Oh, no.
I still can't believe that a sexy One Direction self-insertion fanfic found a mainstream publisher... and then became a best-seller... and is now being made into an intensely cheesy-looking feature film...
So many choices!
I've never heard of the gossip website Oh No They Didn't!'s monthly reading challenge before, but I really like this idea: in December, they're challenging their followers to read a book that won an award (any award) in 2018...
Maybe over the holidays!
I had no idea the upcoming movie Bird Box was based on a book. The timing of the release seems unfortunate (it's definitely going to be compared to A Quiet Place), but apparently the author of the book...
I've got a copy somewhere...
In honor of William Goldman, who died at age 87 last month, Slate published a loving tribute to The Princess Bride—both Goldman's novel, and his skillful adaption into the beloved 1987 film of the same name...
Pricey but intriguing
Last month, LitHub posted an article about SP Books' upcoming reprint of the original, unedited manuscript of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. This edition is...
The Dark Days Deceit, by Alison Goodman
Maybe this is a sign that I'm thinking too much about baked goods right now, but Alison Goodman's The Dark Days Deceit reminded me very much of one of those professionally decorated sugar cookies—technically impressive, but not that much fun to consume...
Weekly Book Giveaway: The Dark Days Deceit, by Alison Goodman
This week's Book Giveaway is The Dark Days Deceit, the final book in Alison Goodman's ambitious Lady Helen trilogy. Thus far, this has been a series I've admired more than I've loved, but I never count Goodman out—I get distracted by her elaborate plotting and world-building, but her stories can deliver an unexpected emotional punch. A full review will follow shortly...
Holiday Gift Pick #8
And last but not least, Gift Idea #8, chosen because I'm hungry: my favorite cookbooks of 2018! (prices vary, but they're all in the $25 range)
I'm trying to resist buying too many more cookbooks, because I'm running out of room to actually, y'know, cook, but sometimes a cookbook is just too alluring to resist. This year's evil tempters include...
Holiday Gift Pick #7
Gift Idea #7: East of the Sun and West of the Moon, by Taschen Books ($40)
We recently chatted about Taschen Books' exquisite coffee table collection of Danish artist Kay Nielsen's long-lost illustrations for 1,001 Nights. While that particular book will set you back $300, Taschen also offers East of the Sun and West of the Moon...
Holiday Gift Pick #6
Gift Idea #6: The complete Lockwood & Co. series, by Jonathan Stroud (approximately $35 for paperback editions)
If you're shopping for a teenager (or an adult who isn't above reading YA literature), we can't recommend this series highly enough. Seriously, it's wildly imaginative and deeply creepy and the teeniest bit romantic, and...
Holiday Gift Pick #5
Gift Idea #5: Anything by Taro Gomi, but particularly the recent re-release of The Crocodile and the Dentist ($16.99)
Taro Gomi has written more than 400 books, and while he lacks the current kid-lit buzz of, say, Mo Willems, his stories are a consistent hit. I was pleased to see that Chronicle Books has re-released his picture book The Crocodile and the Dentist...
Holiday Gift Pick #4
Gift Idea #4: Compassion for Mrs. Bennet's Nerves tea, by Bingley's Teas ($12)
And if reading Herodotus isn't cutting it, you might as well try a cup of tea. Described as a tisane of "plump chamomile flower buds, spirited peppermint, calming passion flower...
Holiday Gift Pick #3
Gift Idea #3: The Histories, by Herodotus (prices vary; considering it was written in 440 BC you should be able to find it used)
One of my most prized possessions is my grandfather's trashed paperback copy of Herodotus's Histories. My grandfather was not known for his sunny disposition, but he told me that reading and re-reading Herodotus...
Holiday Gift Pick #2
Gift Idea #2: "I Saw Dracula!" t-shirt, designed by Edward Gorey ($26.95)
This shirt was originally created for the 1977 Broadway revival of Dracula (which featured Edward Gorey's set designs) and would make a wonderful gift for any Gorey fans in your life...
