Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-28 03:30 pm

R.F. Kuang, Witches, & More

Posted by Amanda

Totally and Completely Fine

Totally and Completely Fine by Elissa Sussman is $1.99! This released over the summer. Sussman’s books have been recommended in the comments. Do you have a favorite?

From the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask comes an inspiring romance novel about honoring the past, living in the present, and loving for the future.

In her small Montana hometown, Lauren Parker has assumed a few different roles: teenage hellraiser; sister of superstar Gabe Parker; and most recently, tragically widowed single mother. She’s never cared much about labels or what people thought about her, but dealing with her grief has slowly revealed that she’s become adrift in her own life.

Then she meets the devilishly handsome actor Ben Walsh on the set of her brother’s new movie. They have instant chemistry, and Lauren realizes that it has been far too long since someone has really and truly seen her. Her rebellious spirit spurs her to dive headfirst into her desire, but when a sexy encounter becomes something more, Lauren finds herself balancing old roles and new possibilities.

There’s still plenty to contend with: small-town rumors, the complications of Ben’s fame, and her daughter’s unpredictable moods. An unexpected fling seemed simple at the time—so when did everything with Ben get so complicated? And is there enough room in her life for the woman Lauren wants to be? Alternating between Lauren’s past with Spencer and her present with Ben, Totally and Completely Fine illuminates what it means to find a life-changing love and be true to oneself in the process.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Babel

Babel by R.F. Kuang is $1.99! This one was both highly anticipated and ended up being a major seller. Did any of you pick this one?

A novel that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world’s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

A Proposal to Die For

A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper is $1.99! This is a romantic mystery. I remember Sarah mentioning this, possibly in Hide Your Wallet. This released in April.

A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a marriage proposal planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two).

Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rent costs rising at her office building, Jess jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard…the Fourth.

Roped into joining Diana’s ”pre-bridal” retreat at the exclusive Golden Ash resort, Jess hopes to fade into the background, get some work done, and maybe find some time to unwind. Their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the mountain spa’s lack of cell phone reception, the couple next door argues constantly, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she’s warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie?

As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she spends more and more time with the resort owners, finding herself much more in tune with the laid-back Osbourne family than her social climbing “boss.” Between a meditation garden-related drowning and Jess’s discovery of a body in a sauna, it’s clear that deadly secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it’s up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains—before all her plans are cancelled…permanently.

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You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Gray Hendrix is $1.99! This is also a Kindle Daily Deal. This came out in January. Hendrix has some really interesting plots, but I know there’s been critique about the representation of women.

There’s power in a book…

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

turps: (Frank/mikey1 ( crazybutsound))
turps ([personal profile] turps) wrote2025-10-28 03:30 pm

(no subject)

Murphy is doing well, he likes the special food we had to buy for him, both the dry and the wet, so hopefully, that continues. He's still a bit jumpy, and hates having his meds, no doubt thinking he's about to be picked up and taken away again each time he has to have them, which is every eight hours right now.

I've just given him his last dose of antibiotic, so now he's down to two meds twice a day, three once a day, so he's getting there. He's hiding right now, but will come back out soon, because he's very forgiving. Here we are having a cuddle earlier )

It was exercise only class yesterday, and Rosie tried something new cut for details )

After walking home, I found Kayleigh and Bodhi waiting for me. Bodhi is on half-term break this week, so it was nice to see her, and we ended caught up in a very long hide the cat bells and then find them game. I feel my acting skills were impressive when I couldn't see such hiding places as a bell on the bottom step of the stairs or in front of the TV. Though, I was impressed when she hid one in the punnet of kiwi fruits, that one took a while to find.
the reason for stars ([syndicated profile] notbecauseofvictory_feed) wrote2025-10-28 07:50 am

Putting Sky Daddy on the metaphorical shelf next to Big Swiss as a breezy, deeply unhinged tale&hell

Putting Sky Daddy on the metaphorical shelf next to Big Swiss as a breezy, deeply unhinged tale where no one learns any lessons, and you can practically hear wouldn’t that be fucked up? I’m rod sterling, as you turn the last page.

Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-28 02:00 pm

HaBO: Rancher & Brit Reunite in a Big City

Posted by Amanda

This HaBO request is from Chelsea, who wants to find this romance:

Thanks in advance for helping find this book, I am at a loss:

The book would be new, within the past few years. I had thought it was by Elliott Rose, but it might have just had a similar cover to her Crimson Ridge series.

The heroine is British, grew up in foster care, comes to the U.S. on holiday with an American male friend to his family ranch. In a bid to make his ex jealous, the friend tells everyone that the heroine is his girlfriend. She agrees to play along but is annoyed.

The hero is the friend’s father. He owns the ranch. He has intense chemistry with the heroine, but he thinks she’s his son’s girlfriend. They sleep together before she leaves, but the hero is awful in their last interaction and both are upset about it for years.

They have a chance meeting again years later in a city (I think New York). She is a physical therapist and raising her friend’s daughter (friend and husband had died). They date long distance and she eventually moved to the ranch.

Thanks again, fingers are crossed!

I hope we can HaBO!

osprey_archer: (books)
osprey_archer ([personal profile] osprey_archer) wrote2025-10-28 09:59 am
Entry tags:

Seven Deadly Book Sins

[personal profile] sovay just posted this delightful meme, so I had to snag it.

1. Lust, books I want to read for their cover.

I just put a book on hold for this very reason: Sophia Gonzalez’s Nobody in Particular. Isn’t that a gorgeous cover? A bit suspicious of modern YA on principle, but I figured I owed it to the cover designer to at least give the book a try.

2. Pride, challenging books I've finished.

Lydia Chukovskaya’s Sofia Petrovna, in the original Russian, which I read for a class in my senior year of college. I got caught up in the story and spent an afternoon curled up before the fire, plowing through the remaining chapters. This apparently unlocked the next level of my Russian ability, because the next time I had to read aloud in class, I read so well that my professor asked me to read the next paragraph too, I think just to make sure that it wasn’t a fluke.

3. Gluttony, books I've read more than once.

Many! I’m an inveterate re-reader. Mary Norton’s The Borrowers, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books (as a child I always called them the “Laura and Mary” books, and have never quite accepted that the general name for the series is Little House), Charlotte Bronte’s Villette, Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s The Changeling and The Headless Cupid and The Egypt Game, and so forth and so on… why buy books if not to reread? If I just want to read a book one time, that’s what the library is for.

4. Sloth, books on my to-read list the longest.

Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me is probably the one that’s been there longest, but honorable mentions to Elizabeth Kostova’s The Swan Thieves and Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. There are just too many books! I can’t get to them all!

5. Greed, books I own multiple editions of.

I don’t think I actually own multiple editions of any books right now. I DID have two editions of Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s The Changeling at one time, because I found a signed copy (!) at Goodwill, but then I lent my unsigned copy out to someone who never gave it back (and can you blame them?) so I’m down to one again.

6. Wrath, books I despised.

Well, I did just finish a four-post series ripping The Amber Spyglass to shreds…

7. Envy, books I want to live in.

At this particular moment in world history, an awful lot of books look like a better place to live than reality. Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden are perennial choices, of course. (A Little Princess is dearer to my heart than The Secret Garden, but I wouldn’t want to live at Miss Minchin’s!) Betsy-Tacy’s Deep Valley. As a child I would have loved to live in any one of a number of fantasy novels, but as an adult I prefer to visit at a literary remove on account of the high degree of Mortal Peril.
spikedluv: created by tarlan (misc: tv talk by tarlan)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-10-28 09:28 am
Entry tags:

TV Talk: 9-1-1, Matlock & Tracker

9-1-1: This ep was just okay for me. spoilers )


Matlock: Good ep. spoilers )


Tracker: Pretty good ep. spoilers )
sartorias: (Default)
sartorias ([personal profile] sartorias) wrote2025-10-28 08:18 am
Entry tags:

Boston

I love Boston so much, especially this area around Harvard. The trees are rich with color, the air is brisk, requiring all my layers of flimsy California-wear, and the sidewalks brick with lumps of tree roots. I love it all.

