30 Nice Days for November 2025
Oct. 26th, 2025 06:34 am( 30 Nice Days for November 2025 )
Alphabetical Fic Meme
Oct. 26th, 2025 10:19 amRules: How many letters of the alphabet have you used for starting a fic title? One fic per line, ‘A’ and 'The’ do not count for 'a’ and ’t’. Post your score out of 26 at the end, along with your total fic count.
A - Age of Iron (I Medici, Lorenzo "Il Magnifico" de' Medici/Francesco de' Pazzi)
B - Bad Reputation (16th Century CE RPF, Barbara Blomberg & Fernando Álverez Toledo III. Duque de Alba)
C - Cover her face ( The King's Touch - Jude Morgan, 17th Century RPF; Henriette Anne Stuart (Henriette d'Angleterre)
D - Discordance (Merlin (TV), Morgana & Gwen)
E - Eve of Destruction (To Walk Invisible (2016), 19th Century RPF, Branwell Bronte/ Joseph Bentley Leyland)
F - Five ways in which Frederick the Great and Maria Theresia did not meet (18th Century CE RPF, Frederick the Great & Maria Theresia)
G - Graham O'Brien's Survival Kit for Companions (Doctor Who, Graham O'Brien & Thirteenth Doctor)
H - Here lie we (Merlin (TV), Gwen & Morgana)
I - Invicta (3rd Century CE RPF, Helena (Mother of Constantine)
J -
K -Kin (Merlin (TV), Arthur & Morgana)
L - Learning Frederick (18th Century CE RPF, Frederick the Great/Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf)
M - Murder in Florence (16th Century RPF, Margaret of Parma, Alessandro "Il Moro" de'Medici/ Lorenzo "Lorenzino" di Pierfrancesco de' Medici)
N - Nusquam (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ziyal & Dukat)
O - Opposites (Beatles RPF, Yoko Ono, Yoko Ono & Paul McCartney)
P - Prussian Doll (18th Century RPF, Frederick the Great & Prince Henry of Prussia, Frederick the Great/Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf)
Q - Queen's Gambit (Don Carlos - Friedrich Schiller, Elisabeth de Valois & Princess Eboli, Elisabeth de Valois & Philipp II of Spain)
R - Repercutio (Babylon 5, Londo Mollari & G'kar)
S - She blinded me with science (18th Century RPF', Émilie du Chatelet/Voltaire)
T - Till our shadows blend (Babylon 5, Delenn & Londo Mollari)
U - Unforgivable (Angel the Series, Holtz & Connor)
V - Vita Guineveris (Merlin (TV), Gwen (Guinevere)
W - We happy few (Beatles RPF, Brian Epstein & The Beatles)
X -
Y - You should see me in a crown (18th Century CE RPF, Catherine the Great & Prince Henry of Prussia)
Z - Zinc Man (The Americans (TV), Elizabeth Jennings/Philip Jennings)
That's 24 letters out of 275 stories. For easiness, I started with the most recent ones, but even so, clearly history is a dominating theme. Also, I would have bet Z to be the most difficult letter to find, but no, The Americans came through for me.
Get Rec’d with Amanda – Volume 101
Oct. 26th, 2025 08:00 amWelcome back, everyone!
This time around, we have two cookbooks. They are vastly different from one another. There’s also a mystery and a historical romance.
What recommendations would you like to pass along? Let us know in the comments!
Exit, Pursued by a Baron
Shoutout to SusanK! We ran a Rec League for indie historical authors and Susan suggested Aydra Richards. Big appreciation for helping me narrow down Richards’ backlist on where to start.
She will break his heart even at the cost of her own.
Lydia Alcott left London beneath a cloud of shame and ignominy five years ago, when her affair with Marcus Beaumont, Baron Newhaven, came to a disastrous end. Now she has built a successful career as an actress, but her return to London places her once more within Marcus’ notice—and the reach of his wrath.
Marcus ordered Lydia away from London when the revelation of her infidelity left him devastated and heartbroken, warning her that to return would be to invite her own destruction. Now, seeing her upon the stage, the desire for revenge consumes him—he will hold her heart in the palm of his hand and crush it as she once did his own.
But Lydia has resentments of her own to satisfy. Unjustly accused of infidelity, she now intends to bring Marcus to his knees in truth. Thus begins a dangerous game of retribution and seduction neither intends to lose. But when old passions surface once more, each must make the choice whether to surrender their antipathy. She will never again be his mistress, and he will not make her his wife…unless the truth, long buried, can set them free from the past.
