moxie_man: (Eagle Scout)
moxie_man ([personal profile] moxie_man) wrote2025-09-30 05:47 am
Entry tags:

I survived...

camporee patch, glows in the dark
I have survived the Zombie Apocalypse. The event was a huge success and enjoyed by the roughly 100 scouts and 40 or so leaders who attended.

On the other hand, the refrigerator in the education building being used as HQ for staff did not. It took on the camporee theme our first night out there setting up for the event. It ran and ran and ran, but did not keep cool. As such, I had to shamble to town every day for ice to keep staff food cold.

Weather: It poured on staff Thursday night into Friday, resulting in the destruction of one of our pop-up canopies. After that, bright sunshine through the weekend with highs in the mid-70s (low-20s C). The local fire department lifted the fire ban for us due to that rain. We had a few cases of dehydration, but that was it for medical issues.

The scouts did a service project for the refuge in thanks for use of the facilities. A handicap accessible wildlife watching blind was scraped and repainted. Scout units went out in shifts to do the work, which took most of the day.

Evening campfire, my brother mixed in "dad zombie jokes" between troop songs and skits. Example: What does a zombie cow eat? Gggrrraaaiiinnnsss.

The last unit headed for home around 10:30am (unlike 12:30pm like last year). So staff was able to leave around noon. Grab lunch locally and arrive home around 4:30 due to very heavy, slow traffic on the Interstate roughly 40 miles (64km) from home. I wound-up getting off it and taking backroads from there. Took about the same time by my guess based on how slow things were on the Interstate and a lot less stress.

Foliage wasn't quite at peak on the drive home, but there was color. I figure it'll be a quick color show this season due to the drought conditions.

Next year's theme for the 64th Annual event as voted on by the youth: Prehistoric Times.
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-09-30 07:00 am

Hide Your Wallet: September 30th Release Week

Posted by Amanda

Happy Tuesday!

This is the last release week in September before October hits. And wow, there are so many books next month. Things will most likely quiet down a bit for November and December.

Are you excited for anything this week? Let us know in the comments!

The Librarians

The Librarians by Sherry Thomas

Author: Sherry Thomas
Released: September 30, 2025 by Berkley
Genre:

Murder disrupts the routine for four quirky librarians who hide among books to keep their secrets in this mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas.

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge….

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won’t be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together….

All in a day’s work.

Elyse: I love Sherry Thomas so I’m excited to read her first contemporary mystery.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes

The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton

Author: Chanel Cleeton
Released: September 30, 2025 by Berkley
Genre: , , ,

A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women—and their secrets—in this unforgettable novel from New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton.

London, 2024: American expat Margo Reynolds is renowned for her talent at sourcing rare antiques for her clients, but she’s never had a request quite like this one. She’s been hired to find a mysterious book published over a century ago. With a single copy left in existence, it has a storied past shrouded in secrecy—and her client isn’t the only person determined to procure it at any cost.

Havana, 1966:
 Librarian Pilar Castillo has devoted her life to books, and in the chaotic days following her husband’s unjust imprisonment by Fidel Castro, reading is her only source of solace. So when a neighbor fleeing Cuba asks her to return a valuable book to its rightful owner, Pilar will risk everything to protect the literary work entrusted to her care. It’s a dangerous mission that reveals to her the power of one book to change a life.

Boston, 1900:
 For Cuban school teacher and aspiring author Eva Fuentes, traveling from Havana to Harvard to study for the summer is the opportunity of a lifetime. It’s a whirlwind adventure that leaves her little time to write, but a moonlit encounter with an enigmatic stranger changes everything. The story that pours out of her is one of forbidden love, secrets, and lies… and though Eva cannot yet see it, the book will be a danger and salvation for the lives it touches.

Chanel Cleeton’s latest multi-timeline historical fiction!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

One Weekend in Tahoe

One Weekend in Tahoe by Jaime Clevenger

Author: Jaime Clevenger
Released: September 30, 2025 by Bella Books
Genre: , ,

Madison Dumont has everything she should want—plenty of money, a high-profile job running her family’s philanthropic foundation, and no one to answer to if she has a fling with a different woman each month. The thing is, there haven’t been any flings lately. Or any dates at all. But it’s the last thing she wants anyone to know.

Parker Reinhart needs to raise thirty thousand dollars by the end of the month or the local LGBT youth center will have to close. When she signs up for the Dumont Gala for Non-Profits, she knows it’s the youth center’s last hope. All she has to do is find one wealthy donor, and Madison Dumont might lead to that perfect connection.

Madison and Parker both have ulterior motives when they agree to fake date, and neither are worried love will get in the way. But when they end up at a sex party, pretending suddenly gets very personal. Is it all for show? Or after one weekend in Tahoe, do they have something real worth holding onto?

Tara: I’m intrigued by the idea of an erotic romance set in the world of philanthropy and how that will work.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Soul Searching

Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

Author: Lyla Sage
Released: September 30, 2025 by The Dial Press
Genre: ,
Series: Sweetwater Peak #1

Home is where the heart is—and this one is haunted.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Rebel Blue Ranch series returns with a brand-new story, featuring a small-town upholsterer in need of a fresh start, a photographer whose life has come to a screeching halt . . . and the supernatural forces that bring them together.

