Posted by John Scalzi

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2026/04/21/old-mans-war-series-a-hugo-finalist-in-the-best-series-category/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=60293

This is fabulous news: The entire Old Man’s War series, from OMW to The Shattering Peace, has been nominated for the Best Series Hugo this year. What a lovely accolade. Here is the entire category:

Emily Wilde by Heather Fawcett (Del Rey US; Orbit UK)
October Daye by Seanan McGuire (Tor US; DAW)
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi (Tor US; Tor UK)
The Chronicles of Osreth by Katherine Addison (Tor US; Solaris UK; Subterranean)
The Craft Wars by Max Gladstone (Tor; Tordotcom)
White Space by Elizabeth Bear (Saga Press; Gollancz)

And here is the full list of finalists for this year. In my category as well as in others are writers and editors and artists and others who I like and admire. This is an excellent year for the Hugos, and I’m delighted to be part of it.

Also, yes, I will be attending Worldcon this year. In addition to anything else, I am DJing a dance!

— JS

https://whatever.scalzi.com/2026/04/21/old-mans-war-series-a-hugo-finalist-in-the-best-series-category/

https://whatever.scalzi.com/?p=60293

kitewithfish

General life of a reader update: I have finally purchased an e-reader outside the Amazon environment, just in time for Amazon to stop supporting my oldest living Kindle. (RIP, first Kindle, we hardly knew ye.) So, I get to try out the wonderful world of Kindle jailbreaking (so far, so good) and then I get to try to put KOReader on it! I have two Paperwhites currently – only one is getting nuked in Amazon’s upcoming changes – But if the process works on the older one, I might do the second. What a luxurious thought, to have multiple functional e-readers at once!

Also a great update for e-reader users: Jo Walton has a fun article about using her e-reader to keep up with her insanely prolific reading habits. https://reactormag.com/how-to-read-sixteen-books-at-once-at-all-times/

And I also found this very pleasant discussion from 2014 about how her e-reader changed her reading habits overall. - https://reactormag.com/how-having-an-e-reader-has-changed-my-reading-habits/

What I’ve Read
Chalice by Robin McKinley – This reads like the literary version of a fairy tale that I had just never heard of. But it’s entirely original and I think this is the pure distilled form of McKinley’s charm – a thoughtful and intelligent woman who becomes powerful thru her devotion to others, and a magically untouchable man who is worth her devotion, made touchable. This is a pure example of the trope of “the virtue of the king is the virtue of the land” except, you know, made a bit more modern and it’s more focused on women. It’s honestly great.

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel – This is a great book for just about anyone – I read it knowing a fair bit about certain kinds of textiles (both from a New England elementary education and because of Elizabeth Gaskill) and that got expanded on and refined. I adored the discussions about how trade in textiles shaped so much of global commerce. Postrel does not shy away from how awful that can be (chattel slavery and cotton go hand in hand for a reason), nor does she allow it to dehumanize the people engaged in it. It’s honestly a great work that covers a vast span of time and culture – I would be glad to read more from her.

The Invasion (Animorphs #1) by KA Applegate – I picked this up after one more Tumblr post talking about the book series’ respect for the reader and attention to the cost of war. It turns out to be just as good as I remembered, and written simply enough for the age I was when I first read them. (I picked up the first book at the Scholastic Book Fair because it has a lizard on it. On such small wheels our destinies turn.) This book has to do a fair bit of the scifi heavy lifting, introducing the human cast, the aliens, setting the stakes of the intergalactic espionage that is the main conflict, and establishing how the key technology (morphing an animal based on a DNA sample) works. The writing is clear and respects the audience – when people die, they die, but the characters also feel the age of the middle schoolers they are. I’m planning on doing a re-read/read thru and finishing the whole series, which I had bored of as a child as I grew out of the age group. I think that I’d like to see if the resolution is as interesting as the Tumblr Animorphs fans make it out to be.

Cultural Exchange and Comparative Semiotics (Xenoethnography #1 & #2) by Therrae (Dasha_mte) A re-read. Anthropologist works with Transformers, lovely.

