March 2026 in Review
Mar. 31st, 2026 08:46 am
22 works reviewed. 11.5 by women (52%), 10 by men (45%), 0.5 by non-binary authors (2%), 0 by authors whose gender is unknown (0%), and 9 by POC (41%).
March 2026 in Review


Happy Tuesday!
It’s the last day of March and a pretty big release day. I feel like there’s a little bit of everything from historical romance to non-fiction.
Which new books are you excited for? Let us know in the comments!
Author: Caitlyn Paxson
Released: March 31, 2026 by Del Rey
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Historical: European, Romance
In this witty fantasy romance, a widow attempts to resurrect her dead husband by blackmailing her rakish necromancer neighbor—only to find herself falling for him instead.
“Witty, whimsical, and deeply kind, A Widow’s Charm is beyond charming—it’s wholly enchanting.”—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Everlasting
Lady Hildegarde Croft is accustomed to changes in position. After all, she rose from maidservant to lady of the manor when she married Lord Thorgoode Croft. But when he dies unexpectedly, the plans that would have protected her and the people of Croftholde die along with him. What’s a widow to do?
Potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Elmwood, who is fleeing the consequences of using his forbidden Charm to raise the dead. Now he’s injured, destitute, and hiding out at the neighboring estate.
For Hilde, blackmailing Lord Elmwood to resurrect Thorgoode seems like the perfect solution. For Elmwood, beautiful Lady Croft seems like the ideal distraction from his troubles. The problem is, all she wants from him is the horrifying power he knows he can never use again.
Sarah: A widow attempts to blackmail the necromancer next door into reanimating her husband to save his estate and her life, and then the necromancer is hot. Historical.
Author: A. Rae Dunlap
Released: March 31, 2026 by Kensington Books
Genre: Horror, Historical: European, Mystery/Thriller
A Victorian-era Nancy Drew meets The Woman in the Window as true crime and historical fiction collide in this atmospheric thriller featuring real-life figures and a rebellious, uniquely inventive young reform school inmate determined to solve the serial killer case dominating the headlines in London, and soon, in the world: the Jack the Ripper murders.
London, 1888. Committed to the Whitechapel Hall Reform School for “incurable delinquency” 15-year-old Adelaide “Dell” Morton is a precocious, defiant misfit. She’s also a voracious reader of true crime and detective fiction, including the sordid, sensationally popular Penny dreadful stories. In an unlikely stroke of luck, she’s found a kindred spirit in her poised, perfectionist roommate, Pippa. Their obsession is only further fueled by the Jack the Ripper murders blazing a trail of terror throughout London’s seediest streets . . . right outside Whitechapel Hall’s front door.
Desperate for adventure, they embark on their own investigation—and discover an ally in Noah, son of the local butcher. But Noah’s motives are not mere fascination: His father is the prime suspect. Noah is desperate to clear his name, and Dell and Pippa are only too eager to help.
Their budding spywork soon yields shocking results: they witness straightlaced Whitechapel teacher Miss Kaye escaping the school the night of the latest crime. Could Jack the Ripper be a she? Delving into Miss Kaye’s background, Dell is both horrified and thrilled to find that within Miss Kaye’s past lies a chapter dark enough to rival any Penny dreadful . . .
Dell’s fixation with Miss Kaye reaches dangerous heights while a series of suspicious events leave Miss Kaye in sole command of Whitechapel Hall. Trapped in their teacher’s ever-tightening web of control, the three devious detectives devise a risky plan to track her. But what ensues may only propel them ever deeper into secrets, lies, ruthless acts, and betrayals that go back decades—and a confrontation that will irrevocably change the fates of all involved . . . if they survive.
Amanda: I was on board with “A Victorian-era Nancy Drew.”
Author: Navessa Allen
Released: March 31, 2026 by Slowburn
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Series: Into Darkness #3
Book three in the No.1 New York Times bestselling Into Darkness series, following the dark rom-com sensations Lights Out and Caught Up . The game is on for these enemies-to-lovers with laugh-out-loud banter and scorching-hot brat play.
I hate that woman.
Tyler Neumann has spent years looking for his father, and not because he wants to meet the man. No, he wants to destroy him. And he’ll manipulate whoever he can to exact his revenge.
