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smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-04 08:30 pm
This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-04 04:30 pm
A Governess’s Guide to Passion and Peril by Manda Collins is $2.99! This is book four in the Ladies Most Scandalous series. Have you read any of these?
Two friends reunite—and discover hidden feelings—while investigating a murder in this sensual, witty historical romance.
Jane Halliwell once dreamed of a home of her own—but those dreams (and her dowry) died with her father. Now, she works as a governess, preparing her charge for a future no longer within her reach. When her employer is murdered during a house party, however, Jane is forced back into the world of the ton. But stepping in as hostess will require working with the same lord who once broke her girlish heart.
Lord Adrian Fielding was too consumed with his job at the Foreign Office to pay young Jane much heed, but he always considered her a friend. Which is why he’s confounded by her icy demeanor now. More troubling still is his desire to melt the tensions between them. But his mentor’s murder means he must first find the culprit—and ensure Jane’s safety as she manages a house full of foreign dignitaries.
Only Jane insists on joining the investigation, and Adrian, despite all his diplomatic skills, finds himself seduced by her sharp wit and sparkling eyes. But with a vicious killer circling ever closer, will it soon be too late for their chance at forever?
The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson is $2.99! This is book on in the Dark Inheritance Trilogy. The main couple are in an arranged marriage for political reasons.
Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.
All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.
After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.
But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.
This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?
‘Til Deal Do Us Part by Amanda Quick is $2.99! This is a gothic romance that received a C+ grade from Carrie, who said the mystery just didn’t deliver.
On the whole, though, I enjoyed this book. I’m a wimp with regard to romantic suspense, but this book had just enough mayhem to keep the story moving and not so much mayhem that I felt the need to hide under the covers. Even if this isn’t your catnip, you will probably find it to be a nice comfortable read. I’d grade it much higher if the last third of the book matched the promise of the first third of the book.
The author of the New York Times bestseller Garden of Liesreturns to Victorian London in an all-new novel of deadly obsession.
Calista Langley operates an exclusive “introduction” agency in Victorian London, catering to respectable ladies and gentlemen who find themselves alone in the world. But now, a dangerously obsessed individual has begun sending her trinkets and gifts suitable only for those in deepest mourning—a black mirror, a funeral wreath, a ring set with black jet stone. Each is engraved with her initials.
Desperate for help and fearing that the police will be of no assistance, Calista turns to Trent Hastings, a reclusive author of popular crime novels. Believing that Calista may be taking advantage of his lonely sister, who has become one of her clients, Trent doesn’t trust her. Scarred by his past, he’s learned to keep his emotions at bay, even as an instant attraction threatens his resolve.
But as Trent and Calista comb through files of rejected clients in hopes of identifying her tormentor, it becomes clear that the danger may be coming from Calista’s own secret past—and that only her death will satisfy the stalker…
RECOMMENDED: Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly is $2.99! Carrie read this one and really loved it, giving it an A. However, she warns of a cliffhanger, which means you might want to get the next book ASAP.
Le Carré meets Cabaret in this debut spy thriller as a gay double-agent schemes to protect his smuggler lover during the rise of a fascist government coup
Welcome to Amberlough City, the illustrious but corrupt cosmopolitan beacon of Gedda. The radical One State Party — nicknamed the Ospies — is gaining popular support to unite Gedda’s four municipal governments under an ironclad, socially-conservative vision.
Not everyone agrees with the Ospies’ philosophy, including master spy Cyril DePaul and his lover Aristide Makricosta, smuggler and emcee at the popular Bumble Bee Cabaret. When Cyril’s cover is blown on a mission, however, he must become a turncoat in exchange for his life. Returning to Amberlough under the Ospies’ watchful eye, Cyril enters a complex game of deception. One of his concerns is safeguarding Aristide, who refuses to let anyone – the crooked city police or the homophobic Ospies – dictate his life.