Concubine by Kaasknot – Technically an MCU fic, in that it’s an AU of the version of Thor and Loki from those movies, but mostly unrelated and pulls more from the Poetic Edda. Arranged marriage between Loki, who grew up a runt prince on Jotunheim, and Thor, the spoiled prince of Asgard who has no love for his new concubine, leads to Loki isolated as the unofficial ambassador to Asgard. I wanted to like this more than I did. In short, this is doing court intrigue and politics and war, but like, in a boring way that makes Loki look dumb. Things work out in his favor when it would be more interesting to see them blow up in his face. The balance of self-indulgence v. complexity wavers too wildly for me to have sunk my emotional investment into either pole. Bah. 140K words and I kept waiting for it to get really good, and since I waited like ten years to actually read this, I feel a bit meh about it.

What I’m Reading
The Stars are Legion – Kameron Hurley. Picked up an audiobook based on a Tumblr post where someone had pointed our that it was amazing that this book’s reputation had managed to avoid controversy, given that it has zero male characters. Which, given that its about space wars and technology based on biological ships with squishy organs and vehicles that are also animals, I am so here for.

The Visitor (Animorphs #2) KA Applegate – This book’s got a Rachel POV and she’s not as confident as she seems. The book is also doing the kind of fatphobia of the 90s where they don’t even notice the fatphobia, but, well, I lived thru it once – it can hardly do more damage now.

What I’ll Read Next
My book clubs are on books I have not read! (Amazing work, y’all.)

SciFi/Fantasy Book Club
Sunshine Robin McKinley
Tomb of Dragons Katherine Addison

Necromancy Book Club
The Everlasting Alix E. Harrow
The Isle in the Silver Sea Tasha Suri
Platform Decay (murderbot 8) Martha Wells
Ancillary Justice Ann Leckie

I mentally still have a pin in my planned read thru of LeGuin's Earthsea books, and a friend was interested in doing a read thru of the Baru Cormorant Trilogy....

oursin

That is, I have finally knocked off a review that has been hanging over me for months, probably needs a little more fiddling with but it was very much I had got to the stage of 'just sit down and write the bloody thing' and did it. It's a book I'm fairly lukewarm about, doing fairly useful work with what it does but it feels a bit all over the place and hard to get a proper grip on.

Also, yay, am feeling rather less washed out than the past few days following vaxx.

We have appointment to see solicitor about our Testamentary Dispositions next week - finally found one in the fairly close vicinity through the Law Society Find a Solicitor facility.

Have just been getting Documentation from the local authority who are actually paying me to go and talk about johnnies in their collections in just under two months, so I guess that's sort of the next thing on my agenda.

Though am gradually making my way through ms by deceased colleague, though there is not major urgency on this as my collaborator is still in academic life and overwhelmed with the responsibilities of that at present.

james

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osprey_archer

I know I’ve read Mikhail Zygar’s The Empire Must Die: Russia’s Revolutionary Collapse, 1900-1917 before, because my ebook is spattered with my own highlights all the way to the very end. However, I have no memory of the book, and also apparently never posted about it, both of which are baffling because it’s an enjoyable and fascinating read.

The Empire Must Die is telling the intertwined stories of many different prominent figures in late tsarist Russia: not just the prominent political figures (both in the government and in the varyingly legal levels of opposition), but also figures in the arts, Chekov, Diaghilev, Tolstoy, Nijinsky. It is both painting a picture of Russian high society and exploring the events that led to the downfall of that society.

Zygar is telling a story more than he is advancing a thesis, so he doesn’t advance the idea that this or that thing is the root cause of the ultimate Bolshevik takeover. And obviously any complex historical phenomenon has many causes: autocracy, the Russian orthodox church, a highly class-stratified society with huge income inequality, etc. etc.

