help you think, open your eyes, and draw your own conclusions, which is what Postman himself would want, I believe.
Postman was a critic with plenty of critics, and rightly so, I’m sure. Even so, he’s given me so much to think about, and I don’t know for sure if he’s the driving force or just a little piece of the puzzle, but the way I watch television now is different. I don’t know if I’d call it heightened awareness or disillusionment, but I’m relieved to have a voice from the decade in which I was born to give words to much of what I’ve been thinking of news, programs, and memetic culture over the past ten years. Take Postman's work with a grain of salt if you must, but do give him a chance if social sciences and humanities are of interest to you. Thank you.
Author: Neil Postman
First Published: In the United States of America by Viking, an Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 1985
Today I would like to briefly discuss a book I first read two and a half years ago, but has undoubtedly rocked my world, shaken my perception of entertainment, and every television/Internet-connected screen in which I find myself parked and glued.
This book, published in 1985, is as relevant as ever 40 years later, despite being a critical discourse on American television and its role in society.
Postman digs into all sorts of media, none of which he bombards with more side-eye than television news, which he basically regards as the apex of brainrot back in the 1980s, and quite frankly, I think he’s right.
I grew up in America, raised on a glut of television programs and commercials. If I had read his book any time before late 2016, I would have assumed this author was just kind of poo poo and anti-tech, or perhaps I would have likened him to the same kind of people who blame violence in schools on video games. I cannot see myself reading and accepting Postman’s work before 2016.
Now? Of all authors I’ve ever read in my life, I don’t think any have predicted America’s future with haunting accuracy the way Brave New World by Aldous Huxley has. It was Postman’s work that led me to Huxley (I already read Orwell in school by the time I found Postman, but Huxley was new to me.)
The value of reading Amusing Ourselves to Death in 2025 is that it can give readers, both open-minded Americans and folks in other countries, a picture of how it came to be that we, the people, are so easily influenced and swayed by hypnotic video media, and why that might be. It’s like, most of us see it, but don’t quite have the words for it. Instead, many people would lazily dismiss this as mere ignorance/stupidity and walk away feeling superior for the sake of feeling superior, probably.
I'm not here to express a "superior" or "heightened" awareness, as it were, but I am here to encourage everyone to think about what they watch, why, and how it might affect them. I think everyone has a right to know, especially because propagandists and advertisers don't want us to. It's not in the best interest of their bloated wallets for us to think critically about media consumption.
Anyway, Postman, a man who considered himself a “media ecologist,” expressed many concerns regarding television (and many of those concerns apply to how we use the Internet as well.) He has serious doubts about its ability to educate people, especially when education is the intent. He doesn’t regard it as a good source of information at all, least of all that which we call “news.” Heck, this man Postman, especially his 1980s self, would probably argue that a solid half hour of someone swimming in poo is of higher intellectual value than Fox News from an entirely unironic point of view.
As with any nonfiction book, I wouldn’t encourage anyone to read this and take it as gospel. It’s here to help you think, open your eyes, and draw your own conclusions, which is what Postman himself would want, I believe.
Postman was a critic with plenty of critics, and rightly so, I’m sure. Even so, he’s given me so much to think about, and I don’t know for sure if he’s the driving force or just a little piece of the puzzle, but the way I watch television now is different. I don’t know if I’d call it heightened awareness or disillusionment, but I’m relieved to have a voice from the decade in which I was born to give words to much of what I’ve been thinking of news, programs, and memetic culture over the past ten years. Take Postman's work with a grain of salt if you must, but do give him a chance if social sciences and humanities are of interest to you. Thank you.
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books (![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-04 06:00 am
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-04 06:00 amKickass Women in History: Rosa Mackenberg
Most people know that Harry Houdini was a famous magician. Many people also know that Houdini devoted much of his life to debunking fake mediums during a time when Spiritualism had widespread acceptance.
But did you know that Houdini’s chief investigator was a woman named Rosa Mackenberg? I did not, but thanks to a Skeptoid podcast episode I do now!
Mackenberg began her career working as a private detective at a detective agency in New York. She was introduced to Houdini, who asked her to help expose fake mediums. Mackenberg believed that it was possible to communicate with the dead, but also agreed that mediums could be frauds. She started a partnership with Houdini that would last even after he died (in a sense).
Mackenberg joined Houdini’s team in 1924. Mackenberg would adopt a costume and a backstory and meet with psychics before Houdini came to town. She took notes on their methods and passed them on to Houdini. Then when Houdini came to town, they would discredit the fake psychics publicly.
Mackenberg testified before Congress hoping to convince them to pass a bill that would outlaw predatory practices among mediums. In the process, she divulged that multiple members of Congress, as well as President Calvin Coolidge, visited mediums in Washington, D.C.
After Houdini died in 1926, she continued her work, investigating fraudulent psychics and giving talks to professional and legal groups as well as the general public on how mediums were able to successfully swindle their victims.
Before Houdini died, he gave a code to his wife and a few other people, one of whom was Mackenberg. The purpose of this was to provide proof of authenticity should any medium actually be able to communicate with his spirit. Despite trying many times, Mackenberg was never able to receive an authentic message.
Mackenberg believed in an afterlife, but the mediums she investigated were not solely providing comfort based in reality or otherwise. Mediums who met with the disguised Mackenberg charged a fee, tried to sell her stocks because of ‘advice from the beyond’ in businesses they stood to profit by, and otherwise attempted to prey upon her, and their clientele, financially and fraudulently. In her work, she advanced not only the opportunities for women in investigative fields, but also some techniques of scientific investigation that are still used today.
