Podcasts about thorns

We return to Australia after many a year as Darvily joins me for this episode! I had stumbled across her on Threads and loved the fandoms she was into, and we get to jump into a few of them for this episode. Darvily and I kick things off with talking about the broad topic of video games. We talk about the first games that she experienced, starting with Spyro. We focus on a few games that Darvily specifically was into over the years, including Animal Crossing, Pokemon, and Skyrim. Darvily also talks about some of her favorite indie games that she likes and recommends. Want the recommendations? Listen! From video games, we make our way into the realm of Fantasy Fandom. We talk about Darvily's love of How To Train Your Dragon, books like Lord of the Rings, Fourth Wing, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, to name a few. We also bundle in talk about Renfaires in Australia, as well as Darvily's experience with Dungeons and Dragons. We then wrap up with a conversation about Cosplay. Darvily talks about getting into Cosplay, along with some of the character she does. From Spider suits to Renfaire looks, Sailor Umbreon, and more. We talk about how she decides and chooses her looks and what she's working on for this year. You can find Darvily at: https://www.instagram.com/darvilyyy/ https://linktr.ee/darvily https://www.tiktok.com/@darvilyy https://www.twitch.tv/darvily https://www.youtube.com/@darvilyy

(00:00)Intro (13:20)Lumberjack Cup (18:19)Danglefest (26:16)Other Tourneys (43:00)#4 Teams (46:35)Squirtacular Notes (48:58)Skate for the Roses Preview (51:24)Roses & Thorns

We kick off 2026 by looking back 20 years to 2006. What were we up to, and what were we playing? Plus, a question from the mailbag, and a new collection of Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - Busy January - SupportDiceTower.com 03:07 - 2006 Memories 05:09 - Where Were We In 2006? 18:50 - The Games of 2006 27:44 - Which Games Are We Still Playing? 31:30 - Listener Question: Game Replacement 42:07 - Add to Playlist 47:06 - Galactic Cruise 48:06 - Zooloretto 50:47 - Merry Murdle 53:52 - Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 57:10 - Heroes of Timeline Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

I stumbled across Stacy on Threads back in early 2025 when she posted about who she was hoping the algorithim would bring to her account. I followed Stacy for awhile and then realized "I bet she has an Instagram page" and followed her work there too. One of my favorite things about Stacy is that she wants to build and engage with those who do follow her on her platforms. I love that, and it's one of the things I enjoyed as I got to know her. This episode is split in half! The first half we're talking about Fantasy and Romantasy books. Stacy talks about what she looks for in a book, and what she's drawn to in the Romantasy sphere. We cover a number of different books including Cruel Prince, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and more. Stacy's full list of recommended titles is at the bottom of the show notes including links to purchase! The second half of the episode features Stacy talking about what she creates! From her fantasy inspired costumes to the photography that goes along with it - including great behind the scenes stories on some of her iconic shots from her instagram. Stacy gives us the inside scoop and I am absolutely here for it. We also talk about renaissance faires and fantasy balls, including Stacy's upcoming appearance at FrostFire Ball by Storybook Soirees (link in the notes for ticket info!)  Books that Stacy recommended are: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - https://amzn.to/3LkH4gd A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas - https://amzn.to/4qNzFoG Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas - https://amzn.to/454cG0d The Assassin's Blade novella by Sarah J. Maas - https://amzn.to/3LumYQH The Rogue King by Abigail Owen - https://amzn.to/4svVQS5 Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - https://amzn.to/4sz7UC1 Quicksilver by Callie Hart - https://amzn.to/4jxcX1C You can find more info about FrostFire Ball at: https://www.storybooksoirees.com/frostfire-ball You can find Stacy at: https://www.instagram.com/stacylkellam/ https://www.threads.com/@stacylkellam https://www.tiktok.com/@stacylkellam https://linktr.ee/stacylkellam

If you read Dracula and thought: “I like the ancient shapeshifting nemesis and the homoerotic subtext, but I don’t like how subtle the sexual and national anxieties are,” you’re in luck! Editor, reviewer, and scholar Marisa Mercurio is here to talk about not-so-subtle horrors in Richard Marsh’s 1897 novel The Beetle. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Marisa Mercurio Title: The Beetle by Richard Marsh Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Chopin's "Minute Waltz" performed by Alfred Cortot Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" performed by the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Artur Rodzinski References: Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca & Don't Look Now Alex Woodroe's The Night Ship Tenebrous Press Bram Stoker's Dracula Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, Ann Radcliffe, Charles Dickens, George Eliot E.R. Eddison's Zimianvian trilogy Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes Kate Beaton’s “The Horror Of The New Woman” H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis The Fly films (Kurt Neumann 1958; David Cronenberg 1986) Phase IV directed by Saul Bass Robert Repino's Mort(e) The Nest by Gregory A. Douglas, and the “Valancourt Paperbacks from Hell” Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey The Female Detective by Andrew Forrester Wilkie Collins The However Improbable podcast Marisa’s bluesky

Join us on the History of Jackson podcast as we delve into the fascinating life of Anne Boleyn with renowned historian Estelle Paranque. Discover the untold stories and unique perspectives on one of history's most intriguing figures.

There's a peculiar irony in how we navigate modern life. We walk through crowded airports, sit at dinner tables with loved ones, and even attend church services—all while being completely absent. Our bodies are present, but our minds are captured by the glowing rectangles in our pockets.__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

Jake Casella Brookins of the Ancillary Review of Books and A Meal of Thorns joins us to discuss a novel by Nick Harkaway. We last encountered Harkaway carrying on his father's spy novel franchise, and this isn't that - it's more Neverwhere as directed by Guy Ritchie - but there's still a lot in there about legacies and dads. 