However, it ultimately seemed to me that any of these problems might have been overcome were it not for Nicholas II, Russia’s weak-willed, vacillating, but also stunningly pigheaded final tsar. He’s like the guy in the parable who is sitting on top of a house roof in a flood, turning away a neighbor in a boat and a helicopter and what have you because he’s convinced that God will save him, except in Nicholas’s case he’s ignoring warning signs like “we just lost a war with Japan because of our antiquated military, so perhaps we should modernize before we get embroiled in a larger war?”

Or, rather, he repeatedly sees the warning signs, he agrees to direly needed reforms, and then he backtracks the next day after he’s had a chance to talk to his wife. Absolutely a case where both halves of an adoring couple made each other exponentially worse. Nicholas believed that any attempt to amend the autocracy was a violation of the oath he made to God at his coronation, and his wife Alix not only agreed wholeheartedly but remained steadfast in this belief when the weak-willed Nicholas wavered.

So much for the collapse of autocracy. After Nicholas abdicates, why do the Bolsheviks end up in power? Well, you’ve got three main parties vying for it.

The Kadets: the liberal democratic party. In favor of a republic or a constitutional monarchy. Popular among Russia’s middle class, which is not very large. Just can’t pull the numbers they need. Ideologically opposed to shooting people for political reasons.

The Socialist Revolutionaries (also known as SRs): in favor of peasants and the political assassinations of tsarist officials. Despite this history of violence, excited to work non-violently within the new state system that everyone is trying to patch together after the revolution of February 1917. Unfortunately, their two most charismatic leaders recently died, and also they discovered that Azef, the guy who organized most of their high profile political assassinations, was actually a police agent. Awkward. The SRs fail to kill him.

The Social Democrats (also known as the SDs; split between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks): Marxists, in favor of the industrial proletariat; hate peasants, but canny enough to promise to distribute land to the peasants anyway. The Bolsheviks are ideologically in favor of shooting people for political reasons, which gives them a decisive edge while their opponents are fretting about whether it will fatally undermine their attempt to build democracy if they shoot political opponents who threaten to violently overthrow democracy. As it turns out, the answer is “probably yes, but do you know what will undermine democracy even more decisively? Being violently overthrown.”

yourlibrarian posting in

tv_talk

Laptop-TV combo with DVDs on top and smartphone on the desk

aurumcalendula reported last month that a set of Wiseguy DVDs had a non-working disc. And apparently Warner Bros DVDs made in 2006-2008 will all stop working. Earlier laser disc recordings also had similar issues.

Do you have a lot of DVDs? How long have you been collecting them? Have you run into problems with them? Is it important for you to preserve particular shows?

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few house finches and a brown-headed cowbird. Several vultures were circling low over the yard, but by the time I grabbed my camera, they were gone.

I put out water for the birds.

.

Current Mood: busy

springsodas posting in

addme

Name: Soda (she/her)

Age: Late 20s

I mostly post about: Artwork, writing, character design and development, whatever shows and/or games I'm currently invested in, the various happenings in my life, any thoughts, feelings, and other ramblings that come to mind

My hobbies are: Illustration, writing, gaming, streaming, collecting comics, merchandise, plushies (I have too many), and stationary

My fandoms are: Main is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003, IDW, and Splintered Fate), casual enjoyer of Pokemon and Sonic the Hedgehog; I also enjoy a number of various anime, cartoons, comics/manga, and video games that I may mention from time to time.

I'm looking to meet people who: While no specific person comes to mind, as long you're kind and considerate, I'm happy to chat even if our interests don't line up.

My posting schedule tends to be: A bit sporadic, but I usually manage to get one or two posts in a week

When I add people, my dealbreakers are: I prefer to interact with users who are at least 20 or older and will avoid interacting with minors. Not tolerant of bigotry in any form (racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, etc.) I do, unfortunately, have quite a few major squicks on the fannish front, so if you're posting things like adult/minor pairings and/or incest, I'm going to politely keep my distance.