According to Atlas Obscura,
By the time she died in 1968, she claimed to have investigated 1,500 mediums. “Rose Mackenberg dons shabby clothes and tracks down ‘spirit world’ frauds,” the Vancouver Sun wrote of her. “She has found plenty, too, having been put in touch with 1,500 departed husbands she never had.”
For more about the indomitable Rosa Mackenberg, check out:
- “More than a Magician’s Assistant” from Skeptoid Episode 987
- The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher
- This 1949 article about Mackenberg from the St. Petersburg Times
- “The Ghost-Busting ‘Girl Detective’ Who Awed Houdini” from Atlas Obscura
chroniclesofreading (chroniclesofreading) wrote in booknook2025-10-03 09:14 pm
chroniclesofreading) wrote in booknook2025-10-03 09:14 pm
Entry tags:
Book Review: Coraline
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman, Dave McKean (Illustrator )
RELEASED: April 24, 2012 by HarperCollins
GENRE: Dark Fantasy
AGE RANGE: Children's
SYNOPSIS: When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.
But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Coraline will have to fight with all her wits and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.
Celebrating ten years of Neil Gaiman's first modern classic for young readers, this edition is enriched with a brand-new foreword from the author, a reader's guide, and more.
( Read More )
Penny Arcade (pennyarcade_feed) wrote2025-10-03 07:23 pm
pennyarcade_feed) wrote2025-10-03 07:23 pmEnervator
I saw a few full-throated defenses of Tilly Norwood, a kind of cybergolem designed to supplant human actors. It's from Particle6, a company nobody had ever heard of before a week ago, utilizing their DeepFame engine - a name I assure you I did not make up. I haven't seen an article about Tilly Norwood that didn't include the note that there were already suitors lined up to utilize their tech, which there is no proof of, and no way to prove it. SAG-AFTRA would fuck anybody who even attempted to use this in a production directly up their ass.
Nick Eff (roadrunnertwice) wrote2025-10-03 11:19 am
roadrunnertwice) wrote2025-10-03 11:19 amBookpost: 3rd Voice and Margo Maloo
Hey, let's do another bookpost. Though first, speaking of comics: please be aware that the Shortbox Comics Fair is now running, through the end of October! It's a limited-run PDF sale of all-new comics, curated by one of the most fascinating and eclectic editorial tastes I've run across. I still need to do my shopping, but figured I'd put out the alert early so everyone else has time to peruse.
Drew Weing — The Creepy Case Files of Margo Maloo vols. 1-3 (comics)
Aug 7
Readable online again!
This is a top-tier kids' comic about a secret world of monsters overlaid on/under/around Echo City (a lightly disguised New York). Weing just started updating it again with a new story, and re-posted all the chapters that he had to make book-exclusive while the physical volumes were in print.
I love this comic. The story is a recipe you've seen before (monsters are largely just misunderstood and want to be left alone; there's a code of silence and stealth that's starting to wear at the seams as conflicts with humans become more common; our private detective heroine is caught between worlds trying to keep the peace), but it's prepared with so much grace and verve that it honestly tastes brand new. It's also quietly subversive under the fun and excitement, in a manner reminiscent of Pinkwater at his best.
One thing I especially love here is that since Margo's not our main POV character (that's Charles, who's a bit of a bumpkin but who catches on quickly), Weing's free to just make her unrestrainedly badass. She has clearly not been to school in a decade. She drives a moped she absolutely does not have a licence for. She's up all night shmoozing at the diner or putting the squeeze on informants down at the casino. She's fuckin' great.
Calvin Kasulke — Several People are Typing (re-read)
Sept. 20
I still like this surreal little office freakout.
It was much easier to follow the whole Lydia/Bjärk situation on this re-read.
Evan Dahm — 3rd Voice, webcomic backlog through early September 2025
Sept. 15
Oh man this is the good stuff. This is that high-purity gritty weird fantasy SHIT. Strong recommend.
I'm captivated by the mysteries of the world in this; it feels big and powerful and very badly damaged. I think the setting reminds me a lot of Martha Wells' Three Worlds setting (the Raksura books) — there's a very wide variety of "people" species, and it's not clear whether there's common descent or something else going on.
I'm also really invested in the troubles and triumphs of Spondule and Navichek, who make a lot of really bad impulse-driven decisions but who still manage to be tenacious survivors, and I've developed a real liking for Zelitte, a secondary character from the current arc, who I hope manages to extract herself into a life that feels more honest to her (but it could really go any way at this point).
I think the first volume of this may have hit print just uhhhh this past (i.e. prior to Sept. 15) weekend?
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books (smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-03 03:30 pm
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-03 03:30 pmBooks on Sale: Jumbo Edition
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
RECOMMENDED: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty is $1.99! Carrie squeed about this one:
I adored every part of this story – the stakes, the world-building, the language, the characters, and the action. I can’t wait to read more of it.
“A thrilling, transportative adventure that is everything promised–Chakraborty’s storytelling is fantasy at its best.” — R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War
“An exhilarating, propulsive adventure, stitched from the threads of real history, Amina’s adventures are the reason to read fantasy.” — Ava Reid, internationally bestselling author of Juniper & Thorn
Shannon Chakraborty, the bestselling author of The City of Brass, spins a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman’s determined quest to seize a final chance at glory—and write her own legend.
Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.
Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.