Introduction: The Story We Have Been Telling The entire Bible tells a single, unified storya story that begins in Genesis and finds its fulfillment in Revelation. It opens with God creating the world and placing two trees in the garden: the tree of life, from which Adam and Eve were free to eat, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which God, in His loving wisdom, commanded them to avoid. Tragically, instead of trusting Gods goodness and choosing life, Adam and Eve reached for what was forbidden. In that moment, they embraced curse rather than blessing by taking from the tree God had graciously withheld for their good. The pinnacle of creation came when God declared,Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness (Gen. 1:26). Unlike any other creature in Eden or on earth, Adam and Eve were uniquely formed to reflect Gods image. God then blessed them and commissioned them:Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it(Gen. 1:28). Humanity was created to live under Gods rule and to extend His reign throughout the world. I began this sermon series by reading a quote from Owen Strachans bookThe Warrior Savior:It was a tree that damned us. It was a tree that redeemed us. And it will be a tree that heals us in the age to cometime beyond all time.[1] Today, we turn our attention to the tree that ultimately redeemed usthe tree upon which Another was cursed in our place. As Strachan observes,Adam, the first man, was a priest and a king unto God. He lived and ruled under the divine regency of his Maker.[2]Yet Adam failed. Through his disobedience, sin entered the world, and with it came death. As Paul explains,Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind death reigned from Adam until Moses Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come(Rom. 5:1214). Humanity rebelled against God, the curse entered creation, and death became an ever-present reality. But the story does not end there. God promised that the curse would not have the final word. From the very beginning, Scripture reveals not a collection of disconnected stories, but one unfolding storya story of how God moves toward a cursed people and a broken creation with redemption. This morning, we come to a passage where the apostle Paul explainsexplicitly and unmistakablywhat that story has always been about. Galatians 3:1014 is not a detour from the story we have been tracing; it is Paul putting words to it. Here, the curse is named, the problem is clarified, and the solution is revealed with stunning clarity. Paul tells us plainly,All who rely on works of the law are under a curse (3:10; BSB).That statement may sound severe. But it is the biblical diagnosis of the human condition. The origin of that curse is ancient. It reaches back to Eden, where God created humanity for life, fellowship, obedience, and worship. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world, the curse followed, and spiritual and physical death became the inevitable outcome. The curse did not merely affect humanity inwardly; it affected creation itself. The ground was cursed. Thorns and thistles appeared. Pain, toil, suffering, and death became woven into the fabric of life. From that moment forward, every human has been born under the weight of that curseinclined toward sin, separated from God, and unable to restore what was lost. Pauls point in Galatians is not that the law created the curse, but that the law exposes it. Gods commandments reveal the depth of our problem. They show us that no amount of effort, obedience, or religious devotion can undo what was broken in the garden. As Scripture says,Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them(Gal. 3:10). And none of us has. Our Need Is a Righteousness We Cannot Produce To be under the curse is not to suffer from bad luck, karma, or chance; it is to stand under Gods righteous judgment. Our greatest problem is not circumstance or ignoranceit is that God is holy, and we are not. The law demands perfect righteousnessand we are incapable of producing it. That is why Paul insists,No one is justified before God by works of the law. The righteous live by faith(Gal. 3:11). Think about the people we have looked at throughout this series. Reflect on the gravity of their sins. Adam let Eve eat the forbidden fruit, even though he had been told that doing so would bring death and curse. But as the priest and king appointed by God in Eden, he didnt protest or intervenehe stood by, silent and passiveand then joined her. For what? Because both of them bought into the lie of the dragon that they could be just like God. In that moment, they tore apart the sacred boundary between creature and Creator, unleashing the curse that would plague every generation to come. Consider the violence of Cain and his descendantshow they perverted the sacred institution of marriage and showed no regard for the sanctity of life. Reflect on Noah and his family: even after the flood, even after Gods rainbow appeared in the sky, sin still found its way into their lives. After Noah became drunk, his son Ham committed such a shameful act related to his fathers nakedness that Scripture does not even specify what it was. Think also about the Tower of Babel, where people sought to build an empire not for Gods glory, but for their own. All these accounts serve as a mirror, revealing just how broken and corrupted by sin humanity truly is. Consider Abraham, weighed down by his own failures as a husband and father. Picture Isaachis love for Esau burning brighter than his love for Jacobsplintering their family and sowing seeds of rivalry that tore through generations. Consider Jacobs twelve sons, born to two wives. Their family was marked by jealousy, betrayal, and constant conflict, with discord replacing the harmony that should have filled their home. See Judahdrawn toward idols, taking a Canaanite wife, wandering far from the ways of God, his heart tangled in spiritual darkness. And then Tamar, Judahs daughter-in-lawdriven to the brink by desperation and grief. Her life battered by the wickedness of Judahs sons, she cloaked herself in the garments of a prostitute, her face veiled, her dignity hanging by a thread. She knew Judahs moral weakness. When he passed by, she sold herself for silverpain disguised as survivalhis own lust blinding him to her true identity. This is not a sanitized tale; it is the raw, exposed reality of sins gripbrokenness that bleeds through families, hearts shattered and lives twisted by deceit and desire. Shall I continue? I mustbecause its essential for you to grasp the full gravity of the word cursed. Look at David: the mighty king, the poet, the man after Gods own heartyet swept away by desire, stealing Bathsheba and orchestrating the death of her husband to cover his shame. Blood stained his hands, guilt gnawed his soul, and tragedy ravaged his house. Yet out of this relationshipmarked by betrayal and sorrowGod, in His mercy, brought forth a way for hope to emerge. Their surviving son, Solomon, would rise from the ashes of their brokenness. Through Solomons line would come Joseph, the husband of Mary and stepfather of Jesus; and from Davids son Nathan would descend Mary herself, the mother who would cradle the Savior. Out of scandal and sorrow, God wove together the lineage through which the true and better David would comea King crowned not by conquest, but by grace. What connects all of these individuals is twofoldlisten carefully. First, none could escape the curse of sin, a problem rooted in the heart. Second, nearly all of them stand in the lineage of Jesus. The Law given to Moses revealed to themand to usthat their struggle was one only God could solve: For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did Gods grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many (Rom. 5:15; BSB). As Paul explains,Before faith came, we were held captive under the law So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith(Gal. 3:2324). This is where the story presses us toward hope. If the curse cannot be undone by our obedience, then liberation must come from outside of us. What we need is redemption; what we need is rescue. And that rescue must address the curse at its root. Our Only Hope Is That Christ Became Our Curse What is our hope? Our hope is that there is One who is able to save us from our sins by providing a righteousness that we could never produce on our own. Oh, my dear friends, this is exactly what we learn from Galatians 3:1314. God has provided the righteousness we neednot through our obedience, but through Jesus Christ. Look at verse 13you have to see this:Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for usfor it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree. How is it that a person is cursed on a tree?The answer is found in Deuteronomy 21:2223. Under the Law of Moses, if a man committed a crime punishable by death and was executed, his body could be displayed on a tree or wooden post. This was not merely a method of disposal; it was a public declaration. To be hung on a tree was to be marked as one who stood under Gods judgment. Scripture says plainly,Anyone who is hung on a tree is under Gods curse (Deut. 22:23; BSB).In other words, to be hung on a tree was to be identified as extraordinarily cursed. Now, look directly at the crosssee it for what it is. The very wood upon which Jesus hung was shaped by Roman hands, but in God's eyes, it was a tree. And according to the Scriptures Paul cites, anyone nailed to a tree is branded as cursed, set apart for divine judgment. But here is the shocking, undeniable truthJesus was wholly innocent. He was blameless, completely undeserving of any punishment or condemnation. And yet He was treated as the cursed one. Jesus did not become sinfulHe became the embodiment of the curse itself, willingly standing in the place of those doomed by sin. The full weight of God's wrath, the judgment that should have crushed us, was hurled upon the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! And because Christ took the curse upon Himself, the day He hung on the cross became the moment when God gave undeniable, visible signs that Jesus alone was truly qualified to bear our sin. By fully enduring the wrath of God the Father, Christ the Son broke the power of the curse over sinful humanity. As He hung on the cross, He wore a crown of thorns; when He took His final breath and declared, It is finished, the ground shook; and at that very moment, the curtain in the temple was torn in two. The Crown of Thorns Why does Scripture bother to tell us about the crown of thorns? Because thorns were the visible sign of the curse pronounced in Eden:Cursed is the ground because of you thorns and thistles it shall bring forth(Gen. 3:1718). At the cross, Jesusthe Redeemer of a cursed people and a cursed creationwas nailed to a tree wearing a crown made from the very symbol of that curse. The One who knew no sin bore upon His head what sin had produced. The curse that began in Eden was placed upon Christ. The Quaking Ground When Jesus cried out,It is finished,and breathed His last, Matthew tells us thatthe earth shook, and the rocks were split(Matt. 27:51). Why did the ground quake? Because the ground once cursed in Eden was being redeemed. Creation itself responded as its Redeemer purchased it with His blood. The curse that brought death into the world no longer held uncontested power. The Torn Curtain When Adam and Eve sinned, they were driven from the presence of God. That separation stood visibly in the curtain of the temple, a reminder that sinful people could not freely dwell with a holy God. But when Jesus died, the curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The meaning is unmistakable: because Jesus bore the curse, the barrier has been removed. Through His death, we are no longer exileswe are invited back into the presence of the God we were created to know. Paul tells us why Christ bore the curse:So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles. The blessing promised in Genesisthat through Abrahams seed all nations would be blessedcomes only through the curse-bearing work of Christ. What began in a garden, moved through a family, a nation, and a kingdom, now reaches the nations through the cross. Conclusion The curse is real, but it is no longer final. Forgiveness is secured. Righteousness is given. The Spirit is poured out. New life has begunand yet, the story is not finished. The cross does not merely explain the past; it guarantees the future. Because Jesus bore the curse, the curse itself is living on borrowed time. Because Jesus rose from the dead, death has been defeated. And because God has always kept His promises, Scripture assures us that what Christ accomplished at the cross will one day be completed in full. The Bible ends where it begannot with exile, but with restoration; not with thorns, but with a tree of life standing once again; not with humanity driven from Gods presence, but with God dwelling forever among His redeemed people. And the promise is clear:No longer will there be any curse. And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever. As we turn next to the book of Revelation, we are not beginning a new story. We are finally ready to see how the story we have been tracing from the beginning comes to its appointed end. [1] Owen Strachan, The Warrior Savior (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR Publishing; 2024), 1. [2] Ibid., 3.

Fantasy doesn't have to be horror to be terrifying.Some fantasy worlds creep under your skin not with jump scares, but with oppressive atmospheres, broken systems, ancient evils, and places that feel fundamentally wrong. In this episode of Fantasy for the Ages, Jim counts down the Top 20 Creepiest Fantasy Settings — worlds that are horrifying in tone and implication, even though they aren't technically classified as horror.From decaying castles and poisoned landscapes to bureaucratized nightmares and civilizations that have accepted apocalypse as normal, these settings linger in your imagination long after the story ends.⚠️ No jump scares. No slasher vibes. Just deeply unsettling fantasy worlds.⸻

This episode is brought to you by Little Saints, a zero-sugar, non-alcoholic cocktail and spirits brand created for people who love the ritual of drinking but not the aftermath. Use code VALERIA for 15% off at https://littlesaints.com In this episode of Not Alone, Valeria sits down with Megan Klein, founder of Little Saints, a non-alcoholic cocktails and spirits brand, for a candid conversation about sober curiosity, reinvention, and building a business that challenges the way we socialize. Megan shares her unconventional career path and what she discovered after testing nearly every non-alcoholic drink on the market. They dive into betting on yourself, her Shark Tank experience (and why she walked away from the offers), and her complicated relationship with the word “sober.” The conversation goes deeper into the physical and emotional effects of alcohol, why so many of us drink to numb, and what dating without alcohol can look like. Megan also opens up about how her personal experiences, including extensive work with ayahuasca, shaped her outlook on wellness, presence, and connection. It's a thoughtful, honest episode about choosing clarity, building something meaningful, and redefining what it means to feel good. Follow Little Saints on Social Media Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlesaintsco/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlesaintsco Shop Little Saints drinks here: https://littlesaints.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoruaDMYXrtdiYTR7lCR2iMKX2fpyV74KyHXDhxcv7bg1zQ7Omza Megan's Book Recs: The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron - https://amzn.to/498dvYq  A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas - https://amzn.to/44QVHys  Shop my looks from this episode:  https://shopmy.us/collections/3446096?tab=collections Follow me: https://www.instagram.com/valerialipovetsky/  What we talked about:  0:20 - Dry January & Sober Curiosity  2:35 - Introducing Megan Klein 4:19 - Start of interview 6:55 - Her common thread through careers 9:55 - Pivot from farming to a food brand 12:04 - Birth of Little Saints during Covid 13:18 - Testing all the non-alcoholic drinks 15:03 - Explaining Little Saints 16:50 - Decision to invest her own money 17:28 - Selling Little Saints out of a trailer 19:18 - Megan's Shark Tank experience 21:57 - Why she didn't take the deal 22:40 - After the tank 23:40 - Why she dislikes the word ‘sober' 27:30 - The side effects of drinking alcohol  31:30 - Drinking to numb ourselves 33:00 - Personal benefits from not drinking 35:54 - Doing Ayahuasca 60 times  38:16 - Lessons learned from Ayahuasca 39:42 - Data about the impact of alcohol  41:14 - Dating without alcohol  43:50 - What's next for Little Saints 48:10 - Megan's book recommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Tuesday! Titles mentioned: Tanith Lee "Night's Master" 1978Nan Shepherd "The Living Mountain" 2025Georgette Heyer "Veneita" 1958Leopold von Sacher-Masoch "Venus in Furs" 1870Neil Gaiman "The Sandman" Comic BookDon't forget to come and see me at LoveLitCon if you're in the area. You can find more information on their website lovelit.comSupport the showAmong the Thorns line edits are D-O-N-E DONE! Preorder here In case you missed it, Strange Familiar Audio Book is now available on Youtube ~ Listen for free here You can find the Owl Crate signed edition of Never the Roses here A very beautiful hardcover edition can be found here The audio book can be listened to here And Kindle Unlimited has Never the Roses digital version! Your friendly neighborhood author is doing author-ly things this upcoming month! Hummingbird House is officially OPEN FOR BOOKING Book your next writer retreat at Hummingbird House in Santa Fe here Upcoming Events ~ LoveLitCon is a weekend of romantasy and bookish fun and I will be attending! Buy LoveLitCon tickets here using LOVE8368 for $10 OFF! https://lovelit.com/ Tuscon Festival of Books is March 14th-15th this year! See you there *Wink* ...

