Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-95/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149635

Welcome back!

We’re almost to 100 of these! This time, I have two non-fiction titles, a mystery with some romance, and some YA horror. These are all relatively new releases, so I’m sending all the positive vibes to your public libraries and wishing you short holds.

Do you have any recommendations you’d like to share? Drop them in the comments!

Everything is Tuberculosis

I don’t think anything John Green does could be called “underrated,” but it certainly doesn’t seem as buzzy as some of his previous books. Green always does a good job of distilling topics down in a fun and interesting way.

Instant #1 New York Times bestseller! • #1 Washington Post bestseller! • #1 Indie Bestseller! • USA Today Bestseller!

John Green, acclaimed author and passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Signed edition

“The real magic of Green’s writing is the deeply considerate, human touch that goes into every word.” –The Associated Press

″Told with the intelligence, wit, and tragedy that have become hallmarks of the author’s work…. This is the story of us.” –Slate

“Earnest and empathetic.” –The New York Times

Tuberculosis has been entwined with hu­manity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is seen as a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, author John Green met Henry Reider, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. John be­came fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequi­ties that allow this curable, preventable infec­tious disease to also be the deadliest, killing over a million people every year.

In Everything Is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world—and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

History Lessons

An academic investigates the death of her colleague with a dash of romance. This was a pretty good debut!

A college history professor must solve her superstar colleague’s murder before she becomes the next target in this funny, romantic debut mystery, perfect for readers of Janet Evanovich, Kellye Garrett, and Ali Hazelwood.

As a newly minted junior professor, Daphne Ouverture spends her days giving lectures on French colonialism, working on her next academic book, and going on atrocious dates. Her small world suits her just fine. Until Sam Taylor dies.

The rising star of Harrison University’s anthropology department was never one of Daphne’s favorites, despite his popularity. But that doesn’t prevent Sam’s killer from believing Daphne has something that belonged to Sam—something the killer will stop at nothing to get.

Between grading papers and navigating her disastrous love life, Daphne embarks on her own investigation to find out what connects her to Sam’s murder. With the help of an alluring former-detective-turned-bookseller, she unravels a deadly cover-up on campus.

This well-crafted, voice-driven mystery introduces an unforgettable crime fiction heroine.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

If We Survive This

The Yellowjackets comparison is pretty spot-on. Grab this one if you’re all caught up on the show and want something similar. 

The Walking Dead meets Yellowjackets in If We Survive This, a tense and emotional young adult horror novel from award-winning author Racquel Marie about a teen girl leading a group of survivors on a perilous journey during the apocalypse.

Flora Braddock Paz is not the girl who survives. A colorful creative who spends as much time fearing death as she does trying to hide that fear from her loved ones, she’s always considered herself weak. But half a year into the global outbreak of a rabies mutation that transforms people into violent, zombielike “rabids,” she and her older brother Cain are still alive. With their mom dead, their dad missing, and their LA suburb left desolate, they form a new plan to venture out to the secluded Northern California cabin they vacationed in growing up―their best chance at a safe haven and maybe even seeing their dad again.

The dangers of the world have changed, but so has Flora. Still, their journey up the state is complicated by encounters with familiar faces, new allies, hidden truths, and painful memories of the family’s final time making this trip last year. And for Flora, one thing inevitably remains: No matter how far you run, death is never far behind.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Killer Story

For true crime fans who want a more “how the sausage is made” perspective when it comes to TV.

Follow a journalist and TV producer from 48 Hours and 60 Minutes as she carves out a career in the ruthless, knives-out world of true crime television . . . one killer story at a time.

Serial killers. Homicidal spouses. Sociopathic criminals. Claire St. Amant has met them all.

She spent nearly a decade in network television chasing the biggest true crime stories in the country, including the murder of Chris Kyle, plastic-surgeon-turned-murder-for-hire suspect Thomas Michael Dixon, the Parkland high school mass shooting, the disappearance of Christina Morris, and serial killer Samuel Little.

Bringing a true crime story to network television requires quick thinking and tenacious stamina, and in her debut memoir, Claire offers true crime fans a rare in-depth look from the other side of the yellow tape.