Before adding me, you should know: I prefer to keep my journal SFW out of personal preference. Neurodivergent (autistic), highly anxious to the point I sometimes delete posts for whatever reason, although I'm trying to be braver about posting my opinions even if they lean more towards the negative and come off as a bit whiny/complainy.

Current Mood: curious

smartbitches2_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/04/witches-a-historical-mystery-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172073

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com

I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming is $4.99! This is book one in the Comic Chaos series and came out last February. Book two is due out in August of this year.

A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.

Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she’s attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she’s saved! On the not-so-bright side, it’s because they’re abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has…dinosaurs?

Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can’t resist the attraction that’s developing in their trio….

As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they’ve all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined…zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

The Once and Future Witches

RECOMMENDED: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow is $1.99! Carrie reviewed this one and gave it a B+:

Overall I loved reading this book. I literally gasped and clapped my hands over my mouth periodically, like a silent movie star. It’s so gripping, so beautifully written, and such a powerful homage to women’s voices and the need to unify against a common enemy.

In 1893, there’s no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters–James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna–join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

Silent in the Grave

RECOMMENDED: Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn is $1.99! This book and series has been mentioned quite a bit on the site. Elyse recommended it if you like historical mysteries. Reader StacieH4 mentioned it for those who prefer their romance light on sex, and Reader Tina Chaney said on a podcast that the book has one of her favorite opening lines. Have you read it?

“Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.”

These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward’s death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband’s murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward’s demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

A Fine Scottish Time

A Fine Scottish Time by Maeve Greyson is $2.99 at Amazon! This is time travel romance and it’s the first book in the The Magical Matchmakers of Seven Cairns series.

Time Travel, Tarot, and Fated Love in the Highlands

Jessa Tamson desperately needs a win. Her three-year relationship ended in heartbreak, her dream job evaporated, her car was stolen, and her rent just skyrocketed. She’s about ready to tell the universe exactly where to go—until a strange tarot card dating app starts popping up on her phone. It’s persistent, mysterious, and downright annoying, but when it promises an escape from her current mess of a life, she decides to take a leap of faith—and a flight to Scotland.

Grant MacAlester has no time for love—or meddling witches. It’s been forty years since his clan barely survived the Jacobite uprising in 1746, and between smuggling runs and keeping the peace, he’s got his hands full. The last thing he needs is old Mairwen and her apprentice scheming to marry him off again. His first marriage taught him one women bring trouble.

But when Jessa suddenly lands in Grant’s 18th-century Highlands—quite literally—everything changes. Their meeting isn’t just a coincidence; it’s the work of the immortals of Seven Cairns, who have declared them fated mates. Together, they hold the key to strengthening the Highland Veil, a mystical barrier protecting all creation from chaos.

—Magic, time travel, and destiny can lead to wonderful things—if a person’s brave enough to embrace them.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/04/witches-a-historical-mystery-more/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172073

susandennis

Here at the cult, there is great emphasis on socializing. Meeting people. Making friends. I don't mind getting together with people now and again. I'm not opposed to meeting people and I'm mostly ok with making friends but not as items on an agenda. I'm perfectly fine here in my own apartment with my two cats and visits from Martha or Bonny. When I need to people, I go out to the elbow and work on the puzzle and visit with whoever wanders by.

Timber Ridge and the various resident led committees are always planning shit. Music programs, group stuff, outings. There's a puzzle group and art group, a million grief groups, low vision, hard of hearing, spousal support groups. My neighbor down the hall is trying to get a singles group going. Not a couples match up but more like people who want to do stuff with other people but don't have people to do it with. A laudable idea if that's what you want.

I almost never sign up for or attend any of it. The first year I was here, I went to a lot because I made friends with Myrna and Myrna's middle name was JOINER! So at least I've tried stuff. She and Martha and a couple of others were the social committee for the 3rd floor. They planned twice yearly get togethers. (All the floors have them.) I've been to every one since I moved here and they are dreadful. The last time, I went and decided it was the last time. Now Myrna's dead and Martha is over the whole planning process so they are looking for a new social committee. No one is volunteering. I suggested that we abandon the floor socials. What???? We can't do that!!! Why don't?? Because! Ok. Fine. Whatever.

