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Smart Bitches, Trashy Books - Books & Literature
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Swordheart by T. Kingfisher | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Swordheart was originally published in 2018. Luckily for me, Tor is republishing it with a gorgeous cover and pretty green edges, so I have an excuse to review it. I was charmed by the characters and the dialogue, but less so by the fact that the book Would. Not. End. for the longest time. The…
The Rec League: Cricket Romances | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
This request came from Vicki. Thanks, Vicki! I was chatting with someone in India who is unhappy with their cricket team and remembering playing cricket as a kid. I'm wondering if there are any good cricket romances. Sarah: I am stumped! Amanda: Same! If any exist, they're most certainly indie pubbed or not readily available…
In Memory of Madeline Hunter | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Historical romance author Madeline Hunter passed away earlier this week from cancer. Her publisher, Kensington, made an official announcement on their Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kensington Books (@kensingtonbooks) Readers and authors are sharing their favorite Hunter historicals across social media. Our condolences go to her family and…
Tarot After Dark: Road Trip | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Tarot After Dark. As always, if you are new to tarot in general or to this series, please check out All About Tarot After Dark. In addition to a primer on what a tarot deck is, it discusses my personal approach to reading tarot. I go with the philosophy that…
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Ed.note: before you continue reading this review, please be aware that the TW/CW above includes discussion in this review. Reader discretion advised. Victorian Psycho is what would happen if Patrick Bateman and Jane Eyre had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad baby. Protagonist and narrator Winifred Dotty has no ability to experience fear or…
Links: Cozy Fiction, Trading Cards, & More | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Welcome back to Wednesday Links! It doesn't feel like a Wednesday and time seems to be going painfully slow this week. Last night, I had a bridal dress consultation with Alysia Cole, a bridal stylist I found on Instagram. It was a wonderful half hour call and I'm eager to see her suggestions on where…
Hide Your Wallet: April 15th Release Week! | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Happy Tuesday! It's a short and sweet release week for SBTB HQ. Only a trio of books are on our radar and they're all mysteries of a sort. Perhaps your own TBR pile feels the same. What are you excited for this week? Let us know in the comments!
HaBO: Heroine Interferes with Duel | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
This HaBO comes from Steph, who wants to find this historical romance: Please help! I’m trying to find this title - I feel like it’s a bit older from a well-known writer. It’s definitely a rake romance; the heroine interferes with a duel at the beginning of the novel, thusly meeting the hero. He is…
Cover Snark: Gargoyle Jesus | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Welcome back to Cover Snark! From Syntha: This dude’s face. Sarah: He looks so…bored? How is he both creepy AND bored? Elyse: What is the situation with his hair? Is it glowing? Sarah: So many people wanted Instagram filter faces, and now the trend has moved into Photoshop Outer Glow Hair. Amanda: I'm full on…
Robert McGinnis: 1926-2025 | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
This guest post is from Steve Ammidown. You may remember hearing him recently on Episode 618. The Romance Reader’s Handbook with Steve Ammidown, where we discussed another piece of romance history, The Romance Reader's Handbook, and from his recent post about romance memorabilia and ephemera. Steve is the co-host of the Black Romance Has A History podcast, and occasionally writes about…
Get Rec’s with Amanda – Volume 88 | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Welcome back, everyone! Shockingly, we only have one non-fiction title this week. We also have a historical fantasy, a contemporary Gothic, and a historical with a mix of mystery and romance. Have you received any good book recs lately? Want to impart a recommendation of your own? Let us know in the comments!