Yesterday I went with Nine to the Mapparium on the other side of the river. (The bus ride down Massachusetts Ave is great for scenery!) If you've never heard of it--I hadn't until one of the Viable Paradise workshop writers clued me in--it's an enormous glass globe that you can walk into, to see the entire world, worked in jewel-toned glass, as it was in 1935. It was constructed to be a reminder that we are all in this world together; a needed warning then, as now. (Naturally those who need it most won't see or hear.)

We had a great time looking, then testing the amazing sounds created by voices enclosed in glass.

Afterward we met up with Rushthatspeaks for tea and chocolate at L.A. Burdicks. Oh, they know how to do chocolate so, so right. Delish. We chatted and reminisced and cackled like maniacs. Today we'll visit the Fogg to see a Botticelli that is usually hidden in a private collection. I can hardly wait!

I'm coming down from the high of a very successful workshop, and a month of splendid visiting and seeing and fast-lane busy. The workshop writers are so talented and so focused, and all this in beautiful Martha's Vineyard.

Tomorrow homeward bound!
A Humble Peddler of Weres ([syndicated profile] thebibliosphere_feed) wrote2025-10-28 05:33 am

Hey, Tumblr, I need to access the collective hive mind.

Hey, Tumblr, I need to access the collective hive mind.

Are there any Marvel fans that can point me in the direction of a fancy Marvel art book or something similar?

We’re trying to find a gift for @mothman-etd’s boss who took time out from his vacation to get Mothman’s application to work abroad approved while my dad was undergoing chemo. This dude (and a few others) made sure Mothman was able to be with me while I was visiting my family, otherwise I would have been there on my own. And I don’t think I need to emphasize how badly that would have gone.

His boss is apparently a huge Marvel fan and I’m trying to find a way to say thank you but as a DC household we’re lost 😂

If anyone can point me in the direction of something like an art book, history book or something cool, I’d appreciate it.

Thank you.

spikedluv: (fall: pumpkins by candi)
it only hurts when i breathe ([personal profile] spikedluv) wrote2025-10-28 07:33 am

The Day in Spikedluv (Monday, Oct 27)

I had a chiropractic appointment this morning. Sciatica was noticeable today (a sharp-ish pain below my buttock at the top of my thigh), but not horrible. I hit Walmart, Agway and the Pharmacy while I was downtown. I also picked up Chinese for lunch.

(They opened early, which excited me because I thought I'd have to wait 20 min for them to open before I could order. So I ordered and returned 20 min later, but even though the food was ready, the cook was still the only person there and he obviously did not do cashing out. So I had to wait for that person, who was a good 10 min late. Then they realized he'd made the wrong thing for me, so I had to wait for him to make the correct thing. *head desk* It took as long as if they'd just opened on time at 11am.)

I did a load of laundry, hand-washed dishes, ran a load in the dishwasher, went for a walk with Pip and the dogs, cut up chicken for the dogs' meals, scooped kitty litter, and showered. Supper was leftovers, which was nice for me. *g*

I watched the current ep of Tracker and some HGTV programs, and finished Top Gun: Maverick. Which has given me a bunny separate from what the person at [community profile] fandomgiftbasket asked for. o_O It felt nice to be able to be home all afternoon without having to run mom to an appointment.

Temps started out at 25.9(F) and reached 49.1. There was sun, but it was cold.