Collins Cartwright does not want to go home. Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, was supposed to be in her rearview mirror, but when she finds out a developer is trying to buy her parents’ antiques shop out from under them, she doesn’t have a choice—at least, that’s what she tells her family. They don’t need to know she’s lost her job and is out of money. Or that the ghosts who have always been her companions have recently gone silent.

But just because she’s returned home doesn’t mean she has to stay with her parents or crash on her twin sister’s couch. Lucky for her, the new-to-town upholsterer has a room for rent above his store. Unluckily, it is absolutely crawling with more ghosts who are freezing her out. And Collins hates being ignored.

Brady Cooper is absolutely and totally fine. Seriously, there’s no secret reason why he decided to uproot his life and suddenly move to Sweetwater Peak. He just needed a change of pace. At least that’s what he tells himself. And everyone else.

When he agrees to let the elusive Collins Cartwright stay in his spare room, he doesn’t know that she’s absolutely bonkers—constantly talking to herself and having conversations with no one—or that she looked like that. But as they begin to get closer, the lines between them start to blur, leaving both of them—and the ghosts who have been pushing them together—wondering whether their temporary arrangement could be something more permanent.

Amanda: How does Sage always get the best covers?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Weaver Bride

The Weaver Bride by Lydia Gregovic

Author: Lydia Gregovic
Released: September 30, 2025 by Delacorte Press
Genre: , ,

A sweeping fantasy about a witch who must navigate a ruthless marriage competition—and try not to fall in love along the way. Part twisting mystery, part thrilling romance, The Weaver Bride is an unputdownable romantasy steeped in a lush magical world.

Lovett Tamerlane is a silkwitch. Like all girls of her kind, she holds a rare magic—a magic that can be harnessed only through marriage to a Weaver. But finding a Weaver husband requires status, refinement, and money, all of which Lovett sadly lacks. Her one secret ability, to open any door, is her saving grace. Hidden in plain sight, Lovett spends her days using her gift to steal from wealthy families and her nights avoiding the fate imposed on all unwed silkwitches: a life confined to the cloisters.

But opening doors can be dangerous, and when Lovett steals from the wrong person, she finds herself face to face with Eliot Lear, the notorious son of a prominent Weaver. It turns out Eliot’s been watching Lovett. He knows she’s a silkwitch, and he offers her a life-altering opportunity: entrance to the Vainglory, a competition with the ultimate prize—marriage to Noé Alaire, heir to generations of Weaver wealth. The catch? Last year, the Vainglory ended in tragedy. The winner died. And the winner was Eliot’s sister.

The arrangement is simple: If Lovett solves the mystery of Ophelia Lear’s death and unmasks her killer, Eliot will ensure she has her pick of Weaver suitors, regardless of who wins the competition. Yet unraveling Ophelia’s murder proves far more complicated than either of them anticipated. And Lovett should know better than to take a Weaver at his word.

After all . . . what is love without betrayal?

Amanda: I love a “thief gets caught” plot setup.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

austin_dern: Inspired by Krazy Kat, of kourse. (Default)
austin_dern ([personal profile] austin_dern) wrote2025-09-30 12:10 am

Little Old Lady, Welcome, and You, Shoemaker

MJS, with the pole barn full of pinball machines, scheduled one of his occasional tournaments for last Saturday. When [personal profile] bunnyhugger told me of the possibility I leapt at the chance; that's the sort of thing I'd love doing for my birthday, sure. MJS had capped attendance for the event at forty people, although it seems that he took even more than that. And yet some of those people didn't attend; in the end there were 37 or something folks attending. We know of at least two of the people who missed it, including MWS who texted later in the day his humiliation that he forgot about the tournament and overslept.

I know MJS accepted more than the nominal forty because one of the women who's gotten really into pinball thanks to [personal profile] bunnyhugger's tournaments in Lansing, chatted with me during league on Tuesday to ask what to expect. I didn't know what the tournament format was and so offered --- correctly --- that it was probably going to be like the matchplay tournaments done for Lansing women's tournaments much of the time. That is, random pairs drawn on randomly drawn games with people who win enough games going on to finals. She was glad to know that but was more interested in, you know, what are the people like?

I'm extremely flattered to be trusted as someone who can offer advice on whether a setting is safe. But --- as I pointed out to her --- my experience is as a tall white guy who looks like he belongs by default in any pinball setting. I've found MJS's tournaments good, pleasant things fun to be at, and that I haven't encountered things that seemed obviously unwelcome. But, I mean, I thought it was a kind reassurance when our local barcade put up signs saying if you thought your drink was tampered with get a bartender's attention, and it took me hours to realize you don't put up a sign like that unless you have non-ignorable reports of someone tampering with women's drinks.

Well, I offered my opinion and all the qualifications I could, and I guess she was satisfied with it. But, like, one of the people there --- and whom I played twice (there's a story to that too) --- is a guy with a T-shirt saying his politics are that he supports (reconstructing this from memory) climate's right to choose, gay warming, and bans on assault marriage. It's the kind of thing that's funny if you don't think deeply about the joke structure, which is built on this ``oh those politics they so stoopit'' premise overlooking that politics is how society chooses how to treat the vulnerable. And I've seen him wearing it multiple times. Maybe it's just a lucky shirt, maybe it reflects nothing more than yeah, it's funny in the way ``Pangean Reunification Movement'' bumper stickers are funny. But you can see why if you were suspicious of the guy, this would not put you at ease.