Enter streetwise Cordelia Lehane, top dancer at the Bee and Aristide’s runner, who could be the key to Cyril’s plans—if she can be trusted. As the twinkling lights of nightclub marquees yield to the rising flames of a fascist revolution, these three will struggle to survive using whatever means — and people — necessary. Including each other.
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-04 03:00 pmThis HaBO request is from SL, who wants to find this romance:
I’m looking for a regency romance. I thought it was a Mary Balogh book, but can’t find it, so it might be an author similar to Balogh.
What I know for certain: Hero either kills or wounds brother in a duel. Hero had meant to delope, but was young and a terrible shot…
Hero is either exiled by family or is self-exiled. He either goes to war or travels for years.
The book I’m looking for is NOT The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh.
This may be a challenging one!
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-04 09:00 am
Happy Tuesday!
New month means new releases. I’ve put my monthly preorders in. Have you? A brief little release week for SBTB HQ.
Which new books are on your radar? Let us know in the comments!
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Released: November 4, 2025 by Bramble
Genre: Gothic, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
From the diabolical mind of New York Times bestselling author J.T. Geissinger comes a scorching new enemies-to-lovers romance filled with explosive secrets, nail-biting, gothic suspense, and the dangerous lure of dark magic.
You never forget your first love. Especially when he’s also your worst nightmare.
Twelve years ago, Maven Blackthorn fled her small hometown, leaving behind the wreckage of her mother’s suspicious death. But now, drawn back for her grandmother’s funeral, Maven steps onto Blackthorn soil once more, only to find herself thrust into a fresh her grandmother’s body has vanished.
The Blackthorns immediately suspect the Crofts—the ruthless titans of Croft Pharmaceuticals, whose bitter blood feud with the Blackthorns has spanned generations. But when Maven comes face-to-face with Ronan Croft, the son of her mother’s suspected killer and the only man she ever loved, she discovers the forbidden passion they once shared is as alive—and dangerous—as ever.
As long-buried family secrets claw their way to the surface, betrayal lurks behind every whisper, and old vendettas ignite anew. The deeper Maven digs for answers, the more treacherous the game becomes. And the one man she can never seem to escape is hiding a truth that could burn their whole world down.
In a town where the dead won’t stay buried, is love salvation…or the deadliest game of all?
Blackthorn is a page-turning gothic romance with darker themes and scenes that may not be suitable for everyone. Please see the author’s content note at the beginning of the book.
Amanda: I find Geissinger’s books to be compulsively readable in a potato chip sort of way.
Author: Chloe Gong
Released: November 4, 2025 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Coldwire #1
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the start of a daring new dystopian series where humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, following two young soldiers who must depend on unlikely allies in their fight for survival.
The future is loading…
To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”
But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier, or risk being labelled a spy.
Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.
Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…
Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.
Amanda: Gong is pretty much an auto-buy at this point.
Author: Lyssa Mia Smith
Released: November 4, 2025 by Storytide
Genre: Historical: American, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult
Revenge meets the Gilded Age in this thrilling YA fantasy set among the glittering magical elite of late-1800s New York society, from Revelle author Lyssa Mia Smith.
Two girls attended a magical ball, but one was never seen again.
At least that’s what those who betrayed her believed.
Two years after being framed for fraud by the Society of the Charmed, an exclusive club of New York’s wealthiest—and most magical—citizens, Emmy Vallillo wastes away in prison, utterly alone.
Until her cell door bursts open, revealing Jack Fontaine, one of the Society’s favorite sons, now imprisoned for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. They make a deal: He’ll help Emmy escape if she helps destroy those who’ve wronged them.
Together, the two break free and, using Emmy’s magic to transform their appearances, they soon become the Society’s new darlings. Now their enemies want to dine with them. Attend lavish balls with them. Marry them. But ruining lives requires Emmy to trust Jack with hers, despite his dark secrets—and the infuriating attraction between them.