Food to Die For
For all my foodie and spooky season afficionados! I find the combo of haunted history and food to be really fascinating and if you don’t have Halloween plans, maybe you can use this for a potluck. (I used to participate in a public library supper club, where they would pick a cookbook and all the participants would make a recipe and bring it to a local spot to eat together.)
Discover tantalizing recipes, spine-tingling stories, and historic photos from the most notoriously haunted locations across America in this fun and fascinating cookbook. Paranormal investigator and Kindred Spirits co-host Amy Bruni leads you through eerie hotels, haunted homes, hellish hospitals, and spooky ghost towns, giving you stories and a recipe from each place.
Whether you’re in the mood for Lizzie Borden’s meatloaf or want to serve up spooky prison stories along with sugar cookies from Alcatraz, Food to Die For is your guide to ghoulish gastronomy.
One of America’s favorite ghost hunters, Amy Bruni takes you to mysterious hotels, eerie ghost towns, and possessed pubs in this delightfully sinister collection of stories and recipes. Each of the nearly 60 locations in Food to Die For
Vintage photographs and charmingly creepy stories rooted in historyA noteworthy recipe associated with the people or placeFull-color, captivating, and hauntingly styled food photos to inspire a killer kitchen experienceThis terrifyingly tasty cookbook will bewitch anyone
Has a taste for the paranormal and a hunger to try new foodsLoves history, travel, and culinary curiositiesEnjoys entertaining guests in unique and memorable waysWould get goosebumps making a recipe written 300 years ago
History buffs, thrill-seekers, and foodies will all get shivers seeing the past come to life with every enchanted recipe and delicious tale from Food to Die For.
The Museum Detective
Lately, I’ve gravitated toward mysteries and thrillers that involve heists and history, rather than serial killers. Definitely hoping this is a start to a series.
Inspired by a real-life antiquities scandal in Pakistan, this gripping series debut introduces archaeologist Dr. Gul Delani, whose investigation into the discovery of a mummy gets complicated—and personal—when it collides with her years-long search for a missing family member. Perfect for fans of Sue Grafton and Elsa Hart.
When Dr. Gul Delani receives a call in the middle of the night from the Sindh police, she thinks they may have finally found her niece, Mahnaz—a precocious, politically conscious teenage girl who went missing three years prior. Gul has been racked with grief since Mahnaz’s disappearance and distracts herself through a talented curator at the Museum of Heritage and History in Karachi, she is one of the country’s leading experts in archaeology and ancient civilizations, a hard-won position for a woman.
But there is no news of Mahnaz. Instead, Gul is summoned to a narcotics investigation in a remote desert region in western Pakistan. In her wildest dreams, Gul couldn’t have imagined what she’d find amid a drug bust gone wrong, there is a mummy—life-size, seemingly authentic, its sarcophagus decorated with symbols from Persepolis, the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The discovery confounds everyone. It is both too good to be true, and for Gul, too precious to leave in careless or corrupt hands.
Aided by her team of unlikely misfits, Gul will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of it, even as her quest for the truth puts her in the throes of a dangerous conspiracy and threatens to collide with her ongoing search for Mahnaz. A portrait of a city fueled by corruption and a woman relentlessly in pursuit of justice, The Museum Detective is an exciting, gritty new crime thriller that announces a whip-smart and brilliant sleuth and builds to a stunning, emotional conclusion that readers won’t soon forget.
So Easy So Good
This is another social media content creator I follow who produced a cookbook lately. Sakaida is a registered dietician and I love the way she speaks about food. She has experience with eating disorders and her outlook on meals is “what can we add” rather than “what can we restrict.”
Enjoy easy and accessible everyday recipes and discover no-nonsense nutrition info that debunks food myths from social media sensation Nutrition by Kylie.
Registered dietitian and social media star Kylie Sakaida, a.k.a. @NutritionbyKylie, knows how difficult it can be to keep track of the confusing and often conflicting information about nutrition we are barraged with online. Kylie began posting videos on social media to cut through the noise and offer easy-to-understand and relatable evidence-based advice. Now, millions of people trust and follow her for realistic nutrition tips and delicious recipes. In this beautiful, comprehensive cookbook, Kylie has collected her best nutrition tips along with both fan-favorite and brand-new recipes.
