This week, we have lots to talk about! First, some of y’all wrote fantastic epilogues to the very unsatisfying ending of Princess Amy, recapped in episode 486, and I share my ideas, too.Then, it’s time for Sweet Dreams 5, Little Sister. We’ve got:Big MisunderstandingsPlot Points that were in the cover copy so they’re not that dramaticSnarky sister fightsReally loving and supportive, thoughtful parentsAnd Drama Kids! Lots of ‘em!Thank you to jfhobbit, Malaraa, and Kara for the epilogues! Don’t miss jfhobbit’s art! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

488. Sweet Dreams Recap: Little Sister by Yvonne Greene

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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Fiction

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.

614. Dollar Princesses and Marriages of Convenience with Harper St. George

Amanda and I are traveling to May 1994 and taking a look at the book reviews in this edition of RT Rewind!
We’re answering many questions, including: 
Why does five stars mean something is a classic, but one star is acceptable?What do CS, RM, VR, and F stand for inside Contemporary and New Reality?What grade did Dreaming of You receive?
 There’s so much Fabio, a telepathic cat, blaming tornadoes for murder, and a lot of time travel.
But my gosh, golly, gee whiz, do not miss the visuals for this episode!
Music: purple-planet.com
Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @lumedeodorant and get 15% off with promo code [SARAH15 ] at LumeDeodorant.com! #lumepod Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

613. RT Rewind: May 1994 Reviews

Len Pennie’s book of Scots poetry poyums is out in the US this week, and you might have seen my post about her book launch earlier this week. Len is my guest today and we’re going to talk about:Poetry!Healing from trauma and abuseThe subversive revolution of teaching a word a day in a minoritized languageUsing humor to overcome the “cultural hangover of linguistic oppression”More poetry!TW/CW: discussion of intimate partner violence and domestic abuse, depression, stalking.
Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

488. Sweet Dreams Recap: Little Sister by Yvonne Greene

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