Between the Covers book club pick this month was It Happened One Fight by Maureen Lee Lenker!Next month we're reading Heartless by Marissa Meyer. Join us May 18th at 630 for baked goods and fun discussions. Questions/comments/concerns/recommendations? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org.

This week we cover a topic that has become quite the buzz in the library and bookish community - Artificial Intelligence. That's right - Jackie makes Jen talk about AI. but we'll cleanse your palate first with a classic talk about plagiarism in romancelandia with none other than romance giants, Janet Dailey and Nora Roberts!Books we mentionSweet Revenge by Nora RobertsNotorious by Janet DaileyCait CorrainHouse of Earth and BloodGothikanaHatchetThe Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin (movie adaptation with Kate Winslet/Idris Elba)The Familiar by Leigh BardugoChristine FeehanSources:‘Plagiarism in Romantic Fiction; Nora Roberts and Janet Dailey’ (Kincaid, 2019)“Sometimes Love Means You DO Have to Say You’re Sorry” (Strittfield, 1997)“The Queen Of Hearts Gives Up Her Throne” (Peyser, 2007)"Definitions" Copyright.gov"Copyright and Plagiarism" (duke.edu)"Plagiarism, then and now" (Roberts, 2019)

It's that time of the month - new books!Books we mention:The Lady He Lost by Fay DelacourRemedial Magic by Melissa MarrNight Shift by Annie CrownThe Partner Plot by Kristina ForestFor Never and Always by Helena GreerRed White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

CONTENT WARNING - Language use, please use headphones if in mixed company!Buckle in folks, this is a long one! Thomas and I are so happy to introduce Steven Salvatore, whose debut adult romance has recently been added to their YA catalogue! In this episode we talk about publishing, writing degrees, genderqueer books, and what we want to see in the writing community.Questions/comments/concerns/recommendations? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org!Make sure to check out Steven's website and follow them on social media!Books/Authors we mention:Can't Take That AwayAnd They LivedNo Perfect PlacesThe Boyfriend SubscriptionLemon at First Sight (coming next year)Realm Breaker series by Victoria AveyardFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosIce Planet Barbarians by Ruby DixonHunger Games Suzanne CollinsThe Charm Offensive by Alison CochrunRed White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston Boyfriend Material series by Alexis Hall10 Things that Never Happened by Alexis HallHere We Go Again by Alison CochrunBecky ChambersGideon the Ninth by Tamsyn MuirLibba BrayJohn GreenCoe BoothNicholas DiDomizio Less by Andrew Sean Greer Check out the Ripped Bodice in Brooklyn, and our interview with Leah back in the day! #26 Today's Romance Novels with the Ripped Bodice

Women. Women doing awesome things. Women breaking records. Women testing the limits. Is there anything more inspiring?This month, in honor of Women's History Month and in honor of some AMAZING women athletes, Jackie's got a few romance books that feature women athletes!Oh, and a rabbit hole about one of her favorite niche subjects: The Barkley Marathons."The Barkley Marathons - 100 Mile Run" (Mahoney, 2002)"The Barkley Marathons, the Race that eats its young" (youtube doc)"Where Dreams go To Die: Gary Robbins and the Barkley Marathons" (My favorite youtube doc)"Jasmin Paris first woman to complete gruelling Barkley Marathons race" (Brown, 2024)Courtney DauWalter, 2023 UltraRunner of the Year!Books I mention:The Siren of Sussex by Mimi MatthewsCleat Cute by Meryl WilsnerFangirl Down by Tessa BaileyDone and Dusted by Lyla SageFrom Lukov with Love by Mariana ZapataQuestions/Comments/Concerns/Recommendations? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org!

A ghostwriter...who sees ghosts? And their editor is now a ghost? Yep, sounds about right. Take a peek between the covers with us for our book club's most recent read, The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston!This episode does contain spoilers for the book. BE WARNED! Spoilers start at 03:45Books we mention:Dead Romantics by Ashley PostonSeven Year SlipA Novel Love StoryPartners in Crime by Alisha RaiEmily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather FawcettYou can also join us for our monthly bookclub. More info can be found here: Nopl.org/eventsEmail us at ragingromantics@nopl.org to find out how you can join us virtually!

