#author: paige shelton

[cosybookclub]

Dangerous Type Mysteries

Star City is known for its slopes and its powder. But nestled in the valley of this ski resort town is a side street full of shops that specialise in the simple charms of earlier eras. One of those shops is the Rescued Word, where Chester Henry and his adult granddaughter Clare lovingly repair old typewriters and restore old books. Who ever thought their quaint store would hold the key to some modern-day trouble?

When a stranger to town demands they turn over an antique Underwood typewriter they’re repairing for a customer, Clare fears she may need to be rescued. A call to the police scares the man off, but later Clare finds his dead body in the back alley. What about a dusty old typewriter could possibly be worth killing for?

[askauradonprep]

Wrestling Inspiration

As part of the wrestling AU, @scream-qween and I were talking about the different kids and wrestlers who could have served as inspiration for them. Let’s pretend for a second the WWE exists in this universe. Other wrestler suggestions are welcome, I’m just picking ones I’m familiar with (and I’m relatively new to wrestling - I’ve only watched for two years and only watched WWE).

Note: I am referring to the wrestlers as in their kayfabe personas. Any mention of them here should not be read as an endorsement of anything they may have said or done elsewhere. 

Mal = Paige, Sonya Deville, Mandy Rose, Undertaker, Kane, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Liv Morgan, Jody Threat, Molly McCoy, Maria Manic, Tamina and Nia Jax (as a heel). 

Uma = Kairi Sane, Io Shirai, Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Sasha Banks, Creatures of the Deep, Trish Stratus, Jordynne Grace, The Sea Stars, Chyna, Rhea Ripley, Shotzi Blackheart, Lita, Allie, Kofi Kingston, Nia Jax, Beth Phoenix, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, and Ronda Rousey.

Freddie = Undertaker, Kane, Cameron, Carmella, Damian Priestly, Bray Wyatt, Ember Moon, AJ Lee, Paige, New Age Outlaws, Hawlee Cromwell, Elias, Sanity, Su Yung, Nikki Roxx, Aliyah, and Ruby Riott.

Celia = Undertaker, Bray Wyatt, New Age Outlaws, Ember Moon, Tamina, Aleister Black, Sting, Solo Darling, Nikki Roxx, Willow Nightingale, and Vivian St. John

Jay = Baron Corbin, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Miz, Natalya, Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch, Dean Ambrose, Imperium, British Strong Style, Pete Dunne, Goldberg, Ember Moon, Big Show, Jericho, Bret Hart, Bullet Club, Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, Alex Zayne, Roman Reigns, Warhorse, The Rock, and the Undertaker

Evie = Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, Cameron, Mandy Rose, Naomi (especially as a face), Scarlette Bordeaux, Velveteen Dream, Laynie Luck, Breezango, Kylie Rae, and Bayley (especially at the height of her ‘hugger’ days), Charlotte Flair and Ric Flair.

Carlos = Carmella, R-Truth, the Usos, New Day, Shield (as faces), Mark Henry, Big Show, Heath Slater, Undisputed Era, Jordynne Grace, Alex Ohlson, IFHY, Lana, Marko and Logan Stunt, No Way Jose, Lucha House Party, Xyberhawx 2000, and Naomi.

Harry = Nikki Cross, Drew McIntyre, Aleister Black, AJ Lee, Bray Wyatt, Kane, Kairi Sane, Shayna Baszler, Space Pirates, Becky Lynch, Jon Moxley, Jordynne Grace, The Sea Stars, Creatures of the Deep, Damian Priestly, Ember Moon, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, Mick Moretti, The Carnies, Undertaker, and Finn Balor (as the demon).

Gil = Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, New Day, Heavy Machinery, Space Pirates, the Viking Raiders, Oleg the Usurper, Creatures of the Deep, Warhorse, Mark Henry, Kane, Big Show, and Kairi Sane.

Ben = John Cena, Kurt Angle, Bruno Sanmartino, Bret Hart, Finn Balor, Diamond Dallas Page, Bayley, Naomi, Natalya, Boomer Hatfield, Levi Everett, Dynamite Dino Dude, and Roman Reigns (especially after he came back from leukaemia).

Chad = Baron Corbin, Randy Orton, Carmella (as a heel), the Miz (as a heel), the Shield (as heels), Kane, Sasha Banks (as a heel), Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Vince McMahon, Darin Corbin, GPA, Breezango, and the Usos. 

Lonnie = Asuka’s NXT heel run, Xia Li, Becky Lynch (especially as ‘the Man’), Sonya Deville, Gail Kim, Bianca Belair, Minerva, Velveteen Dream, Johnny Gargano, Jason Jordan, The Bar, Titus O’Neil Rhea Ripley, Shayna Baszler, Tamina, Lacey Lane, Mia Yim, and Natalya. 

Jane = Bayley, Asuka (as a face), Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Bobby Roode, Sara Del Ray, Summer Rae, Willow Nightingale, Solo Darling, Jordynne Grace, and Charlotte Flair

Audrey = SASHA BANKS, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, the Rock, AJ Lee (as a heel), Alexa Bliss, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Mercedes Martinez, Velveteen Dream, Renee Michelle, Roman Reigns, Princess Kimberlee, Mickie James, Lacey Evans and Tamina.

Jordan = Sasha Banks, Carmella, R-Truth, Cameron, Miz, Maryse, Nikki Bella, Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, Natalya, CM Punk, Roddy Piper, Tegan Nox, Santana Garrett, Kacy Catanzaro, D-Generation-X, Molly Holly, LuFisto, Lacey Lane, Ronda Rousey.