Mom Update:

I did not see mom today as Sister A took her to her treatment. I did speak to her on the telephone and she sounded good. She said the appointment went well, but walking into the building was hard. (I did not say ‘I told you so’ about keeping up walking at home over the weekend. Yes, it was difficult.)
sabotabby: (doom doom doom)
sabotabby ([personal profile] sabotabby) wrote2025-10-28 07:20 am
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Your moment of climate grief

 Barely making headlines yesterday was the announcement that governments have failed once again to meet climate targets. As Hurricane Melissa barrels towards Jamaica, threatening to do catastrophic damage, it's important to remember that these governments had a choice, that we as so-called Western civilization had a choice, and we chose wrong every single time.

The thing you may not have heard of at all was the announcement yesterday of the extinction of the Christmas Island shrew. This little animal was a victim of an even older human-caused catastrophe, the colonization of Australia and its surrounding islands by first Britain, then Japan. The invasion of Europeans introduced black rats to the island, which in turn introduced a parasite that wiped out most of the population. 

With so many other horrors, including the continuing horrors perpetrated by colonialism, take a moment to grieve for this tiny, innocent creature, which was a unique being that in our carelessness and cruelty, we destroyed. Just another beautiful life lost to the gaping maw of capitalism. The people in charge think that they can cheat death by colonizing Mars or uploading their brains into a god-machine but there won't be any little shrews there, and also their fantasies are impossible. There is only this world and we're shitting it up like we have a spare one stashed somewhere.
Smart Bitches, Trashy BooksSmart Bitches, Trashy Books ([syndicated profile] smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-10-28 08:00 am

Hide Your Wallet: October 28th Release Week

Posted by Amanda

Happy Tuesday!

It’s the last release week in October! November and December tend to be pretty light for releases, so we may combine some release weeks.

Which books are on your TBR pile this week? Let us know in the comments!

Calling All Blessings

Calling All Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Author: Beverly Jenkins
Released: October 28, 2025 by Avon
Genre: , , ,
Series: Blessings #12

NAACP nominee and USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins celebrates her beloved Blessings series with a heartwarming novel set in Henry Adams, Kansas.

“If you haven’t yet gotten your hands on [this] author’s work, you should do so immediately.”—Shondaland

Tamar July, town matriarch of Henry Adams, KS, is being haunted by dreams of her humiliating wedding day, sixty years ago, when she discovered her intended, Joel Newton, was already married. The truth left her furious, heartbroken, and carrying a child, her son Malachi “Mal” July. Why are these dreams coming to her now? And is the great horned owl perched on her backyard shed somehow connected? When Joel’s legitimate son comes to Henry Adams wanting to meet his half-brother, Mal, Tamar must deal with her past, her anger, and explore what it means to truly forgive.

Tamar isn’t the only one being tested. Teenager Devon July wants to be anyone but himself. When he first arrived in Henry Adams, as an eight-year-old foster child, he wanted to be a preacher. Then, to be like his adopted brother, Amari. Now, he’s decided to be a variant of James Brown—wig included—rather than who he really is, a boy who lost his beloved grandmother and is the son of a mentally challenged woman. Will Tamar be able to guide his spirit quest and place him on the road to finally being at peace within himself?

As the big August 1st celebration nears, town owner Bernadine Brown has a lot on her plate, chief among them, what to do with former mayor Riley Curry’s monstrous tribute to his hog Cletus. There are no secrets in Henry Adams, but there’s never a dull moment either.

Sarah: I love this series, I’ve recommended it to people, and KJ Charles did a whole podcast with me about how this series got her through the pandemic. This is the final book, and it’s a bittersweet blessing to see this lovely series come to an end. Congrats and bravo, Ms. Bev!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Claiming the Princess

Claiming the Princess by Charis Michaels

Author: Charis Michaels
Released: October 28, 2025 by Avon
Genre: ,
Series: Hidden Royals #3

USA Today bestselling author Charis Michaels concludes her delicious Hidden Royals series in this enchanting romance between a young woman, unaware of her royal birth, and the rugged sea captain who comes to claim her as his future wife.

