A Bookish Affair

Hello and happy holidays, all you devilish rakes and pastry-loving detectives! In this week's episode, we embrace the mush as we sing the praises of the people, books, shows, snacks, and music that are getting us through 2020. Plus, our glowing guide to Portland bookstores, restaurants, and other venues for shopping small and shopping local. We talk a little bit about books, too. And we'll be talk...

Greetings and salutations, all you revenge-seeking sauce manufacturers and undercover dukes! In this episode, we'll recap our book club discussion of Silver Silence and talk about a true American hero who also happens to be a romance writer. Plus, Shannon reveals a some fascinating manatee facts, Shandy reveals her current favorite YouTube distraction, and we both ponder what kind of changelings w...

Greetings, all you bear changelings and romantic A.I.s! For our twentieth (!) episode, we'll take you to the room where it happens as we hash out our 2021 book club picks.   For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more about attending a virtual book club meeting, or just to chat with us about romance, find us here or email us directly at ssedell@lakeoswego.city (Sh...

Greetings, all you bourbon-making billionaires and smartypants spies! In this episode, we'll wave our arms around a lot, but you won't be able to see us, so we'll also talk about our favorite crossover books -- mystery, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, and YA that brings the true love, the drama, and maybe the warm fuzzies. Plus, Shannon reveals her Muppet heritage, Shandy reminisces abou...

Greetings, all you aspiring politicians and soulful piano players! In this episode, we'll talk political romance, holiday novellas, and voting. Plus, Shandy dreams of cable cars, Shannon dreams of Louboutin stilettos, and together we dream up the perfect Portland romance.  For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more about attending a virtual book club meeting, or just...

Greetings, all you haunted hotties and spectral suitors! In this episode, we'll discuss one of our favorite romances of the year and recap our many reading challenges of 2020. Plus, Shannon gets roped into one more challenge, Shandy makes a few bad puns, and we both wonder: how exactly does ghost romance work, anyway?  For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more about...

Greetings, all you seductive bakers and hungry werewolves! In our spoileriest episode yet, we squeal over the return of Bake Off, ponder our favorite foodie romances, and revisit our tropes of doom. Secret babies, suddenly smokin' siblings, and sweet stories abound!  For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more about attending a book club meeting, or just to chat w...

Greetings, all you secret authoresses and jaded journalists! In this week's episode, we'll recap our book club discussion of The Worst Best Man; swoon over our favorite Latinx romance authors; and discuss our latest and greatest reads. Plus, Shannon's watching a non-CLOY K-drama that's heavy on the drama, Shandy compares books to cocktails, and we both manage to mispronounce the word "villain."&nb...

Hello out there, all you sexy bodyguards and foxy firefighters! In today's episode, we'll try to provide some cheer in a world on fire. We'll (finally) talk about betas, the great unsung heroes of romance, and swoon over a few favorite dreamboats of film, television, and literature. Plus, Shandy can't get away from her least favorite trope, Shannon doubles down on romantic suspense, and an epicall...

Hello out there, all you crusading bluestockings and lovelorn bodyguards! In this episode, Shandy remembers a few more things she needs to say about The Ripped Bodice, and a Twitter controversy leads to many shangents as we muse on reviews, representation, and defeating coughshamers with lovingkindness. Plus, what will Shannon read now that she's finished "Crash Landing On You"...twice? ...

Hello out there, all you stoic captains and feisty CEOs! In this episode, Shannon very patiently listens while Shandy gushes about her trip to The Ripped Bodice. We'll also discuss category romance, the Korean drama that's owning Shannon's life, and how the universe just doesn't want us to stop talking about alphas.  For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more abo...

Hello out there, all you chivalrous tennis instructors and poisonous superheroines! In this week's episode, we'll re-recap our book club discussion of Bringing Down the Duke, admit we may have been too hard on alphas in the past, and trust our favorite authors to take us into uncharted territory.  For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more about attending a book club...

Greetings and salutations, romantics! In this week's episode, we'll consider our favorite royalty romance tropes and sing the praises of the modern princess. Plus, more about Black-owned bookstores, current reads, and Shandy's lakeside cabin HEA. Sadly, we lost the audio on our recap of the book club discussion of Bringing Down the Duke -- but never fear, we'll regroup and recap next time!&nb...

Greetings and salutations, romantics! In this week's episode, we'll take a ramble through suffrage in romance, rave about our favorite bookstores, and extol the virtues of lakeside hammock reading and properly masked and distanced bookstore browsing. Where do you buy your romance? For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more about attending a book club meeting, or just to ch...

Howdy, romance fans! In this week's episode, we begin to explore our favorite and least favorite romance tropes. Join us as we cringe at secret babies, roll our eyes at secret billionaires, and muse on the merits of the protective older sibling in romance. What are your favorite tropes?  For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, to learn more about attending a book club meeting, o...

Ahoy, romantics! In this episode, we'll discuss our favorite and least favorite traits in a romance hero. Vicars and nannies and step-princes, oh my! Plus, we'll enthuse about our recent and upcoming reads and offer our plea to the universe for some slightly less muscular heroes.  For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resources, or to learn more about attending a book club meeting, find...

Shannon is finally back from her vacation (aka the longest week of the pandemic, according to Shandy). In this episode, we'll discuss vacation reading, Hamilton's Battalion , and our latest and greatest reads, romance and otherwise. Buckle up, it's a long one...but can you blame us? We had two weeks' worth of romance to fit into one episode! For readalikes, book lists, and antiracism resource...

Happy July, friends! In our fifth episode, we'll give our best "gateway romance" suggestions for interested readers just starting out in the genre. Also, we'll check in on our June challenge to read an intersectional rainbow, rhapsodize about talking to authors on social media (they're real people! and they're so nice!), and issue a plea to authors of romance: more periods, please!  Books and...

Ahoy, romance fans! In this episode, we'll recap our delightful book club discussion of the oh-so-charming Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, check in on our rainbowy reading challenge, and continue musing about everything from cinnamon rolls (both human and pastry) to racial justice in romance. Come swoon with us!  Books mentioned in this episode: Red, White & Royal Blue by...

In this episode, we'll recommend some of our favorite Black romance authors and discuss other ways to support racial justice at home and across the nation.  Look for our antiracist resource list and Black romance reading list at https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/online-bookish-affair .  Books mentioned in this episode: So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo Beverly Jenkins: Rebe...

Hello again, romance fans!  We're Shannon and Shannon, librarians and co-founders of the Lake Oswego Public Library's romance book club, A Bookish Affair. In this episode, we'll proclaim our love for our May 2020 book club pick (Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert), talk about our favorite comfort reads for strange and difficult times, and issue ourselves a rainbowy reading challenge.&nb...

Hi there, romance fans! We're Shannon and Shannon, librarians and co-founders of the Lake Oswego Public Library's romance book club, A Bookish Affair. In this inaugural episode, we'll advocate for reading romance in trying times, muse over the books that brought us to the genre (here's looking at you, knitting romance and Anya Seton), and talk about what we're reading next.  Books mentioned i...