Ally = Harley Wonderland, Nikki Cross, Allison Wonderland, Alexa Bliss, Maria Kanellis, Rhea Ripley, Lita, Elias, Heavy Machinery, EFFY, AJ Lee, Bayley, and Lacey Evans, Nina Samuels, Jinny.

CJ = Kairi Sane and Io Shirai are all she cares about.

Aziz = Ricochet, Ali, AJ Styles (as a face), B-Team, Bayley, Dolph Ziggler, Jinder Mahal, Finn Balor, Kurt Angle, Dana Brooke, the New Day, Jordan Devlin, Sonny Daze, Goldust.

Herkie = Shinsuke Nakamura, Rusev, Kevin Owens, Brock Lesnar, Mark Henry, Samoa Joe, Bobby Lashley, Becky Lynch, Titus O’Neil, Shelton Benjamin, Kurt Angle, Mandy Rose, and Punishment Martinez.

Maddy = AJ Lee, Aksana, Ember Moon, CM Punk, Paige, Emma, Lita, Charlotte Flair, Rosa Mendes, Victoria, The Beautiful People, Ric Flair, The Ascension, Laycool, and Alexa Bliss, Jinny, Reina Gonzalez.

Ginny = Alexa Bliss, Alicia Fox, Candice LeRae, Mandy Rose, Charlotte Flair, Maryse, Zelina Vega, Lana, Randy Savage, Maria Kanellis, Dolph Ziggler, Laycool, The Iiconics, Candy Floss, Carmella.

Harriet = Kairi Sane, Io Shirai, Mia Yim, Shane Saber, Shelly Martinez, Shayna Baszler, Paul and Katie Lea Burchill, Rhea Ripley, Batista, Kay Lee Ray, Jazzy Gabert, Natalya, Becky Lynch, and Toni Storm.

Ruby = Bayley, Bobby Roode, Dolph Ziggler, Naomi, New Day, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Lucha House Party, Rey Mysterio, Bianca Belair, Jericho, No Way Jose, Dana Brooke, Xia Brookside, Carmella and R-Truth, Humberto Carrillo, Jurassic Express, Cain Velasquez, Andrade, Sin Cara, Zelina Vega, Sarah Stock, Catalina Garcia.

Anxelin = Baron Corbin, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Charlotte Flair, Ember Moon, Sasha Banks, Paige, Eddie Guerrero, Apollo Crews, Cedric Alexander, Dana Brooke, Titus O’Neil, Shelton Benjamin.

Yi-Min = She’s mostly seen Chinese wrestling promotions, so Black Mamba, Ho Ho Lun, King of Man, Ash Silva, Slam, Hangwan, Voodoo, Candy Brother, Dalton Bragg, and Jason New are her inspirations from those promotions. She’s got a few wrestlers whose careers she follows in English though - Xia Li, Karen Q, Lin Byron, Kenny Li, Rocky, and Big Boa.

Arabella = Daniel Bryan, Rowan, Brie Bella, Asuka, Rusev, Lana, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, Braun Strowman, Becky Lynch, Sami Zayn, Sasha Banks, Finn Balor, Apollo Crews, The Miz, Mandy Rose, Goldust, Elias, Bayley, Bobby Roode, Charlotte Flair, Jimmy Uso, Naomi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Big E, Carmella, Ember Moon, Mickie James, Bobby Lashley, Jinder Mahal, Alicia Fox, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, R-Truth, and Nia Jax.

Jade = Aliyah, Jayme Hachey, Bianca Belair, Vanessa Borne, Abbey Laith, Ayesha Raymond, Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Jazzy Gabert, Kairi Sane, Kavita Devi, Kay Lee Ray, Lacey Evans, Marti Belle, Mercedes Martinez, Mia Yim, Miranda Salinas, Nicole Savoy, Piper Niven, Princesa Sugehit, Rachel Evers, Reina Gonzalez, Renee Michelle, Rhea Ripley, Sage Beckett, Santana Garrett, Sarah Logan, Serena Deeb, Shayna Baszler, Taynara Conti, Tessa Blanchard, Toni Storm, Xia Li, Zeda, Tegan Nox, Barbi Hayden, Deonna Purrazzo, Jessica James, Lei’D Tapa, Nicole Matthews, Alundra Blayze, Lita, Triple H, Corey Graves, Aerial Monroe, Allysin Kay, Ashley Rayne, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Io Shirai, Isla Dawn, Jessica Elaban, Jinny, Kacy Catanzaro, Kaitlyn, Karen Q, Killer Kelly, Lacey Lane, Meiko Satomura, MJ Jenkins, Priscilla Kelly, Vanessa Kraven, Xia Brookside, Zatara, Zeuxis, Beth Pheonix

Zevon = Steve Austin, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, Batista, Rey Mysterio, Undertaker, John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, Sheamus, Roman Reigns, Shinsuke Nakamura, Asuka, Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Charlotte Flair,  Booker T, William Regal, Bad News Barrett, Baron Corbin, Christian, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, MVP

Anthony = Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Brock Lesnar, Batista, John Cena, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, The Miz, CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair, The Rock, William Regal, Prince Devitt, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Mustafa Ali, Prince Nana, Prince Puma, Awesome Kong, Mickie James, Michelle McCool, Madison Eagles, Gail Kim, Cheerleader Melissa, Paige, Nikki Bella, Asuka, Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Jimmy Jacobs, Aliyah, Alexa Bliss, The Authority, Kairi Sane, Carmella, Toni Storm, Chrissy Rivera, Chelsea Green

Claudine = Michelle McCool, Kurt Angle, Roman Reigns, Rey Mysterio, AJ Styles, Quinn Ojinnaka, Eddie Guerrero, Pat Patterson, Shawn Michaels, Naomi, Nor Diana, Goldberg, Mustafa Ali, Kacy Catanzaro, Ricochet, Candice LeRae, Mandy Rose, Lacey Evans (as a face), Bayley (as a face), Becky Lynch (as The Lasskicker), Dana Brooke, Sami Zayn (as a face).