When another betrayal brings their enemies to their doorstep, Emmy must choose: finish exacting revenge, or give up the money, the magic, and her safety in this cutthroat world for the most treacherous thing of all—love.
Elyse: I love a revenge plot.
Author: Mia Jay Boulton
Released: November 4, 2025 by 23rd St.
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Lore Olympus meets The Witcher in this thrilling supernatural series! Finally available in graphic novel format, Mia Jay and Laurel Boulton’s wildly popular Webtoon series delivers a stirring tale of monsters, magic, and romance.
Mercy Gray Harding’s troubles all started in the swampland on the outskirts of town, where a mist wolf murdered her father. She enlists a monster hunter named Jonah to put the creature down, but the plan quickly falls apart. When the incorporeal beast tries to attack Mercy, it instead possesses her, and is bound to her body and mind. Now Mercy’s human and wolfish sides grapple for control, and she is haunted by the memories of both.
Jonah promises to free her from the monster, and the two set off for a cure. But the open road is full of untold danger, and her new powers come in handy. And is it Mercy or the wolf who is flirting with the handsome Jonah?
Amanda: I’ve been getting into a lot of graphic novels and webtoons lately. Would love to see more romance graphic novels for adults!
Author: Awkaeke Emezi
Released: November 4, 2025 by Avon
Genre: LGBTQIA, Paranormal, Romance
From New York Times bestselling author Akwaeke Emezi comes a steamy paranormal romance set in the Black South—a bold new foray that takes us on a journey of magic and fantasy, from the whispering creeks outside the city of Salvation to the very depths of Hell itself.
Tenderhearted Galilee was raised by the Kincaids, a formidable clan of Black women sequestered deep in the weeping willows and dark rushing creeks of their land. Galilee has always known that she’s different—that there is an old and unknowable secret around her very existence. It has been a hollow ache inside her since her childhood, something she assumes she will always have to live with.
Until she meets Lucifer Helel. He’s fronting as the head of security for her wealthy friend Oriaku’s family, protecting a mysterious, ancient artifact, but from the moment she lays eyes on him, Gali knows he’s not human. From her first incendiary touch, Lucifer knows something even Gali herself doesn’t—that she isn’t human either.
Leviathan. As Lucifer’s most trusted prince of Hell, Levi is ruthless and determined to eliminate the intolerable danger that is Galilee before she brings death and disaster to those he loves. While unseen battles rage between Hell, Heaven, and earth, Lucifer and Galilee’s attraction threatens to bring all the structures of their existence crashing down around them.
Soon, loyalties will be shattered and reformed as Kincaid secrets clash with the princes of Hell, driving even the most powerful to their knees. Galilee Kincaid must decide if she will step into herself and embrace the consequences of power in this astonishing, seductive, and wildly original fantasy.
Shana’s pick!
Author: Madeleine Roux
Released: November 4, 2025 by Dell
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Passion engulfs an aspiring painter and her old childhood friend in this stunning Regency romance from New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux. But can the star-crossed pair overcome a simmering family feud for a chance at love?
Violet Arden is a burgeoning painter who insists on a life of passion and vivid colors, but scandal is heaped on humiliation at her artistic debut in London. It would be one thing to withstand withering critiques, but the night goes from bad to worse when an illicit affair with her art instructor is exposed. She flees the London limelight to recover from her humiliation at her cousin Emilia Graddock’s country estate, where she plans to continue honing her art under a new mentor and leave all thoughts of love and heartbreak in the past where they belong. That is, until she comes face-to-face with the man who scorned her paintings in front of her friends and family. . . her new next-door neighbor, Alasdair Kerr.
Alasdair Kerr has recently set aside his life of art and travel to return to Clafton, his family’s estate and the site of a tragic fire that claimed his cherished father’s life. Now, he’s ready to finally rebuild the home that was lost and step into his role as man of the house. But his rakish younger brother Freddie can’t seem to leave the off-limits Graddock woman alone, and his mother has brought an overbearing clergyman into their home who appears keen to fill his spot as the favored son.