Hallmark is synonymous with the world of movie romances...but where did they get their start, and when did they become so intrinsically linked with Christmas? Thomas comes back to the podcast to answer all our Hallmark-related questions!Movies we mentionAmahl and the Night Visitors (1978)Christmas Under Wraps (2014)Housekeeper's Revenge (2016)The Psycho She Met Online (2017)Shoe Addict's Christmas (2018)Road to Christmas (2018)Under the Christmas Tree (NOT Hallmark) (2021)Memories of Christmas (2018)Dashing in December (also not Hallmark, sorrz) (2020)My Christmas Guide (2023)Romance in Style (2022)BooksDater's Handbook by Cara LockwoodJill ShalvisDanielle SteeleChristina LaurenPartners in Crime by Alisha RaiThe Right SwipeA Feather So Black by Lyra SeleneOther episodes we mention#79 Krampus

Content Warning: NSFW episode! Please at least wear headphones when listening to this at your desk...Spicy? Smutty? Clean? Romantasy? Alpha? WHAT ARE ALL THESE WORDS? Don't worry, we'll get into it.Questions/Comments/Concerns/Recommendations? Email us at Ragingromantics@nopl.org(Bonus - listen to the postcredits for what a Jen/Jackie conversation sounds like outside of the podcast)Books we mention:Ruby DixonHouse of Flame and Shadow by SJMA Court of Mist and FuryBeverly LewisNora RobertsSorry, Bro by Taleen VoskuniBridgertons by Julia QuinnTamora PierceJennifer Lynn ArmentroutRebecca YarrosJuliet MarillierA Song of Ice and Fire by Georg RR MartinThe Witcher by Andrzej SapkowskiLord of the Rings by TolkienHM LongMarion Zimmer BradleyBride by Ali HazelwoodThe Fake Mate b Lana FergusonBlacktop Wasteland by SA CrosbyWhispers of the Deep by Emma HammThe Mortal Queen of Faerie Smut (VanArendonk, 2024)"Lexington-Richland school board votes to remove fantasy series from district libraries" (Grenier, 2023)Publisher's Marketplace"Hot stuff: why readers fell in love with romance novels" (Darbyshire, 2023)#79 Krampus episode

Diversify your reading!Questions/Comments/concerns/recommendations? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.orgBooks we recommend:Nicola Yoon, The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, EverythingOne of Our Kind by Nicola YoonThe Scourge Between Stars by Ness BrownWomen who Dare series by Beverly JenkinsAn Extraordinary Union by Alyssa ColeThe Accidental Pinup by Danielle JacksonTalia Hibbert, esp. The Brown SistersHighly Suspicious and Unfairly CuteLore of the Wild by Analeigh Sbrana

Content warning: Discussion on the use of rape fantasies in early romance books.We're so happy to have gotten the chance to sit down with romance author extraordinaire, Susan Elizabeth Phillips! Tune in for an interview full of laughs, knowledge, and Jackie even saying "yes ma'am" on more than one occasion. Questions/comments/concerns/recommendations? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org! Susan Elizabeth Phillips websiteTour info! Titles:The Copeland BrideJust ImagineFancy PantsSimply the BestGlitter BabyNatural Born CharmerWhen Stars CollideHappiness for Beginners by Katherine CenterFlame and the Flower by Kathleen WoodiwissFlowers in the Storm by Laura Kinsale (sp. The Fabio Cover)Lorelei JamesMariana ZapataSarah J Maas interview with Jenna Bush Hager on the Today Show (Youtube)"The Mortal Queen of Faerie Smut" (VanArendonck, 2024)

Did you know that we run a romance book club? Between the Covers is hosted every month at NOPL North Syracuse, and you are formally invited! If you can't join us, though, don't worry, we'll give you a post-meeting rundown of the book and our feelings on it.Join us virtually on Zoom, or in person at North Syracuse! Last month we read "Verity" by Colleen Hoover, a book that took the book world and romancelandia by storm. Let's take a peek between the covers...Other authors/books to look at:Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Ruth WareThe Wife Upstairs by Rachel HawkinsFrieda McFaddenThe Only One Left by Riley SagerGone Girl by Gillian Flynn

CONTENT WARNING: We will be discussing snakes and similar slithery creatures in this episode, as well as dubious consent through legends and myths.Dragons and Unicorns and Virgins, oh my! Ever wonder why virgins keep getting tied to mythical beasts? don't worry, Jackie's got you.Questions/comments/concerns/recommendations? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org!Unicorn images!Unicorn tapestriesElasmotherium, 1878 reconstructionElasmotherium reconstruction on XBroken horn unicornUnicorn and maidenOther episodes to listen to:#57 Dragon Shifters #54 Witches#71 Chivalry and medieval pt. 2Books/texts we mention:Moby Dick by Herman MelvilleThe Iliad (Jackie recommends Emily Wilson's translation)The PhysiologusHistoria Naturalis (Pliny the Elder)Etymologies (Isidore of Seville)Expositions on the Book of Psalms (Augustine, transl. 1845)King James translation of The BibleGolden Legend (Legenda Aurea)Ctesias' IndicaThe Bridge Ladies by Betsy LernerKing of Battle and Blood / Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. ClairSources:"Dragon" (Medieval Bestiary)"Unicorn" (ibid.)“In a Word: Of Serpents, Snakes, and Sobriquets” (Hollandbeck, 2023)“Separating Myth from Legend about the Medieval Dragon” (Diaz, 2018)“Understanding the Book of Revelation” (White, 2014)“Snake to Monster: Conrad Gessner’s Schlangenbuch and the Evolution of the Dragon in the Literature of Natural History.” (Senter, Phil, et al., 2016)"Exposition on Psalm 148" (Newadvent.org, 2023)"Enter the Dragon: Happy St Margaret's Day!" (British Library, 2014)"Chapter 8 The Unicorn as a Symbol for Christ in the Middle Ages" (Beal, 2018)“Qilin” (britannica.com)“Zevachim 113b ~ On the Identity of the Re'em" (Talmudology.com, 2018)“The Hunt of the Unicorn Tapestries Depict a “Virgin-Capture Legend” (Morgan, 2021)“The Virgin Captures Myth in the hunt of the unicorn during the middle ages” (Frederici, 2021)“Cult of the Virgin Mary” (Intriguing History, 2016)