Diego = Elias, Street Profits, R-Truth, Carmella, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Shawn Michaels, Jericho, Cameron, Naomi, Marty Jannetty, Shayna Baszler, Drake Maverick, The Rockstar, John Cena, Lita, Mickie James, Jeff Jarrett, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Samoa Joe, Lio Rush, Braun Strowman, Rusev, The Rock, Aiden English, Bobby Roode, Hulk Hogan, Lana

Opal = Ricochet, Kota Ibushi, Rey Mysterio, Io Shirai, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Evan Bourne, Owen Hart, Jushin Thunder Liger, Kane, Randy Savage, Scott Steiner, Lita, Christian, Jamie Noble, Matt Hardy, Gail Kim, Daniel Bryan, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Tajiri, Zelina Vega, Ayako Hamada, Aliyah, Naomi, Mio Shirai

Ariana = Lady Apache, La Amapola, Marcela, Lioness Asuka, Dynamite Kansai, Chigusa Nagayo, Dump Matsumoto, Mae Young, Luna Vachon, Leilani Kai, Sarah Stock, Natalya, Cheerleader Melissa, Ayako Hamada, Beth Phoenix, Mariko Yoshida, Gail Kim, Mickie James, Sara Del Rey, Akira Hokuto, Alundra Blayze, Judy Grable, Wendi Richter, Bull Nakano, June Byers, Jaguar Yokota, Chyna, Sherri Martel, Awesome Kong, Lita, Mildred Burke, Aja Kong, Trish Stratus, Manami Toyota, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Paige, AJ Lee, Marie LaVerne, Joyce Grable, Ann Casey, Sue Green, Rachel Dubois, Debra, Stephanie McMahon, Victoria, Candice Michelle, MsChif, Sasha Banks, Asuka, Michelle McCool, Madison Eagles, Jazz, Jacqueline, Nikki Bella, Alicia Fox, Ivory, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins

Lil’ Shang = Edge, Christian, Rey Mysterio, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Brett Hart, Jim Neidhart, Undertaker, Kane, Finn Balor, Ho Ho Lun, Big Boa, Rocky, The Rock, Rikishi, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Jinder Mahal, Booker T, Fit Finlay, R-Truth, Trish Stratus, Lita, Victoria, Jazz, Molly Holly, Beth Phoenix, LuFisto, Lance Storm, Road Dogg, Umaga, The New Day, Bianca Belair, Street Profits

Artie = Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, Pete Dunne, Jordan Devlin, Kenny Williams, Ligero, Nick Aldis, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, Sheamus, Becky Lynch, Nikki Cross, Paige, James Drake, Bea Priestley, Ayesha Raymond, Zoe Lucas, Tegan Nox, Layla, Lana Austin, Bad News Barrett, Drake Maverick, Isla Dawn, Priscilla Kelly, Joe and Mark Coffey, Finlay, Nadia Sapphire, Eddie Dennis, Mark Andrews, Morgan Webster

Carina = Andre the Giant, Tamina, Lana, Maryse, Taynara Conti, Gisele Shaw, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Trish Stratus, Rhea Ripley, Indi Hartwell, Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Liv Morgan, Natalya, Toni Storm, Kay Lee Ray, Nia Jax, Mortar, Tegan Nox, Chyna, Lita, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Io Shirai, Kagetsu, Melanie Cruise, Shotzi Blackheart, Dakota Kai, Mia Yim, Candice LeRae, Riho, Sarah Logan, Hikaru Shida, Aja Kong, Bull Nakano

Doug is a manager. As a manager, his inspirations are Paul Heyman, Zelina Vega, Lana, and Bobby Heenan. Smee kids and Elle are commentators. The boys tend to like Michael Cole, Beth Phoenix and Byron Saxton. Elle tends towards JR, Corey Graves and Renee Young. Dizzy is a reporter back stage, but her favourite wrestlers to watch are Bayley, Kylie Rae, Breezango, and Princess Kimberly as a face. She gets her professional inspiration from Renee Young, Gene Okerlund, Charly Caruso and Cathy Kelley.

[tabloidtoc]

People, November 25

Cover: Sexiest Man Alive John Legend 

Page 7: Chatter -- Janet Jackson, Kelly Clarkson, Christian Bale, Emma Watson on loving the single life, Katie Holmes on daugher Suri, Lizzo 

Page 10: 5 Things We’re Talking About This Week -- Oprah reveals her favorite things, Meryl Streep will cochair the Met Gala, Harry Potter fans can stay at his childhood home, PopSockets debuts lip gloss, Buddy will brighten up the door 

Page 12: Contents 

Page 15: Contents, Editor’s Letter 

Page 17: Mailbag 

Page 18: StarTracks -- The Royals remember -- Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 

Page 19: Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and Queen Elizabeth and Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Prince William 

Page 20: The People’s Choice Awards -- Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, Pink and Carey Hart and kids Jameson and Willow, Kevin Hart 

Page 21: Shawn Mendes in Australia, Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King and Tina Turner, Kiernan Shipka and Jon Hamm 

Page 22: Sister Acts -- Bryce Dallas Howard and Paige Howard, Kathy Hilton with daughters Paris and Nicky 

Page 23: Celeb Moms Give Back -- Kate Hudson and Jennifer Garner, Kelly Rowland and Ali Wong, StyleTracks -- crop top sets -- Michelle Monaghan, Scarlett Johansson, Chloe Bridges, Kelsea Ballerini, Gugu Mbatha-Raw 