She attended the tournament, though, and did no worse than [personal profile] bunnyhugger and I did, and she seemed to be enjoying the experience. I haven't heard that she's stopped talking to me although how would I? Seriously as we have no means of contact except through [personal profile] bunnyhugger or at pinball events and we haven't been to another since then. A bad enough experience would get news through, of course, unless there were focus-pulling drama in the final rounds of the tournament. But how would that happen?


On that cliffhanger I leave you with more from our final visit to Cedar Point last November, here. Hope you like carousels!

SAM_3327.jpeg

National Carousel Association plaque from 1978 commemorating what was then the Kiddieland Carousel. I note the National Carousel Association Census now gives the carousel's creation date as circa 1921, although it doesn't know where the original location was. Just that it seems to have been in Memphis to about 1925, and at some point got to Hunting Park in Germantown, Philadelphia, until 1968 when Cedar Point got it.


SAM_3332.jpeg

Detail of one of the wooden boards lining the roof of the carousel. I must have noticed they're all numbered before but if I wasn't going to see the ride again I'd have to get a snap of unimportant details like this.


SAM_3334.jpeg

And here's two of the rabbits, the black one being the inspiration (in inverse) for [personal profile] bunnyhugger's main character.


SAM_3336.jpeg

Here she is getting the first of her possibly-last rides on it.


SAM_3337.jpeg

And here's a photo of the two rabbits from the inside, the traditionally less-decorated and less-interesting side.


SAM_3339.jpeg

The [personal profile] bunnyhugger rabbit from the non-romance side.


Trivia: The earliest versions of the game that became Q*Bert had the protagonist shooting the enemies with his nose-gun. Warren Davis, a programmer actually assigned to the game Protector, made the critical suggestion to change it from killing-enemies to saving-the-main-character, and passed along Ron Waxman's suggestion that the pyramid blocks change color, which gave the game a clear objective. Source: The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World, Steven L Kent.

Currently Reading: Lost Popeye Zine, Volume 73: Loch Mess, Clotland, or, Messy Business in the Loch! Ralph Stein, Bill Zaboly. Editor Stephanie Noelle.

james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-09-29 02:01 pm
Entry tags:

Bundle of Holding: 5E Treasures



A magical hoard for Fifth Edition roleplaying

Bundle of Holding: 5E Treasures
james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-09-29 12:15 pm
Entry tags:

Clarke Award Finalists 2016

2016: The Chilcot Inquiry illustrates the meticulous process by which the UK went to war in Iraq, Lord Lucan is declared dead, and the UK’s narrow vote to leave the EU is at worst the second stupidest collective decision made by a Western democracy in 2016.

Pretend I caught that the poll autofilled the wrong question and that it reads "which 2016 Clarke Award finalists did you read?"

Poll #33672 Clarke Award Finalists 2016
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 52


Which of these look interesting?

View Answers

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
22 (42.3%)

Arcadia by Iain Pears
2 (3.8%)

Europe at Midnight by Dave Hutchinson
7 (13.5%)

The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
12 (23.1%)

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
44 (84.6%)

Way Down Dark by James Smythe
0 (0.0%)



Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.

Which 2016 Clarke Award finalists did you read??
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Arcadia by Iain Pears
Europe at Midnight by Dave Hutchinson
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Way Down Dark by James Smythe
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-09-29 03:30 pm

F/F Romance, Historical Romance, & More

Posted by Amanda

Love and Other Disasters

RECOMMENDED: Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly is $2.99! This is book one in the Nashville Love series. Tara and Carrie did a joint review and gave it a B+:

Tara: Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Dahlia and London were such wonderful characters, and I’m a big fan of cooking shows, so I know I’ll be reading Love and Other Disasters again. I’ll just be sure to stock snacks next time, because reading about so much amazing food made me hungry.

Carrie: I was delighted with this book overall. The supporting characters were fun (or loathsome, as the plot demanded). The character development was realistic and powerful. The romance was sexy and I can totally picture Dahlia and London as an old couple on a porch somewhere — I was invested in them for the long haul. This will be one of my comfort re-reads for sure!

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut that USA Today hailed as “an essential read.”

Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, Dahlia Woodson is ready to reinvent herself on the popular reality competition show Chef’s Special. Too bad the first memorable move she makes is falling flat on her face, sending fish tacos flying—not quite the fresh start she was hoping for. Still, she’s focused on winning, until she meets someone she might want a future with more than she needs the prize money.

After announcing their pronouns on national television, London Parker has enough on their mind without worrying about the klutzy competitor stationed in front of them. They’re there to prove the trolls—including a fellow contestant and their dad—wrong, and falling in love was never part of the plan.