Including Stella McCormick. She’s everything Tyler hates. Her wealth and privilege have protected her for her entire life, and Tyler thinks it’s time she finally paid the price. Whether she’s ready to or not.
I hate that man.
Stella might not believe in love at first sight, but loathing at first sight – no question. From the moment she sets eyes on Tyler in her tattoo parlor, she knows he’s the devil planning to make her life hell.
Forced to play the part of his girlfriend and invite him into her family’s glittering circles, Stella quickly clocks Tyler’s ulterior motives. But love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and soon she doesn’t know which is being blackmailed by a man who wants to ruin her, or that they can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.
Game On is an enemies-to-lovers dark romance with morally grey characters. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. Please check the content warning at the beginning of the book.
The third book in the very popular Into Darkness series.
Author: Jennifer Mandula
Released: March 31, 2026 by Del Rey
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Historical: European, Romance
When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him with the help of a fellow scholar—her former fiancé—in this enchanting and transporting historical fantasy.
Mary Anning wants to be a geomagician—a paleontologist who uses fossils to wield magic—but since the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women, she’s stuck selling her discoveries to tourists instead. When an ancient egg hatches in her hands, revealing a loveable baby pterodactyl Mary names Ajax, she knows this is the kind of scientific find that could make her career—if she’s strategic.
Mary contacts the Society about her discovery, and they demand to take possession of Ajax. Their emissary is none other than Henry Stanton, a distinguished (and infuriatingly handsome) scholar… and the man who once broke Mary’s heart.
Henry claims he believes in the brilliant Mary, and that he only wants to help her obtain the respect she deserves. She knows she can’t trust her fellow scholars, who want to discredit her and claim Ajax for their own—but can she even trust Henry, who seems intent on winning Mary back?
Now Mary has a new mystery to solve that’s buried deeper than any dinosaur She must uncover the secrets behind the Society and the truth about Henry. As her conscience begins to chafe against her ambition, Mary must decide what lengths she’s willing to go to finally belong—and what her heart really wants.
Amanda: This sounds delightful!
Author: Jenny Lawson
Released: March 31, 2026 by Penguin Life
Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction
Warm, insightful, and witty, the first book of advice from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson—aka the Bloggess
Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She’s a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She’s an award-winning humorist but struggles with treatment-resistant depression. The questions people most often ask her are, “How do you do it? How do you keep going even when it feels impossible? How do you keep creating?” This book is her answer.
In How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, Jenny shares more than one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn’t working properly due to depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up.
With chapters like “Wash Your Brain More Than You Wash Your Bra” (sleep, you beautiful human), “Working on Easy Mode Is Still Working” (asking for accommodations is okay!), “Celebrate Good Times, Come On!” (make it a habit to celebrate the good things), and many more, How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is a balm and companion, reminding us all that we are not alone. It’s for anyone who struggles with self-doubt, guilt, motivation, and mental blocks and wants to rekindle their passion for creating. Funny, simple, empathetic, and full of hope, it will encourage you not to just survive but to find and curate joy in the face of difficult times.
Amanda: Lawson is an autobuy for me!
Author: Sam Evans
Released: March 31, 2026 by Super Gravity Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Amanda: This sounds batshit and I’m here for it.
Author: Christy Carlyle
Released: March 31, 2026 by Avon
Genre: Historical: European, Romance
Series: Princes of London #2
In the next installment of the swoon-worthy Princes of London series, Christy Carlyle takes readers on a heart-pounding hunt through Norfolk where a legendary treasure hunter and a fierce local woman battle over a Viking hoard, each determined to claim it for their own—and neither willing to lose their heart in the process…
Dominic Prince is passionate, tenacious, and determined to carve out a legendary name for himself—just like his famous treasure-hunting father. When an American tycoon funds his expedition to uncover a Viking hoard in Norfolk and ship it across the Atlantic, Dominic sees his chance to claim glory. If he can unearth a treasure trove so magnificent it lands him on the front pages of newspapers in both England and America, his success will finally be undeniable.
Tess Hawthorne doesn’t quite know what to make of the entirely too handsome scoundrel who shows up in her village seeking the very treasure she’s been hoping to find all her life. When he asks to employ her knowledge and familiarity with the locals to assist on the dig, she accepts.