Page 27: Demi Moore -- her family’s hidden pain 

Page 28: Inside Reba McEntire’s shocking split 

Page 30: Heart Monitor -- Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney happy honeymoon, John Mellencamp and Meg Ryan back on, Brooke Burke and Scott Rigsby going public, Pete Davidson and Kaia Gerber heating up 

Page 33: Is Kylie Jenner moving on with Drake, Jonathan Van Ness’ triumphant year 

Page 34: Gloria Reuben from ER to author, Ric Ocasek’s bitter end 

Page 35: Kristen Stewart and Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska -- how we bonded as Charlie’s Angels 

Page 36: Stories to Make You Smile 

Page 38; Passages, Why I Care -- Byron Allen supports Children’s Hospital LA

Page 41: People Picks -- The Crown 

Page 42: The Good Liar, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Lady Antebellum -- Ocean, Q&A -- Rebecca Ferguson 

Page 44: Ford v Ferrari, Waves, Celine Dion -- Courage

Page 49: Books 

Page 50: Helen Mirren -- I’m constantly evolving 

Page 55: A Mother’s Betrayal, a Brother’s Deception 

Page 59: Lisa Vanderpump -- it’s time for me to move on 

Page 65: The Shaman and the Princess -- Shaman Durek dating Norway’s Princess Martha Louise 

Page 68: Missing Kids 

Page 72: Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt -- Mad About You returns 

Page 77: Comedian Gary Gulman’s depression battle -- how I found joy again 

Page 80: Sexiest Man Alive John Legend 

Page 93: Men of the Year -- Brad Pitt 

Page 94: Jason Momoa 

Page 95: Sterlink K. Brown, Tom Hanks, Paul Rudd, Aaron Paul 

Page 96: Henry Golding, Matt Czuchry, Taika Waititi, Desus & Mero, Tony Dokoupil 

Page 97: The Jonas Brothers 

Page 98: Idris Elba

Page 99: Keanu Reeves, Ben Platt, Andrew Scott, David Harbour 

Page 100: Shawn Mendes, Mena Massoud, Bill Hader, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Tan France 

Page 101: Mike Colter, John Krasinski, Mark Consuelos 

Page 102: The Vote Is In -- Sexiest Funny Guy -- Trevor Noah, Sexiest Instagram -- Channing Tatum 

Page 103: Sexiest Import -- Chris Hemsworth, Sexiest New Dad -- Prince Harry 

Page 104: Sexiest Newly Single -- Liam Hemsworth, Sexiest Gym Addict -- Zac Efron, Sexiest Celebrity Offspring -- Damian Hurley, Sexiest Newcomer -- Lil Nas X 

Page 109: Sexiest Reality Star -- Antoni Porowski, TV Host -- Terry Crews, Superhero -- Tom Holland, Sexiest Heartthrob -- David Dobrik 

Page 110: My Man Is Sexiest When... 

Page 111: Gabrielle Union on Dwyane Wade 

Page 112: Mariska Hargitay on Peter Hermann 

Page 113: Marika Dominczyk on Scott Foley 

Page 114: Jeremiah Brent on Nate Berkus 

Page 115: Vanessa Lachey on Nick Lachey 

Page 117: Hottest Couples -- Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara, Chip and Joanna Gaines, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton 

Page 118: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes, Michael Buble and Luisana Lopilato, Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, The I Do Crew -- Justin and Hailey Bieber, Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger 

Page 121: Cutest Baby Alive -- Benjamin Cohen 

Page 123: Dudes & Dogs -- Chris Lane and Cooper 

Page 124: Dan Smyers  with Joy and Macaroni and Ghost and Chief 

Page 126: Hunter Hayes with Ella 

Page 128: Brantley Gilbert with Alley 

Page 130: Still Sexy After All These Years -- George Clooney, Denzel Washington 

Page 131: David Beckham, Hugh Jackman 

Page 132: Bradley Cooper, Dwayne Johnson, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Damon 

Page 134: 5 funnymen recreate the most iconic mustaches -- Will Forte as the Bandit 

Page 136: Adam Scott as Rhett Butler 

Page 137: Marlon Wayans as Lando Calrissian 

Page 138: Will Arnett as Magnum P.I. 

Page 143: Sexy at Every Age 

Page 144: All Glowed-Up -- Drake, Nicholas Braun, Ryan Reynolds, Karamo Brown, Ryan Eggold, Justin Long, John Mayer 

Page 145: Wilmer Valderrama, Justin Timberlake, Andy Samberg, Adam Devine, Jimmy Fallon, Michael B. Jordan 

Page 147: If We Were The Sexiest Men Alive -- the Impractical Jokers 

Page 156: Shannon Bream -- I was in pain all the time from dry eye 

Page 164: One Last Thing -- Scarlett Johansson 

[jwgammuto]

Smackdown Live Review 7/9/19

Raw was a letdown from the previous week while Smackdown last week wasn’t quite as good. What did week 2 of the reboot bring us on the blue brand? More hope or more of the same? As always, I’m here to give you The Good, The Bad, and the WTF: KO Pipebomb Edition.

The Good:

The show open. First Kevin Owens decides to find Ziggler outside and berate him for the constant whining he’s been subjecting us to lately in the interest of fueling their feud. This erupts in a brawl that soon is broken up by Shane McMahon because of course. Owens then proceeds to go ringside and unleash the angst of all wrestling fans with a microphone about the constant overexposure of Shane O Mac. This wasn’t quite a shoot like CM Punk but there were tiny parallels. It was clear that this was all signed off but the emotion of Owens’ delivery made it clear that he was invested and annoyed by the recent booking failures. Shane inevitably came out to cut off the mic twice and silence Owens but this was a fun fresh segment that most people probably enjoyed. KO is clearly one of the best performers in the company and despite how amazing he is as a heel, he could very easily walk this “Stone Cold” anti authority line very very well. I’m into it.

