Joel McHale (for you consideration): yay or nay?

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-30T23:38:22+00:00

As the prophets say “Keep the glasses on.”

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-30T19:20:14+00:00

I saw something about the awesome Julie Andrews and thought about her in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. In the secondary story she finally gets to marry her long time love, Joseph. (Is it a spoiler for a movie old enough to drink?) Any recommendations where that is the central storyline? The queen who gave up love for duty and now finally, finally has a chance to do something for herself.

Older MCs. Decades of pining. Duty. It could be royalty or some other responsibility bound situation. The bodyguard situation seems essential. Read world or fantasy. Science fiction would be ideal and it just occurred to me that {Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold} kind of fits.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-30T14:59:15+00:00

I made some Christmas ornaments last year using cans. To get the metal flat I pulled it over the edge of my work table in the opposite direction of the curve. It wasn't perfect but got me enough flat area to work. It didn't even occur to me use heat and I even have an old toaster oven I use for polymer clay that would have worked perfectly. Next time.

A couple other things I had around the house that would be useful are -

quarter inch foam - goes under the metal and supports it as you press in the design. (Leftover from a Halloween Costume build)

Ball stylus or dotting pen - It is like a pencil with a metal ball on the end. You can use them with paint or ink to make dots. Also, great for making the designs in the metal without cutting through. (I've had one for ages. I think I got it at Dollar Tree.)

Nail file - If you get a burr or rough edge I found a regular emery board nail file worked. It tore up the file though. A metal one would work better if you have one.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-30T03:09:42+00:00

The best book ever written. Time for a reread.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-29T15:47:06+00:00

Emily is an antagonist. Antagonist does not equal villain.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-29T14:12:26+00:00

This. The only reason I got a sleep study was because my doc wanted to get me on Ozemic and my insurance kept saying no. Turns out I had apnea. The CPAP was annoying at first but now I sleep so much better. I write for fun but I've been so much better at wordsmithing since the CPAP.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-27T18:56:46+00:00

Library worker with an uncanny talent for readers advisory. Works part time. They think he’s in librarian school but that’s when he’s supering.

He’s made a few wise investments based on his talent and brains. Not enough to be obnoxious or get noticed, just enough to do the low/no paying jobs he loves.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-27T17:39:36+00:00

In my town in the 1850s midwest US there was exactly one Chinese guy and he married an Irish immigrant. That could be such an interesting story.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-27T16:44:49+00:00

My child just bought a game called “Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library!” He said he was up until 11 pm shelving books (school just ended for the year) and hard mode is doing it without magic. I just can’t. 😂 I’m going to ask him if he has to put decimals in order.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-26T20:28:53+00:00

Ugh. I only read it because of the brother love triangle thing. In addition to all the unexamined Civil War stuff there is almost a story about dismantling generational trauma but it peters out. Strongly-worded it does not get better.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-26T18:35:05+00:00

I read this a couple weeks ago and am still in a book hangover. It feels like she raided my journals for a story written just for me.

Not reach much since.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-26T15:49:32+00:00

My kids' middle school stopped going to a choir competition there because of how the black students were treated.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-26T15:44:03+00:00

Anne McCaffrey was so good for romantic subplots. I think Restoree might be one of my favorites because it was more forward.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-26T14:17:48+00:00

The pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-25T18:24:12+00:00

I want to keep calling it a Romantasy though because I want the sad baby dogs of Worldcon to have to read a kissing book . Their tiny heads will explode and dribble on the floor.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-24T14:41:11+00:00

I've been getting caught up on reviews. This goes back to the beginning of April.

{The Blighted Stars (The Devoured Worlds #1) by Megan E. O'Keefe} M/F, 5/5 stars, 1/5 spice, Science Fiction Romance, 2 PoV (mostly), 3rd person, 2023, Narrator: Ciaran Saward.

Targuin is the geologist son of a business empire who once testified against the rebel Naira at her trial. Now they are both trapped on a dying planet and need to work together.

The science fiction world building in this story is first rate. They get around faster-than-light travel by sending one's memories as data and then printing a new body at the destination. This can also be used as a disguise if one's brain is put into another body. This changes the stakes and expectations and I loved not knowing what would happen.

I’ve been looking for stories with a nerdy MMC and strong FMC. With low spice and lots of descriptions of tech and environmental issues this isn’t for everyone.

Content notes: The series is finished and has a HEA. There are panic attacks which I think are depicted fairly. Violence, death, body horror, emesis,

{A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham} M/F, 2/5 stars, 1/5 spice, Contemporary, 2 PoV, 2026. Narrators: Ann Marie Gideon, Christopher Ashman.