Violet is determined to ignore Alasdair, which shouldn’t be hard to do considering their families have been in a long-standing feud. . . if only their attempts to end Emilia and Freddie’s secret relationship would stop bringing them together. And when new fires threaten their homes and lives, Violet and Alasdair reluctantly join forces to uncover the identity of the arsonist once and for all. But can they ignore the feelings kindling between them that are but an ember away from igniting into a full blaze?
A new, standalone historical romance!
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scans_daily2025-11-04 08:23 amsmartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-03 04:30 pm
It Had to Be Him by Adib Khorram is $3.99! This romance came out in September and was mentioned on the site. Did any of you pick this one up?
Heartstopper meets Eat Pray Love in this swoony, spicy, second-chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Adib Khorram about two former classmates unexpectedly reuniting in Italy.
Ramin Yazdani’s marriage proposal has just gone bottoms up: his ex dumped him in public for being boring. Bent on proving him wrong, Ramin books a spontaneous solo trip to Italy. When he runs into his high school crush while in a gelateria, however, his resolve to reinvent himself is put to the test.
Noah Bartlett’s in a rut. Since his divorce, he’s become a bit of a homebody. So when his ex-wife insists he join her and their son on an Italian holiday, Noah reluctantly agrees. But his reticence turns to excitement when he sees his former classmate, who’s aged just like a fine wine. As a teenager, Ramin fascinated him—and since Noah now knows that fascination was code for crush—all those feelings are quick to come rushing back.
Soon Ramin and Noah are tumbling headfirst into a relationship. Only Ramin fears Noah’s feelings won’t last without Ramin’s adventurous new persona—and Noah’s not sure he can be the supportive partner Ramin deserves. With the days counting down to the end of their trip, can their love last without the magic of Italy?
Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren is $1.99! This is book two in the Wild Seasons series, and I think it may be my favorite out of the quartet. Content warning for cancer talk.
Despite their rowdy hookups, Harlow and Finn don’t even like each other…which would explain why their marriage lasted only twelve hours. He needs to be in charge and takes whatever he wants. She lives by the Want-something-done? Do-it-yourself mantra. Maybe she’s too similar to the rugged fisherman—or just what he needs.
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle is $2.99! This is women’s fiction with some time travel/magical realism elements. I remember this one being pretty popular when it came out.
In this “magical trip worth taking” (Associated Press), the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
“Rebecca Serle is known for her powerful stories that tug at the heartstrings—and her latest is just as unforgettable” (Woman’s World) as it effortlessly shows us how to move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.
The Wolf at the Door by Charlie Adhara is $1.99! This is a m/m paranormal romance and was recommended by Aarya in our Underrated Authors & Romances Rec League. Though this one wasn’t Aarya’s favorite in the series, she still really liked this one.
A former FBI agent is partnered with the enemy in this suspenseful male/male shifter romance from debut author Charlie Adhara
Hunting for big bad wolves was never part of Agent Cooper Dayton’s plan, but a werewolf attack lands him in the carefully guarded Bureau of Special Investigations. A new case comes with a new partner: ruggedly sexy werewolf Oliver Park.
Park is an agent of The Trust, a werewolf oversight organization working to ease escalating tensions with the BSI. But as far as Cooper’s concerned, it’s failing. As they investigate a series of mysterious deaths unlike anything they’ve seen, every bone in Cooper’s body is suspicious of his new partner—even when Park proves himself as competent as he is utterly captivating.