Nakamura beats Balor clean in a non title match. Shinsuke looked great and felt fresh for the first time in a long while. If this is what we can expect from these guys, I’m ok with a feud that finishes the summer.

Aleister Black’s opponent is revealed and its freakin Cesaro! Yes yes yes yes! Not Randy Orton. This could steal the show on Sunday and I’m stoked for it.

Otis defeats Xavier Woods and Daniel Bryan in a triple threat match leading towards their tag title showdown Sunday. Great build idea following some solid promo work from all three teams. Loved that Otis got to shine and picked up the win while DB got a little protection. This match should be quite good as well Sunday. Otis 4 Life.

The main event. Reigns vs Ziggler. Even with Roman Reigns and Shane’s faction of Doom being involved this was a pretty fun little piece of tv that ended hot with Reigns spearing Ziggler, Owens giving Shane a stunner, and madness all around.

Samoa Joe cuts another great promo acting like the amazing psycho that he is. Given that Kofi is nursing an injury, this was about as great as could be expected for a go home angle for this feud. I’ll take it. Now win Sunday, Joe.

The Bad:

Ember Moon is confronted at the catering table by Scissor Me Timbers (Rose and Deville) and challenged to another boring match to further a feud that no one is interested in. I hope Moon doesn’t get a tag partner. I want her to destroy both of them and become relevant again.

Ali talks more about inspiration, and being a cop, and fighting evil. I don’t know. I stopped listening. Come back from injury soon, Ali. I’ll care then.

The WTF:

Shelton Benjamin makes a face like he satisfyingly got away with peeing in his pants for the second straight week.

Paige and the Kabuki Warriors arrive to remind us and the IIconics that they’re a thing. Sadly, the pattern is now they will go away again for a month so I will not invest my interest. Also, it’s the worst team name in wrestling. #SaveAsuka

Bayley/Nikki Cross/Missing Alexa Bliss hodgepodge of nonsense. It’s official. Nothing about this feud makes any sense anymore. The only thing that seems certain is that we will see Banks return Sunday since Forrest Cross reminds us that Bayley needs a friend more than Cole reminds us that Becky and Seth are a couple. This was a contract signing where the opponent wasn’t even present. Bliss wasn’t even on tv this week and we got a pretty hefty serving of this feud. Bayley and the Smackdown Women’s title deserve better. Charlotte being off tv has created a huge gap in the greatness of the women’s division. I’m all about getting a break from stars, but the writing has suffered enormously without Flair present.

Nikki Cross defeats Carmella for some reason. Nobody cares. I’m happy to see Cross shining a bit but her ignorance is killing the angle for now.

Now this was a good show and could very well be a blueprint for the future as they prep to move Smackdown to Fox on Fridays. Solid storytelling. Good matches, mostly. If it wasn’t for the Bayley/Cross schlock it would have been an amazing show. Hogan approves as he relentlessly beats Buff Daddy within an inch of his life with 4.5 Belt Whips. Top Guy.....OUT!

[ninja-muse]

Bookwyrm Readathon, Day Three

Day Three: Dragon’s Wisdom | Some dragons are known for being bloodthirsty and terrifying. Other dragons are known for the wisdom they have to share. Share a book, author, or booklr recommendation.

With a prompt like that, I have to talk about Terry Pratchett. If you’re looking for an author with great stores of wisdom, he’s your man.

There’s nothing about Sir Terry that hasn’t been said before. He was near and dear to my heart, as he was to a lot of people’s, and for good reason. On the surface, his stories were light fantasy, full of action and puns and mildly ridiculous characters, but underneath, they were all truth and vinegar. Social satire on a grand scale. Cautionary tales. Instructions on how to do right by people. There’s a Pratchett quote for every occasion, and a book for everyone.

I’m not just talking about the Discworld books either, though they’re his longest series and contain most of his best work. The lesser-known stories like Nation and Dodger and the Bromeliad and Johnny Maxwell trilogies are instructive too, if not always as well-written. (The trilogies predate the Disc and it shows.)

Really, the man was just good, and smart and incredibly well-read. His books make you think and often reconsider your outlook. He had a tendency to, as he’d put it, “go spare” about things like war and intolerance and nationalist thinking. He had a gift for presenting something as absolutely logical and then pointing out how it wasn’t, really. I’ve learned a lot from him, without really even knowing it.

I’m not going to even touch on his writing style, which I’ve also found profoundly influential and admirable, or start on specific book recs (unless I’m asked). I kind of want to recommend everything, which is silly, and anyway, like I said, there’s a book for everyone. But I do rec him, will always rec him, and need to figure out how he made his dialogue so good, for reasons.

Reading Update

Of Books and Bagpipes by Paige Shelton officially a DNF

London by Edward Rutherfurd two chapters done!

How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman done!

Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire Chapter 2

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Join the readathon

[allthingsdarkanddirty]

H-O-T DADDIES FOR A GREAT CAUSE

Who doesn't love a hero!? Hero Daddies: Charity Anthology for Ukraine is NOW LIVE! Get a copy and support UNICEF's Ukraine appeal today.