As London and Dahlia get closer, reality starts to fall away. Goodbye, guilt about divorce, anxiety about uncertain futures, and stress from transphobia. Hello, hilarious shenanigans on set, wedding crashing, and spontaneous dips into the Pacific. But as the finale draws near, Dahlia and London’s steamy relationship starts to feel the heat both in and outside the kitchen—and they must figure out if they have the right ingredients for a happily ever after.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Tastes Like Shakkar

Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma is $1.99! It’s the second in the If Shakespeare Were an Auntie series. We recently recommend this one in a Rec League on Shakespearean Retellings. Did any of you pick this one up?

In the hilarious follow-up to the breakout rom-com Dating Dr. Dil, Nisha Sharma adds shakkar and mirch to Shakespeare’s iconic comedy Much Ado About Nothing for one sweet and spicy love story.

Bobbi Kaur is determined to plan a celebration to remember for her best friend’s wedding. But she has two problems that are getting in her way:

1. The egotistical, and irritatingly sexy, chef Benjamin “Bunty” Padda is supposed to help her with the menu since he’s the groom’s best friend, and

2. Someone is trying to sabotage the wedding.

With aspirations of taking over her family’s event planning business, Bobbi knows that one misstep in managing the Kareena Mann and Prem Verma (#Vermann) party, along with the other weddings on her plate, will only give her uncle another reason not to promote her. That means Kareena’s big day and Bobbi’s future career are on the line.

Bunty will do anything for his best friend, even though he has his hands full in finding a new location for his next restaurant while also playing mediator between his brother and father, the celebrated Naan King. When Prem asks Bunty to help with the wedding menu, he agrees, especially since it puts him in close proximity to the delicious Bobbi Kaur. When a mystery shaadi saboteur starts leaving threatening notes, and cancelling cake orders, Bunty and Bobbi have no choice but to call a truce and face the volatile attraction they have for each other.

Through masquerade fundraisers and a joint bachelor-bachelorette trip to Vegas, this chef and wedding planner explore their growing connection all while trying to plan a wedding at Messina Vineyards in a time crunch. But once the shaadi saboteur is caught and the wedding is over, will their love story have a happily ever after?

With the return of the meddling aunties (who are scary good at finding information) and a lot of hilarity and hijinks, Bobbi and Bunty’s romance is an event you don’t want to miss.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Raven Prince

The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt is $2.99! Readers who love it especially like that the hero and heroine are both a bit unconventional: neither of them is superbly good-looking, a fact that has influenced their lives in several ways, and both are over thirty.

There comes a time in a woman’s life when she must do the unthinkable – and find employment. For the widowed Anna Wren, that means taking a job as female secretary for the Earl of Swartingham.

Secretaries are always male – never female – as Anna well knows but the real downfall of her career is the realization that she is falling in love with Edward de Raaf – the Earl. But when she realizes that he is going to visit a brothel in London to take care of his ‘manly’ desires, Anna sees red – and decides to take advantage of the opportunity to also take care of her ‘womanly’ desires – with the Earl as her unknowing lover.

But the Earl has another reason for going to London. He is formalising his betrothal and trying (with little success) to forget about a secretary that has no right being female. Unhandsome, he knows that no woman wants him.

Except for the mysterious lady with whom he spent two unforgettable nights at Aphrodite’s Grotto, the most scandalous brothel in London. But when Anna’s plan is revealed, a bit of blackmail is thrown into the mix, a proposal is rejected and even the Earl himself will be unprepared for the intrigues that ensnare them.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Kiss Me, Maybe

Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez is $2.99! How cute and vibrant is this cover?! Dahlia mentioned this one on her monthly Queer Romance Roundup posts. Have any of you read this one?

When a late bloomer goes viral for coming out, she decides to use her newfound fame to get her first kiss—with the help of a sexy bartender.

Librarian Angela Gutierrez has never been kissed. But after posting a video about her late bloomer status and ace identity, she’s finally ready to get some firsts out of the way. Using her new influencer status to come up with a scavenger hunt idea in which the winner earns her first kiss, Angela realizes she may need some help to pull off the event. Enter Krystal Ramirez, hot bartender and Angela’s unrequited crush of five years. Despite vowing that romantic love isn’t for her, Krystal seems awfully determined to help Angela pull off the scavenger hunt and find true love.

There’s just one the connection between Angela and Krystal is getting stronger and stronger the more they hang out, until Angela isn’t sure she wants to go through with the scavenger hunt after all. But Krystal is convinced that she isn’t capable of love and before long, Angela realizes she’s falling head over heels for a woman who may never love her back.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Cake Wrecks ([syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-09-29 01:00 pm

The World's Most Unfortunate Wedding Monogram

Posted by Jen

Some couples look for a sign that their marriage will last.

 This isn't it.

Thanks to Ruth H. for the initial discomfort.

Note from john: For those you you who may not know, usually "DOA" stands for "Dead On Arrival."  Less common meanings are "Dead Or Alive", "Date Of Arrest" and the ever-popular, "Darkener Of Apricot."

seawasp: (Default)
seawasp ([personal profile] seawasp) wrote2025-09-29 08:11 am

But wait, there's more!

Apparently, unless his Secret Service can somehow argue him out of it, our Dear Leader is going to be attending the giant military meeting at Quantico and address all the officers. 

Jesus H. Particular Christ on a pogo stick. 