Princess Danielle Allard d’Orleans grew up believing that she was a simple village girl raised in Kent by surrogate parents. That simple life vanishes when she discovers she’s actually a princess in hiding— especially as the first order of royal business is to marry a war hero she’s never met.

Captain Luke Bannock wasn’t trying to become a hero—and even less so, a husband. But he shows selfless courage in a fierce Naval battle and the Crown offers him a reward for valor. His chosen prize? The hand in marriage of an obscure princess, living in exile. The reason? Revenge against his sworn enemy.

What begins as an arranged marriage between a village girl and a cynical captain evolves into dance of passion and self-discovery. As Luke helps Dani reckon with her secret royal blood, his thirst for revenge is replaced by desire for his new wife. The shock and hurt burn away, and an all-consuming love sails this fated couple into their happily ever after.

Lara: I enjoyed my time with this book and I’m definitely going to be exploring this author’s back catalogue. Full review is up!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

The Everlasting

The Everlasting by Alix Harrow

Author: Alix Harrow
Released: October 28, 2025 by Tor Books
Genre: , , ,

From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters—but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Amanda: I see Alix Harrow and I’m buying.

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Julia Song is Undateable

Julia Song is Undateable by Susan Lee

Author: Susan Lee
Released: October 28, 2025 by Canary Street Press
Genre: ,

CEO seeks dating coach

Critically acclaimed and reader-favorite author Susan Lee’s hilarious adult debut is a shimmering and joyful look at the magnificent—and sometimes suffocating—weight of family, the ways we limit ourselves, and the irresistible power of love.

Julia Song, CEO of Starlight Cosmetics, is at the height of her career. Then why does she feel like such a failure? Maybe because she’s thirty and single, with a terrible track record at dating. And in the eyes of her Korean family, that is just unacceptable. It never really bothered her—that is until her beloved grandmother drops the bomb that she is sick and her dying wish is for Julia to get married. Impossible. So in a moment of weakness, Julia asks her family for help. Set her up on three dates to help her find The One. But it will never work—Julia is undateable. If only there was a coach for that…

Tae Kim knows about the weight of familial expectation. He’s currently unemployed, living in his parents’ basement to care for his ill father. Sure, he’s become somewhat of a fix-it man for the Korean community around town, but that’s not a real job. And the pressure to get his life together is getting to be too much. So when the Julia Song—his childhood crush—asks for his help, it may be just the distraction he needs. He’ll do whatever it takes, even coach her for these three dates. Problem is, the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the more Tae wonders if anyone is good enough for Julia…including him.

Susan Lee’s latest has a CEO heroine and dating lessons from a childhood friend.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Never Over

Never Over by Clare Gilmore

Author: Clare Gilmore
Released: October 28, 2025 by St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: ,

A swoony second-chance romance where facing the one who broke your heart could be the thing that makes your dream come true.

Twenty-five-year-old Paige Lancaster is one contract away from earning a living doing her favorite thing in the world: writing songs. But when a music industry professional suggests she might be holding back with her lyrics to lessen the heartbreak of an old flame, Paige doubts if her music is ready to be heard.

In a rare, impulsive move, Paige contacts Liam Bishop after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor: date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, songworthy emotions felt like. And since Liam is the one who first set Paige on this career path, he hesitantly agrees.

Across three months of Liam’s summer work travel, the exes are forced to share hotel beds, rehash the past, and date in the present, all while navigating the building attraction between them they both swore was the one line of their agreement they wouldn’t cross.

But when it becomes near impossible not to act on their rippling chemistry, and as ever intensifying feelings blur the lines of what’s actually real and what’s driven by the music, Paige and Liam will both have to decide what’s more important: art for the sake of it, or love over everything.

Amanda: This is in my Book of the Year top spot.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Our Vicious Oaths

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport

Author: N.E. Davenport
Released: October 28, 2025 by Harper Voyager
Genre: , ,

Enter a new world of romantic fantasy from award-winning author N.E. Davenport—a journey of powerful magic, enemies-to-lovers, and political intrigue—as a warrior-princess and a vengeful king from rival fae courts form a fierce alliance to take down a merciless despot.