Send us a textIn this Quite Unscripted episode, we're breaking down our Roses and Thorns of 2025, the wins, the chaos, and the lessons we absolutely did not ask for. We're talking New Year's resolutions, what we're actually committing to, what we're already side-eyeing, and what we're leaving firmly in last year. Spirit Box PodcastDespite being placed on sabbatical for her supernatural research, Professor Toni...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showHit us up on social mediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuiteUnusualPod/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1349829115227754Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quiteunusualpod/Twitter: https://twitter.com/quiteunusualpodSend us your Listener Lore!Send us an email: quiteunusualpod@gmail.com Wanna send us something spooky?P.O. Box 1212Des Plaines, IL, 60017

Help us spread the message, Donate to the Apostolate Today! » ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fatima.org/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A First Saturday Meditation guided by Fr. Emmanuel HerkelWatch the video for this podcast: » ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://fatima.org/category/video/first-saturday-15-min-meditation/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Contact Us:» WEBSITE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.fatima.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» PHONE: 1-800-263-8160» EMAIL: info@thefatimacenter.com» FACEBOOK: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/Fatima-Center-95998926441⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» YOUTUBE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/thefatimacenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» TWITTER: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/TheFatimaCenter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠» INSTAGRAM: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/the_fatima_center/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Fatima Center's mission is to ensure that the entire Message of Fatima is fully known, accurately understood, and deeply appreciated so that it may be followed by all.The Fatima Center has been faithful to this mission since it was founded by the late Father Nicholas Gruner in 1978.  The Message of Fatima is the ONLY solution to the crisis in the Church and the world.

Give yourself credit for surviving 2025, and be kind to new gym goers! My new routine for this year is reflective of how my resolutions in the past haven't always prioritized happiness so much as maximizing my time in favor for productivity. I also got a new reading lamp because I'm making the transition back to physical books instead of digital ones. But if you are interested in digital copies or physical, learn more about my newest release, Magic Reborn:Magic Reborn can be read through this link!Support the showAmong the Thorns line edits are D-O-N-E DONE! Preorder here In case you missed it, Strange Familiar Audio Book is now available on Youtube ~ Listen for free here You can find the Owl Crate signed edition of Never the Roses here A very beautiful hardcover edition can be found here The audio book can be listened to here And Kindle Unlimited has Never the Roses digital version! Your friendly neighborhood author is doing author-ly things this upcoming month! Hummingbird House is officially OPEN FOR BOOKING Book your next writer retreat at Hummingbird House in Santa Fe here Upcoming Events ~ LoveLitCon is a weekend of romantasy and bookish fun and I will be attending! Buy LoveLitCon tickets here using LOVE8368 for $10 OFF! https://lovelit.com/ Tuscon Festival of Books is March 14th-15th this year! See you there *Wink* ...