Romantic Comedy
RECOMMENDED: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld is $1.99! Elyse gave this one an A:
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.
A comedy writer thinks she’s sworn off love, until a dreamily handsome pop star flips the script on all her assumptions. Romantic Comedy is a hilarious, observant and deeply tender novel from New York Times–bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld.
Sally Milz is a sketch writer for “The Night Owls,” the late-night live comedy show that airs each Saturday. With a couple of heartbreaks under her belt, she’s long abandoned the search for love, settling instead for the occasional hook-up, career success, and a close relationship with her stepfather to round out a satisfying life.
But when Sally’s friend and fellow writer Danny Horst begins dating Annabel, a glamorous actor who guest-hosted the show, he joins the not-so-exclusive group of talented but average-looking and even dorky men at the show—and in society at large—who’ve gotten romantically involved with incredibly beautiful and accomplished women. Sally channels her annoyance into a sketch called the “Danny Horst Rule,” poking fun at this phenomenon while underscoring how unlikely it is that the reverse would ever happen for a woman.
Enter Noah Brewster, a pop music sensation with a reputation for dating models, who signed on as both host and musical guest for this week’s show. Dazzled by his charms, Sally hits it off with Noah instantly, and as they collaborate on one sketch after another, she begins to wonder whether there might actually be sparks flying. But this isn’t a romantic comedy; it’s real life. And in real life, someone like him would never date someone like her…right?
With her keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page, Sittenfeld explores the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love, while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age.
When No One Is Watching
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole is $1.99! We were all pretty excited about this one. What did you think about Cole’s thriller debut?
Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning …
Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.
But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.
When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?
Throne of the Fallen
RECOMMENDED: Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco is $3.99! I enjoyed this one and it reminded me a lot of sexy, early 2000s paranormal romances (which may or may not be your thing). I gave it a B+:
Throne of the Fallen is a “yes, and…” sort of book that you just have to lean into, which I happily did. It’s extremely cliched and tropey, and I’d eat this nonsense for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The adult debut of #1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco, Throne of the Fallen is a seductive new standalone novel set within her fan-favorite Kingdom of the Wicked world, perfect for readers of fantasy, romance, and mystery alike.
Sinner. Villain. Ruthless.
These are wicked names the Prince of Envy welcomes. They remind him what he isn’t: a saint. And when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows he’ll be called much worse before it ends. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way. With a powerful artifact and his own future at stake, Envy is determined to win, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin—and passion—like no other…
Talented. Darling. Liar.
The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows notorious rake—and satire sheet legend—Lord Phillip Vexley to blackmail her. And now it seems Vexley isn’t the only scoundrel interested in securing her unique talents as a painter. To avoid Vexley’s clutches and a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Waverly Green’s newest arrival, enigmatic Lord Ashford ‘Syn’ Synton, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .
Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Shifting Isles—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm, and encounters with exiled Fae—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.
It’s Elementary
It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant is $1.99! Sarah picked this for a previous Hide Your Wallet. This is book one in the Mavis Miller mystery series.
Blood on the Tide
RECOMMENDED: Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert is $1.99! This is book two in the Crimson Sails series and Lara gave it a B+:
When I review books, I stop intermittently to jot down notes. With Katee Robert books, I get so immersed so quickly that I forget to take notes. The story sucks me in comprehensively and this book is no exception to that rule. If you’re interested in this series, definitely start with book one as the two are closely linked. I can heartily recommend both.
As a bloodline vampire, Lizzie has never had a problem taking what she wants, and right now what she wants are the family heirlooms that were stolen from her, a ship, and a portal home. Unfortunately, even that short list is impossible to accomplish on her own—and her allies have bigger things to worry about. When they rescue a selkie, it’s the perfect solution to her problem. Lizzie needs a guide through Threshold and the selkie needs her skin back.
Maeve didn’t choose to give up her skin—it was stolen from her. Now she’s in an uneasy partnership with a dangerous woman who seems more apt to kill than to share a kind word. It’s terrifying…and a bit alluring. Even though she knows it will end in heartbreak, Maeve can’t help being drawn to Lizzie.
Unfortunately, the danger to Maeve’s heart is the least of her worries. The ship they’re seeking belongs to the Cwn Annwn, and they don’t take kindly to people who cross them. They’re coming hunting, and not even Lizzie’s viciousness or Maeve’s knowledge will be enough to save them…
Life’s Too Short
Life’s Too Short by Abby Jimenez is $2.99! This is the third book in The Friend Zone series, which can all be read as standalones. All of Jimenez’s books pack an emotional punch, so be ye warned.
A brilliant and touching romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone and The Happy Ever After Playlist.
Vanessa lives life on her own terms — one day at a time, every day to its fullest. She isn’t willing to waste a moment or miss out on an experience when she has no idea whether she shares the same fatal genetic condition as her mother. Besides, she has way too much to do, traveling the globe and showing her millions of YouTube followers the joy in seizing every moment.
But after her half-sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her infant daughter, she is housebound, on mommy duty for the foreseeable future, and feeling totally out of her element.
The last person she expects to show up offering help is the unbelievably hot lawyer who lives next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. But as they get closer, Vanessa realizes that her carefree ways and his need for a structured plan could never be compatible for the long term. Then again, she should know better than anyone that life’s too short to fear taking the biggest risk of all. . .
The Partner Plot
The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest is $1.99! This is book two in the Greene Sisters series and was released in February. This features a marriage of convenience between former high school sweethearts.