Universal: https://geni.us/Hero_Daddies

BLURB:

100% of the proceeds from this collection will go to UNICEF's Ukraine appeal. UNICEF has been supporting children affected by the Ukraine conflict for eight years, and in the horrifying light of current events, they need support more than ever before. Hero Daddies is a collection of fun and flirty stories and scenes written by some of your favorite Daddy romance authors. Whether the tales are sweet, sexy, straight, or gay, one thing's for certain — these growly protective Daddies are HEROES! Stories from: Golden Angel, E J Frost, Susan Hawke, Honey Meyer, Paige Michaels, Lucky Moon, Kate Oliver, Pepper North, Maggie Ryan, Stella Shelton, Dakota Trace A big thank you to everyone who gets a copy and helps support Ukraine!

#herodaddies #daddyromance #ddlgromance #ageplayromance #romanceanthologies #romancecollections #charityanthology #books #reading #readers #booklovers #bookbuzz #newrelease #bookbirthday #booklaunch #newbooks

[tessatalksbooksblog]

The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton #BookReview #CozyMystery

The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton #BookReview #CozyMystery

Delaney Nichols faces off against an elusive arsonist in the seventh Scottish Bookshop Mystery, The Burning Pages, from beloved author Paige Shelton….One winter’s night, bookseller Delaney Nichols and her coworker Hamlet are invited to a Burns Night dinner, a traditional Scottish celebration of the poet Robert Burns. She’s perplexed by the invitation, but intrigued. The dinner takes place at…

[noraadrienne]

April is on the way and so are my new offerings for your edification and reading pleasure.

April is on the way and so are my new offerings for your edification and reading pleasure.

Once again I’m a day late getting this post out. I hope you find my offerings of interest to you and that you check out the new authors I’ve added to the post. Nora-A April 2022: Week of April 1st – 9th Bitter Roots – Wine Country Mystery #12 – Ellen Crosby Razorblade Tears – A Novel – S.A. Cosby The Burning Pages – Scottish Bookshop Mystery #7 – Paige Shelton When the Crow’s Away –…

[jolieeason]

Thin Ice (Alaska Wild Mysteries: Book 1) by Paige Shelton

Thin Ice (Alaska Wild Mysteries: Book 1) by Paige Shelton

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: December 3rd 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Alaska Wild Mysteries

Thin Ice—Book 1

Where you can find Thin Ice: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

First in a new series set in Alaska from beloved author Paige Shelton, Thin Ice will chill your bones.

Beth Rivers is…

[cosybookclub]

Farmers' Market Mysteries

Becca Robins leads a simple life, making jams and preserves on her very own farm. But when there's a murder in her quaint little town, she puts herself in the line of fire to defend her friend's innocence - and goes from making jam to being in one.

[readingwithwrin]

Dark Night (Alaska Wild #3) by Paige Shelton | Book Review

Dark Night (Alaska Wild #3) by Paige Shelton | Book Review

Title: Dark Night Author: Paige Shelton Publisher: Minotaur Books Published Date: December 7th, 2021 Genre: Mystery, Adult, Cozy mystery Source: Library Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Goodreads Summary: Dark Night is the third book in the gripping, atmospheric Alaska Wild series by beloved cozy author Paige Shelton, in which Beth is met with an unexpected visitor: her mom…Winter is falling in the remote…

[authorjulieseedorf]

Review Bookman DEAD STYLE by Paige Shelton

Review Bookman DEAD STYLE by Paige Shelton

The cover of Bookman DEAD STYLE drew me in to pick up this book at my local library. And…I remember typewriters of this age since my Grandmother had one. It tweaked my interest having typewriters woven into a mystery.

The Star City Film Festival is a happening in the Utah ski resort. A murder disrupts this festival and Clare quietly investigates.  Clare and her Grandfather’s business, The Rescued…

[megdelphi]

Top 5 Sci-Fi Authors

I’m a big Sci-Fi and dystopian book fan, so I have a lot of favourites, but these 5 are my clear top Sci-fi authors. – don’t worry, this post is spoiler free.

1. Pierce Brown – Red Rising Trilogy

I read a review once that said this series was like ‘ 1984 meets star wars… on acid’, which is actually the perfect description. These books are amazing, and I don’t say that lightly, but right now, they are my favourite trilogy of all time. ALL TIME. It has romance, gore, war, spaceships, swear words, plus a game of ‘thrones’ style of killing off your favourite characters. The books are based on a society on the planet Mars that classify people by their colours. Red’s at the bottom, gold at the top. It follows the story of Darrow, a Red mine worker who decides to break the societies barriers and become a gold, to crush the system once and for all. It is very hard to find original and unique stories like this now a days, but this one is both. Its completely unpredictable, there are so many twists and surprises you can’t even count, which is what makes it so great. (plus, check out pierce brown on google images or Instagram – he’s super yummy.)

2. Patrick Ness

Patrick Ness’s ‘Chaos Walking’ triology is one of the first books of this genre that I ever read. The first book, ‘The knife of never letting go’ will always be one of those old favourites of mine that opened my eyes to world of reading. It’s one of those books that will get you from the very first page (I mean it has a talking dog, what else could you want). The dog is hands down my favourite character, simply because it talks exactly how you would expect a dog to talk (mostly about its own poo). The trilogy is set in a world where females have become extinct, and every man can read each other’s minds (in the form of ‘noise’). The main character Todd, and his dog, stumble upon a patch in the woods where there is no noise, only silence, which is where he finds a girl. It is a very unique story, and Patrick Ness writing is funny, clever, emotional, and gripping.

His other books I have read include ‘More than this’, ‘The rest of us just live here’. Ness has an extraordinary ability to think of stories that are completely out of the box. Have you ever wondered what the rest of civilisation does in those novels and movies where one hero has to save the world? ‘The rest of us just life here’ explores this very idea, following a group of kids living in a town, trying not to die as the other ‘indie kids’ try to save the world from whatever disaster is taking place. Instead, they battle more relatable topics such as romance and sexuality and graduation. This book really had me laughing out loud.