Happy New Year 2026! I love January and the opportunity to start afresh. I know it's arbitrary in some ways, but I measure my life by what I create, and I also measure it in years. At the beginning of each year, I publish an article (and podcast episode) here, which helps keep me accountable. If you'd like to share your goals, please add them in the comments below. 2026 is a transitional year as I will finish my Masters degree and continue the slow pivot that I started in December 2023 after 15 years as an author entrepreneur. Just to recap that, it was: From digitally-focused to creating beautiful physical books; From high-volume, low cost to premium products with higher Average Order Value; From retailer-centric to direct first; and From distance to presence, and From creating alone to the AI-Assisted Artisan Author. I've definitely stepped partially into all of those, and 2026 will continue in that same direction, but I also have an additional angle for Joanna Penn and The Creative Penn that I am excited about. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Leaning into the Transformation Economy The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community Webinars and live events Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn Other possible books Experiment more with AI translation Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway Double down on being human, health and travel You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. Leaning into the Transformation Economy I've struggled with my identity as Joanna Penn and my Creative Penn brand for a few years now. When I started TheCreativePenn.com in 2008, the term ‘indie author' was new and self-publishing was considered ‘vanity press' and a sure way to damage your author career, rather than a conscious creative and business choice. It was the early days of the Kindle and iPhone (both launched in 2007), and podcasting and social media were also relatively new. While US authors could publish on KDP, the only option for international authors was Smashwords and the market for ebooks was tiny. Print-on-demand and digital audio were also just emerging as viable options. While it was the early era of blogging, there were very few blogs and barely any podcasts talking about self-publishing, so when I started TheCreativePenn.com in late 2008 and the podcast in March 2009, it was a new area. For several years, it was like howling into the wind. Barely any audience. Barely any traffic, and certainly very little income.  But I loved the freedom and the speed at which I could learn things and put them into practice. Consume and produce. That has always been my focus. I met people on Twitter and interviewed them for my show, and over those early years I met many of the people I consider dear friends even now. Since self-publishing was a relatively unexplored niche in those early years, I slowly found an audience and built up a reputation. I also started to make more money both as an author, and as a creative entrepreneur. Over the years since, pretty much everything has changed for indie authors and we have had more and more opportunity every year. I've shared everything I've learned along the way, and it's been a wonderful time.  But as self-publishing became more popular and more authors saw more success (which is FANTASTIC!), other voices joined the chorus and now, there are many thousands of authors of all different levels with all kinds of different experiences sharing their tips through articles, books, podcasting, and social media. I started to wonder whether my perspective was useful anymore. On top of the human competition, in November 2022, ChatGPT launched, and it became clear that prescriptive non-fiction and ‘how to' information could very easily be delivered by the AI tools, with the added benefit of personalisation. You can ask Chat or Claude or Gemini how you can self-publish your particular book and they will help you step by step through the process of any site. You can share your screen or upload screenshots and it can help with what fields to fill in (very useful with translations!), as well as writing sales descriptions, researching keywords, and offering marketing help targeted to your book and your niche, and tailored to your voice. Once again, I questioned what value I could offer the indie author community, and I've pulled back over the last few years as I've been noodling around this. But over the last few weeks, a penny has dropped. Here's my thinking in case it also helps you. Firstly, I want to be useful to people. I want to help. In my early days of speaking professionally, from 2005-ish, I wanted to be the British (introvert) Tony Robbins, someone who inspired people to change, to achieve things they didn't think they could. Writing a book is one of those things. Making a living from your writing is another. So I leaned into the self-help and how-to niche. But now that is now clearly commoditised. But recently, I realised that my message has always been one of transformation, and in the following four areas.  From someone who doesn't think they are creative but who desperately wants to write a book, to someone who holds their first book in their hand and proudly says, ‘I made this.' The New Author. From someone who has no confidence in their author voice, who wonders if they have anything to say, to someone who writes their story and transforms their own life, as well as other people's. The Confident Author. From an author with one or a handful of books who doesn't know much about business, to a successful author with a growing business heading towards their first six figure year. The Author-Entrepreneur. And finally, from a tech-phobic, fearful author who worries that AI makes it pointless to create anything and will steal all the jobs, to a confident AI-assisted creative who uses AI tools to enhance and amplify their message and their income. The AI-Assisted Artisan Author. These are four transformations I have been through myself, and with my work as Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, I want to help you through them as well. So in 2026, I am repositioning myself as part of The Transformation Economy. What does this mean? There is a book out in February, The Transformation Economy by B. Joseph Pine II, who is also the author of The Experience Economy, which drove a lot of the last decade's shift in business models. I have the book on pre-order, but in the meantime, I am doing the following. I will revamp TheCreativePenn.com with ‘transformation' as the key frame and add pathways through my extensive material, rather than just categories of how to do things. I've already added navigation pages for The New Author, The Confident Author, The Author-Entrepreneur, and The AI-Assisted Artisan Author, and I will be adding to those over time. My content is basically the same, as I have always covered these topics, but the framing is now different. The intent is different. The Creative Penn Podcast will lean more heavily into transformation, rather than just information — And will focus on the first three of the categories above, the more creative, mindset and business things.  My Patreon will continue to cover all those things, and that's also where I post most of my AI-specific content, so if you're interested in The AI-Assisted Artisan Author transformation path, come on over to patreon.com/thecreativepenn I have more non-fiction books for authors coming, and lots more ideas now I am leaning into this angle. I'll also continue to do webinars on specific topics in 2026, and also add speaking back in 2027. It's harder to think about transformation when it comes to fiction, but it's also really important since fiction books in particular are highly commodified, and will become even more so with the high production speeds. Yes, all readers have a few favourite authors but most will also read a ton of other books without knowing or caring who the author is. Fiction can be transformational. Reader's aren't buying a ‘book.' They're buying a way to escape, to feel deeply, to experience things they never could in real life. A book can transform a day from ‘meh' into ‘fantastic!' My J.F. Penn fiction is mostly inspired by places, so my stories transport you into an adventure somewhere wonderful, and they all offer a deeper side of transformative contemplation of ‘memento mori' if you choose to read them in that way.  They also have elements of gothic and death culture that I am going to lean into with some merch in 2026, so more of an identity thing than just book sales. I'm not quite sure what this means yet, but no doubt it will emerge. I'll also shape my JFPennBooks.com site into more transformative paths, rather than just genre lists, as part of this shift. My memoir Pilgrimage always reflected a transformation, both reflecting my own midlife shift but I've also heard from many who it has inspired to walk alone, or to travel on pilgrimage themselves. Of course, transformation is not just for our readers or the people we serve as part of our businesses. It's also for us. One of the reasons why we are writers is because this is how we think. This is how we figure out our lives. This is how we get the stories and ideas out of our heads and into the world. Writing and creating are transformative for us, too. That is part of the point, and a great element of why we do this, and why we love this. Which is why I don't really understand the attraction of purely AI-generated books. There's no fun in that for me, and there's no transformation, either. Of course, I LOVE using Chat and Claude and Gemini Thinking models as my brainstorming partners, my research buddies, my marketing assistants, and as daily tools to keep me sparkly. I smiled as I wrote that (and yes, I human-wrote this!) because sparkly is how I feel when I work with these tools. Programmers use the term ‘vibe coding' which is going back and forth and collaborating together, sparking off each other. Perhaps that I am doing is ‘vibe creation.' I feel it as almost an effervescence, a fun experience that has me laughing out loud sometimes. I am more creative, I am more in flow. I am more ‘me' now I can create and think at a speed way faster than ever before. My mind has always worked at speed and my fingers are fast on the keys but working in this way makes me feel like I create in the high performance zone far more often. I intend to lean more into that in 2026 as part of my own transformation (and of course, I share my experiences mainly in the Community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn ). [Note, I pay for access to all models, and currently use ChatGPT 5.2 Thinking, Claude Opus 4.5, and Gemini 3 Pro). So that's the big shift this year, and the idea of the Transformation Economy will underpin everything else in terms of my content. The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community The Creative Penn Podcast continues in 2026, although I am intending to reduce my interviews to once every two weeks, with my intro and other content in between. We'll see how that goes as I am already finding some fascinating people to talk to!  Thank you for your comments, your pictures, and also for sharing the episodes that resonate with you with the wider community. Your reviews are also super useful wherever you are listening to this, so please leave a review wherever you're listening this as it helps with discovery.  Thanks also to everyone in my Patreon Community, which I really enjoy, especially as we have doubled down on being human through more live office hours. I will do more of those in 2026 and the first one of the year will blearily UK time so Aussies and Kiwis can come. I also share new content almost every week, either an article, a video or an audio episode around writing craft, author business, and lots on different use cases for AI tools.  If you join the Patreon, start on the Collections tab where you will find all the backlist content to explore. It's less than the price of a coffee a month so if you get value from the show, and you want more, come on over and join us at patreon.com/thecreativepenn My Books and Travel Podcast is on hiatus for interviews, since the Masters is taking up the time I would have had for that. However I plan to post some solo episodes in 2026, and I also post travel articles there, like my visits to Gothic cathedrals and city breaks and things like that. Check it out at https://www.booksandtravel.page/blog/  Webinars and live events Along with my Patreon office hours, I'm enjoying the immediacy and energy of live webinars and they work with my focus on transformation, as well as on ‘doubling down on being human' in an age of AI, so I will be doing more this year. The first is on Business for Authors, coming on 10 and 24 January, which is aimed at helping you transform your author business in 2026, or if you're just getting started, then transform into someone who has even a small clue about business in general!Details at TheCreativePenn.com/live and Patrons get 25% off. In terms of live in-person events, it looks like I will be speaking at the Alliance of Independent Authors event at the London Book Fair in March, and I'll attend the Self-Publishing Show Live in June, although I won't be speaking. There might be other things that emerge, but in general, I'm not doing much speaking in 2026 because I need to … Finish my Masters in Death, Religion, and Culture This represents a lot of work as I am doing the course full-time. I should be finished in September, and much of the middle of the year will be focused on a dissertation. I'm planning on doing something around AI and death, so that will no doubt lead into some fiction at a later stage! Talking of fiction … Bones of the Deep — J.F. Penn The Masters is pretty serious, as is academic research and writing in general, and I found myself desperate to write a rollicking fun story over the holiday break between terms. I've talked about this ‘tall-ship' story for a while and now I'm committing to it. Back in 1999, I sailed on the tall-ship Soren Larsen from Fiji to Vanuatu, one of the three trips that shaped my life. It was the first time I'd been to the South Pacific, the first time I sailed blue water (with no land in sight), and I kept a journal and drew maps of the trip. It also helped me a make a decision to leave the UK and I headed for Australia nine months later in early 2000, and ended up being away 11 years in Australia and New Zealand. I came home to visit of course, but only moved back to the UK in 2011, so that trip was memorable and pivotal in many ways and has stuck in my mind. The story is based on that crossing, but of course, as J.F. Penn my imagination turns it into essentially a ‘locked room,' there is no escape out there, especially if the danger comes from the sea. Another strand of the story comes from a recent academic essay for my Masters, when I wrote about the changes in museum ethics around human remains and medical specimens i.e. body parts in jars, and how some remains have been repatriated to the indigenous peoples they were stolen from. I've also talked before about how I love ‘merfolk' horror like Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, and Merfolk by Jeremy Bates. These are no smiling fantasy mermaids and mermen. They are predators. What might happen if the remains of a mer-saint were stolen from the deep, and what might happen to the ship that the remains are being transported in, and the people on board?  I'm about a third in, and I am having great fun! It will actually be a thriller, with a supernatural edge, rather than horror, and it is called Bones of the Deep, and it will be out on Kickstarter in April, and everywhere by the summer.  You can check out the Kickstarter pre-launch page with photos from my 1999 trip, the cover for the book, and the sales description at JFPenn.com/bones Add merch to CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com I've dipped my toe into merch a number of times and then removed the products, but now I'm clear on my message of transformation, I want to revisit this. My books remain core for both sites, but for CreativePennBooks, I also want to add other products with what are essentially affirmations — ‘Creative,' ‘I am creative, I am an author,' and variants of the poster I have had on my wall for years, ‘Measure your life by what you create.' This is the affirmation I had in my wallet for years! For JFPennBooks, the items will be gothic/memento mori/skull-related. Everything will be print-on-demand. I will not be shipping anything myself, so I'm working with my designer Jane on this and then need to order test samples, and then get them added to the store. Likely mid-year at this rate! How to Write, Publish, and Market Short Stories and Short Story Collections — Joanna Penn I have a draft of this already which I expanded from the transcript of a webinar I did on this topic as part of The Buried and the Drowned campaign. It turns out I've learned a lot about this over the years, and also on how to make a collection, so I will get that out at some point this year. I won't do a Kickstarter for it, but I will do direct sales for at least a month and include a special edition, workbook, and bundles on my store first before putting it wide. I will also human-narrate that audiobook. Other possible books I'm an intuitive creative and discovery writer, so I don't plan out what I will write in a year. The books tend to emerge and then I pick the next one that feels the most important. After the ones above, there are a few candidates. Crown of Thorns, ARKANE thriller #14. Regular readers and listeners will know how much I love religious relics, and it's about time for a big one! I have a trip to Paris planned in the spring, as the Crown of Thorns is at Notre Dame, and I have some other locations to visit. My ARKANE thrillers always emerge from in-person travels, so I am looking forward to that. Maybe late 2026, maybe 2027. AI + religion technothriller/short stories. I already have some ideas sketched out for this and my Masters thesis will be something around AI, religion, and death, so I expect something will emerge from all that study and academic writing. Not sure what, but it will be interesting! The Gothic Cathedral Book. I have tens of thousands of words written, and lots of research and photos and thoughts. But it is still in the creative chaos phase (which I love!) and as yet has not emerged into anything coherent. Perhaps it will in 2026, and the plan is to re-focus on it after my Masters dissertation.  I feel like the Masters study and the academic research process will make this an even better book, But I am holding my plans for this lightly, as it feels like another ‘big' book for me, like my ‘shadow book' (which became Writing the Shadow) and took more than a decade to write! How to be Creative. I have also written bits and bobs on this over many years, but it feels like it is re-emerging as part of my focus on transformation. Probably unlikely for 2026 but now back on the list … Experiment more with AI translation AI-assisted translation has been around for years now in various forms, and I have experimented with some of the services, as well as working with human narrators and editors in different languages, as well as licensing books in translation. But when Amazon launched Kindle Translate in November 2025, it made me think that AI-assisted translation will become a lot more popular in 2026. AI audiobook narration became good enough for many audiobooks in 2025, and it seems like AI-translation will be the same in 2026. Yes, of course, human translation is still the gold standard, as is human narration, and that would be the primary choice for all of us — if it was affordable. But frankly, it's not affordable for most indie authors, and indeed many small publishers. Many books don't get an audiobook edition and most books don't get translated into every language. It costs thousands per book for a human translator, and so it is a premium option. I have only ever made a small profit on the books that I paid for with human translators and it took years, and while I have a few nice translation deals on some books, I'm planning to experiment more with AI translation in 2026. More languages, more markets, more opportunities to reach readers. More on this in the next episode when I'll cover trends for 2026. Ideally outsource more marketing to AI, but do more marketing anyway You have to reach readers somehow, and you have to pay for book marketing with your time and/or your money. Those authors killing it on TikTok pay with their time, and those leaning heavily on ads are paying with money. Most of us do a bit of both. There is no passive income from books, and even a backlist has to be marketed if you want to see any return. But I, like most authors, am not excited about book marketing. I'd rather be working on new books, or thinking about the ramifications of the changes ahead and writing or talking about that in my Patreon Community or here on the podcast. However, my book sales income remains about the same even as I (slowly) produce more books, so I need to do more book marketing in 2026. I said that last year of course, and didn't do much more than I did in 2024, so here I am again promising to do a better job! Every year, I hope to have my “AI book marketing assistant” up and running, and maybe this will be the year it happens. My measure is to be able to upload a book and specify a budget and say, ‘Go market this,' and then the AI will action the marketing, without me having to cobble together workflows between systems. Of course, it will present plans for me to approve but it will do the work itself on the various platforms and monitor and optimize things for me. We have something like that already with Amazon auto-ads, but that is specific to Amazon Advertising and only works with certain books in certain genres. I have auto-ads running for a couple of non-fiction books, but not for any fiction. I'd also ideally like more sales on my direct stores, JFPennBooks.com and CreativePennBooks.com which means a different kind of marketing. Perhaps this will happen through ChatGPT shopping or other AI-assisted e-commerce, which should be increasing in 2026. More on that in trends for the year to come in the next show. Double down on being human, health and travel I have a lot of plans for travel both for book research and also holidays with Jonathan but he has to finish his MBA and then we have some family things that take priority, so I am not sure where or when yet, but it will happen! Paris will definitely happen as part of the research for Crown of Thorns, hopefully in the spring. I've been to Paris many times as it's just across the Channel and we can go by train but it's always wonderful to visit again. Health-wise, I'll continue with powerlifting and weight training twice a week as well as walking every day. It's my happy place! What about you? If you'd like to share your goals for 2026, please add them in the comments below — and remember, I'm a full-time author entrepreneur so my goals are substantial. Don't worry if yours are as simple as ‘Finish the first draft of my book,' as that still takes a lot of work and commitment! All the best for 2026 — let's get into it! The post My 2026 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Send us a textEnjoy our special end-of-year roundtable discussing our favorite (and least favorite) books and media of 2025 and what we're looking forward to in 2026.List of books/media discussed:Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins ReidThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins ReidThe Summer Hikaru Died, MokumokurenAlchemised, SenLinYuThe Black Wolf (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #20) & The Gray Wolf (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache #19), Louise PennyThe Office of Historical Corrections, Danielle EvansInfinite Jest, David Foster WallaceDungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1), Matt DinnimanDemon Copperhead, Barbara KingsolverAtavists: Stories, Lydia MilletThe Hacienda, Isabel CañasBabel, R.F. KuangThe Framed Women of Ardemore House (Ardemore House #1) & The Dead Came To Stay (Aredemore House #2), Brandy SchillaceRead Between the Lines (Ms. Right #1) & No Rings Attached (Ms. Right #2), Rachel LaceySky Full of Elephants, Cebo CampbellThe Spellshop (Spellshop #1) & The Enchanted Greenhouse (Spellshop #2), Sarah Beth DurstEmily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde #1), Heather FawcettThe Grace of Wild Things, Heather FawcettA Court of Thorns and Roses (book series), Sarah J. MaasWuthering Heights, Emily BrontëSunrise on the Reaping, Susan CollinsPeople We Meet on Vacation, Emily HenryOff-Campus (upcoming TV series based on the book series by Elle Kennedy)Percy Jackson & the Olympians (TV series, based on the book series by Rick Riordan)Bridgerton (TV series based on the book series by Julia Quinn)Vagabond, Tim CurryA Monsoon Rising (The Hurricane Wars #2) & The Shattered Tempest (The Hurricane Wars #3), Thea GuanzonThe Ninth House (Alex Stern #1) & Dead Beat (Alex Stern #3), Leigh BardugoSilo (TV series based on the books Wool, Shift & Dust by Hugh Howey)American Girl & Dear America seriesWelcome to St. Hell: My Trans Teen Misadventure, Lewis HancoxTransitions: A Mother's Journey, Élodie DurandHypercapitalism: The Modern Economy, Its Values, and How to Change Them, Larry Gonick & Tim KasserWish Monster: A Middle Grade Halloween Horror Tale About a Wish-Granting Creature and the Price of Bringing the Dead Back, J. A. WhiteFourth Wing (Empyrean #1) & Iron Flame (Empyrean #2), Rebecca YarrosDon't Trust Fish, Neil Sharpson & Dan SantatFlotsam, David WiesnerRoxaboxen: A Picture Book About Childhood Imagination and the Transforming Magic of Boxes, Sticks, and Sand for Children, Alice McLerran & Barbara CooneyThe Wedding People, Alison EspachRemarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby van PeltUntypical, Pete WharmbySilver Elite, Dani FrancisThree Days in June, Anne TylerLessons in Magic and Disaster, Charlie Jane AndersThe Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, V. E. SchwabBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, V. E. Schwab