Two former high school sweethearts get a second chance in this marriage of convenience romance by Kristina Forest, author of The Neighbor Favor.
To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything…
Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.
Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?
Love You a Latke
RECOMMENDED: Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot is $1.99! We ran a guest review of this one by Lisa, and it earned a B+:
A pleasant, low-key charmball of a novel, Love you a Latke is a quick, smooth, easy read that brings all of the holiday joy and wintery feelings without a whole lot of angst. Be warned that it IS very tropey, however, so if you find a big parade of characters doing just what tropes say they ought to, avoid this one. But this is a smooth ride without too many bumps, making it a fine holiday weekend read.
Love comes home for the challah-days in this sparkling romance.
Snow is falling, holiday lights are twinkling, and Abby Cohen is pissed. For one thing, her most annoying customer, Seth, has been coming into her café every morning with his sunshiny attitude, determined to break down her carefully constructed emotional walls. And, as the only Jew on the tourism board of her Vermont town, Abby’s been charged with planning their fledgling Hanukkah festival. Unfortunately, the local vendors don’t understand that the story of Hanukkah cannot be told with light-up plastic figures from the Nativity scene, even if the Three Wise Men wear yarmulkes.
Desperate for support, Abby puts out a call for help online and discovers she was wrong about being the only Jew within a hundred miles. There’s one Seth.
As it turns out, Seth’s parents have been badgering him to bring a Nice Jewish Girlfriend home to New York City for Hanukkah, and if Abby can survive his incessant, irritatingly handsome smiles, he’ll introduce her to all the vendors she needs to make the festival a success. But over latkes, doughnuts, and winter adventures in Manhattan, Abby begins to realize that her fake boyfriend and his family might just be igniting a flame in her own guarded heart.
The Space Between Worlds
PODCAST RECOMMENDED: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson is $1.99! Courtney Milan recommended this one on a podcast episode with us, and I’m sure a lot of us trust what Courtney has to say.
An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens her new home and her fragile place in it, in a stunning sci-fi debut that’s both a cross-dimensional adventure and a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.
Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.
On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.
But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.
A Cruel Thirst
A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya is $1.99! I mentioned this one on Hide Your Wallet and fully admit I bought it for that gorgeous cover. Have any of you read this one?
A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment–to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.
Carolina Fuentes wants to join her family in hunting the bloodthirsty vampiros that plague her pueblo. Her father, however, wishes to marry her off to a husband of his choosing, someone who’ll take her away from danger.
Determined to prove she’d make a better slayer than wife, Carolina vows to take down a monster herself. But when she runs into un vampiro that is somehow extremely attractive and kind, her plan crumbles.
Lalo Villalobos was content leading a perfectly dull life until un vampiro turned him. Now forced to flee his city, he heads to the pueblo where he believes the first vampiro was made. Surely its residents must know how to reverse this dreadful curse. Instead of finding salvation, Lalo collides with a beautiful young woman who’d gladly drive a dagger through his heart.
Fortunately, Lalo and Carolina share a common enemy. They can wipe out this evil. Together. If his fangs and her fists can stay focused, they might just triumph and discover what it feels like to take a bite out of love.
Jewel Me Twice
Jewel Me Twice by Charish Reid is $1.99! This is a heist-themed romance and it came our summer of 2024. It also features a second chance romance.
Love can catch you red-handed.
He was her partner—both in crime and between the sheets. It’s been five years since professional thief Celeste St. Pierre laid eyes on Magnus Larsson. These days, she runs a Manhattan antique store, but her talent for stealing beautiful, shiny things hasn’t faded. And as a chance reunion over a locked safe proves, neither has the heat between her and the gorgeous, ice-cool Magnus.
For Magnus, only one thing beats the thrill of getting away with robbery—and that’s the woman he’s tried hard to forget. Their last job together ended in disaster. But if they’re going to honor their mentor’s last wishes to pull off the theft of the century, they’ll have to temporarily put their grudges behind them.
Crisscrossing Europe on a real-life treasure hunt, Celeste and Magnus quickly rediscover how well they work together. The higher the stakes, the hotter the sexual tension. But one slipup and it won’t be only jewels on the line, but a future that, just maybe, has been the ultimate prize all along…
The Arctic Fury
RECOMMENDED: The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister is $1.99! Carrie gave this historical mystery a B+.
I loved this book. It kept me in suspense and when it was over I wanted to read it again. It sent me down many Google rabbit holes, which is my favorite kind of book. I recommend this for people who aren’t averse to ambiguity, who like stories of adventure and exploration as well as intersectional examinations of women’s lives, and to people who like mystery/thrillers.
A dozen women join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition—and a sensational murder trial unfolds when some of them don’t come back.
Eccentric Lady Jane Franklin makes an outlandish offer to adventurer Virginia Reeve: take a dozen women, trek into the Arctic, and find her husband’s lost expedition. Four parties have failed to find him, and Lady Franklin wants a radical new approach: put the women in charge.
A year later, Virginia stands trial for murder. Survivors of the expedition willing to publicly support her sit in the front row. There are only five. What happened out there on the ice?
Set against the unforgiving backgdrop of one of the world’s most inhospitable locations, USA Today bestsellng author Greer Macallister uses the true story of Lady Jane Franklin’s tireless attempts to find her husband’s lost expedition as a jumping-off point to spin a tale of bravely, intrigue, perseverance and hope.
The Charm Offensive
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun is $1.99! I mentioned this on a previous Get Rec’d! It’s a m/m romance set in a reality dating show. One main character is a producer and the other is the Bachelor-esque contestant.
