My guest this week is author Ryka Aoki, whose new book Light from Uncommon Stars is out this week! We cover transgender identity, found family, space opera & The Brady Bunch, the liminal state of The Olive Garden, Chonky books, and what, and where, is the best donut? I really want to hear your donut recs: sbjpodcast@gmail.com! ...Music: purple-planet.comShow Notes: Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

477. “Faust Meets Galaxy Quest”- Light from Uncommon Stars with Ryka Aoki

Each week on Smart Podcast, Trashy Books, Sarah Wendell interviews authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians about romance novels, which are among the most popular genres in fiction worldwide. Popular guests include: Ilona Andrews, Robin Bradford, NPR's Barrie Hardymon, Chuck Tingle, Sarah J. Maas, and Rachel Aaron. Amanda Diehl, co-pilot of the SS Smart Bitches, makes regular appearances with maximum silliness, especially during our Romantic Times Rewind episodes, where we take a look at old issues of Romantic Times Magazine (1981-2018). Frequent topics include romance novels, the way the genre is changing, and the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it, and issues common among romance readers. Plus, we always recommend some books we're reading and really enjoying. Learn more at SB-TB.com/Podcast. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In June 1989, Kathryn Falk published The Romance Reader’s Handbook, a 354 page spiral bound collection of everything a romance reader would need to know. Steve Ammidown leads us on a brief tour of this artifact of romance history.  
There’s a collection of over 2000 pseudonyms, plus a directory of where to contact authors, lists of bookstores that love romance, and recommended reads. And of course, advertisements from authors inviting readers to correspond with them. 
This is early social media for authors and readers, and it’s a fascinating time capsule. 
A PDF scan of the pages we talk about is available for downloads at SBTB.
You can find Steve Ammidown at RomanceHistory.com, and on Instagram @RomanceHistorian.  
 Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

618. The Romance Reader’s Handbook with Steve Ammidown

In episode 611, we talked about the ads and features in the April 2005 issue of Romantic Times, and there was an ad on the back cover for Romance Soundtracks. We could not find anything about them, but Malaraa in our Patreon sure did!
We’ve got samples! We’ve got MUSIC that you’re meant to read with, and Amanda tries to identify the genre/album the music was from.
MASSIVE THANKS to Malaraa for finding this treasure trove!
We’ve! Got! Links!Episode 611. Romantic Times Rewind: April 2005 Ads & FeaturesThe Wayback Machine copy of the Book Soundtracks Website – thanks to Malaraa!Pure Moods!Music LeagueThrowback Trivia TakedownMedieval Fantasy Music
 Music: Purple-Planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

617. A Romance Soundtracks Sampler

In a review for Never Cross a Highlander, Shana came up with the ACAB scale, or the Alyssa Cole Anti-Slavery Book Scale, which ranks how central the horror of slavery is to the storyline. I asked her to tell me all about it, and Shana, kindly, said yes.Our conversation grows (of course) to include the field of narrative therapy and bibliotherapy, other evaluative rubrics for reading, and the subgenres, professions, settings we can, and cannot, relax into.
NB: I had a cold when we recorded, so apologies for my very low voice.
You can find Shana here at SBTB, and on Instagram @BlackBabeReads.
We also mentioned:Shana’s review of Never Cross a HighlanderCarrie’s review of Ana María and the FoxMy interview with Erica Ridley about her Winchesters series  Music: purple-planet.com
Special offer from Lume: New customers get 15% off ALL Lume products with our exclusive code and link. Use code SARAH15 at LumeDeodorant.com. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

616. Reading Rubrics with Shana

Amanda and I are traveling back in time to May 1994 and taking a look at the ads and features inside Romantic Times Magazine – oh, it’s a time.
We have questions – and answers! Are Eric Braeden and Victor Newman the same guy?  Is Kathryn Falk writing celebrity gossip and outing people?  Are there Lorena Bobbit jokes?  Were Glamour Shots™ very well represented among author headshots?  We had a great time looking at the reviews, and the ads & features do not disappoint.
Don’t miss the visual aids. Seriously. There’s crooning.
Thank you to Mari the Romance Girl for this issue!
Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

615. RT Rewind: May 1994 Ads & Features

Harper St. George joins me to talk about The Stranger I Wed (look at that gorgeous cover) and the dollar princesses of the Gilded Age. We talk about transactional marriages, the power dynamics of marriages of convenience – and Harper has a few recommendations of her favorites!
You can find Harper St. George at her website, HarperStGeorge.com, and on Instagram @HarperStGeorge. We also mentioned:Clayton, the preserved home of the Frick family in Pittsburgh, PAAlmina Wombwell Herbert, Countess of CarnarvonHistory Tea Time with Lindsay Holiday – YouTube – Dollar Princesses
 Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

477. “Faust Meets Galaxy Quest”- Light from Uncommon Stars with Ryka Aoki

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