Episode 92: We Need Inclusive Romance!

In this episode, jumping off our presentation at the Massachusetts Library Association conference in May, we discuss inclusive romance novels we’ve read and are looking forward to reading. The official genre of Bellwether Friends is Historical Romance. This episode is brought to you by Fake Dating with a side of Getting It Out Of Our System.

Links
LA Review of Books: Romance, Compassion, and Inclusivity (Or: How Romance Will Save the World)
Why We Need Asexual Romances
Reading romance as an asexual & aromantic person

Courtney Milan Cyclone series
Sherry Thomas
Jeannie Lin
Alyssa Cole An Extraordinary Union, A Princess in Theory, A Duke by Default
Jasmine Guillory The Wedding Date, The Proposal

Helen Hoang The Kiss Quotient, The Bride Test
Jackie Lau Grumpy Fake Boyfriend (May 2018), Mr. Hotshot CEO
Alisha Rai Forbidden Hearts series
Camille Perri When Katie Met Cassidy (June 2018)

[LESBIAN ROMANCE SIDEBAR]
Bold Strokes Books, Bella Books

BookRiot: Native American Romance Novels by Native Authors
V. S. Nelson
Evangeline Parsons Yazzie
Laura Brown Signs of Attraction
Margaret Locke The Demon Duke
Amanda Quick Deception
Julia Quinn To Sir Phillip, With Love
Karin Kallmaker
Claire O’Dell A Study in Honor

Jamie Wesley Slamdunked by Love
Cathy Yardley Level Up, One True Pairing
Sonali Dev A Bollywood Affair, The Bollywood Bride, A Change of Heart
Alexis Hall How to Bang a Billionaire, How to Blow it With a Billionaire, Glitterland, Looking for Group
Mia Sosa Acting on Impulse
Ruby Lang Acute Reactions
The Ripped Bodice: The State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing Report
Jeevani Charika A Royal Wedding
Alexis Daria Take the Lead
Pema Donyo Revolutionary Hearts
Talia Hibbert A Girl Like Her
Priscilla Oliveras His Perfect Partner
Cat Sebastian
KJ Charles

E. E. Ottoman
J. K. Pendragon
Damon Suede
Yolanda Wallace Tailor Made
Rebekah Weatherspoon So Sweet

K. M. Jackson Insert Groom Here
Beverly Jenkins (we totally forgot to talk about her but she should be on this list)

WOC in Romance
Read Harder: Romance Novels By or About a Person of Color
Romance Novels in Color
A List of the Best Contemporary Romance Books Featuring Women of Color
Diverse Romance
The New York Times: In Love With Romance Novels, But Not Their Lack of Diversity
The New York Times: The Changing Face of Romance Novels

Obsessions
Alene and Anna: To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before; Crazy Rich Asians

Musical Obsessions
Alene: “Money (That’s What I Want)” by Cheryl K feat. Awkwafina from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack
“Material Girl (200 du)” by Sally Yeh from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Kina Grannis from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack
(Bustle article)
Anna: “Yellow” by Katherine Ho from the Crazy Rich Asians soundtrack (LA Times story)

 

Episode 74: Horror Project Checkup and Holiday Romance Checklist

All the checking in this episode as we discuss the progress we’ve made on watching horror movies since Episode 73 and also our plans for watching and unpacking holiday romance movies (see also Episode 56) for a future episode. If you want to follow along with us, we’ll be using the hashtag #BFHolidayRomance on Twitter and Facebook and using our Holiday Romance Movie Checklist:

Download here

Links

Dear Secret Santa (the one we can’t remember the name of)
The Nine Lives of Christmas (the one with a cat)
Window Wonderland (the Alex Danvers one)
Every Christmas Has a Story (the Lori Loughlin one)
Wish Upon a Christmas (the one with the actuary)
A Royal Christmas (the one with Jane Seymour)

A Princess for Christmas (the one with Lena Luthor)

Obsessions
Alene: A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas
Anna: Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis

 

Episode 70: Reality TV with @bookavore

In this episode, we head into largely uncharted waters to discuss reality TV with Stephanie Anderson aka @bookavore. SPOILER ALERT we talk about the Rachel Lindsay season of The Bachelorette!