When more people vanish, pressure to solve the case skyrockets. And though he’d resolved to keep things professional, Cooper’s friction with Park soon erupts…into a physical need that can’t be contained or controlled. But with a body count that’s rising by the day, werewolves and humans are in equal danger. If Cooper and Park don’t catch the killer soon, one—or both—of them could be the next to go.
tcampbell1000) wrote in scans_daily2025-11-02 04:22 pm
dinosaur_comics_feed) wrote2025-11-03 12:00 am| archive - contact - sexy exciting merchandise - search - about |
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November 3rd, 2025: These are my giant skeleton opinions and I stand by them!! – Ryan | ||
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-03 11:00 am
This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at _@thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next good freelance job.
…
I am one of the worlds’ pickiest people when it comes to Jane Austen retellings. I have squeed over a handful of them as I’ve trawled through various arcs and used books over the past few years; I’ve gotten lucky twice over recent months, between Caroline Bingley: Private Investigator and this modern retelling of Persuasion that’s packed with chemistry and blessed with Jayci Lee’s prodigious writing skills. It knows how to modernize the yearning that goes on between Frederick and Anne and succeeds both in doing its own thing and leaving the reader excited to watch these two get together. It’s a fine novel that works beautifully in its newly modern clothing.
Anne Lee is an actress who swears she doesn’t think about Frederick Nam anymore after their awful breakup back in college. She left for an altruistic reason — to save her family from impoverishment, she took her talents to Seoul and became a part of the k-drama world. Frederick responds by becoming a fireman in their hometown of Los Angeles. He swears off romance entirely. Anne thinks she’ll never see Frederick again, but then her cousin Bethany asks her to come to career week at her kindergarten class. After ten years, Anne comes home. Frederick attends too. They uncomfortably meet and mingle, and Anne thinks that’s the end of it. But then Bethany asks her to be her? maid of honor — and learns Frederick is the groom’s best man. Now as they participate in wedding-related activities, they have to confront the messy past they’ve left behind – and a future they might yet share.
There’s one key ingredient every single interpretation of Persuasion must have — yearning. It’s all about the yearning. If Anne and Frederick don’t look across a crowded room and pine for one another with the heat of a thousand suns, then you’re not remaking Persuasion. And Give Me a Reason is absolutely packed with restrained passion and yearning. There’s too much hurt between Frederic and Anne for them to initially approach each other, and yet they still want to be together.
Anne’s dilemma is understandable, and it’s nice to see her be the one who leaves Frederick behind instead of being left behind to pine. She’s clearly struggling with discovering her own spine and worth as the book opens up, then learns to go after what she wants – a great character arc that absorbs the reader. Frederick remains sympathetic in the narrative: he’s painfully responsible and duty-bound, but led by his passion.
There’s a big reason why this isn’t a squee, however, and it boils down to this — the book’s big mis is very annoying.
I didn’t buy for one second that Frederick would fall in love with another woman, but Anne has to believe it because of Reasons. This plotline wastes time that could be spent on properly hashing out the reason why Anne left California, and it felt like it existed to stretch out the angst factor. I know why it’s in there – it reflects the structure of Persuasion – but it’s still irritating.
Much of Anne and Frederick’s reunion works, from the mistrust between them to their passionate reunion. They earn their happy ending but…
We skip right by the proposal! How can you skip a proposal scene in a book like this?
While those mitigating factors are minor, they’re enough to drag this one down from an “A”. Give Me a Reason is a solid Austen retelling and a miracle in a very crowded field.
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-03 08:00 amWelcome back to Cover Awe!
The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks
Cover design by Donna Sinisgalli Noetzel
Amanda: I love how simple and thought the design is with the train border and smoke turning into the title.
Sarah: That border is So NEAT.
Lara: I’m loving those rich colours too.
Sarah: I love these collections of covers. So many pretty details to look at. The simplicity still says so much about the book. Love it.
The Confidence Games by Tess Amy
Cover illustration by Yordanka Poleganova
Sarah: I can’t decide if I like this. It’s eye catching and very bi-color-flag noir almost.
Tara: I like the colours, but I think it could be much more effective with a few tweaks.
Sarah: It kind of reminds me of what my eyelids look like when I stare at something bright and then shut my eyes. Almost like it’s a negative?