Now, of course I can’t talk about Patrick Ness without talking about his most famous, movie turned novel ‘A Monster Calls.” I could go on and on about this book, and how much it effected me on a personal level, but I feel like that would deserve its own post one day. Maybe. If I don’t dissolve into tears first. 

3. James Frey (and Nils Johnson-Shelton) – Endgame

I don’t usually like books written in 3rd person, I much prefer 1st person, but this book is an exception. It follows several different characters, all different and equally important.

The story is set in a world where basically the apocalypse has come, and these ‘players’ all have to fight for the survival of their line, by winning endgame, something set up by the mysterious aliens who created humans in the first place.

If you like quests and kick ass fight scenes you’d like these books. Each chapter switches to a different character, some who you’ll love and some who you’ll hate, each very different.

4. Ernest Cline

This guy has been getting some media attention ever since it was announced that ‘ready player one’ is being made into a film, directed by non other than Steven Spielberg.

This is a great little book, set in a dystopian world that could quite literally be our future. Humanity has become so reliant on technology, everybody lives in their own virtual headset world, ‘the oasis’, where you create and control your own avatar. Which sounds amazing, if it wasn’t such a scary reality. The creator of  the ‘oasis’ hid an easter egg in the virtual world, and the person who discovers it wins millions of pounds. The story follows Wade, a stereotypically geeky boy, and his journey to find this easter egg.

This book contains more 90’s pop and video game references than you can shake your head at, and even though I didn’t get most the references, I still loved the book. I highly recommend giving it a read before the movie comes out! His second book ‘Armada’ is also a great read!

(I think he also owns a real life replica of the deloreon from back to the future, just saying)

5. Samantha Shannon – The Bone Season Series

I don’t actually know if these books count as Sci-Fi to be honest, but I’m just going to skip past that. The story is based in a paranormal world where half of the human population have psychic abilities, who are shunned by the government for being ‘unnatural’. It follows Paige, a teenage girl who has one of the highest orders of psychic abilities. Paige is a very strong female character, full of courage and bravery and all that good stuff.

My only criticism is that I didn’t enjoy the second book as much as the first one, which I find a lot with trilogies. That’s not to say its wasn’t good though, and I am definitely going to read the third book when it comes out. The books are full of action and interesting characters, and Samantha Shannon is definitely a writer to look out for in the future.

[cricketnationrise]

Quarantine Reads Part 3

Part 1 Here

Part 2 Here

51. Sixpence House: Lost in a Town of Books by Paul Collins: I wanted this to be better than it was, honestly. Just kind of a collection of anecdotes about moving to the UK to live in the town that’s all bookstores that i can’t freaking remember the name of right now but like, Paul, My Dude. I did not care about your life.

52. All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai: a man from an alternate timeline finds himself stranded in OUR 2016 and encounters our versions of people in his life including his soulmate? does he stay or go back to the timeline he knows?

53. Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce: 14 year old master metal/fire mage Daja gains 2 temporary apprentices just discovering their power and tries to figure out who’s behind all the serial arsons in town. she also falls down while trying to learn to ice skate a lot.

54. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: my mom and i decided to start a bookclub with just ourselves as a structured way to stay in touch and also because we have a lot of the same books on our TBRs and this was the first one. amazing. Russian aristocrat gets placed under house arrest after the revolution and is sentenced to spending his life in a hotel. pictures of his life from that point on. featuring accidental child acquisition, using his knowledge of wines to run the dining room of the hotel, and a little light remodeling.

55. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins: don’t worry, Coriolanus Snow is not set up to be Pensieve Memories!Snape. it was really cool to see the worldbuilding and origins of the Hunger Games themselves and what the districts/tributes used to have to endure - plus she tied in the songs from the movies and managed to firmly root them in the lore

56. The Women Who Made New York by Julie Scelfo:  quick read about the history of new york from the women who were there

57. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris: i really liked this one, a Holocaust novel from a perspective i hadn’t read before. and i’m 88% sure that its based on the real people involved? also trigger warnings for what you’d expect from a Jewish protagonist in a WW2 novel. there’s a sequel out now.

58. The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison: yet another accidental plague novel. i didn’t know anything about it when i started and if i had i probably wouldn’t have opened it. in a near future world a plague breaks out that kills something like 98% of women and babies. our pov is a midwife who somehow survives being sick and starts making her way through the northwest and her misadventures. trigger warning for kidnapping, rape, disease, sexual assault, violence, murder, starvation. it ends hopeful if not happy? book one in a series.

59. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly: fantastic read on the whole. i usually have trouble with group biographies like these because i want there to be more plot despite it just being people’s lives? like duh, sometimes life is boring and that’s okay. also i usually feel like there’s too much extended family information in bios (i know i felt that way when i read jim hensons and mr. rogers’) but i digress. BLACK LADIES DOING MATH TO GET TO SPACE HELL YES. also there’s a movie, but i haven’t watched it yet because i think about black ladies doing math to get into space and i want to reread the lady astronaut series and watch the martian

60. Brida by Paulo Coelho: a short, weird book. young irish woman wants to explore her magic with experts, meets two that have opposing views on tapping into her power and she struggles with that.

61. The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton: part of the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. girls starts a new job at a bookstore and moves to scotland. cozy murder mystery. also a Hot(TM) Man.

62. Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah: a strange girl comes out of the forest claiming she’s an alien with no family. she is taken in by a scientist visiting the area for a summer and a grumpy neighbor. tw harm to children and dog

63. Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor: very cool worldbuilding, secret magic society existing within the mundane, being good at soccer, book 1 of a duology

64. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett: a cowoker goes missing in the amazon, protagonist volunteers to go after him and find out what happened. its all downhill from there.