In Killer Story, readers will learn what it really takes to get these gripping cases on the air with insights such as:

• How it feels to share space with a dead-eyed murderer
• Which TV show has a reputation for “eating their young”
• How reporters win over skeptical cops and reluctant lawyers
• Why TV journalists are always racing against the clock—and competitor sabotage
• What happens when a district attorney decides journalists have committed a felony
• The unresolved crimes that still haunt Claire to this day

This eye-opening look behind the scenes of true crime television offers an unforgettable read—and a window into the daily reality of investigative journalism.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/get-recd-with-amanda-volume-95/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149635

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/qz-liz-shipton-and-amy-zed/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149367

Ed note: I’ve embedded a few TikTok videos in this post, which autoplay for NO GOOD REASON but the audio should be off. 

…

A

We’re going to get into some fun stuff—including magical parts, and we’ll dive into more serious subjects, too—like how Liz’s upcoming urban fantasy romance tackles AI’s impact on marginalized communities.

Honestly, getting to chat with the authors I admire has been one of the hugest highlights that’s come out of self-publishing my cyberpunk romantasy, A Symphony of Starlight, and I’m especially excited to chat with Liz because she started out in self-pub just like me!

With the seven-book seafaring Thalassic Series under her belt and Booktok content getting millions of views, Liz is in the midst of tackling a new adventure—her trad pub debut. Dot Slash Magic, and urban fantasy romance with a techie twist, releases on August 15th!

Amy: Liz, I’m so excited to talk about Dot Slash Magic, but before we get going on books, I just have to say, your life sounds like an adventure novel in itself! What’s it like living on a sailboat?

Liz: You know, you would be surprised how quickly it becomes normal! I think when people hear “sailboat life” they automatically assume “living the dream” but to be honest, after four years, it’s really just “living.”

Don’t get me wrong – some days are definitely an adventure. We anchor in some of the most beautiful places in the world, and we’ve seen some truly amazing things (the bioluminescence in Costa Rica is stunning, and some remote parts of Panama feel like something straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean.) But there’s also a lot of just…buying your groceries, working on the computer, figuring out how to get around without a car, taking the dog to the vet, etc. And then there are days when it’s raining and you accidentally leave the hatches open so your bed gets soaked, and you question why you are even doing this with your life at all, LOL.

Amy: Now, I first encountered you through your videos. I’m a romantasy reader through and through, but I’ve always found certain aspects of romantasy… questionable… so when your “Enemies to Lovers Fantasy Romance” video popped up in my feed, I found myself nodding along emphatically and yelling, “EXACTLY!”

The way you poke loving fun at our favourite genre is pure gold. What inspired you to start posting these videos?

Liz: I think those videos came, first and foremost, from a place of me realizing that I wasn’t quite the writer I wanted to be when I started out. I had visions of myself crafting these mind-bendingly unique, poetic sentences that would leave people speechless.

But the reality was that I found myself writing “she narrowed her eyes” a lot. And then I started reading other books in the genre, and realized that…everyone was kind of doing that. So it was a combination of me poking fun at my own writing, and also poking a bit of fun at the genre.

It was also, to be honest, a way to vent my frustration at the way books are marketed these days, particularly on places like Booktok. When you’re on the app a lot, you start to feel like everything is just tropes, and as someone who’s striving to write something a bit different, it can start to feel a little aggravating.

@lizshiptonauthor Who doesn’t love a good enemies to lovers? #womenwritingmen #bookboyfriends #bookboyfriendsdoitbetter #fictionalmen #enemiestolovers #fantasyromance #lizshipton ♬ In The Forest (Acoustic Indie No Copyright) – Instrumental – Lesfm & Olexy

Amy: Liz, I feel that in my bones. My combo of cyberpunk and romance is definitely not the norm. It’s hard to market! And I can see how a seafaring dystopian romance series like Thalassic would be tough to market in the world of Fae Kings and Shadow Daddies as well. But it sounds like your videos worked!

You had The Thalassic Series, you gained a big following with your Booktok content, and now you’ve got your first trad pub deal. How did it all go down?

Liz: I originally got on social media to promote The Thalassic Series back when it was just 3 YA books with very little romance. I got “corrupted” by Booktok and decided to create an aged-up version of the series with more romance and spice. During that time, I was learning a lot about the tropes and expectations of the genre, which is what led to me putting up those videos.