BUT this morning I signed up for a thing. A kind of social thing. A social thing outside. Yeah, it's not me except it's a tour of an alpaca farm. May 7. It's about 30 minutes from here. It's advertised as rough ground so no one with walkers or mobility issues is encouraged. So far the list of people who have signed up is an ok list. I can still bail. It's a small group and there will be a long waiting list so we'll see.

Erica sent out an email yesterday saying that the pool will be closed for volleyball and aqua fit this morning but will likely open up some time today. So yeah!

The Mariners continue to lose. No real injuries or obvious issues like other teams. We have good, talented guys who are just playing shit. Oh well. It's not like we don't have 50 years of experience with losing.

I put Biggie's pill issues to Gemini and Gemini suggested a pill pistol. I ordered 2. One came yesterday. Fail. The pill is too big. One is coming today BUT Gemini may have solved the problem. In explaining how to use the pill pistol with a cat, it said to shoot the pill in the side of the mouth instead of straight down. I usually tilt his head back and aim for the middle of the back of the tongue. This morning, I tilted his head back and sent it down the side and got it in one! So... maybe...

Yesterday, somehow, a moth got in here and both cats just went nuts. They had a ball chasing it around for the longest time. I need to find a moth source. It would be a great and cheap cat gift!

I just got an email that someone 'friended' me on Live Journal. Interesting since my last post there was announcing that I'd be leaving and never posting again and that was 4 years ago...

smartbitches2_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/04/habo-the-ol-charlotte-charlie-mix-up/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172059

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

I’m looking for the title of a book, the second in a series.

The story takes place in a small town. A military hero returns home with a back injruy. A night in a bar, he meet a beautiful woman named Charlotte but refuses to go home with her.

Later, he meets his nurse Charlie, assumes she’s a man, but her real name is Charlotte and she is the woman from the bar.

He is a grumpy hero and I don’t remember much else…I hope someone can help…

Let’s HaBO!

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/04/habo-the-ol-charlotte-charlie-mix-up/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172059

smartbitches2_feed

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/04/hide-your-wallet-april-21st-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172055

Happy Tuesday!

We’re quickly approaching the end of the month. Can you believe it? Most of the titles on our TBR piles this week have some sort of fantasy element.

Which new releases are you anticipating this week? Let us know in the comments!

The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire

Author: India Holton
Released: April 21, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Historical: European, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Love's Academic #3

When two history professors and best friends are forced to fake hate to protect their reputations, chaos ensues, in the next rollicking historical-fantasy rom-com from beloved author India Holton.

Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they’re forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.

The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.…

Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.

New India Holton!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

Thistlemarsh

Author: Moorea Corrigan
Released: April 21, 2026 by Berkley
Genre: Historical: European, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy

Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh…for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

Amanda: The dreaminess of this is getting me.

Lara: I’m incredibly picky about books featuring the fae, but I’m hopeful that this one will scratch that itch.

Read Lara’s review!

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

Witch Queen Rising

Author: Savannah Stephens
Released: April 21, 2026 by Ace
Genre: Urban Fantasy

A reclusive witch who fled the burden of her bloodline rises to be the greatest among them in this lush and haunting fantasy debut.

For New Orleans witchkin, there is no greater honor than to become the Prime—chosen to rule. But the title is meant to pass between two rival Houses of magic, not to the wayward daughter of the former Prime who died under mysterious circumstances.

As a girl, Seraphine Barreau was dubbed the Tick Witch for her ability to feed on magic and make it her own. Even among those who alter fate and manipulate reality, she was a powerful outcast feared and misunderstood by her people. Now dragged back to continue the legacy that nearly destroyed her, Phine has her work cut out for her. She must earn the respect of her people, navigate the politics of the paranormal communities residing in her city, and heal a broken heart, all the while battling a parasitic curse poisoning witchkin. Between her werewolf ex, power-hungry vampires, and the skeletons in her family’s closet, Phine must learn to make peace with her past to save her—and all of witchkin’s—future.