65. The Dream Peddler by Martine Fournier Watson:  novella, a literal dream peddler comes to a small town. does some harm and some good in the community. multiple and shifting POV

66. The Road by Cormac McCarthy: i know people have lots of opinions about this author, both positive and negative. my opinion is that i probably won’t read more by him without a good reason

67. Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett: 10th book in the Discworld series, riffs on hollywood/filmmaking industries, dogs as the heroes, lots of wordplay and puns so buckle up

68. Shatterglass by Tamora Pierce: Tris’ POV, theres a serial killer loose in the slums, Tris learns to see the future/present by seeing pictures on the wind. featuring a HUGE dog and accidental child acquisition

69. Nothing Like a Dame: Conversations with the Great Women of Musical Theater by Eddie Shapiro: what it says on the tin. an excellent group including a bunch i hadn’t heard of before.

70. Fight No More: Stories by Lydia Millet: short story collection, a touch surreal, a touch magical realism

71. The Library of the Unwritten: AJ Hackwith: book 1 in the Hell’s Library series. adventure story. demons, angels, and librarians stuck in limbo. the library can fight back.

72. When It’s A Jar by Tom Holt: book 2 in the YouSpace universe, you don’t need to read the first one, but i think it helps. ridiculous. discworld adjacent but less wordplay.

73. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: novella, alternating POV, plays with timelines. half epistolary??? kinda???, plays with form in a way i haven’t seen before.

74. The Ones Who Look by Katharine Duckett: tor.com short story. custom built afterlives based on each person’s uploads.

75. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson: book 3 in the first mistborn trilogy. absolutely need to read the other 2 books first. fantasy. brandon doesn’t know how to write a short book. the first book starts off like a heist story and then they invent their own religion. so that’s fun. lotta people die in this series. but hey they’re trying to save the world.

[ninja-muse]

Bookwyrm Readathon, Day 8

Day Eight: Wrap-Up | The mundane has returned and our fun is over. Wrap-up your whirlwind reading week with what you were able complete and your general opinion on what you read.

SUCCESS!

I didn’t think I was going to manage my list, but then I DNFed Of Books and Bagpipes and that freed up time. (Probably that means I cheated. Ah well.) And I think the chapters of London were shorter than the average so far, which also helped.

Not counting Of Books and Bagpipes, I ended up reading 117 pages of London, 58 pages of How the Marquis Got His Coat Back, 302 pages of Sparrow Hill Road, 314 pages of The Kiss Quotient, and as of this writing, 12 pages of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton because I needed another desk book. So … 803 pages. Not bad. And I got through most of the challenges, too.

Thoughts on Books

Of Books and Bagpipes by Paige Shelton - My goal was to finish this since I was halfway but I quit it instead. It was decent but not captivating and I realized I didn’t care enough about the mystery or characters to keep going.

London by Edward Rutherfurd - I’m slowly plugging away at this one because it’s long and full of historical information that’s making me decompress with other books every so often. My goal was two chapters and I did that. It’s an all right book, more interesting for the historical detail and the way Rutherfurd shows the evolution of the city than for anything happening with the characters, who are relatively predictable and stereotyped. (There’s the angry redheaded family, the greedy thin family, etc.) It’s also twenty years out of date on historical thinking and it shows. I’m back to having this as my bag book now, at least for a few chapters.

How the Marquis Got His Coat Back by Neil Gaiman - My first success for the Dragon’s Challenges, as this was definitely under 150 pages and has been on my backlist since it came out (and my TBR pile since last year). I actually wrote a review for this one because I finished it during my review dump, so click the link for my thoughts.

Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire - Another one that’s been on my backlist and TBR pile since it came out in 2014! And a book with ghosts, which sort of fulfills the “book with monsters” challenge. I enjoyed this one quite a bit. The style felt more mature and literary than what I’m used to from McGuire, it’s steeped in ghost lore and Americana, and the structure of it was interesting too. It’s a good summer read for people who like spooky but not scary and a nice side-story to the Incryptid series too.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang - I don’t generally read straight romance, but own voices “autistic girl hires Vietnamese-Swedish escort” was too good a premise to pass up. (*checks off “diverse book” and “outside preferences* challenges*) This was sweet and cute and fun, right on the line between “solidly good” and “decidedly all right”, and had me relating to (and shipping) the characters from the start. Lots more sex than I’d expected, though.

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton - This probably counts as “diverse” and “outside preferences” too, but since I’m only 12 pages in, I’m not counting it. (Fat protagonist, queer author, I generally read YA with girls.) So far it’s interesting but hasn’t sold me. I’m going to give it my standard 50-70 page push, I think, and see. One of the book reps who stops by work really liked it.

The only challenge I didn’t manage was the 450 book one. Since I figure I read at least 200 pages more than if left to my own devices, I’m okay with that.

Also, apologies for the archaeopteryx. I ran out of dragons.

Have you read any of my TBR for the readathon? Do you want to?

[mysterytribune]

A Page-Turning Thriller In An Unusual Setting: Thing Ice By Paige Shelton

A Page-Turning Thriller In An Unusual Setting: Thing Ice By Paige Shelton

New York Times bestselling author Paige Shelton is taking a bold step away from the comfort of cozy mystery to something a little darker and grittier with Thin Ice. First in a new series comes a story where a woman filled with fear escapes to cold, isolated Alaska and struggles to stay hidden from the dangerous past she is running away from.

Beth Rivers is on the run – she’s doing the only thing…