BookTube and BookTok hype is everywhere—but does it actually deliver?Some books explode across BookTube and BookTok and become completely unavoidable. Everyone's talking about them. Everyone's recommending them. And everyone assumes they must be incredible.But experience says… that's a coin toss.In this episode, Jim breaks down the Top 10 “BookTube & BookTok Famous” SFF novels he actually liked, ranked from a much larger Top 100 list based on how dominant these books were across online book communities—not just how “good” they're supposed to be.You'll hear:

Today is a special episode because not only is it the last episode of 2025, but also the final installment of this series is OUT NOW! If you've started reading it, let me know your thoughts. You've been following along since I begun writing it, and know all about the ups and downs. Here's a little insight on how it all went down when I thought of the idea and potentially what's next. Magic Reborn can be found through this link: https://www.jeffekennedy.com/magic-rebornHere's to 2026!Support the showAmong the Thorns line edits are D-O-N-E DONE! Preorder here In case you missed it, Strange Familiar Audio Book is now available on Youtube ~ Listen for free here You can find the Owl Crate signed edition of Never the Roses here A very beautiful hardcover edition can be found here The audio book can be listened to here And Kindle Unlimited has Never the Roses digital version! Your friendly neighborhood author is doing author-ly things this upcoming month! Hummingbird House is officially OPEN FOR BOOKING Book your next writer retreat at Hummingbird House in Santa Fe here Upcoming Events ~ LoveLitCon is a weekend of romantasy and bookish fun and I will be attending! Buy LoveLitCon tickets here using LOVE8368 for $10 OFF! https://lovelit.com/ Tuscon Festival of Books is March 14th-15th this year! See you there *Wink* ...

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are taking a look back at their favorite reads of 2021. This was one of the best reading years. This was also the year we added the superlatives which everybody loved! Most of these books should be available for you to grab if any interest you after hearing us rave about them! Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  2:38 - Our Top 10 Reads of 2021 12:35 - Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (Kaytee #10) 12:39 - Season 3: episode 40 14:09 - Currently Reading Patreon 16:39 - Fablehaven by Brandon Mull  16:52 - A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus (Meredith #10) 18:50 - The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (Kaytee #9) 21:25 - Furyborn by Claire Legrand 21:36 - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo  21:56 - A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas (Meredith #9) 22:21 - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 23:01 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 23:46 - The Day The World Came to Town by Jim DeFede (Kaytee #8) 23:50 - Season 4: Episode 14 25:32 - Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May (Meredith #8) 25:41 - Season 3: Episode 41 29:03 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Kaytee #7) 29:25 - Season 3: Episode 42 31:41 - State of Terror by Hilary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny (Meredith #7) 34:22 - Intermission: Lowest Rated Books 34:58 - Roar by Cecilia Ahern (Kaytee) 35:41 - Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard (Kaytee) 36:48 - Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay (Meredith) 37:30 - Survive the Night by Riley Sager (Meredith) 38:25 - Meredith and Kaytee's Top 10 Books of the Year cont'd 38:36 - Love Lives Here by Rowan Jette Knox (Kaytee #6) K NOTE: while I do think it's clear that I love my sister dearly here, I want to be extra super clear that when I say "love covers all manner of sins" I am referring to the ways we as her family fail at times to do the best we can. I am not in any way referring to her gender identity as a sin. My sister knows this, but I want to be sure that anyone else who hears me, hears me correctly as well. 40:25 - Pony by R.J. Palacio (Meredith #6) 40:50 - Page & Palette Bookshop 42:05 - Wonder by R.J. Palacio 43:01 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley (Kaytee #5) 43:04 - Season 3: Episode 45 44:29 - The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino (Meredith #5) 47:46 - Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston (Kaytee #4) 47:51 - Season 3: Episode 35 47:56 - Bookshelf Thomasville 48:47 - Blackwell's 49:05 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 49:06 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling 49:28 - 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard  49:37 - The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard (Meredith #4) 53:14 - Intermission: The Books that Surprised Us Most in 2021 53:44 - Season 3: Episode 34 53:50 - The Black Count by Tom Reiss (Kaytee) 55:38 - Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (Meredith) 59:25 - Meredith and Kaytee's Top 10 Books of the Year cont'd 59:50 - How the Word is Passed by Clint Smith (Kaytee #3) 59:56 - Season 4: Episode 19 1:01:37 - Fabled Bookshop 1:01:39 - We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker (Meredith #3) 1:04:52 - Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby (Kaytee #2) 1:04:56 - Season 4: Episode 2 1:07:18 - Matrix by Lauren Groff (Meredith #2) 1:07:59 - Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff 1:11:14 - All The Lonely People by Mike Gayle (Kaytee #1) 1:11:22 - Season 4: Episode 12 1:11:38 - Minisode w/Mike Gayle 1:14:09 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Meredith #1) 1:15:42 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 1:22:48 - Reflections from the 2021 Reading Year 1:24:25 - Pony by R.J. Palacio 1:24:45 - Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston   Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. December's IPL is a recap of the year with Kaytee and Meredith. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