In this witty and heartwarming romantic comedy—reminiscent of Red, White & Royal Blue and One to Watch—an awkward tech wunderkind on a reality dating show goes off-script when sparks fly with his producer.
Dev Deshpande has always believed in fairy tales. So it’s no wonder then that he’s spent his career crafting them on the long-running reality dating show Ever After. As the most successful producer in the franchise’s history, Dev always scripts the perfect love story for his contestants, even as his own love life crashes and burns. But then the show casts disgraced tech wunderkind Charlie Winshaw as its star.
Charlie is far from the romantic Prince Charming Ever After expects. He doesn’t believe in true love, and only agreed to the show as a last-ditch effort to rehabilitate his image. In front of the cameras, he’s a stiff, anxious mess with no idea how to date twenty women on national television. Behind the scenes, he’s cold, awkward, and emotionally closed-off.
As Dev fights to get Charlie to open up to the contestants on a whirlwind, worldwide tour, they begin to open up to each other, and Charlie realizes he has better chemistry with Dev than with any of his female co-stars. But even reality TV has a script, and in order to find to happily ever after, they’ll have to reconsider whose love story gets told.
Murder in Highbury
Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly is $3.99! This historical mystery series came out last fall. Sarah mentioned it on Hide Your Wallet!
First in a captivating new series, Jane Austen’s Emma Knightley entertains a different role in Highbury—going from clever matchmaker to Regency England’s shrewdest sleuth.
“Clever and charming, Vanessa Kelly brings Austen’s world in Highbury village to life with beloved characters, twisty hijinks, and a mystery that will keep you guessing.” —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Hidden Books
Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .
But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .
As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.
“Brimming with all the wit and charm one can expect from a visit to Jane Austen’s world . . . the sequel we formerly could merely long for and imagine.” —Christina Dodd, New York Times bestselling author
The Kiss Countdown
The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton is $1.99! We mentioned this in Hide Your Wallet last spring. It’s a romance between an astronaut and an event planner. Did any of you pick this up?
With three months until liftoff, a struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after.
Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to be evicted. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at her favorite coffee shop. Panicked, Amerie pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along – for a price.
Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent’s doting partner in front of his loving but overly-invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny towards her struggling business.
What Amerie doesn’t plan for is Vincent’s gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he’s exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she’ll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.
The Resurrectionist
The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap is $3.99! Carrie read this one and gave it a B-:
This book was gripping from beginning to end. The sense of place and atmosphere were fantastic. I was certainly entertained. However, the story raises some huge questions, both personal ones for the characters and more overarching philosophical and ethical ones, and then never really unpacks them. It was a light book with a heavier story trapped inside it that never quite made it out.
In the tradition of The Alienist and A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland – when real-life serial killers Burke and Hare terrorized the streets of Edinburgh – as a young medical student is lured into the illicit underworld of body snatching.
Historical fiction, true crime, and dark academia intertwine in a harrowing tale of murder, greed, and the grisly origins of modern medicine for readers of Lydia Kang, ML Rio, Sarah Perry, and C.E. McGill.
Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naïve but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the city’s university offers everything James desires—except the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that, he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation, he strikes a deal with Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a dashing young dissectionist with an artist’s eye for anatomy and a reckless passion for knowledge. Nye promises to help him gain the surgical experience he craves—but it doesn’t take long for James to realize he’s made a devil’s bargain . . .
Nye is a body snatcher. And James has unwittingly become his accomplice. Intoxicated by Nye and his noble mission, James rapidly descends into the underground ranks of the Resurrectionists—the body snatchers infamous for stealing fresh corpses from churchyards to be used as anatomical specimens. Before he knows it, James is caught up in a life-or-death scheme as rival gangs of snatchers compete in a morbid race for power and prestige.
James and Nye soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a shady pair of unscrupulous opportunists known as Burke and Hare, who are dead set on cornering the market, no matter the cost. These unsavory characters will do anything to beat the competition for bodies. Even if it’s cold-blooded murder . . .
Exquisitely macabre and delightfully entertaining, The Resurrectionist combines fact and fiction in a rollicking tale of the risks and rewards of scientific pursuit, the passions of its boldest pioneers, and the anatomy of human desire.
The Jewel of the Isle
The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea is $1.99! This was recommended in a Rec League on books with The Mummy vibes. Action adventure romances had a string of new releases, but none really grabbed me. How about you?
Two very indoor people rough it on a remote island after getting swept up in an archaeologist’s hunt for a famed jewel in this dazzling new adventure rom-com by Kerry Rea, author of Lucy on the Wild Side.
If Emily Edwards knows one thing, it’s that you don’t go to a remote island by yourself. Ever the type A personality, Emily doesn’t want to hike around an unfamiliar island, but she’s determined to fulfill her late father’s national park bucket list, starting with Isle Royale National Park—home to wolves, bears, and hundred-year-old shipwrecks. She has no choice but to hire a tour guide, and there is only one that isn’t booked solid.
Ryder Fleet, co-owner of Fleet Outdoor Adventures, wouldn’t call himself a wilderness expert, and he definitely doesn’t know how to find true north. But when his dormant adventure guide business suddenly finds life again after a random inquiry, Ryder somehow finds himself on a ferry to Isle Royale with a very beautiful, no-nonsense woman. What this woman doesn’t know is that his brother Caleb, who died two years ago, was the outdoorsman of their business, while Ryder just did the marketing. But how hard could it be to hike up a few mountains?