Holiday Gift Pick #1
Considering Hanukkah is rapidly approaching, this year's Holiday Gift Guide is a little late, for which I apologize. But here's hoping the awesomeness of our picks makes up for it, and that you have access to free, fast shipping.
Gift Idea #1: Author miniatures by UneekDollDesigns (prices vary)...
The Royal We, by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
When it comes to royalty-themed entertainment, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan's novel The Royal We is more realistic than the many princess-y Hallmark movies, more grown-up than Rachel Hawkins' Royals, and grander in scope than Meg Cabot's effervescent Princess Diaries—but it isn't quite perfect...
Weekly Book Giveaway: The Royal We, by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks
This week's Book Giveaway is The Royal We, by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks (of Go Fug Yourself fame). This book came out several years ago, and I've always meant to read it, but there was a long, drawn-out battle between my love for Ms. Morgan and Ms. Cocks' writing and my fundamental disapproval of royalty...
Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers!
Have a good holiday, guys, and don't spend too much on Black Friday. See you on Monday!
Aggressive quirk
And also on The Hollywood Reporter, Endeavor Content (the company that makes Killing Eve) has picked up the film rights to My Best Friend’s Exorcism, a horror novel by Grady Hendrix (of Horrorstor fame)...
Adios, Glamour
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Glamour has just sent out an announcement that they are ending the regular print format of their magazine. The first issue of Glamour was released in 1939, and...
Archenemies, by Marissa Meyer
Archenemies, the second book in Marissa Meyer's Renegades series, picks up immediately after the events of the first. Heroine Nova Artino is still working as a double agent, torn between her loyalty to the villains who raised her and the morally-questionable “superheroes” who control her city...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Archenemies, by Marissa Meyer
This week's Book Giveaway is Archenemies, the sequel to Marissa Meyer's Renegades. We had some realllly big problems with Renegades, but the sequel, at least at first glance, seems to be looking up. A full review will follow shortly, and this giveaway will run through 11/23/18...
A-changing
The Atlantic recently posted a lengthy article about writing consent in romance novels, basing it around an interview with Jasmine Guillory. The article gives a short but comprehensive overview...
Quite the tribute
We've been writing about our love for Georgette Heyer's A Civil Contract for more than a decade, so it's always a thrill to run across someone else who appreciates it, too. Yesterday, the blog Toying With Pearls released a truly epic post...
Holiday schmaltz?
The trailer is out for the movie adaptation of Julie Murphy's YA novel Dumplin'. The movie will feature Jennifer Aniston as the heroine's mother and songs by Dolly Parton, so I'm assuming...
The Wedding Date, by Jasmine Guillory
Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date boasts a delightful heroine, a memorable hook, and centers around a healthy, sex-positive, power-balanced relationship. I really liked large portions of the story, but thought it fell short on one critical front.
Weekly Book Giveaway: The Wedding Date, by Jasmine Guillory
This week's Book Giveaway is Jasmine Guillory's The Wedding Date, which has gotten a lot of absolutely glowing reviews (particularly for a romance novel, which are depressingly prone to being completely ignored by critics). A full review will follow shortly, and this giveaway will run through 11/23/18...
A taste for cheese
For the past six moths, PBS has been running their “The Great American Read” survey, which garnered over four million votes. The winner (which was always the frontrunner) was Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, which beat everything from Harry Potter to Pride and Prejudice...
Promising?
I recently saw the latest trailer for Syfy's Nightflyers, based in the 1980 novella by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. Writing about it on his blog, Martin sounds like he's giving the series a cautious thumbs-up...
Rest in peace, Ms. Bell
I ran across this obituary of translator Anthea Bell recently, and it took me a while to remember why I knew Ms. Bell's name. It turns out I'd spent a lot of time complaining about her in 2012, while I was wondering...