cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

Edit 8/2/21: Done! New addition

Edit 7/5/21: Tree lighting? I need to find a hogswatch book... . 

Edit 6/9/21: Books? Books

Edit 5/3/21: Just keep reading. Mostly bonkers stuff these days because that's where my head is.

Edit 4/8/21: Getting there! 75%! 

Edit 3/5/21: Yeah, doing pretty well. Not sure what I'm going to find to cram into some of these other prompts (13/20 done), but I'll get there!

Edit 2/3/21: So I'm OBSESSED with the Wicked Villains series and am tearing through them like there's no tomorrow. I WILL find a way to get all them on this list. 

The 2021 Heaving Bosoms Reading Embrace prompts are out!

Rules? There are no rules! The only rule is "read books and put them into categories".  

The categories are (20 / 20 done):

1. Darkness Button - Captive in the Underworld by Lianyu Tan
   1. A f/f retelling of Hades/Persephone that, naturally, takes place largely in the very dark underworld.
   2. Persephone is MY GIRL in pretty much any incarnation of this story. I wanted to shake her a little in this version of it, but that's also normal. 
2. Defcon Most Extreme - A Worthy Opponent by Katee Robert
   1. When shit goes down, Tink sounds the alarm and heads in to the rescue. And then her friends come to make sure she's okay.
3. England Times America - The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe
   1. Normally I like her books, but this one just fell entirely flat for me. Not nearly enough groveling from a hero who intentionally ruined everything about the heroine's life that she'd planned. Not nearly enough of a grand gesture and I don't buy the HEA. Hmpf.
4. Furrrrrr - Byony and Roses by T. Kingfisher
   1. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Of course there's fur. No smut, just a sweet romance. One of my favorite books.
5. Ghost Boner - The Pearl by Tiffany Reisz
   1. Malcolm just keeps showing up and meddling, doesn't he? Such a naughty ghost!
6. HB Author - Desperate Measures by Katee Robert
   1. This entire Wicked Villians series is made for me. Just *fans self*
7. Holy Cats, That’s a Nice Nipple! - The Rose by Tiffany Reisz
   1. When the hero is literally a god, his nipples are verrrry nice.
8. Keep Being a Badass - A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare
   1. Hokay, so. This book. The heroine is a total badass and I love her. The hero is a dickwad and I hate him. Why, yes, the best way to prove your love is to take her away from all the things she loves to do so that you can be "together". Ugh. Just not good for me.
   2. I just want to hang out and drink tea with Susanna and have her teach me how to shoot. Maybe we can shoot Bram over the cliff. It'll be fun.
9. Lady Love - Queen Takes Rose by Katee Robert
   1. Zomg hot hot lady lovers. 
10. Morality Boner - Learn My Lesson by Katee Robert
    1. Neither Hades nor Meg have very many morals. Herc does, though. There are lots of boners.
11. Murder Smolder - Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher
    1. A were-bear nun and a berserker paladin? Hell YES there's some smoldering while murdering.
    2. Also the creepiest use of rabbits the literary world has ever seen. So good.
12. Never Seen Snow Before - The Sea Witch by Katee Robert
    1. You guys, Zuri has probably never seen snow before. Or anything. So sheltered, y'all.
13. Orgasms and Waffles - Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston
    1. When stressed, the leading lady bakes. The scene where this is introduced is completely laugh-out-loud funny. I don't remember any waffles, but there are some orgasms. And violence, because the MC is a honey badger shifter. She's awesome and I want to hang out with her.
14. Remembering Things in 2021 - Neon Gods by Katee Robert
    1. Persephone is sunny and survives by appearing empty-headed. But she observes and remembers EVERYTHING and will TOTALLY DESTROY YOU IF YOU CROSS HER. And Hades is grumpy and carries a grudge like you would not believe. I love these two and want to snuggle this book. 
15. Roll Butter - Sinner by Sierra Simone
    1. *fans self* 
    2. There's a scene in a kitchen where there is rolling and a jug of cooking oil. It's not butter and it's not the hero being economical in a weird flex, but DANG is this book steamy. All the steam. Yus.
16. Royal Boner - The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan
    1. Another fantastic historical from Our Lady Of The Twitter Takedowns.
    2. This book made me really happy in the way she turned the tropes on their heads. A less skilled author would have faceplanted, but Ms Milan STUCK THE LANDING. And the crowd (inside my head) went wild!
17. The Seven Seas - Persuasion by Jane Austen
    1. Captain Wentworth, our hero, is in the Navy. That counts.
    2. Also, his title (Captain) starts with C. The Crofts also start with C. And Captain Bennick has 2 Cs. And Captain Harville. Charles Musgrove. That makes 7 Cs. *nods with satisfaction*
18. The Sheriff of My Vagina - The Commanders' Mate by Grace Goodwin
    1. The vagina alien is the Commander of the forces. That makes him BETTER than a Sheriff. A stretch? Sure, but that's what the ATB is for.
19. Traditional Naperville Tree Lighting - All They Want for Christmas by Andie Christopher
    1. I give this book 4 stars for HOT, but 3 for editing. I can overlook some typos, but when I have to stop and go back and try to puzzle out what was meant? Not good. But HAWT.
20. War Horniness - Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian
    1. This book is adorable. One of the characters has Extreme PTSD from war shenanigans. The other has PTSD from an abusive father. Together, they're a sweet cinnamon roll M/M power couple. I love them to bits.

I ordered a bunch of swatches from Silk Baron. I want to see what the different oranges look like in Real Life. Then I can choose and get to work on September's Watchful Dress. This is a costume that I Need To Make. So much love for this book. So. Much. Love. I already have the chiffon overlay and the pocket watches, but I'll need to find beads, green silk rope, black ribbon rosettes, and a brooch. Yus.

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I need to get my measurements and put them into lekala's website. I can then order my patterns and figure out yardage. Werk officially confirmed that Cosplay During Conference of Doom is a GO. I need more costumes and I want one to be a formal Red Queen.

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I need to figure out what all alterations I need to make to a different pattern. I want a White Rabbit outfit.

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I'll be eligible for another two-week sabbatical next year. I plan to take my parents, husband, AND kids. I want to go to Costa Rica. I'm reading resort reviews and trip options. No plans yet, just dreaming.

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We'll be able to walk down to the local Farmer's Market tomorrow morning. The kids can play while parents shop. Then we can go to the library. I like this new Saturday routine.

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I have plans for pencil skirts and other new things. I ordered a denim jacket to pair with some of these skirts and tank tops. I will be trendy. This is worrying.

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I need to figure out a makeup routine. I have lovely shadows from Espionage Cosmetics. I need to figure out how to use them and not look like an eccentric clown. Not sure how to do that. Time to play!