Links
American Idol
Hoarders
Jersey Shore

Pretty Wild
The Bling Ring (movie, book [London Review of Books review], article)
phone message recording (comedy)

The Bachelorette
Real Housewives
Television Without Pity (now hosted at Brilliant but Cancelled) The Apprentice recaps
The Real World
Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
What Not To Wear (also UK)
This Old House
House Hunters

Trading Spaces
Property Brothers
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Wife Swap
Undercover Boss
American Gladiators
The Bachelor

A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila
The Osbournes
Cake Boss
17 (19) Kids and Counting
Ace of Cakes
Supernanny
Say Yes to the Dress
Jon and Kate Plus 8
The Amazing Race
Survivor

Project Runway
RuPaul’s Drag Race
MasterChef
Top Chef
The Voice
While You Were Out
16 and Pregnant
The 1900 House
Frontier House

Iron Chef
America’s Next Top Model
Big Brother
Dancing With the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
Laguna Beach
Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List
Clean Sweep
Moving Up

Teen Mom
COPS
“You’re Cousin’s on Cops” by The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
The Simple Life
Keeping Up With The Kardashians
Great British Bake Off
Huffington Post: ‘Bachelor’ Contestants Fall For Each Other, Share Love On Instagram
Episode 62: Chuckstravaganza

Unreal
The People’s Couch
Chopped
Reality TV World
Cat Sebastian
The Truman Show
The Running Man
EdTV
American Dreamz
The Corset Diaries by Katie MacAlister
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Scandal and Scoundrel series by Sarah MacLean (book 1: The Rogue Not Taken)
Extra Hot Great podcast
previously.tv
Reality of Love
Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst

Space Battle Lunchtime by Natalie Riess
Lions and Liquorice by Kate Fenton
For the Love of Cake by Erin Dutton
For Real by Alison Cherry
Worst Bestsellers podcast I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends Episode 4, Episode 4.5; The Perfect Letter Episode 42; The Selection Episode 57

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
“The 50 Best Reality TV Shows of All Time”
Mental Floss: 11 Behind-the-Scenes Secrets of Reality TV Producers

Musical Obsessions

Stephanie: “My Old School” by Steely Dan, What’s Good with Stretch and Bobbito podcast
Anna: “Fingertips” by They Might Be Giants
Alene: “Nobody Gets Out Alive” by Samuel L. Jackson

Obsessions

Stephanie: The Undateable, Falling for Trouble, and Laws of Attraction by Sarah Title, The Tokyo Zodiac Murders by Soji Shimada
Anna: America by Gabby Rivera, Joe Quinones, Joe Rivera, Paolo Rivera, and Jose Villarrubia
Alene: The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan, A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

Episode 68: Sherlockiana with @aswatki1

In this episode, we talk all things Sherlock Holmes with expert readers’ advisor Ally (also of #girlgang fame), running with our collective lady supremacy ideas wherever possible.

Links
Sherlock Holmes
The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Basil Rathbone: The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, etc

Jeremy Brett: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Return of Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey, Jr: Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Benedict Cumberbatch: Sherlock

Jonny Lee Miller: Elementary

Lucy Liu
Encyclopedia Brown
The Lady Sherlock Series by Sherry Thomas

Alene and Sherry

Russell & Holmes series by Laurie R. King
Holmesiana
Without a Clue
[Harry Palmer films]
Young Sherlock Holmes
Portia Adams Adventures by Angela Misri
On the Case with Holmes and Watson series
An Enola Holmes Mystery series by Nancy Springer
Muppet Sherlock Holmes
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty
Lady Sherlock: Circle of the Smiling Dead by Brooks Arthur Wachtel
The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard Goldberg
Irene Adler series by Carole Nelson Douglas
The House at Baker Street by Michelle Birkby

#chuckstravaganza

Watson and Holmes: A Study in Black
Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Series by Vicki Delany
Wikipedia: Adaptations of Sherlock Holmes
Murder and Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood
Sherry Holmes
221b Baker Street board game
William Gillette [Gillette Castle]
Scott & Bailey
The Adventures of Shirley Holmes
Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear
Phryne Fisher Mysteries by Kerry Greenwood
Buzzfeed quiz: Can You Guess Which Sherlock Holmes Said It?

Musical Obsessions
Ally: “Little of Your Love” by Haim
Alene: “Your Disco Needs You” by Kylie Minogue [Pride Classics on Spotify]
Anna: “Sherlock Holmes” by Sparks

Obsessions
Ally: Harry Potter Illustrated Editions
Anna: The Dragon With a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis
Alene: laundering bed pillows