We’re closing out this strange year with a “big-picture” episode: editor & critic Dan Hartland is on to talk about trends and directions—or lack thereof—in recent speculative fiction. We talk about the interesting spread of books & awards this year, do some armchair speculating about genre shifts & their accompanying arguments, and have some very insider-baseball discussion of what gets reviewed (or not) and why. And, of course, Dan and Casella talk about their favorite reads from 2025. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Dan Hartland Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Thompson References: Critical Friends podcast Gautam Bhatia's The Sentence Vajra Chandrasekera's Rakesfall Award spread this year- see for instance SFADB Article on UK romantasy sales numbers Romantasy, LitRPG, Progression Fantasy, Baen Books Locus SFT= Speculative Fiction in Translation Strange Horizons issue on the NEA cuts and SFT Richard K. Morgan Orbus by Neal Asher Jenny Hamilton’s work at Reactor AO3= Archive Of Our Own When There Are Wolves Again by E.J. Swift Metal from Heaven by August Clarke Niall Harrison’s review of Swift William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy Hugboxing vs Scab-Picking H.G. Wells Sylvia Park's Luminous Eva Meijer’s Sea Now, tr. Anne Thompson Melo The Booker Prize “Prestige TV in the Time of Climate Change” by Sarah Miller The Sopranos & Breaking Bad The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien Hannah Arendt & Baruch Spinoza John Wyndham & J.G. Ballard The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, tr. Sarah Moses Becky Chambers Colourfields by Paul Kincaid Margaret Killjoy's A Country of Ghosts The Expansion Project by Ben Pester The Goldsmiths Prize Olga Ravn's The Employees Jeff VanderMeer's Area X Ned Beauman BSFA short SF in translation award Translated Hugo Initiative Dengue Boy by Michel Nieva, tr. Rahul Berry Isaac Fellman's Notes from a Regicide Vajra Chandrasekera’s The Saint of Bright Doors Christopher Priest Debbie Urbanski's Portalmania Thomas Ha's Uncertain Sons Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others Leyna Krow's Sinkhole and Other Inexplicable Voids Ed Park's An Oral History of Atlantis Kelly Link, George Saunders, T.C. Boyle, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Elwin Cotman Deep Dream: Science Fiction Exploring the Future of Art, edited by Indrapramit Das Countess by Suzan Palumbo Annie Bot by Sierra Grier Erika Swyler's We Lived On The Horizon Adrian Tchaikovsky, Premee Mohamed Lincoln Michel's Metallic Realms Ed Park’s Same Bed Different Dreams

We’re closing out this strange year with a “big-picture” episode: editor & critic Dan Hartland is on to talk about trends and directions—or lack thereof—in recent speculative fiction. We talk about the interesting spread of books & awards this year, do some armchair speculating about genre shifts & their accompanying arguments, and have some very insider-baseball discussion of what gets reviewed (or not) and why. And, of course, Dan and Casella talk about their favorite reads from 2025. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Dan Hartland Host:Jake Casella Brookins Music byGiselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork byRob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Thompson References: Critical Friends podcast Gautam Bhatia's The Sentence Vajra Chandrasekera's Rakesfall Award spread this year- see for instance SFADB Article on UK romantasy sales numbers Romantasy, LitRPG, Progression Fantasy, Baen Books Locus SFT= Speculative Fiction in Translation Strange Horizons issue on the NEA cuts and SFT Richard K. Morgan Orbus by Neal Asher Jenny Hamilton’s work at Reactor AO3= Archive Of Our Own When There Are Wolves Again by E.J. Swift Metal from Heaven by August Clarke Niall Harrison’s review of Swift William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy Hugboxing vs Scab-Picking H.G. Wells Sylvia Park's Luminous Eva Meijer’s Sea Now, tr. Anne Thompson Melo The Booker Prize “Prestige TV in the Time of Climate Change” by Sarah Miller The Sopranos & Breaking Bad The Book of Records by Madeleine Thien Hannah Arendt & Baruch Spinoza John Wyndham & J.G. Ballard The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, tr. Sarah Moses Becky Chambers Colourfields by Paul Kincaid Margaret Killjoy's A Country of Ghosts The Expansion Project by Ben Pester The Goldsmiths Prize Olga Ravn's The Employees Jeff VanderMeer's Area X Ned Beauman BSFA short SF in translation award Translated Hugo Initiative Dengue Boy by Michel Nieva, tr. Rahul Berry Isaac Fellman's Notes from a Regicide Vajra Chandrasekera’s The Saint of Bright Doors Christopher Priest Debbie Urbanski's Portalmania Thomas Ha's Uncertain Sons Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others Leyna Krow's Sinkhole and Other Inexplicable Voids Ed Park's An Oral History of Atlantis Kelly Link, George Saunders, T.C. Boyle, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Elwin Cotman Deep Dream: Science Fiction Exploring the Future of Art, edited by Indrapramit Das Countess by Suzan Palumbo Annie Bot by Sierra Grier Erika Swyler's We Lived On The Horizon Adrian Tchaikovsky, Premee Mohamed Lincoln Michel's Metallic Realms Ed Park’s Same Bed Different Dreams

Celebrity Traitors UK. Adolescence. The Studio. Lily Allen. A matte primer and a Japanese eye mask. What's worth your time, your attention and your money this year according to Mamamia Out Loud? These are just some of the recommendations Amelia Lester, Emily Vernem, Jessie Stephens and Holly Wainwright are pulling out from the very long list of recommendations they made in 2025 for the second half of their comprehensive list of how to spend your holiday. Feel free to add to it. Support independent women's media TV & Movie Recommendations Holly recommends The Celebrity Traitors UK and The Four Seasons Jessie recommends We Live In Time Amelia recommends The Beast In Me Em recommends The Studio and One Of Them Days Book Recommendations Holly recommends Lonely Mouth by Jacqueline Maley Jessie recommends The Wedding People by Alison Espach Amelia recommends Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed by Maureen Callahan Em recommends A Court of Thorns and Roses and the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas Beauty Recommendations Holly recommends La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+ Jessie recommends the Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer Hydrating Amelia recommends the Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Rum Raisin Em recommends the Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System Best Random Reccos Holly recommends Lily Allen's West End Girl and CMAT's EURO-COUNTRY Album Jessie recommends giving blood and levelling up your smoothie. Amelia recommends using the MegRhythm Gentle Steam Eye Mask by Kao Em recommends the analog bag. What To Listen To Next: Don't miss an episode of Mamamia Out Loud Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here including the very latest episode of Parenting Out Loud, the parenting podcast for people who don't listen to... parenting podcasts. Watch Mamamia Out Loud: Mamamia Out Loud on YouTube THE END BITS: Check out our merch at MamamiaOutLoud.com GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening. Send us an email at outloud@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message. Join our Facebook group Mamamia Outlouders to talk about the show. Follow us on Instagram @mamamiaoutloud and on Tiktok @mamamiaoutloudBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even among the faithful, the Christmas season—and the life of Jesus—can take on new meaning at different moments in our lives. Our experiences have a way of giving us a fresh lens. But imagine trying to tell the story from the inside and adding layers and the many perspectives, conflicts, and politics surrounding Jesus and his disciples as they began to spread the gospel. Recently, FOX News Rundown's Lisa Brady spoke with Tarik Makarem, the British actor who portrays Jesus in Fox Nation's Jesus: Crown of Thorns, about the deeper context this version brings to the story, what he hopes season two offers viewers, and how stepping into this iconic role has changed him personally. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with Tarik Makarem and let you hear more about in Fox Nation's Jesus: Crown of Thorns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the second episode of our Summer Book Club and this time, we’re diving headfirst into Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry. So then, it was the book that promised joy, mess, meaning and maybe a mild existential spiral — did it deliver?

Even among the faithful, the Christmas season—and the life of Jesus—can take on new meaning at different moments in our lives. Our experiences have a way of giving us a fresh lens. But imagine trying to tell the story from the inside and adding layers and the many perspectives, conflicts, and politics surrounding Jesus and his disciples as they began to spread the gospel. Recently, FOX News Rundown's Lisa Brady spoke with Tarik Makarem, the British actor who portrays Jesus in Fox Nation's Jesus: Crown of Thorns, about the deeper context this version brings to the story, what he hopes season two offers viewers, and how stepping into this iconic role has changed him personally. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with Tarik Makarem and let you hear more about in Fox Nation's Jesus: Crown of Thorns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even among the faithful, the Christmas season—and the life of Jesus—can take on new meaning at different moments in our lives. Our experiences have a way of giving us a fresh lens. But imagine trying to tell the story from the inside and adding layers and the many perspectives, conflicts, and politics surrounding Jesus and his disciples as they began to spread the gospel. Recently, FOX News Rundown's Lisa Brady spoke with Tarik Makarem, the British actor who portrays Jesus in Fox Nation's Jesus: Crown of Thorns, about the deeper context this version brings to the story, what he hopes season two offers viewers, and how stepping into this iconic role has changed him personally. We often must cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full interview. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we will share our entire interview with Tarik Makarem and let you hear more about in Fox Nation's Jesus: Crown of Thorns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pastor Dru Rodriguez emphasizes the importance of nurturing a deep, meaningful relationship with Jesus beyond initial acceptance, highlighting that true growth occurs when we immerse our lives fully in faith.