Now it really IS the ENTIRE chain of command, several layers deep, in ONE location. Less than a week's notice for a Presidential visit, and barely a week for the whole gathering. 

There are SO many ways this can go wrong, even ignoring the "why the hell are they even HAVING this meeting" speculation.  
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-09-29 08:00 am

A Quest: What Classic Romances Should I Find?

Posted by SB Sarah

Smart Bitches in a blue typewriter font, and After Dark lit up like hot pink neonThis After Dark post is open to everyone so folks can see what ridiculous tasks I am assigning myself. Any reviews and book shrieking will be part of the upcoming year in After Dark.

I am traveling to Denton, Texas,  for the Art and Jazz Fest.

Are there romance-specific quests I might undertake in Denton? Oh, hell yeah.

First, Denton is the home of The Plot Twist, a romance bookshop and bar. Will I be visiting? ABSOLUTELY of course are you kidding? 

I’m going to miss the Twilight trivia night, but shopping will most definitely happen. Which is part one of my quest! What shall I shop for while I’m there? I welcome suggestions!

Maybe I’ll attempt another IG Live while I’m there. I’m so tremendously bad at Instagram (they keep changing it! WHY. WHY?!) my efforts are always comical.

But second, and my second quest: Books & More(I’m going to be doing so much book shopping and jazz listening, it’s going to be incredible.)

I first learned about Books & More in December 2023 when Amanda and I recapped RT magazine’s July 2004 issue in Episode 593. Romantic Times Rewind: July 2004 Ads & Features. And I visited in October 2024.

Look at the used romance room, y’all. USED. ROMANCE. ROOM.

This is only HALF of the Romance Room:

A picture of bookshelves filled with old romances, with old movie posters on the far wall

I felt like I was in a museum. I practiced absurd restraint and only purchased one book last year: Lion and the Lark by Doreen Owens Malek.

A picture of my hand holding a shadowbox with a copy of Lion and the Lark, with the oil painting of the cover on my office wall. John DeSalvo is in a hot pink gladiator toga and a woman with impossibly uplifted breasts is arching her back against him

This year, I have PLANS. Which leads me to my question for my quest:

What old skool romance should I seek out while I’m in the Museum Of Older Romances Conveniently Located in Denton Texas?

When I say this is like a museum, I’m not kidding. You can find entire cover progressions for one book:

Jude Deveraux's The Raider, starting with a vignette of two people one with an eye mask on about to kiss, then a window with a gold curtain, and then some kind of flowers scattered on a coral background

I have a special warmth in my heart for The Raider because I own the Barbie™ set inspired by this book. 

Official portrait of the two dolls out of the box standing on some plastic rocks. They can't stand on their own.

Look at this incredible Ken, about whom the back of the box says, “Ken is swashbuckling in a sheer white cotton shirt paired with black pants.”

Close up of Ken's face with an amazing amount of eye cosmetics and a shaded something on his cheeks meant to suggest stubble or something.

Spelunking in old skool romance collections is among my favorite activities, and I would love to have your suggestions.

I’m planning on reading and recapping/reviewing/shrieking at some of these. SO! WHICH ONES should I seek out? 

For example: there’s not going to be anything problematic in this book, right?

White Dreams by Susan Edwards - a woman in a fringed dress meant to represent an Indigenous person is being embraced by John DeSalvo in a military uniform with epaulets. There's an Erect Cactus behind them.

White Dreams? The heroine’s name is Star Dreamer, and she’s hiding from the Sight “in the white man’s world with Grady O’Brien.” Surely nothing uncomfortable for the modern reader will happen, like when “the rescue a free Black woman from slavers, [and] incur the wrath of a dangerous man known only as the Dragon.”

I’m sure the Erect Cactus™ is not symbolic, no.

And I’m certain this is fine, right?

Shirl Henke's Night Wind's Woman - a man with an upper arm cuff and a headband is naked in some water behind a woman who has blonde damp hair, also naked, and seems to be holding a flower to her breast?

Wait until you see the stepback:

The naked woman is again in front of Night Wind arching her back with flowers on her boob, but her whole flank and half her ass is visible and he looks very overcome by this development

That’s a bum.

I could and probably will spend hours in this room. So in the interest of making me read and recap some truly absurd books, and sharing the glorious old skool covers, I humbly ask that you help me develop my shopping list.

I’ll be reading and recapping some of them, so this is your chance to send me down a truly bonkers rabbit hole.

Which old skool romances should I hunt for at Books & More, and what should I pick up at The Plot Twist?

 

Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-09-29 06:00 am

Cover Snark: Script Font Strikes Again

Posted by Amanda

Welcome back to Cover Snark!

Unicorn's Instinct by Elva Birch. A man with an open shirt and a stethoscope. The background is a lake and foresty, mountainous area. A strange mini brown unicorn is in the bottom right corner.

From Alea: On the one hand, the colors are lovely. On the other, wtf?

Sarah: Is this My Little Pony fanfic?

Also, why do shifters not have universal child care and must be finding daycare for their offspring?

Amanda: Dr Nips, Unicorn Woman

He just needs a big hat.

Jane Seymour in a big western hat.