Those videos landed my face in front of an agent – Amy Collins – who reached out to me via DM. I was skeptical, because I’d never heard of that happening, but I’m very much a person who thinks you should throw lots of things against the wall and see what sticks, so I did some due diligence to learn more about her (turns out, she’s awesome!) and said yes. We pitched Dot Slash Magic as three chapters and a synopsis, and it was picked up quite quickly by Angry Robot Books.

My social media presence was definitely instrumental in me landing that deal, but I do also want to give my writing some credit: the book is awesome!

A | BN | K | AB

Liz: It’s about a self-taught coder in her mid-twenties, who never went to college and has been bumming around Europe since high school. She’s kind of a deadbeat and very cynical, and after she gets dumped by her boyfriend, her mom is basically like “You need to get your shit together” and convinces her to come back to San Diego to go to community college. At school, she stumbles into an underground magic society, discovers she has magic, and then uses her coding skills to build an artificially intelligent assistant powered by sorcery. Hijinx and hilarity (and murder) ensue when monsters show up and start hunting her friends. Everyone blames her magic AI, but she’s convinced someone is trying to frame her.

It’s kind of a satirical take on the tech industry, wrapped in an urban romantasy. It’s funny, a bit spicy, and very bonkers, but it also tries to dig into some fairly deep questions surrounding the current state of AI, particularly its impact on artists and marginalized communities.

@lizshiptonauthor When the relationship should really be disclosed to HR #womenwritingmen #womenwritingwomen #fictionalmen #bookboyfriend #dystopianromance #fantasyromance ♬ Dark horror, vampire, vampire, bizarre(1146217) – G-axis sound music

Amy: You have such a great sense of humour that I knew your book would be bursting with fantastic lines. Then I saw this quote:

And then his dick began to grow. Not get harder. Literally grow. Seven’s eyes went wholly wide as she looked down between them. “No.”
He grinned. “Yes.”

I squealed when I read that. Clearly you’ve outdone yourself. I HAVE to know, what’s the deal with the MMC and his member?

Liz: Hahahaha! Well, as I’ve said, I spend a fair amount of time on Booktok, so I guess I wrote that for them, LOL. I think I was striving for something a bit different from the standard “shadow daddy.” Because to be totally honest, I don’t really get the whole “shadows” thing. Are they actually shadows? Or are they more like smoke? He can pick stuff up with them? HOW??? It never made sense to me, and it seems like a hugely missed opportunity to have a dude with magic in a book and not make his dick magic. Like….why is everyone not doing that??? Who gives a fuck about shadows when you can literally have a magic peepee???

Amy: And speaking of magical peepees, your video “Women writing *ahem* MEN” has over one hundred thousand views on Instagram and that’s not even counting all the views over on TikTok and YouTube.

@lizshiptonauthor The ML of Dot Slash Magic has a magic ding d0ng and if THAT doesn’t make you want to pre-order it, I honestly don’t know what will ‍ #womenwritingmen #fictionalmen #bookboyfriend #romantasy #fantasyromance #urbanfantasy #bookish #booktok ♬ Carmen Habanera, classical opera(1283412) – perfectpanda

But every new account starts with low views and zero followers. I’d love to know how your social media journey progressed. Did you always create such bold content, or did it take a while to discover what grabbed viewers’ attention?

Liz: I do need to take a moment here to credit A.L. Brody/Jason Pinter (author of Dating & Dismemberment) with inventing that style of video. It was after seeing one of his TikToks that I decided to take a stab at putting my own spin on it, and to be honest, I didn’t expect it to go anywhere. Posting to TikTok, you get really used to seeing someone else’s video and thinking “That looks fun! I’ll jump on that trend,” only to put up your own version of the thing and get less than 200 views. So when it took off, I was very surprised.

I was also really worried when it took off, because I assumed Jason would be pissed that I stole his idea, but fortunately, he is extremely cool and has been nothing but supportive. His videos do really well too, and we even made a video together. The Booktok community is really great in that way – there is space for everyone, and it feels more like a collaborative space than a competitive one.

Amy: And speaking of collaboration, I was also intrigued when I saw your vibrator ad come through my feed. My brother is a gaming Youtuber and he gets sponsorships to show off computer gear and gaming chairs. But I’d never thought about what kind of sponsors might approach a booktoker until I saw that ad. How did the sponsorship come about (no pun intended)? And are there any other kinds of sponsors you can see yourself working with in the future?