Tara: Yeah, it has too much going on and too many elements blend together with the darkest colour (it especially irks me that the hair on the person on the right blends into a jacket and… a door? Who can say.). The title text also runs over colours that are too light in some spaces. So, overall, it forces the eyes and brain to struggle a little too much.
Sarah: I wonder if the overexposed sort of feeling is deliberate?
Tara: That’s a great question. It might be! I’m hoping so at this point, because I can respect it as a deliberate choice, even if I don’t love how my eyes keep bouncing around and don’t know where to land.
Cover illustration by Petra Braun
Amanda: I love the subtle hint that this is a poly romance.
Shana: Oooh, I love the color combinations too.
Elyse: This is the kind of illustrated cover I’m here for.
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
Cover art by Sasha Vinogradova
Elyse: The green and hot pink is such a distinctive combo.
Tara: I really like those together.
Sarah: The color palette, the lighting, and the modern spray paint on antique furnishings are all genius.
thanekos) wrote in scans_daily2025-11-02 10:51 amsmartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-02 09:00 amThe latest bestseller list is brought to you by discount candy, crunchy leaves, and our affiliate sales data.
I hope your weekend reading was fantastic!
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-02 07:00 am
If you were to ask me what day of the year I get most excited for, it isn’t Christmas or my birthday, it’s the New York Sheep and Wool Festival aka Rhinebeck. It’s the largest fiber festival in the world with about 50,000 people attending and it’s held in the Hudson Valley in fall when the foliage is gorgeous.
I hadn’t been able to attend since 2021 due to a lot of different things, but this year my best friend and I decided we needed to go in order to make some space for ourselves. She had been caring for her late mother during her battle with cancer for the last few years. I’ve been dealing with a landslide of aging parent issues, and to make that more difficult one of those parents is a narcissist.
Added to that is the fact that every day there seems to be some new kind of horror being reported in the news. I’m scared for my gay niece and sister. I’m scared for my trans friends. I’m scared for my job which is being impacted by tariffs.
It’s a lot.
I wasn’t sure what to expect at Rhinebeck this year, since other sheep and wool festivals have been smaller partly due to those same tariffs (most wool is processed outside the US) and a down economy making travel harder.
I shouldn’t have worried. Once again I was reminded that fiber people are, by and large, incredibly kind and supportive of diversity.
Knitting and other fiber arts have a history of being forms of resistance. In WWI and WWII knitters used different stitches to encode messages into their work. After the 2016 election Pussy Hats were everywhere, and women’s marches were a sea of pink, knitted headwear. There’s also the fact that knitting groups appear innocuous but are a way for women and other marginalized groups to gather without scrutiny.
Rhinebeck wasn’t smaller this year: it was overflowing. In fact there were three “pre-Rhinebeck” events to allow vendors who didn’t make the list to show their goods: Cakepalooza, a Woolen Affair and Indie Untangled.
The lines were long, but people were incredibly patient and kind. I’ve noticed over the past ten months that people seem more comfortable being rude or hostile in public spaces but that didn’t translate over to this festival. People happily shared their space with others, complimented one another’s sweaters, and were patient even when the internet went down for some vendors and the wait times crawled by.
The space was also incredibly welcoming and inclusive of queer folks. In my personal experience, my knitting groups have been pretty much 50/50 queer and straight/cis folks. From sweaters in various versions of the queer flags to people openly enjoying the space with their partners of all genders, it felt safe and welcoming to all. I live in an area where, unfortunately, people feel comfortable commenting or harassing queer folks in public, which has caused some of my loved ones and friends to withdraw more in public spaces. That was not the case here.
That said, the knitting community is still a predominantly White space. With the exception of a few notable dyers like Neighborhood Fiber Co., most of the vendors were White. There’s still work to be done in making our community more inclusive.