Pretty difficult, actually, when murder is involved. Emily’s perfectly planned trek turns disastrous when she and Ryder witness a brutal crime and are suddenly forced to evade a group of archaeologists on the hunt for a jewel. As they spend nights together too close for comfort, they realize their shoddily built fire isn’t the only thing that’s kindling, and that they must trust each other if they want to escape the island with their lives—and hearts—intact.
Ink Blood Sister Scribe
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs is $1.99! This was mentioned on Hide Your Wallet and I think Lara said previously she was reading it.
In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection–a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.
For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements–books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.
All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .
In the great tradition of Ninth House, The Magicians, and Practical Magic, this is a suspenseful and richly atmospheric novel that draws readers into a vast world filled with mystery and magic, romance, and intrigue–and marks the debut of an extraordinary new voice in speculative fiction.
Malice
Malice by Heather Walter is $1.99! 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.
A princess isn’t supposed to fall for an evil sorceress. But in this darkly magical retelling of “Sleeping Beauty,” true love is more than a simple fairy tale.
Once upon a time, there was a wicked fairy who, in an act of vengeance, cursed a line of princesses to die. A curse that could only be broken by true love’s kiss.
You’ve heard this before, haven’t you? The handsome prince. The happily-ever-after.
Utter nonsense.
Let me tell you, no one in Briar actually cares about what happens to its princesses. Not the way they care about their jewels and elaborate parties and charm-granting elixirs. I thought I didn’t care, either.
Until I met her.
Princess Aurora. The last heir to Briar’s throne. Kind. Gracious. The future queen her realm needs. One who isn’t bothered that I am Alyce, the Dark Grace, abhorred and feared for the mysterious dark magic that runs in my veins. Humiliated and shamed by the same nobles who pay me to bottle hexes and then brand me a monster. Aurora says I should be proud of my gifts. That she . . . cares for me. Even though it was a power like mine that was responsible for her curse.
But with less than a year until that curse will kill her, any future I might see with Aurora is swiftly disintegrating—and she can’t stand to kiss yet another insipid prince. I want to help her. If my power began her curse, perhaps it’s what can lift it. Perhaps, together, we could forge a new world.
Nonsense again.
Because we all know how this story ends, don’t we? Aurora is the beautiful princess. And I—
I am the villain.
Scorched Grace
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy is $2.99! This is book one in the Sister Holiday mysteries series and I believe book two is also on sale.
Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test in this debut crime novel.
When Saint Sebastian’s School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding community are thrust into chaos. Unsatisfied with the officials’ response, sardonic and headstrong Sister Holiday becomes determined to unveil the mysterious attacker herself and return her home and sanctuary to its former peace. Her investigation leads down a twisty path of suspicion and secrets in the sticky, oppressive New Orleans heat, turning her against colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters along the way.
Sister Holiday is more faithful than most, but she’s no saint. To piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must first reckon with the sins of her checkered past-and neither task will be easy.
An exciting start to Margot Douaihy’s bold series for Gillian Flynn Books that breathes new life into the hard-boiled genre, Scorched Grace is a fast-paced and punchy whodunnit that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
seekingferret (seekingferret) wrote2025-10-03 08:41 am
seekingferret) wrote2025-10-03 08:41 amEntry tags:
Festivids!
Hi Festividder!
Thanks for making a vid for me. My usual request is that I like to be surprised and I like to let people follow their own creative intutions. But I know that can be hard to get started, so here's some brief notes to guide you if you want guidance.
The Menu (2022) [SAFETY]
I found this movie mesmerizing. I love the way it uses the aesthetics of modern haute cuisine and twists them in monstrous directions.
Adam Savage's Tested (YouTube Channel)
I love Adam's enthusiasm for tools and making things, I love the way he lifts up other creators, I love how he explains things.
Women's Logrolling RPF [UMBRELLA]
The only canon I know here is the amazing defector article Earth’s Best Logroller Has Created Her Own Greatest Rival, and a few YT videos, and I assume you probably don't know much more than me so if you vid this, enjoy the adventure of discovery.
Jet Lag: The Game (Web Series)
By the time festivids is really going we'll probably know who won All-Stars, feel free to use the new source or not. Toby is my favorite guest player, I also love the Adam and Ben dynamics, and I love how they play off mastermind Sam.
Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (2023) [SAFETY]
We are in the Jews dancing part of this request list now. I liked how this movie balanced the grownups and the teens both going on journeys of self discovery.
Round and Round (2023) [SAFETY]
More Jews dancing. I thought this movie was shockingly good. I loved it as a sci-fi movie taking its premise seriously and I loved it as a movie about a Jewish family supporting each other through crisis.
הסודות | The Secrets (2007) [SAFETY]
More Jews dancing. This is my favorite movie about Kabbalah, I love how it takes the life and death stakes of God's secrets seriously while remaining in a more or less naturalistic posture.
Thanks for making a vid for me. My usual request is that I like to be surprised and I like to let people follow their own creative intutions. But I know that can be hard to get started, so here's some brief notes to guide you if you want guidance.
The Menu (2022) [SAFETY]
I found this movie mesmerizing. I love the way it uses the aesthetics of modern haute cuisine and twists them in monstrous directions.
Adam Savage's Tested (YouTube Channel)
I love Adam's enthusiasm for tools and making things, I love the way he lifts up other creators, I love how he explains things.