Liz: That was a surprise to me too, actually, and not something I ever saw myself doing – but then, writing spicy books isn’t something I ever saw myself doing either! People might be surprised that I actually identify as asexual and outside of my books, sex is not something that is super on my radar. But even though I’m not the most sexual person, I am very supportive of other people being as sexual (or unsexual) as they want to be, and normalizing all types of orientations, sexualities, drives, kinks, etc. So when the company reached out, I figured “Why not?!”

Amy: Sponsorships aside, I’m sure right now you’re busy using most of your time to promote Dot Slash Magic. I seriously can’t wait. I’ve already preordered so I can start reading the minute the book releases. For readers who don’t have Dot Slash Magic locked down yet, where’s the best place to preorder?

Liz: That’s so wonderful to hear you’re excited and THANK YOU for pre-ordering For other folks who are interested, you can read a blurb and some reviews (the book just got a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly!) and see some of the art I had made, plus find a pre-order link for various outlets.

Amy: Thanks again for chatting with me, Liz! I’m sure anyone who’s hearing about your content for the first time is racing over to their socials to hit the follow button, but how else can we keep in touch? Do you have a newsletter readers can sign up for so we’re sure to hear about your next release?

Liz: Yes! Right now when you sign up for my newsletter you get the first 3 chapters of Dot Slash Magic

A | BN | K | AB

And I’m always on socials (I’m reading Dot Slash Magic Live on Insta every M-F at 4PM EST up until the launch) or you can find me at my website lizshipton.com. I’m on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, and have a Patreon.

Or come to the Caribbean some time and we can hang on the beach.

…

About the interviewer: Amy Zed’s debut novel A Symphony of Starlight combines elements of cyberpunk and rockstar romance to bring you a fast-paced action adventure that received 4 ½ stars from The Paranormal Romance Guild. It’s available to read FREE with your KU membership, or you can buy it for $3.97 on Amazon.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/qz-liz-shipton-and-amy-zed/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149367

Posted by Amanda

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/historical-and-sci-fi-romances/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149477

A Tempest of Desire

A Tempest of Desire by Lorraine Heath is $1.99! This released last December and we’ve heard good things about the crazysauce plot. Did any of you pick this one up?

New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath returns to the fan favorite series, The Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, with the story of a viscount who has retreated to a small, secluded island only to have a mysterious and beautiful woman wash up on shore.

After surviving a horrific railway accident, Viscount Langdon retreats to his private island to recover and conquer the nightmarish memories that continue to haunt him. The very last thing he wants—or expects—is for London’s most infamous courtesan to wash up on his beach.

Marlowe is known for her bold flirtations, but her most daring exploits involve flying in her hot air balloon. When a storm blows her off course, she discovers herself alone with the isle’s only inhabitant. The gorgeous, seductive lord tempts her beyond reason, but giving into temptation would lead to her ruination because the all-consuming liaison would demand complete surrender. And she has secrets to protect.

Langdon finds the captivating beauty near impossible to resist, but he can’t risk her learning the true reason behind his isolation. However, a powerful tempest of desire is swirling wildly between them, urging them to give in to the perilous passion that could destroy them . . . or perhaps show them the way to love.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Eclipse the Moon

Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik is $1.99! This is book two in the Starlight’s Shadow series. I remember reading this one, though found it heavier on action that romance.

Kee Ildez has been many things: hacker, soldier, bounty hunter. She never expected to be a hero, but when a shadowy group of traitors starts trying to goad the galaxy’s two superpowers into instigating an interstellar war, Kee throws herself into the search to find out who is responsible—and stop them.

Digging up hidden information is her job, so hunting traitors should be a piece of cake, but the primary suspect spent years in the military, and someone powerful is still covering his tracks. Disrupting their plans will require the help of her entire team, including Varro Runkow, a Valovian weapons expert who makes her pulse race.

Quiet, grumpy, and incredibly handsome, Varro watches her with hot eyes but ignores all of her flirting, so Kee silently vows to keep her feelings strictly platonic. But that vow will be put to the test when she and Varro are forced to leave the safety of their ship and venture into enemy territory alone.