As Christians celebrate the Holiday season, a new FOX Nation series takes a deeper look at the life of Jesus and the human struggles at the beginning of his ministry. 'Jesus: Crown of Thorns' explores faith, doubt, power, and sacrifice with added historical and emotional context beyond traditional retellings. Actor Tarik Makarem, who portrays Jesus in the series, joins the Rundown to discuss taking on the iconic role and how the experience changed him spiritually and personally. Then, we revisit one of our most impactful interviews from the past year, when Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) joined Dave Anthony to discuss the national debate over redistricting, the importance of faith in America's history, and his new book, One Nation Always Under God. Plus, commentary by Pastor Robert Jeffress of the Dallas First Baptist Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Christians celebrate the Holiday season, a new FOX Nation series takes a deeper look at the life of Jesus and the human struggles at the beginning of his ministry. 'Jesus: Crown of Thorns' explores faith, doubt, power, and sacrifice with added historical and emotional context beyond traditional retellings. Actor Tarik Makarem, who portrays Jesus in the series, joins the Rundown to discuss taking on the iconic role and how the experience changed him spiritually and personally. Then, we revisit one of our most impactful interviews from the past year, when Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) joined Dave Anthony to discuss the national debate over redistricting, the importance of faith in America's history, and his new book, One Nation Always Under God. Plus, commentary by Pastor Robert Jeffress of the Dallas First Baptist Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Christians celebrate the Holiday season, a new FOX Nation series takes a deeper look at the life of Jesus and the human struggles at the beginning of his ministry. 'Jesus: Crown of Thorns' explores faith, doubt, power, and sacrifice with added historical and emotional context beyond traditional retellings. Actor Tarik Makarem, who portrays Jesus in the series, joins the Rundown to discuss taking on the iconic role and how the experience changed him spiritually and personally. Then, we revisit one of our most impactful interviews from the past year, when Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) joined Dave Anthony to discuss the national debate over redistricting, the importance of faith in America's history, and his new book, One Nation Always Under God. Plus, commentary by Pastor Robert Jeffress of the Dallas First Baptist Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The cousins lead the wrap discussion on Tower of Dawn, book 7 in the Throne of Glass (TOG) series by Sarah J. Maas. The club, en masse, takes it to Síle (Sheila) and Teamhair (Tara) for being Chaol apologists. Did Sarah know Chaol would be divisive? Who would you invite to your khagan-kid, cut loose style dinner party? Safe if you've read this far in the series and no cross Sarah J. Maas universe spoilers. Send voice memos and emails to sandtfaemail@gmail.com and look for the first episode of Kingdom of Ash on January 21, 2026!   Season 1: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series Season 2: Throne of Glass (TOG) series

1 A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold. 2 The rich and the poor have this in common: Yahweh is the maker of them all. 3 A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it. 4 The result of humility and the fear of Yahweh is wealth, honor, and life. 5 Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked; whoever guards his soul stays from them. 6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. 7 The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender. 8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed. 9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. 10 Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop. 11 He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king's friend. 12 Yahweh's eyes watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful. 13 The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!" 14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit. He who is under Yahweh's wrath will fall into it. 15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline drives it far from him. 16 Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty. 17 Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching. 18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19 I teach you today, even you, so that your trust may be in Yahweh. 20 Haven't I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge, 21 To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you? 22 Don't exploit the poor because he is poor; and don't crush the needy in court; 23 for Yahweh will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them. 24 Don't befriend a hot-tempered man. Don't associate with one who harbors anger, 25 lest you learn his ways and ensnare your soul. 26 Don't you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts. 27 If you don't have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you? 28 Don't move the ancient boundary stone which your fathers have set up. 29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won't serve obscure men. Listen Donate Subscribe: Proverbs Daily Podcast Psalms Daily Podcast

This is the LAST solo pod of the year, and I am taking a look back at all of the roses and thorns from the past year.  I encourage us all to have some honest reflection ahead of the new year.  Not only to help fix the lows but to truly celebrate the highs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From the depths of the sea, Jonah offers thanks—not just for rescue, but for the pain that brought him back to God. Even in our darkest moments, we can be grateful for God's presence, His listening ear, and the lessons He teaches through suffering.

This episode contains mentions of challenging topics related to Epstein. Is it advisable to put my life on DnD while I try to finish this book? Or perhaps I should take a self-care night and dive into the endlessly fascinating read by Virginia Roberts Giuffre.... Or, maybe, someone will back into my fender in a parking lot. That works, too. Also, seven P.M. start time for a party? What do we think? Support the showAmong the Thorns line edits are D-O-N-E DONE! Preorder here In case you missed it, Strange Familiar Audio Book is now available on Youtube ~ Listen for free here You can find the Owl Crate signed edition of Never the Roses here A very beautiful hardcover edition can be found here The audio book can be listened to here And Kindle Unlimited has Never the Roses digital version! Your friendly neighborhood author is doing author-ly things this upcoming month! Hummingbird House is officially OPEN FOR BOOKING Book your next writer retreat at Hummingbird House in Santa Fe here Upcoming Events ~ LoveLitCon is a weekend of romantasy and bookish fun and I will be attending! Buy LoveLitCon tickets here using LOVE8368 for $10 OFF! https://lovelit.com/ Tuscon Festival of Books is March 14th-15th this year! See you there *Wink* ...

It was the end of a decade, but the start of an age. And I was screaming, "Long Live Magic Reborn!" Mark your calendars, for real this time, because Magic Reborn is done! Dec. 30th can't come fast enough. I'm really excited for you all to read this book!!! I had the time of my life writing it. Magic Reborn can be ordered through this link!Support the showAmong the Thorns line edits are D-O-N-E DONE! Preorder here In case you missed it, Strange Familiar Audio Book is now available on Youtube ~ Listen for free here You can find the Owl Crate signed edition of Never the Roses here A very beautiful hardcover edition can be found here The audio book can be listened to here And Kindle Unlimited has Never the Roses digital version! Your friendly neighborhood author is doing author-ly things this upcoming month! Hummingbird House is officially OPEN FOR BOOKING Book your next writer retreat at Hummingbird House in Santa Fe here Upcoming Events ~ LoveLitCon is a weekend of romantasy and bookish fun and I will be attending! Buy LoveLitCon tickets here using LOVE8368 for $10 OFF! https://lovelit.com/ Tuscon Festival of Books is March 14th-15th this year! See you there *Wink* ...

Send us a textToday we FINISH our coverage of the entire Wicked universe and close our bonus “Are Books Political” series! And is Wicked Worth Reading?Wicked: For Good has officially been out for three weeks, and we are ready to yap about it with all of you. Which is better? The movies? The book series? Or the Broadway musical? We rank everything in the universe, give you our number one overall pick, and talk about all of the movie moments we thought were faves, and the ones that were fails.We discuss the completely different ending the books take and how that choice truly changed the tone of the entire story, if we have unanswered questions or “hot takes,” and if we think there's more to come. If you've stuck around this long, enjoy a special treat at the end of the episode where we spill the beans on our next bonus series coming in February of 2026! We'll give you two hints… Margo Robbie and Jacob Elordi may have inspired our choices.

Which truths shape us, and which ones hold us back? In this episode, Cameron Rogers opens up to Danielle about the unexpected turns, identity shifts, and inner work that shaped the woman she is today. From walking away from a prestigious finance career to navigating anxiety, reinvention, and viral honesty online, she shares the truths she had to confront and the ones she chose to release. In this episode, Cameron shares: How her online persona “Freckled Foodie” began as a secret side project while she worked on Wall Street The unexpected moment she realized hustle culture was consuming her Why leaving her finance job didn’t magically erase her anxiety How pregnancy and postpartum cracked open a deeper level of honesty in her life and online The evolution from wellness content to vulnerable conversations about mental health The boundaries she keeps around what she shares publicly versus what stays private How trusting her gut became her most reliable guide in parenting, work, and relationships What she learned about partnership, emotional labor, and choosing a true co-parent The identity shifts that come with reinvention The therapy tools and mindset shifts that changed the way she moves through the world Follow Cameron on Instagram @CameronRogers Book recommendation: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Check out Cameron’s podcast Conversations with CamSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join me as I share about the books I read during the last quarter of 2025.    1. The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket 2. Nova by Chuck Black 3. The Hedge of Thorns by Lamplighter 4. The Secret of the Hidden Cove by Lamplighter 5. City of Serpents by Christina Baehr 6. Vally of Dragons by Christina Baehr 7. A Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola 8. Flight by Chuck Black 9. Book Girl by Sarah Clarkson 10. A Day at a Time by Kristen Kelley 11. The Christmas Book Flood by Roseanna M. White 12. A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus 13. Lore by Chuck Black 14. Kingdom's Hope by Chuck Black 15. Kingdom's Edge by Chuck Black 16. Beyond the Far Horizon by Carolyn Leiloglou 17. Little Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens & Joe Sutphin 18. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson   Resources Referenced: NHC Blog: Quarter 4 Book List FREE DOWNLOAD! Pen the Proverbs Scripture Writing Plan https://nohighercalling.org/product/pen-the-proverbs-scripture-writing-plan/   Follow my  journey by subscribing to this podcast. You can also follow me on Instagram, YouTube, and www.nohighercalling.org Subscribe to the NHC email at www.nohighercalling.org 

(00:00)Intro (7:02)#3 Teams in the State (13:08)Games of the Past (19:42)Lumberjack Preview (32:31)Roses & Thorns

Sports Daily Full Show 18 December 2025

Síle (Sheila) and Teamhair (Tara) finish Tower of Dawn, book 7 in the Throne of Glass (TOG) series by Sarah J. Maas. How much do you need to picture the characters when you read? Was Yrene's theory obvious? Be honest, could you straight‑up forget who the Morath agent in the khagan's court was between read 1 and read 2? Because Tara could. Safe if you've read this far in the series, and no cross Sarah J. Maas universe spoilers. Send in voice memos and emails to sandtfaemail@gmail.com by December 21st, 2025 to be included in the wrap on the book. Season 1: A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series Season 2: Throne of Glass (TOG) series