Women's Logrolling RPF [UMBRELLA]
The only canon I know here is the amazing defector article Earth’s Best Logroller Has Created Her Own Greatest Rival, and a few YT videos, and I assume you probably don't know much more than me so if you vid this, enjoy the adventure of discovery.
Jet Lag: The Game (Web Series)
By the time festivids is really going we'll probably know who won All-Stars, feel free to use the new source or not. Toby is my favorite guest player, I also love the Adam and Ben dynamics, and I love how they play off mastermind Sam.
Are You There God? It's Me Margaret (2023) [SAFETY]
We are in the Jews dancing part of this request list now. I liked how this movie balanced the grownups and the teens both going on journeys of self discovery.
Round and Round (2023) [SAFETY]
More Jews dancing. I thought this movie was shockingly good. I loved it as a sci-fi movie taking its premise seriously and I loved it as a movie about a Jewish family supporting each other through crisis.
הסודות | The Secrets (2007) [SAFETY]
More Jews dancing. This is my favorite movie about Kabbalah, I love how it takes the life and death stakes of God's secrets seriously while remaining in a more or less naturalistic posture.
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books (smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-03 06:00 am
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-03 06:00 am687. RT Rewind: May 2016 Reviews and New Releases
Grab your carry on, your snacks, and a blanket, because we’re hopping in the time machine again to go back to the May 2016 issue of Romantic Times to look at the new releases and reviews!
This issue caused some big questions.
- Coke or Pepsi?
- Backstreet Boys or NSYNC?
- Did you worry about spontaneous combustion?
- Should I read the Midnight, Texas trilogy by Charlaine Harris?
- How many erotic romance titles in this issue contain the word “dirty?”
We have lots to talk about so let’s get started!
Listen to the podcast →Read the transcript →
Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:
We also mentioned:
- Our review of Summer Supernovas by Darcy Woods
- Elyse’s review of Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
- Amanda’s review of the Sleeping Giants audiobook.
If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to our feed, or find us at iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher, and Spotify, too. We also have a cool page for the podcast on iTunes.
More ways to sponsor:
Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)
What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.
Thanks for listening!
Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.
QC RSS (questionable_content_feed) wrote2025-10-02 09:48 pm
questionable_content_feed) wrote2025-10-02 09:48 pmBasically Inevitable
it was only a matter of time
Redbird (redbird) wrote in thisfinecrew2025-10-02 02:22 pm
redbird) wrote in thisfinecrew2025-10-02 02:22 pmEntry tags:
foster parents' "personal views"
Posting this by request, as she wrote it:
The Boston Globe is soliciting opinions on whether or not foster parents's views on children being queer or trans should be taken into account.
MSN link
Basically, we have to explain not only that water is wet but that if foster parents are allowed to dunk a trans kid into the tank of their transphobia the kid can drown in there. The Globe's editorial board termed this a matter of "personal views" and of DCF demanding foster parents be "perfect", which is glaringly disingenuous but needs to be spelled out to hopefully influence public opinion.
The Globe's address is community@boston.com.
The Boston Globe is soliciting opinions on whether or not foster parents's views on children being queer or trans should be taken into account.
MSN link
Basically, we have to explain not only that water is wet but that if foster parents are allowed to dunk a trans kid into the tank of their transphobia the kid can drown in there. The Globe's editorial board termed this a matter of "personal views" and of DCF demanding foster parents be "perfect", which is glaringly disingenuous but needs to be spelled out to hopefully influence public opinion.
The Globe's address is community@boston.com.
Book Review: The Tassajarra Bread Book by Edward Espe Brown
My mother was an excellent baker. Pies and cookies were her specialties, but her cakes and quick breads were also very good. She took the time to teach me and my brothers how to bake. But she absolutely did not make yeast bread. So when I was in high school I plunged into yeast breads as a form of self expression, a way to take what I’d learned from Mom and take it in a new direction. And for a inquisitive hippie girl in the early 1970s I found my bread mentor in this book.
The Tassajarra Bread Book was first published in 1970. It is still in print with the original publisher, Shambhala Press, in 2025. That kind of longevity for any book is rare, but this no ordinary cookbook. At the time he wrote the book Edward Espe Brown was cook at the Tassajarra Zen Mountain Center in Northern California. The book reflects a philosophy of mindfulness. In the short preface he says:
“Bread makes itself, by your kindness, with dough under hand, your are bread making itself, which is why bread making is so fulfilling and rewarding.“
“A recipe doesn’t belong to anyone. Given to me, I give it to you. Only a guide, only a skeletal framework . . .”
Brown starts with an explanation of the ingredients and tools used in bread baking followed by a detailed description of the process accompanied by hand drawn illustrations. The following chapter on yeasted bread provides the framework for creativity. Seventeen variations of the main recipe encourage the baker to move toward self-expression in baking. Try new things. See if they work. Adapt if they don’t.
The book contains chapters on yeasted pastry, sourdough, unyeasted breads, breakfast breast, quick breads, and desserts. It continues to be an excellent introduction to baking for anyone, and a great source of creative inspiration.
The Tassajarra Bread Book was first published in 1970. It is still in print with the original publisher, Shambhala Press, in 2025. That kind of longevity for any book is rare, but this no ordinary cookbook. At the time he wrote the book Edward Espe Brown was cook at the Tassajarra Zen Mountain Center in Northern California. The book reflects a philosophy of mindfulness. In the short preface he says:
“Bread makes itself, by your kindness, with dough under hand, your are bread making itself, which is why bread making is so fulfilling and rewarding.“
“A recipe doesn’t belong to anyone. Given to me, I give it to you. Only a guide, only a skeletal framework . . .”