As we left the fairgrounds there was a group of MAGA supporters flying Trump flags and holding anti-immigrant and homophobic signs. I’m not sure if they assumed that the knitting community would be conservative or if they were just there to stir shit up, but I don’t think they were prepared for the heat they got. No one was violent, but pretty much every single car that passed them let them know what they thought. A man with an anti-immigrant sign started walking to the cars, thought better of it, and went back to his little group and sat down in a snit.
It’s been a rough year and I feel like a raw nerve sometimes. I didn’t realize how much I needed a space where everyone was kind and patient, where I didn’t witness any harassment, and where I could just relax without anxiety.
I’ve already booked my hotel for next year.
Have you attended Rhinebeck or other craft festivals and fairs? Which ones do you love?
smartbitches_feed) wrote2025-11-01 06:00 am
Tze-gu-juni, also known as Huera, was a woman whom Geronimo called “The Bravest of Apache Women.” She was a woman of intensely powerful inner strength who survived captivity, a trek across the desert, and mountain lion attack to serve her tribe as a shaman.
Tze-gu-juni was born around 1847. As a child, she survived a lightning strike that killed her mother and sister. She seems to have lived an otherwise peaceful life until October 14, 1880, the day of the Battle of Tres Castillos, the battle that killed Chiricahua Chief Vittorio and ended Vittorio’s War, a war Vittorio waged against U.S. and Mexican Army soldiers in New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico. Tze-gu-juni was captured along with approximately seventy other women and children and taken to Mexico City, where she was enslaved and given the name ‘Huera’.
During her captivity, Tze-gu-juni became fluent in Spanish and secured a role as a translator at an Apache reservation in Arizona. She and about five others planned an escape and fled into the desert. They had one knife and one blanket and would have to walk for approximately 1300 miles to reach safety. They foraged for food and water in the desert.
Along the way, Tze-gu-juni was attacked by a mountain lion. She tightened the blanket around her neck which saved her, and fought off the mountain lion. She was badly wounded but managed to reach San Carlos Reservation, where Geronimo and Tze-gu-juni’s future husband, Mangas, were living. Her hands and face were scarred for the rest of her life and she had limited use of her hands thereafter.
Tze-gu-juni was married to Mangas, son of the Apache leader Mangas Coloradas, during her time at San Carlos. She had many skills to offer the community. In addition to her language skills, she was an expert at making a prized fermented drink called tiswin. She was a healer and shaman. She was also an influential advisor who played an important role in convincing Geronimo’s followers to escape from San Carlos in May 1885.
According to an article by John P. McWilliams, following one of her speeches,
The next day [following a speech by Tze-gu-juni] Geronimo, Mangas and some 145 other Apaches bolted from the reservation, joined within a few days by Chihuahua and Naiche. Soon following in pursuit were some 5,000 U.S. Army troops. “In analyzing this pivotal moment in Chiricahua history,” writes historian Edwin R. Sweeney in From Cochise to Geronimo, “we should not underestimate the influence of Huera.”
Soon after, Tze-gu-juni and many other women were captured and held hostage by the U.S. Army. Geronimo surrendered on September 4, 1886. Geronimo, Tze-gu-juni, and others were held captive for the rest of their lives in Florida, where Tze-gu-juni and Geronimo may have married. Tze-gu-juni used another of her skills all too often: singing dirges for the dead. The date of her own death is unknown, but we remember the woman who walked 1300 miles across the desert and fought off a mountain lion with her bare hands. Bravest, indeed.
For more about this Kickass Woman, check out:
Tze’gu’juni: (a.k.a.: Huera) – Apache Leader & Medicine Woman – Arizona, USA from JaguarBird on YouTube
History.net’s image of Huera, wife of Geronimo
“Wild women of the West: wives of Geronimo” by Chris Enss, from Cowgirl Magazine
“Statement of Geronimo,” March 25, 1886, from Teaching American History
The Native Americans Project at WikiTree: Biography of Huera Apache