This time, we continue our discussion of RPGs by suggesting Role Playing Games that share popular boardgaming mechanisms, as well as giving Tom tips for getting a game started. Plus, we have a new Tale of Boardgaming Horror, and we close the show with some Roses, Thorns, and Hula Hoops. 00:50 - A Story About Mail 02:22 - Eric at PAX Unplugged (inc. Hot Streak) 06:50 - Gift Guides, Dice Tower West and East 08:02 - RPGs for Boardgame Fans (detailed notes below) 37:55 - Tale of Boardgaming Horror 43:03 - Fromaggio 48:35 - Gnomic Parlament 52:13 - Carnuta 54:49 - Magic Number 11 56:54 - Insurrect10n -- Julie's Notes Where to go to get core book pdfs? DriveThruRPG https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/  Itch.io https://itch.io/  Cooperative play (yes the overwhelming majority of TTRPGs are cooperative) some extra cooperative leaning  Heckin' Good Doggos https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405426/heckin-good-doggos  Teatime Adventures https://www.snowbrightstudio.com/teatime-adventures  Dice rolling - Also many many many ttrpgs use dice. Here are some examples D20 - D&D/Pathfinder https://www.dndbeyond.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorCdKoS-xSfI4e05Us81YGA4tHt8CmmaOWNN-9VTcnsAfXS5pBS, https://paizo.com/pathfinder  d100 (percentile): Call of Cthulhu https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-rpg/  Symbol-based dice: FFG Star Wars. https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/starwarsrpg/ , Fudge dice: Fate  https://evilhat.com/product/fate-core-system/    Area control Beak, Feather, & Bone https://possible-worlds-games.itch.io/bfb  Faction/War Song of Ice and Fire RPG http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/101026/A-Song-of-Ice-and-Fire-Roleplaying-A-Game-of-Thrones-Edition  Mutant: Year Zero https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/139453/MUTANT-Year-Zero--Roleplaying-At-The-End-Of-Days  Numenera: Destiny https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/240655/Numenera-Destiny  Coyote and Crow https://www.allplay.com/board-games/coyote-and-crow-the-roleplaying-game/    Action points -  Level Up D&D PbtA  Using Action points Feng Shui https://atlas-games.com/fengshui  C&S: Rebirth  Mythras    Deck builder/Bidding Ok not really but Redigo is "Hand Management"  https://letsplayredigo.com/  Games using a standard deck of cards Castle Falkenstein https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/2370/castle-falkenstein  Games using a custom or proprietary card deck - mostly they are being used instead of dice Dragonlance: Fifth Age https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/186462/dragonlance-fifth-age-dramatic-adventure-game-saga  Clockwork Dominion https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/489608/courier-repacked  My Closest Pick Torg Eternity:A Thousand Faces of Adventure http://torg-gamereference.com/    Pick up and Deliver Solo/journal: Courier https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/489608/courier-repacked   Delivered! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/441018/delivered-a-solo-journaling-rpg  One shot Delivery Dragons https://shardsofblue.itch.io/delivery-dragons   Worker Placement? Become a GM Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

Part 2 Tyranny struggles with her crueler instincts as the Soldiers discover a safe haven for fairies that may hold clues about Cyd's whereabouts... New Episodes Release Weekly on Thursdays.Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/   GET MORE CAMPAIGN 4 WITH BEACONWe're excited to bring you even MORE Campaign 4 with a Beacon membership! Get access to exclusive shows like our behind-the-scenes Critical Role Cooldown and ask the Campaign 4 cast your burning questions directly through our LIVE monthly Fireside Chats.You'll also receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant ad-free access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord.Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to everything Critical Role! OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN 4 CASTGAME MASTER Brennan Lee MulliganLaura Bailey as ThimbleLuis Carazo as Azune NayarRobbie Daymond as Kattigan ValeAabria Iyengar as Thaisha LloyTaliesin Jaffe as Bolaire LathaliaAshley Johnson as VaelusMatthew Mercer as Sir Julien DavinosWhitney Moore as TyrannyLiam O'Brien as Halandil "Hal" FangMarisha Ray as Murray Mag'NessonSam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" HalovarAlexander Ward as Occtis TachonisTravis Willingham as Teor Pridesire CREDITSProduced by Maxwell James, Steve Failows, & Kyle ShireSet Designed by Shaun EllisProduction Designer: Noxweiler BerfCharacter Art by Loren HontanillaEdited by Taylor Burke and Emily "Stevie" StevensonCritical Role Announcement Playhouse Editor: Vinny CelestiOpening Title Editor: Paul FoyderOpening Title Colorist: Peter KoocheradisWindow Effects by Christian BrownGraphic Design by Aaron Monroy & Jordyn TorrenceCountdown Graphic by Daniel Jiménez VillalbaMiniatures Painted by Payton Keo LacebalOpening Title Theme by Neal AcreeCampaign 4 Key art by Hannah FriederichsAdditional Art & Design by Hannah Friederichs Episode QC by Catherine Zimmerman & Paula FloresAssistant Editor: Gianna GencarellaPost Production Coordinators: M Swing & Bryn HubbardClosed Caption Editing by Margaret Dill, Nikki Kindelberger, Courtney Knewtson, Danielle Lackie, Eleanor Smith-Dufresne & Alice TsoiPost Production Supervisor: Tal Levitas Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Mary are discussing: Bookish Moments: new bookcases and making space for new TBR Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: bookish therapy with Mary The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site). .  .  .  1:36 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 1:43 - @maryreadsandmakes on Instagram 2:21 - Ikea Billy Bookcase 6:00 - Half Price Books 8:14 - Our Current Reads 8:20 - The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard (Mary) 11:22 - 25 Days by Per Jacobson (Meredith) 17:37 - The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham (Mary) 21:50 - Madame Pamplemousse and Her Incredible Edibles by Rupert Kingfisher (Meredith) 24:24 - Daunt Books 26:54 - Blackwell's 28:06 - Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross (Mary) 28:52 - Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 32:38 - A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross 33:07 - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 33:08 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 33:34 - The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage (Meredith) 35:39 - The Popcast 37:24 - Force of Such Beauty by Barbara Bourland 37:43 - American Royals by Katharine McGee 39:08 - Reading Therapy  43:17 - Gemini Wrongs by Met Tietz on Substack 44:19 - The Fire Starter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte 44:22 - The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte 44:39 - Be Ready when the Luck Happens by Ina Garten 49:51 - Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed 50:08 - Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans 52:46 - Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore 56:31 - The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer 57:05 - The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon 58:43 - Meet Us At The Fountain 58:46 - My wish is that you evaluate your reading life and if you're struggling, to reflect if you need extra support in your life. (Mary) 1:00:47 - I recommend watching the show All Her Fault on Peacock if you liked the book. (Meredith) 1:00:58 - All Her Fault by Andrea Mara   Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. November's's IPL is brought to us from Content Bookstore in Northfield, Minnesota. Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

Part 1 Tyranny struggles with her crueler instincts as the Soldiers discover a safe haven for fairies that may hold clues about Cyd's whereabouts... New Episodes Release Weekly on Thursdays.Learn more about Campaign 4 at https://critrole.com/campaign4/   GET MORE CAMPAIGN 4 WITH BEACONWe're excited to bring you even MORE Campaign 4 with a Beacon membership! Get access to exclusive shows like our behind-the-scenes Critical Role Cooldown and ask the Campaign 4 cast your burning questions directly through our LIVE monthly Fireside Chats.You'll also receive NEW Beacon exclusive series, instant ad-free access to VODs & podcasts, live event pre-sales, merch discounts, & a private Discord.Start your 7-day free trial today at https://beacon.tv/join and get unparalleled access to everything Critical Role! OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN 4 CASTGAME MASTER Brennan Lee MulliganLaura Bailey as ThimbleLuis Carazo as Azune NayarRobbie Daymond as Kattigan ValeAabria Iyengar as Thaisha LloyTaliesin Jaffe as Bolaire LathaliaAshley Johnson as VaelusMatthew Mercer as Sir Julien DavinosWhitney Moore as TyrannyLiam O'Brien as Halandil "Hal" FangMarisha Ray as Murray Mag'NessonSam Riegel as Wicander "Wick" HalovarAlexander Ward as Occtis TachonisTravis Willingham as Teor Pridesire CREDITSProduced by Maxwell James, Steve Failows, & Kyle ShireSet Designed by Shaun EllisProduction Designer: Noxweiler BerfCharacter Art by Loren HontanillaEdited by Taylor Burke and Emily "Stevie" StevensonCritical Role Announcement Playhouse Editor: Vinny CelestiOpening Title Editor: Paul FoyderOpening Title Colorist: Peter KoocheradisWindow Effects by Christian BrownGraphic Design by Aaron Monroy & Jordyn TorrenceCountdown Graphic by Daniel Jiménez VillalbaMiniatures Painted by Payton Keo LacebalOpening Title Theme by Neal AcreeCampaign 4 Key art by Hannah FriederichsAdditional Art & Design by Hannah Friederichs Episode QC by Catherine Zimmerman & Paula FloresAssistant Editor: Gianna GencarellaPost Production Coordinators: M Swing & Bryn HubbardClosed Caption Editing by Margaret Dill, Nikki Kindelberger, Courtney Knewtson, Danielle Lackie, Eleanor Smith-Dufresne & Alice TsoiPost Production Supervisor: Tal Levitas Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.