Brown starts with an explanation of the ingredients and tools used in bread baking followed by a detailed description of the process accompanied by hand drawn illustrations. The following chapter on yeasted bread provides the framework for creativity. Seventeen variations of the main recipe encourage the baker to move toward self-expression in baking. Try new things. See if they work. Adapt if they don’t.
The book contains chapters on yeasted pastry, sourdough, unyeasted breads, breakfast breast, quick breads, and desserts. It continues to be an excellent introduction to baking for anyone, and a great source of creative inspiration.
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books (smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-02 03:30 pm
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-02 03:30 pmHistorical Romances, Witches, & More
Do You Want to Start a Scandal
RECOMMENDED: Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare is 99c! This is part of the Castles Ever After series, but can be read on its own. Elyse loved this book:
I loved Do You Want to Start a Scandal. It’s funny, it’s sexy and it’s got some Clue-like shenanigans going on. If you have better self control than I do, I recommend savoring this book rather than powering through in one sitting (good luck).
On the night of the Parkhurst ball, someone had a scandalous tryst in the library. Was it Lord Canby, with the maid, on the divan? Or Miss Fairchild, with a rake, against the wall? Perhaps the butler did it.
All Charlotte Highwood knows is this: it wasn’t her. But rumors to the contrary are buzzing. Unless she can discover the lovers’ true identity, she’ll be forced to marry Piers Brandon, Lord Granville—the coldest, most arrogantly handsome gentleman she’s ever had the misfortune to embrace. When it comes to emotion, the man hasn’t got a clue.
But as they set about finding the mystery lovers, Piers reveals a few secrets of his own. The oh-so-proper marquess can pick locks, land punches, tease with sly wit . . . and melt a woman’s knees with a single kiss. The only thing he guards more fiercely than Charlotte’s safety is the truth about his dark past.
Their passion is intense. The danger is real. Soon Charlotte’s feeling torn. Will she risk all to prove her innocence? Or surrender it to a man who’s sworn to never love?
The Duke and Lady Scandal
The Duke and Lady Scandal by Christy Carlyle is $1.99! This is book one in a new historical romance series, and it came out this spring. This is a Victorian era setting and sounds like a lot of fun!
In the swoon-worthy opener of her Princes of London series, Christy Carlyle takes readers on a breathless chase through Victorian London as a wild bluestocking from a family of treasure hunters and a handsome, serious gentleman from the Scotland Yard butt heads while attempting to thwart a plot to steal the Crown Jewels, inspired by National Treasure.
Alexandra Prince is clever, outspoken, and, yes, perhaps a bit impulsive. Yet she’s always been overshadowed by her siblings. While they are off on adventurous expeditions, she’s the one left to keep the family’s antique shop going while she works on a book about lady pirates—and longs for an adventure of her own. When she overhears a group of suspicious customers whispering about a plan to steal the Crown Jewels, she knows it’s her opportunity to shine. But she needs a little help.
Detective Inspector Benedict Drake takes his duties at Scotland Yard seriously. In fact, he takes almost everything seriously. Except for the breathless beauty who crashes into his office to tell him about a ludicrous scheme to steal the Crown Jewels. Despite his turning her away, she keeps popping up wherever he goes, and he’s not sure whether she’s determined to cause a scandal or is trying to drive him to distraction. Just when he thinks he’s rid of her, an event compels him to believe her account, and he begrudgingly enlists her aid to thwart the theft of the century.
But while thieves seek the Crown Jewels, the troublesome bluestocking he can’t seem to keep away from might just steal his heart…
Do Me a Favor
Do Me a Favor by Cathy Yardley is $2.49 at Amazon! This is a standalone romance with an older couple. The heroine is a widowed cookbook writer and the hero is a divorced handyman.
Willa Lieu-Endicott moved from California to the Pacific Northwest to start over. Since her husband’s death, she’s been struggling to get back her old career as a cookbook ghostwriter. Unfortunately, her latest project—ghostwriting for a viral cooking sensation known more for his washboard abs than his meals—has her stuck.
Until she meets her new neighbor.
Hudson Daws, the handyman next door, lives on a farm with his parents and two adult children. He’s the opposite of everything she’s ever known. His happily chaotic life includes biker barbecues, an escape artist dog, and adorably menacing goats. He’s also got a sinfully sexy smile and a rumbling bass voice that makes her shiver. He inspires her.
From their first meeting, the two fall into an escalating cycle of favors, paybacks…and attraction, even though Willa’s trying to keep her distance.
They both have their own pasts to deal with. Now, they just have to figure out if they have a future.
A delectable rom-com about a widowed cookbook writer and a divorced handyman who find that it’s never too late for a fresh start.
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch
RECOMMENDED: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melina Taub is $2.99! Carrie gave this a B+:
This was simply delightful. I’ve always wished for Lydia Bennet and Mary Crawford to run away together and be pirate queens. This is not that book – but it’s the next best thing.
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY PICK FOR 2023
A “witty, magical, romantic and altogether brilliant” (Lev Grossman) reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, told from the perspective of the troublesome and—according to her—much-maligned youngest Bennet sister, Lydia.
In this exuberant retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves, Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.
But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat; Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would one expect from a demon? And if Mr. Darcy is uptight about etiquette, that’s nothing compared to his feelings about magic. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that for a witch, promises have power . . .
Full of enchantment, intrigue, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice—while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.