Amanda: Can we get a round of applause for this cover?

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want this book? We can help: buy links ahoy!.

Mermaid in Manhattan

Author: Jessica Gadziala
Released: April 23, 2026 by Avon
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Iris loves being a mermaid. So, when her Mom, Queen of the Ocean, declares that she’s to be wed to a human, she’s furious.

Finn wants to be the first human mayor of magical New York. He needs a magical wife as part of his PR strategy to win over his constituents, and he’s fine with a loveless marriage.

But after his reluctant fiancé Iris douses him with seawater at their first meeting, Finn finds himself wanting this romance to be more than a business arrangement.

Iris can’t stand Finn on principle, but no matter how far she pushes him, Finn just won’t break off their engagement. In fact, he keeps going out of his way to make her life easier. And soon, this mermaid is left wondering if life might be better in Manhattan than under the sea…

Amanda: This sounds silly in a delightful way.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

Want this book? Here are helpful buy links..

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2026/04/hide-your-wallet-april-21st-release-week/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=172055

linky posting in

fandom_icons

A batch of 8 icons. Icons 4-8 were made for

smallbatchicons.

Find them here at

chemyxstory.

linky

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Current Mood: tired

sweettartheart posting in

100words

This week's prompt is pun.

Your response should be exactly 100 words long. You do not have to include the prompt in your response -- it is meant as inspiration only.

Please use the tag "prompt: #491 - pun" with your response.

Please put your drabble under a cut tag if it contains potential triggers, mature or explicit content, or spoilers for media released in the last month.

If you would like a template for the header information you may use this:

Subject: Original - Title (or) Fandom - Title

Post:
Title:
Original (or) Fandom:
Rating:
Notes:

If you are a member of AO3 there is a 100 Words Collection!

cakewrecks_feed

Posted by Jen

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/wedding-wrecks-vol-379-2026

The wrecky forces-that-be have smiled upon us once more, dear minions.

Translation?

I HAVE MORE WEDDING WRECKS.

Here's what Daisy had in mind when she ordered her mini cake and cupcake tower:

But instead...

Oooh, you guys, I feel a bucket list item coming up:

This is it! THIS IS IT.

Ahem hem hem.

Q: What's black-and-white and wrecked all over?

A: KELLY'S WEDDING CAKE.

(Sorry, Kelly.)

And finally, behold the elegant glory of the cake Kassandra ordered for a whopping $750:

Oooh, you've got good taste, Kassandra.

...but terrible luck with bakers:

o.0

Here's how I imagine Kassandra's baker dropped off the cake:

"My work here... IS DONE."

Thanks to brides Daisy E., Kelly J., & Kassandra for reminding us wedding wreckage is serious business.

*****

P.S. Since this saved my butt during a long painting day recently, I have a random product recommendation:

No Buckle No-Show Stretch Belt

This is my new favorite belt, y'all. It basically turns anything with belt loops into an elastic waist. So comfy I forget it's on, slimline so it doesn't show under my t-shirts, and NO BELT BUCKLE to dig into my belly or unbuckle for bathroom breaks. Woohoo!

You know how stretch jeans are forever sliding down when you sit or bend, so you have to keep hitching them back up? No more! I wear this with all my jeans now. It's entirely elastic, so it moves and stretches with you, zero painful digging. I HIGHLY recommend for anyone well endowed with squish in the belly area.

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:

https://www.cakewrecks.com/home/wedding-wrecks-vol-379-2026

badly_knitted posting in

fan_flashworks

Title: Set Apart
Fandom: Babylon 5
Author:

badly_knitted
Characters: Byron.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 200
Spoilers/Setting: Early season 5.
Summary: Telepaths are feared and distrusted.
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 513: Amnesty 85 at fan_flashworks, using Challenge 463: Apart.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Babylon 5, or the characters. They belong to J. Michael Straczynski.
.

( Set Apart... )