Sneezy: That’s a qilin, it’s not even a unicorn.

Going Commando by Pamela Burford. A headless, shirtless man is crouched down. He has on camo pants. The title is in a script font, which makes it hard to read.

From Mabry: What’s with his ribs? What’s with his neck? Does he have an enormous goiter? Should he see his ENT doc? Why is his chin in such a weird place? Has he ever washed his hair?

This makes me want a cover that is blatantly nothing but random body parts from as many guys as needed to match all of the character descriptions. They wouldn’t even need to be attached. Just spread them out on a velvet cloth or maybe a big mountain boulder for this particular book.

Sarah: I am concerned about his lymph nodes. Like, very concerned.

Amanda: I thought the title was “Going Guacamole.”

Sneezy: This is giving me body horror adjacent ick.

Moonlit Temptation by Penelope Black. A smoldering man in a tank top. It's another title in a disastrous script font.

From Pam G: This is primarily a font fail. Is that first word Moontit? Could be Wloontit, but there’s def some titty in there. Just incidentally, I hate all variations of this thumb sucking/finger licking pose and I seem to see them everywhere.

Sarah: Definitely Moontit. Although for a moment my brain said, “Moonut?”

Amanda: My vote is for Moontit!

Sneezy: Moontit for sure.

Alien Abduction for Unicorns by Skye Mackinnon. A very shiny blue bald man with no shirt on is looking back at a white unicorn.

Another PamG suggestion! She says, “Horny Snark!”

From Pam: Is this, like, the ultimate brony romance? That coy, come-and-and-get-me-baby look. That sultry, heavy-lidded response.

Sarah: That unicorn looks SO annoyed. Did the Blue Man Group Alien leave blue paint smears all over the flank area?

Also, I can state with some authority that his skull looks like he was recently born vaginally. And that’s all I shall say about that.

Alia shared this same cover with me – clearly Blue Man Group and the Unicorn are making an impression!

Sneezy: …At least this looks like a unicorn. Even if it has the same energy as three squirrels in a trench coat.

austin_dern: Inspired by Krazy Kat, of kourse. (Default)
austin_dern ([personal profile] austin_dern) wrote2025-09-29 12:10 am

I'm Gonna Chow Down My Vegetables

When we called off the beach trip last weekend we thought, okay but this weekend we should be able to. Not on Saturday, because that was to be a big pinball tournament at MJS's pole barn out near Kalamazoo and those are rare and special events. But Sunday, weather holding up.

The weather did hold up, but our energy didn't. Between the early rising we had to do for the tournament, and the full day spent going around playing sixteen qualifying rounds of pinball plus side stuff, and eating way too much of the potluck dinners, and sticking around to see if JTK would ever lose, we got home late and with not enough stuff done. So with understanding reluctance we called it off again. Maybe next Sunday, which the long range forecast says will be an even warmer day somehow. But we needed today to recover and to do miscellaneous work around the home.

Among those bits: finally getting to the pet store and remembering to find a replacement vegetable bowl for our rabbit. The plastic bowl we'd been using had a plastic frame to hold it onto the cages of her pen --- giving her something to stand up and grab stuff for --- and we kept forgetting to look for replacements. (And, at the risk of sounding defensive, the pet store keeps food dishes in a weird place well away from all the other small animal stuff.) This new one is a ceramic bowl, held in place by metal wires, so it's less likely to break off and even if it does break off, the ceramic bowl has a flat base so it can be used by itself. The plastic bowl had this little hinge that was meant to secure it in the holder and that makes it rest off-level on the floor.

And then yes, there is that whole ``pinball tournament'' thing I let go with just a passing mention. Don't worry. You're going to hear all about that too.


Next in pictures ... we went to Cedar Point on Saturday, the 2nd of November last year. The final day of their operating season which means --- since we also went to Eclipse Day in April --- we got to Cedar Point as early and as late in the year as was possible for 2024. We had a couple reasons to do this and catching the latest possible day was only one of them. Getting an amusement park ride as close as we could to [personal profile] bunnyhugger's birthday was another. But finally ... you'll see.

SAM_3304.jpeg

Establishing shot. The park was tolerably busy which is going to happen for a Saturday with good weather even if it was finally chilly.


SAM_3305.jpeg

Also Sandusky might have been on fire? Not sure. It didn't seem to be a problem later on at least.


SAM_3314.jpeg

Frankenstein outside the Kiddie Kingdom, looking good and grabby.


SAM_3321.jpeg

And here's what we were really there for. The ride operator on the Kiddie Kingdom carousel had told us the week before that they had sold the ride to the Ohio State Fair and the ride would be gone next year. So we had to get back for a last ride just in case it turned out to be true.


SAM_3323.jpeg

The rumor was false; the carousel was still in Kiddie Kingdom this year, and apparently the Ohio State Fair has bought a carousel on its own so Cedar Point won't be losing this to there, at least. Since that knowledge lay in our future we wanted to get last rides on the rabbits particularly.


SAM_3325.jpeg

A warning. The ride will close at 10 pm ... forever? No, turns out.


Trivia: Lake Erie's sea level is only about 541 feet above the Hudson River's, but the (original) path of the Erie Canal required locks to raise and lower boats a total of 661 feet. Source: Wedding of the Waters: The Erie Canal and the Making of a Great Nation, Peter L Bernstein.