Whatcha Reading? April 2025, Part One | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here are the books kicking off our April: Lara: I've been dying to tell people about the book I'm reading: Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey. I'm obsessed with it! Full review coming. Elyse: Oh that’s on my TBR! So excited it’s good! Lara: I recommend going into it as…
662. What’s Deeanne Gist Been Up To? With Dakota Lacoy | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
What happens when a bestselling and award winning author of historical inspirational romances decides, after a break of a few years, to write spicy contemporary? If you’re Deeanne Gist, you start over from scratch as Dakota Lacoy. Amanda and I were just asking recently what had happened to Deeanne Gist, who wrote some SBTB favorites…
What Ever Happened to Deeanne Gist? | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Recently in an episode of RT Rewind, we came across a review for Deeanne Gist's novel Tiffany Girl, which was a favorite here at SBTB HQ. We wondered at the time, Whatever happened to Deeanne Gist? Is she still writing? We had no idea - but then, I got an email from someone who could answer…
Revisionaries: What We Can Learn From the Lost, Unfinished, and Just Plain Bad Work of Great Authors by Kristopher Jansma | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Revisionaries: What We Can Learn From the Lost, Unfinished, and Just Plain Bad Work of Great Authors is a fun and interesting book for writers and for readers who like to know how authors work. It imparts twenty-one lessons to writers using the challenges and unfinished writings of classically regarded writers. Easily read and easily…
The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
The Stars Too Fondly has queer romance, found family, diverse representation, multiple references to Star Trek, and space travel. I love all of these things. I should adore this book. But I found it to be deeply implausible, frustrating, and full of undeveloped emotion, ideas, and characters. A really bad book is fine - I…
Links: Libraries, Ferrets, & More | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Happy Wednesday! We finally have a break from the rain in my area, though I think it's due to start back up again tomorrow. On the plus side, a couple friends and I are doing a reading and crafting weekend. We've rented a cute beach house, divided up the meals, and I'm so looking forward…
What Have You Learned About Yourself from Romance? | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Romance takes a lot of crap, some of which I myself am serving, but I could give a 20 minute talk on how romance fiction offers readers an unparalleled opportunity for exploration of the self within the privacy of their own imaginations, especially regarding sexuality. I wrote about this topic at length in Everything I…
New Murderbot Trailer! | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Attention! This is not a drill! The Murderbot AppleTV show officially has a trailer! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEioDeOiqEs Here are some additional details, but the most important info is that the first two episodes with premiere on Friday, May 16th. It will then release new episodes every Friday and will have a total of ten episodes. Sarah: I am busy,…
HaBO: Noblewoman in a Love Triangle with a Soldier and a Pirate | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
This HaBO is from Liz, who wants to find this historical romance: I have a very visceral memory of reading a historical romance (albeit a very PG/maybe PG-13 one) circa 2007 or so. It was set in the Colonial period, in the Americas, and featured a love triangle between a young noblewoman and, I think,…
Hide Your Wallet: April 8th Release Week! | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Welcome back to Hide Your Wallet! It's Tuesday and we're talking new releases! It appears that Sarah's trend prediction of romance with mystery elements is spot-on. There are also a couple emotional contemporaries and of course, more fantasy romances. What new releases are you excited for this week? Let us know in the comments!
Looking Back: Revisiting My Favourite Jilly Cooper Romance Novella | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
In 2005, a series of romance novellas by Jilly Cooper were republished. In my teens and early twenties, I had devoured her Rutshire Chronicles, and so it was inevitable that these would cross my path, too. Today, I have four of the seven novellas. As part of my nostalgia kick, I decided to re-read the…
Cover Awe: Creepy and Trippy | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Welcome back to Cover Awe! Cover design by Meg Sayre Amanda: So many great details like the blood on the collar and the phantom hand. Sarah: I love how the illustration looks sort of like a daguerreotype. I'm sure there are whole rooms on Pinterest that use this color palette. Sneezy: I love that the…
Kickass Women in History: Tamara Lempicka | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
Tamara Lempicka (also known as Tamara de Lempicka) is having a well-deserved moment. Born in Poland in 1894, she was a painter who was famous during her lifetime for her portraits, her distinctive artistic style, and her personality. Lempicka led a dramatic life. Born Tamara Rosa Herwitz, she had a wealthy Russian-Jewish father and Polish-Jewish…
661. RT Rewind: July 2000 Reviews | Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
We’re heading back in time to July 2000 to check out new releases in Romantic Times Magazine! Highlights include: Amanda’s memories of reading Daughter of the Forest, one of her all-time favorite books A surprising number of 2- and 1-star reviews A heroine obsessed with pirates! Question: Did you read ebooks before the Kindle was…