Cut off from the rest of their team, they must figure out how to work together—and fast—because a single misstep will cost thousands of lives.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

Not That Duke

Not That Duke by Eloisa James is $1.99! This is book three in the Would-Be Wallflowers series. I feel like I don’t hear much about new James releases these days.

The Duke of Huntington has no interest in an eccentric redhead who frowns at him over her spectacles…until he realizes that she is the only possible duchess for him. A new enemies-to-lovers romance by New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James.

Bespeckled and freckled, Lady Stella Corsham at least has a dowry that has attracted a crowd of fortune-hunting suitors–which definitely doesn’t include the sinfully handsome Silvester Parnell, Duke of Huntington, who laughingly calls her “Specs” as he chases after elegant rivals.

And then–

The worst happens. Marriage.

To the duke. To a man marrying her for all the wrong reasons.

How can Silvester possibly convince Stella that he’s fallen in love with the quirky woman he married? Especially after she laughingly announces that she’s in love–but not with that duke.

Not with her husband.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

The Other Lady Vanishes

The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick is $1.99! This is the second book in the Burning Cove series. This is a historical mystery set in 1930s California and has a romance. It can be read on its own. Have you read this one or any other books in the series?

The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Knew Too Much sweeps readers back to 1930s California–where the most dazzling of illusions can’t hide the darkest secrets…

After escaping from a private sanitarium, Adelaide Blake arrives in Burning Cove, California, desperate to start over.

Working at an herbal tea shop puts her on the radar of those who frequent the seaside resort town: Hollywood movers and shakers always in need of hangover cures and tonics. One such customer is Jake Truett, a recently widowed businessman in town for a therapeutic rest. But unbeknownst to Adelaide, his exhaustion is just a cover.

In Burning Cove, no one is who they seem. Behind facades of glamour and power hide drug dealers, gangsters, and grifters. Into this make-believe world comes psychic to the stars Madame Zolanda. Adelaide and Jake know better than to fall for her kind of con. But when the medium becomes a victim of her own dire prediction and is killed, they’ll be drawn into a murky world of duplicity and misdirection.

Neither Adelaide or Jake can predict that in the shadowy underground they’ll find connections to the woman Adelaide used to be–and uncover the specter of a killer who’s been real all along…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

You can find ordering info for this book here.

 

 

 

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/08/historical-and-sci-fi-romances/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?p=149477

Posted by SB Sarah

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/678-the-osmanification-of-fiction-covers-with-kayleigh-donaldson/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=149349

A | BN | K | AB

Then, Kayleigh Donaldson said she had many thoughts about them.

One of the worst things you can do is be one of my favorite people to listen to and then tell me you have thoughts about something I posted on SBTB. I WANT TO HEAR THE THOUGHTS. Good thing I have a podcast, right? So here we are.

We’re going to talk about the Osman Aesthetic in cozy mystery, where it comes from, why it works, and what’s happening next.

TW/CW: mentions of a book that contains on-page sexual assault and discussion of That Writer being a TERF, plus the effect of her politics on Scotland. That discussion is at 35:30 and you’ll want to skip forward about 1 minute.

Note for Patreon folks: our bonus episode next week is going to be over an hour of Kayleigh and I talking about pop culture, concepts of masculinity and femininity in celebrity personae, and more.

…

Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.

• Do you want to do a crossword puzzle from the May 1995 issue of RT? The crossword puzzle is available for free on Patreon right now!
• Would you like to read an issue of RT Magazine? The December 1997 issue is now available for your perusal.
• Or would you like to try one of our bonus episodes? Join Amanda and me as we look back at our 2024 predictions about romance and publishing.

This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.

Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

You can find Kayleigh Donaldson at her website, and on her newsletter, The Gossip Reading Club. You can also find her writing at Pajiba.com and at The Daily Beast.

We also mentioned:

• The Thursday Murder Club adaptation on Netflix, premiering 22 August 2025
• Death in Paradise
• The Rest is Entertainment podcast
• The Dundee Stars 

If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to our feed, or find us at iTunes. You can also find us on Stitcher, and Spotify, too. We also have a cool page for the podcast on iTunes.

More ways to sponsor:

Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)

What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.

Thanks for listening!

Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes or on Stitcher.

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/podcast/678-the-osmanification-of-fiction-covers-with-kayleigh-donaldson/

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=149349