Whether you want to change your eating habits and mindset or are just looking for a healthy dinner recipe, So Easy So Good has you covered. Kylie simplifies complex concepts through simple lists, charts, and sidebars. Her recipes and tips emphasize a healthy, balanced mix of protein, carbs, healthy fats, and fiber so you can feel nourished and satisfied. Many of Kylie’s recipes are inspired by the Asian flavors from her upbringing. Some recipes are designed to minimize prep time by using frozen veggies and nutrient-dense convenience foods, while others can be frozen in advance and reheated within minutes for a quick meal.
So Easy So Good is packed with simple, accessible, and nutritional advice throughout, but it’s recipes like Matcha Chia Parfaits, Sriracha Honey Tofu Bowls, Chicken Ranch Naan Pizzas, Thai Fish Curry, and even sweets like Tahini Chocolate Brownies, that will have you coming back to the book again and again.
halloween icons
Oct. 26th, 2025 12:51 am( icons )

Ten Cosmic Era Gundams for November 2025
Oct. 26th, 2025 01:57 amJust because. ^_^;;
( Ten Cosmic Era Gundams for November 2025 )
Retail Therapy
Oct. 25th, 2025 09:02 pmI forgot to mention that I ordered a toy box for Bella and Gracie--but the shipping address was the Michigan address. Fuck. I sent the company two emails telling them that it was wrong. I hope that they get it before they ship it. It's a cute, personalized box. I wish that I had it now, but I could use an empty box to collect their stuff for now. More retail therapy: I bought a quilted basket with cats on it. I'm sure that I'll find a use for it. Blanket maybe?
Ordered more food for delivery tomorrow.
Got up at 7:30 AM. I told Gracie that she’s going to kill me one of these days. For a small dog, she is strong.
Okay, good. The dogs’ toy box is now going to the right address.
Ugh. Dizzy spell.
Got us all fed. Took my morning meds. Nap time.
Bella actually growled at Gracie. Is she getting annoyed with her? Gracie can be annoying.
Napped. Got groceries in. Gracie wants my food. No. Ate lunch. I changed pajamas and put my really warm pajamas in the wash with my clothes from yesterday. I’m going to lie down for an hour.
Got myself together. Had my massage. The massage therapist said that my back was really tight, so she focused on that. My neck, shoulder, and arm feel better. But all the tension in my body wound up in my legs, which didn’t get massaged. It was dark when I left. Ugh.
Ate dinner. I’m yawning. I guess that I’ll feed the critters and go to bed.
New look at the Joker/Lex fusion
Oct. 25th, 2025 03:09 pm( The Merger )
Not the effort nor the failure tires
Oct. 25th, 2025 05:56 pmJust one of those weeks that felt like a strain - lower back flareups and insomnia and long-scheduled commitments that could not be deferred -
Though I did get a few small bits of life admin accomplished, like finally making an appointment for the first session of dental inlay work and chasing up whether journal reviews editor actually got my review.
But at the moment having the blahs.
Database maintenance
Oct. 25th, 2025 08:42 amGood morning, afternoon, and evening!
We're doing some database and other light server maintenance this weekend (upgrading the version of MySQL we use in particular, but also probably doing some CDN work.)
I expect all of this to be pretty invisible except for some small "couple of minute" blips as we switch between machines, but there's a chance you will notice something untoward. I'll keep an eye on comments as per usual.
Ta for now!
Reagancomics (5 of 7): Addled vs. Evil
Oct. 25th, 2025 09:48 am
Reagan starred in one of DC's highest-profile "graphic novels" of the 1980s, but he could have starred in both. The idea of using Nixon as President didn't occur to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons until some time after Watchmen's initial outline, and there are times when its Nixon is more of a stand-in or proxy for Reagan (Watchmen #8).
( 'I never traded arms for [expletive deleted] hostages!' )
Doctor Strange #1 (Dec 2025)
Oct. 25th, 2025 03:28 pm
The Stephen Strange we saw in Doctor Strange of Asgard was still stinging from the loss of his Sorcerer Supreme status, and his focus was on gaining enough power to return to Earth, give Doctor Doom a bloody nose, and reclaim his title. None of that happened, because just when he’d gained the power, the way home was cut off from him.
The journey he’s on now is a difficult one. He’s still preoccupied with Earth, still feels that urgent need to return to Clea, to deal with his responsibilities there, but now he finds himself dealing with the responsibilities foisted upon him by his title of Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard. He originally sought that power out of a selfish need, so now he has to deal with those ramifications.
- Derek Landy
( Issue 1 preview )
Weekly Chat
Oct. 25th, 2025 01:54 pmWhatever it is, talk to us about it here. Tell us what you liked or didn't like, and if you want to talk about spoilery things, please hide them under either of these codes:
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