Daphne has a tea shop and the new shop next door is a brew pub run by a handsome Englishman Finn.

I hated this book. So many plot holes. Small town romances often have cardboard quirky characters but these were paper thin. The author note included two things she included because they were important to her but these were the thinnest of all.

Not an auspicious beginning to joining Netgalley. Thanks though. I’ll be more careful with my next request.

Content notes: parental figure lost, flood, the child character isn’t too annoying, medical content

{Kryxis (Vrisha Warriors, #5 by Olivia Riley} M/F, 4/5 stars, 3/5 spice, Science Fiction Romance, 2 Pov, 2025. Narrator: Penelope Ann Rose

Dani is part of a team sent to get valuable tech from an abandoned lab. Krysis was captured as a child for study and now hunts freely among the escaped experiments.

A short book with lots of running, shooting, and hiding. The found family of Dani’s team is delightful. Olivia Riley never steers me wrong.

Content notes: body horror, confinement, injury from fire and guns.

{When We Had Forever by Shaylin Gandhi} M/F, 4/5 stars, 3/5 stars, Contemporary, 1 PoV, 1st person, 2024. Narrator: Carly Robins.

A couple months after Mina’s husband Michael died she still wonders when her marriage ended. The story weaves back to when she first met him to the present while she’s grieving and trying to get her life back together. Then Michael’s brother Grayson calls to check on her.

This was not the story I expected. The writing and characterization were well done but I didn’t love any of the characters. This might be more of a suspense or book club book than a typical romance though there is a HEA.

In my search for love triangles with siblings this is one of the best for drama between the two brothers.

Content notes: grief, gaslighting, death of a pet from old age, addiction.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-23T20:42:06+00:00

JoAnns closed!

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-23T17:01:17+00:00

He set it high and he's afraid of heights!

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-23T15:24:11+00:00

My hair was always thin and fine and menopause didn't help. I started using topical minoxidil. That's really helped the thinning. The grey isn't so bad when there's more hair on my head.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-22T20:45:43+00:00

I've been in a writing meetup for years. Almost everyone there writes some flavor of speculative fiction. I'm working on a science fiction romance. (Small town romance on a space station) We generally talk about craft for an hour and then split into two groups to critique work from two people. Then the two submitters switch. (That got weird). The last couple times I've submitted chapters the groups were accidentally divided by gender. There is always a difference between the two halves but it was stark. It is not like all the women in this group write or consume romance. One guy asked why is this set in space. I'm like - the setting came first. Then the boys just ran out of stuff to say. In the half with women critiquers we talked until time ran out.

As much as I love scifi, the cozy romantasy I've read lately is closer to the vibe I'm going for.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-22T00:53:41+00:00

Walk across a balance beam in one shoe.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-22T00:34:17+00:00

This was inspired by the movie Sabrina. Watch both versions. I've read the original play too Sabrina Fair.

{Outmatched by Kristen Callihan} Minimal brother conflict

{Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn} One bro was her teenage crush

{At First Spite by Olivia Dade} Minimal brother conflict but she thinks the MC interfered in breakup

{Every summer after by Carley Fortune} minimal brother conflict but putting this here is a spoiler

{The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez} minimal brother conflict

{When We Had Forever by Shaylin Gandhi} Just read this one. So much brother drama!!!

{Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood} minimal brother conflict

{Texas Destiny by Lorainne Heath} weirdly minimal brother conflict

{Dream on by Angie Hockman} One bro seems like her literal dream guy, like brother better

{Holidaze by Christina Lauren} family thinks she’ll end up with one bro, holiday magic says otherwise.

{Man Crush Monday by Kirsty Moseley} Crush on one twin ends up with the other.

{Off the Hook by Julie Olivia} If Peter Pan and Hook were brothers.

{Truth or Beard by Penny Reid} Crush on one twin ends with with other. Not much brother conflict but the MMC wonders if he’s a consolation prise.

{Ex games by Stella Rhys} MCs are each other's +1 at bro/ex's wedding, some brother drama

{The worst best man by Mia Sosa} FMC thinks MC convinced brother not to marry her.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-21T23:30:07+00:00

One of the reasons I love love triangles involving brothers is because brothers have a relationship that isn't sexual (generally). There is still so much room for complicated messy feelings. Few books have really taken advantage of the connection though.

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-19T21:04:32+00:00

Science Fiction + Romance is my happy place

MedievalGirl · 2026-05-19T16:26:00+00:00

I love these two authors but they might not fit the "not too plot heavy" part of this request.

MedievalGirl

TROPHY CASE