Favorite reads of 2023? Let's go!Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan BannenA Soul to Revive by Opal ReyneI Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuistonFangirl Down by Tessa BaileyLove Hypothesis by Ali HazelwoodSpells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young(bonus mention - Casey's next book is The Pairing and it's out August 6th!)

Happy 2024! Did you struggle like Jen and Jackie in 2023 to meet your reading goals? Don't worry, we have some advice (that we're going to try and be keeping too).Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org!Sites we mention:GoodreadsStorygraphGraphic AudioHooplaLibro.fmAudibleBooks we mention:American Prometheus (Oppenheimer biopic)Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire) by GRR MartinThe Witcher by Andrzej SapkowskiDog Man by Dave PilkeyPercy Jackson by Rick RiordanKristen AshleyS.A. CosbyTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Shel SilversteinNikita GillJacqueline WoodsonRobert FrostThe Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon ChakrabortyButcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Break out the notepad, it's time to add to the TBR! House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Maas out January 30thDon't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R Alban out January 9th Courting the Countess by Lyssa Kay Adams Bride by Ali Hazelwood out February 6thThe Familiar by Leigh Bardugo out April 9thCheck out Between the Covers book club too! Have any book releases for us that you're excited for? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org!

We made it another turn around the sun! Thank you for listening during the craziness that was 2023...let's talk about some of our favorite episodes.Don't forget to email us with your favorites at ragingromantics@nopl.org. Happy 2024!#78 Gilt-y Pleasures: Dollar Princesses and Husband Hunters#76 For the Love of True Crime#74 Things Are Getting Tense...#69 Lost Genres pt. 4 - Feeling Fine in the Medieval Times

**Apologies for the audio - we went back to our Zoom roots and it did us dirty**Thank you to Jennifer Armentrout for sitting down and talking shop with us! Buckle up for a LONG discussion on things like fan merch, Etsy, book banning, burn out, inspiration, publishing contracts, television deals, and MORE!Make sure to check out all of Jennifer's books! The ones we mention are:Blood and Ash (series)Flesh and Fire (series)Storm and fury/Harbinger (series)Find Jennifer on Instagram, Facebook, JLanders reader group, and her newsletterBooks/Authors we mention:The Vampire Diaries by LJ SmithThe Witcher by Andrzej SapkowskiGame of Thrones by George RR MartinSarah J MaasFantasy Lover/Dark Hunters series by Sherrilyn Kenyon Consort of Fire by Kit RochaKerrigan BryneGuild Hunter series by Nalini SinghLarissa IoneJR Ward

Don't forget to give Jen a birthday shoutout! Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org.And tune in on December 22 for our interview with Jennifer Lyn Armentrout!Books Jackie recommends:Defy the Night by Brigid KemmererA Broken Blade by Melissa BlairGwen and Art Are Not In Love by Lex CroucherIris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake

Make a list and check it twice, we're looking at Krampus this holiday season!Questions/Comments/Concerns/Recommendations? Email us at ragingromantics@nopl.org.Other episodes to listen to:#51 Jillian Graves interview#52 Monsters! Books/authors we mention:Krampus: The Yule Lord (by Brom)The Naughty List by Ellie Mae MacGregorHer Night With Santa by Adriana HerreraKrampus and the Crone by Honey PhillipsKissed by the Krampus by L. EvelandKidnapped by Krampus by Emily ShoreI Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuistonIron Flame by Rebecca YarosMidsummer Bride by Kati Wilde

Short and sweet and to the point, here are some books and authors we're thankful for!Sherrilyn Kenyon (esp. Fantasy Lover)Tessa Bailey Same Time Next YearNisha SharmaIsland Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana HerreraJennifer L. ArmentroutRuby Dixon