Currently Reading: Lost Popeye Zine, Volume 73: Loch Mess, Clotland, or, Messy Business in the Loch! Ralph Stein, Bill Zaboly. Editor Stephanie Noelle.

conuly: (Default)
conuly ([personal profile] conuly) wrote2025-09-28 05:52 pm

Accidentally worked 9 days in a row

and now Callie is angry at me.

**********


Read more... )
yuletidemods: A hippo lounges with laptop in hand, peering at the screen through a pair of pince-nez and smiling. A text bubble with a heart emerges from the screen. The hippo dangles a computer mouse from one toe. By Oro. (Default)
yuletidemods ([personal profile] yuletidemods) wrote in [community profile] yuletide_admin2025-09-28 07:38 pm
Entry tags:

Nominations Queries Post 1

We are 24 hours into tag approving! We began with 6078 individual fandom nominations to sort (where if two people submitted the same fandom, that would count twice towards the total). We have 3687 fandom nominations still to sort. Please review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly!

Please link your nominations page if telling us what to do about your nomination - thank you! Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.

If we've processed any of your nominations and something doesn't look right, please comment (with your nominations page) to tell us about the problem and how you think it should be corrected. Questions are welcome.



Aliens (1986) - These characters are also nominated under the broader fandom Alien (Original Movies 1979-1997), so we would like to merge your nominations in with the rest of the original movies.

Bibi Blocksberg (2002) - Nominator, do you specifically only want the first movie, or may we approve this as the canonical Bibi Blocksberg (Movies 2002 2004)? Please link your nominations page when you reply.

Book of Night - Holly Black - We also have evidence for this fandom as the Charlatan Duology, and another participant has nominated it under that name. We’d like to combine your nominations, but please get us in touch if there’s a reason that won’t work. Please link your nominations page when you reply.

Clocktaur War Series - T. Kingfisher, Swordheart - T. Kingfisher, Temple of the White Rat Universe - T. Kingfisher, The Saint of Steel - T. Kingfisher - We have some overlap in these nominations. The fandom as a whole is eligible, so we could combine them under Temple of the White Rat Universe, or the Temple of the White Rat Universe nominator could have their characters split into the other fandoms if you are willing to do that. Please comment with a link to your nominations to help us sort this out!

Cousin Bette - Honoré de Balzac - Nominator, you may see some oddities as we get this set up separately from La Comédie Humaine. Pardon our dust, and hopefully you’re used to it by now! Let us know if anything looks wrong when the final tagset is released.

Designing Women - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer).

Dragonfly - Ursula K. Le Guin, Earthsea - Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan - Ursula K. Le Guin - Our understanding is that these are all in the same continuity. We are planning to combine Earthsea and Tombs of Atuan, especially as there is character overlap in those nominations. Dragonfly nominator, do you have concerns with folding that nomination into Earthsea as well? If so, we would appreciate help understanding exactly what you’re looking for and how to differentiate the larger Earthsea universe.

Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede - We won’t approve the character nomination Morwen's Cats (Enchanted Forest) as they are all individually named. Nominators, could you please each choose a cat? (Scorn has already been nominated.) Please link your nominations page when you reply.

MAIJO Otaro - Works - We don’t approve fandoms consisting of all of a creator’s works, and the nominated characters appear to come from at least 2 novels. Nominator, could you pick one of Maijō’s works to nominate, along with the associated characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.

夢中さ きみに。| Muchuu sa Kimi ni (Manga) - We also have a nomination for the Anime; the nominator of that fandom says they have not read the manga but believes these could be combined if needed. Does the Manga nominator have a preference? Please link your nominations page when you reply. ETA: sorry, we have 3 manga nominators and have heard from 2, so it would be great to hear from the third!

Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer).

Nescafe Advertisment - While this is a canonical fandom on AO3, it’s under review to be renamed, so we’ll approve this as Nescafe "Arctica" | "Polar Explorers" Advertisments (Russia) which is the likely new name. However, we’d like more information on the characters. We’re not sure which of the men is “First Polar” and which is “Second Polar”; some works in the fandom use Ivanov and Petrov. Also, we haven’t seen a polar bear in the 3 ads we’ve found - can you link us to the one that has the polar bear, please?

老洞 | The Old Miao Myth (TV) - Nominator, for the character Jin Bong, are you looking for Chin Pong? We’ve checked several sources and want to confirm whether this is a romanization issue or something else.

Outcast (Video Game series) - this has been nominated with character 'Any' and no other characters. If you mean you are interested in any characters, we will approve this without characters, but we wanted to check just in case there is a character actually named Any. Please link your nominations page when you reply.

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer).

Prophet - Sin Blaché & Helen Macdonald - could we please get more information about 'Prophet' as a character (aside from being the title)?

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues (2025) - Nominator, please email us (see contact information in the footer)

Tennis RPF - We have separate nominations for 2020's Men's Tennis RPF (characters: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Terence Atmane) and 2025 Grand Slam Season (Tennis) RPF (characters: Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner) - may we combine these under the former fandom name? Please link your nominations page when you reply.



Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth


Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-09-28 08:37 pm

I don't know what to make of this



The Cherryh titles I dropped into ngram fell into 3 patterns:

Ones whose titles don't play nicely with ngrams. I dropped those.
Ones where the mentions per year decline fairly steadily year to year.
Cyteen. What's up with Cyteen? Did Jo Walton mention it on tor dot com around 2009?
Cake Wrecks ([syndicated profile] cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-09-28 01:00 pm

Sunday Sweets: Gothic Elegance

Posted by Jen

Who says dark has to be dreary? These gorgeous Gothic cakes will have you cheering:

(By Sweet Lake Cakes)

Sweet Lake seems to specialize in Gothic designs, and I couldn't pick just one favorite!

(By Sweet Lake Cakes)

Look at that lace and "fabric" draping. INCREDIBLE.

One more:

(By Sweet Lake Cakes)

The bird skull cameo is the perfect touch.

And speaking of cameos, check out the raven head design on this little top hat:

(By Cake Central member ChrisJack1)

The feather, the hand painted skulls and swirls, the roses - just beautiful.

(By Candytuft Cakes)

It doesn't get much more classic than rich black and blood-red roses!

I really love the contrast of the white tiers under all this heavy scrollwork:

(Baker unknown. Anyone recognize it?)

WOW. The bottom tier looks like a wrought iron gate, and the second has architectural arch ways. The longer you look, the more detail you see!

On the other hand, sometimes simple can be just as dramatic:

(By Connie Cupcake)

Love.

Now welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion cake:

(By WDW's Contemporary Resort bakery, found here)

That wallpaper and perfect draping has this Dizgeek all atwitter, you guys. Great color on the roses, too!

(By Antonelli di Maria Torte & Design)

One of my personal favorites today; I can't believe that fabric draping, and the perfect color fade on the spider web!

(Baker unknown)

This purple practically glows, it's so vivid. If you look closely, you can see the layered acanthus leaves making up the second tier. Beautiful.

(By Cake Opera Company, featured here)

Another astounding, can't-believe-it's-cake design. That heavy embroidery is insanely intricate, and I've been so busy staring at the cake itself that I just now noticed the cake stand is wrapped in fur!

Ha!

And finally, arguably the simplest design of them all today, but I'm just so smitten with the unusual floral swag:

(By Artistic Bites)

This wedding cake was made for a "Red Riding Hood marries the Wolf" themed photo shoot. It's the perfect blend of dark elegance and fairy-tale whimsy, and I LOVE the succulents and fuzzy mosses they used on the cake.

Hope you enjoyed the Gothic Sweets, everyone! Happy Sunday!

pauraque: Belle reads to sheep (belle reading)
pauraque ([personal profile] pauraque) wrote2025-09-28 09:45 am

Very Far Away From Anywhere Else by Ursula K. Le Guin (1976)

This young adult novella (also appearing under the title A Very Long Way From Anywhere Else) is one of Le Guin's few published pieces of non-speculative fiction. Set in the Pacific Northwest, it follows a friendship between two gifted high school students. Owen wants to study at MIT and go into science, but he feels pressured by his parents to be a "normal" guy who likes cars and girls and goes to State; Natalie is a musical prodigy, but feels constrained in her options due to her conservative father and the lack of opportunities for female composers.

The book is very short but densely packed with close observations about the pressure to conform, not only the overt pressure to conform to positive expectations, but also the covert pressure to conform to negative stereotypes and sexist narratives about how guys and girls interact. It's incisive in its portrayal of being very smart but very young and knowing basically nothing about the world outside your home town, and taking a first shaky step towards a broader perspective.

Owen and Natalie reflect a specific kind of gifted experience that wasn't the same as mine. They're aware that they're different from others, but able to play the part of a kid who's kind of an overachiever but basically normal, well enough that they can hide in plain sight. Not that that makes things easy—it's hard to choose to be yourself when the safety of conformity is a real option.

Many synopses of this book say that Owen and Natalie develop romantic feelings for each other, but that is emphatically not what happens in the book. What the book actually says is this: "I had decided that I was in love with Natalie. I hadn't fallen in love with her, please notice that I didn't say that; I had decided that I was in love with her." Owen is very clear that he tries to force himself to be in love with her and to be sexually attracted to her because he thinks it's what other people expect of him. You don't have to read Owen as aroace, but that is a possible reading and I see a lot of my aroace experiences in him.

But even if you don't read it that way, the point of the book is that their connection is about who they are as specific people, and when Owen tries to make it conform to a generic "he was a boy, she was a girl" heteronormative narrative, that connection is almost destroyed. Some of the ideas Owen has already absorbed about hetero relationships at 17 are a little scary, I think intentionally so. He's at a crossroads where he can go down the path of seeing Natalie and other girls as people, or as objects of male conquest. I think it's a good example of using a male POV to demonstrate why all of us need feminism.

The book is really good and I'm not sure why Le Guin didn't write any more like it. Maybe in between other projects she didn't have the time. But this book makes it easy to imagine an alternate timeline where this was the genre where she found success, and came to be best remembered as one of the standout contemporary YA writers of the 1970s alongside Judy Blume.