Princess of the Aether Dominion, Kadeesha wants nothing to do with fae politics. She is a warrior, first and foremost, and believes her greatest strength is leading her squadron of elite winged serpent flyers to protect her homeland. But bound since infancy to be betrothed to the Hyperion High King, ruler of all Dominions, she has no choice but to do what men have chosen for her.

Repulsed by the idea, she decides to spend one last night of freedom—in the arms of a dangerous stranger who takes her to sexual heights she’s never experienced before…but who is only using Kadeesha to set a trap for the High King.

For the High King and the kings of his six Dominions were responsible for the decimation of the Apollyon Court, and its new king, Malachi, wants his pounds of flesh.

On Kadeesha’s wedding day, Malachi and his special forces attack. Her father is killed, and Malachi wounds the High King, ultimately taking Kadeesha as hostage back to his land.

But she is no true hostage. The two form a she will help lure the High King so Malachi can kill him once and for all, and he in turn will not harm Kadeesha or the Aether people. And as much as Kadeesha hates politics, she is now the Queen of her folk. Fae bonds are unbreakable…and so, perhaps, is the attraction Kadeesha and Malachi feel for each other. For even as they must publicly display their connection to provoke the High King’s jealousy, they struggle to resist the powerful allure between them in order to achieve their ultimate goals.

A new, diverse fantasy romance from the author of the very good The Blood Trials.

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Some Kind of Famous

Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder

Author: Ava Wilder
Released: October 28, 2025 by Dell
Genre: ,

In this steamy and emotional small-town romance, a disgraced ex-musician and a local handyman try to resist their growing attraction for each other—until a house renovation forces them together—from the author of How to Fake It in Hollywood and Will They or Won’t They

“Real, raw, and deeply romantic.”—Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Dream On, Ramona Riley

It’s been a decade since Merritt Valentine’s height as a celebrated singer-songwriter . . . and her subsequent career-ending mental breakdown. In the following years, she’s abandoned the glitz of Los Angeles to move in with her sister, Olivia, in the sleepy Colorado ski town of Crested Peak, hoping to heal her lingering emotional wounds somewhere out of the spotlight.

Life in Crested Peak would be uncomplicated if not for Merritt’s inconvenient crush on the local contractor and handyman, Nikolaos Petrakis. Niko is disarmingly handsome and too kind-hearted to ever be right for the complex and prickly Merritt. Though tempting, a fling with Niko would only invite the kind of drama Merritt has vowed to leave behind.

After his last heartbreak, Niko is done dating his fellow townies. Still, he can’t shake his fascination with the brilliant Merritt, even as he heeds their mutual friends’ warnings to steer clear of her chaos. But when Merritt needs help fixing up a house of her own, Niko is glad to be the only man for the job.

As the two spend more time together, their mutual attraction sparking a deeper connection than either one expects, they’re forced to confront the idea that they may have underestimated each other—and themselves.

A renovation romances with a blue collar hero and singer-songwriter heroine.

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Witches of Dubious Origin

Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay

Author: Jenn McKinlay
Released: October 28, 2025 by Ace
Genre: ,

When a librarian discovers she’s descended from a long line of powerful witches, she’ll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family’s magic, in this enchanting cozy fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.

Zoe Ziakas enjoys a quiet life, working as a librarian in her quaint New England town. When a mysterious black book with an unbreakable latch is delivered to the library, Zoe has a strange feeling the tome is somehow calling to her. She decides to consult the Museum of Literature, home to volumes of indecipherable secrets, some possessing magic that must be guarded. The collection is known as the of Books of Dubious Origin.

Here, Zoe discovers that she is the last descendant of a family of witches and this little black book is their grimoire. Zoe knows she must decode the family’s spell book and solve the mystery of what happened to her mother and her grandmother. However, the book’s potential power draws all things magical to it, and Zoe finds herself under the constant watch of a pesky raven, while being chased by undead Vikings, ghost pirates, and assorted ghouls.

With assistance from the eccentric staff of the Books of Dubious Origin—including their annoyingly smart and handsome containment specialist, Jasper Griffin—Zoe must confront her past and the legacy of her family. But as their adventure unfolds, she’ll have to decide if she’s ready to embrace her destiny.

Librarian witch alert!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

burnhername: Faith pic with the word editor (SH editor Faith)
burnhername ([personal profile] burnhername) wrote in [community profile] su_herald2025-10-28 03:19 am

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Monday, October 27th

GILES: South wall.
Willow stares at the window in fascination. Angel casts no reflection in it.
GILES: (to Willow) What are you doing?
WILLOW: Oh! Sorry. (turns to Angel) The reflection thing that you don't have. Angel, how do you shave? (the men exchange a look)

~~Reptile Boy~~




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leecetheartist: A lime green dragon head, with twin horns, and red trim. Very gentle looking, with a couple spirals of smoke from nose. (Default)
leecetheartist ([personal profile] leecetheartist) wrote in [community profile] drawesome2025-10-28 04:18 pm

Drawtober 2025 Prompt 28. Bridge of Stars

Title: Bridge of Stars
Artist: [personal profile] leecetheartist
Rating: G
Fandom:[personal profile] rdm 's fiction
Characters/Pairings: Rose and Nathan's meet cute
Content Notes: This is based on one of my husband's short fictions, which you can read here if you like. The ink is Cosmic Glow from Diamine and the line work is done with my beloved Rotring Art Pen.



Night time and a dragon landing next to someone on a bridge.
fanweeklymod: (Default)
FandomWeekly Mod ([personal profile] fanweeklymod) wrote in [community profile] fandomweekly2025-10-27 09:42 pm

[#279 | Haunted Library] Voting Post

Here are the entries for this challenge:

List of entries )

Please Note: Because we only have 3 entries this week, there is only a First Place and Runner Up to vote for!

In order to vote, please reply to this post using the form provided. All comments are screened, and entries are listed in the order they were submitted. For your vote to qualify, you must fill out your entire voting card (both spots) in order to be counted. Winner votes are worth 2 points, Runner Up votes are worth 1 point. Meeting the bonus goal on an entry gets an extra point for that submission.

When voting, please copy/paste the ENTRY NUMBER and the FIC TITLE from the list above into the spot you're voting for (this prevents accidentally mis-numbering a vote and casting it for the wrong entry). It should look like this:

First Place: 61. Fic Title Here
Runner Up: 88. Another Fic Title

Please note that you cannot vote for your own entry, and that votes cannot be made anonymously. You do not have to be a member of the community in order to vote, nor have submitted an entry for this week; everyone is welcome to participate in the voting. IP addresses are logged to prevent duplicate voting.



Voting closes Wednesday, October 29 at 9:00PM EST.
A Humble Peddler of Weres ([syndicated profile] thebibliosphere_feed) wrote2025-10-27 04:55 pm

idk if this is a young fan thing or new fandom culture but some of yall think fics are abandoned way

queenangst:

idk if this is a young fan thing or new fandom culture but some of yall think fics are abandoned way too quickly. a few months or a year or two is not unusual to go without a fic update. sometimes fics take longer to write, other times writers have rl events, or maybe there’s multiple fics and one gets more priority. there are tons of reasons for fics not to be updated every week or every month. it also isn’t uncommon for people to come back and update fics after a number of years—ive read updates that took five, or ten years. people’s lives change, but they still want to tell their stories. personally, i never consider a fic abandoned unless the author has said so; though if it’s been a few years i manage my expectations. but a last update being a year ago is… generally not a sign that a writer has abandoned their fic

A Humble Peddler of Weres ([syndicated profile] thebibliosphere_feed) wrote2025-10-27 04:08 pm