But she doesn’t want whatever treasure they find to leave England, and she certainly doesn’t want to lose her heart to the man determined to claim it…
A treasure hunting historical romance!
Author: Ilona Andrews
Released: March 31, 2026 by Tor Books
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale Romance, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Series: Maggie the Undying #1
Outlander meets Game of Thrones in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.
When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.
Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters’ ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she’s coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.
For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews.
Amanda: Portal fantasy is having a moment and I’m here for it. (I’ve also been consuming a lot of a isekai webtoons.)
All's tolerably quiet around here as we get ready for March Hare Madness, the charity pinball tournament. So until we experience that, and I'm ready to report on it, please enjoy the end at last of my Dutch Wonderland pictures.
Getting a ride on Merlin's Mayhem. Though the station works hard to be fully ``indoors'' the ride operator has this little booth from which they can see both the queue and the train and here's their little control panel.
There we go, the inside looks much more sensible when the camera's sensitivity is set right!
Scenic moment out in the park where you can pose for pictures with a simulated Pennsylvania Dutch couple, or sit in their wagon.
bunnyhugger sitting in their wagon, trying to look Pennsylvania Dutch, which is to say unhappy.
What do you think, did she nail it? Don't pay attention to the plush Mayhem we have in the bag.
And oh, we caught the back side of a show with Duke and the rest of the cast! They were doing a bit where for some reason everybody had to freeze when they said to.
Off to Kingdom Coaster for a last ride of the day. Here's other people getting a ride dispatched.
Caught the monorail going past Kingdom Coaster here.
And then, alas, the day is over and the ride is Closed.
Evening view of Merlin's Mayhem against a setting sun.
Train going in for the night, too.
And a glimpse back at the underwhelming park entrance. They've got a carousel horse at the front, like other Kennywood-chain parks picked up.
Trivia: The first professional-baseball name-the-team campaign seems to have been in 1905, when the Washington Senators ownership, tired of that nickname, offered a season ticket to the person sending in the best new team name. The eventual selection was the ``Washington Nationals'', which remained the team's official nickname through 1956, but they were called the Senators throughout. Source: A Game of Inches: The Story Behind the Innovations that Shaped Baseball, Peter Morris.
Currently Reading: The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-of-the-Century America, David Baron.
nb: We are still having issues with connections to our image library, so if some of the covers don’t load, I have linked to their info pages so you can find images on retailers.
Romance author Sandra Hill passed away on 26 March, surrounded by loved ones, per her obituary. She was 86 years old, and is survived by her four sons, her sister, and four grandchildren. May her memory be a blessing.
Because y’all, Sandra Hill was a gift to romance, and I shall not have it any other way. Amanda and I talk a lot about how romance in the late 90s and the 00s was often zany. Outlandish, absurd plots? Yes. Unexpected characters? Oh yes.
VERY VIRILE VIKINGS? You bet your sweet bippy we have very virile vikings.Sandra Hill was a treasure, dependable for a truly off the walls reading experience with campy, fun, and often endearing characters.
Please note that every word of this is very high praise. I’m genuinely sad to have lost one of the writers who I think made romance as great as it is.
The finest element to Sandra Hill’s writing was that you could kind of tell she was having a great time. You know how when you watch a show or a movie, and there’s a special kind of chemistry between the actors, a vibe that there’s a little something extra in their performance, because you can visibly tell they’re really enjoying themselves? That’s a Sandra Hill romance: the books are so unhinged they are barn doors, and she did not seem to be taking herself too seriously.
I mean, consider The Very Virile Viking.
Look, when don’t I consider The Very Virile Viking? I talk about this book all the time! I remember where I was when I read it (on a family cruise, where I had packed a suitcase that was just books because ereading wasn’t a thing). I remember a particular scene so clearly, I can picture where I was when I read it.
To wit: Magnus Ericsson, he of the very virile viking-ness, has traveled forward in time to 2014, along with a whole assortment of kids. Ten of them, to be precise. He is very virile, after all (sort of. It’s a plot point).
And at one point he gathers all the kids together and is like, “So clearly we are in the future, yeah?” And the kids basically reply, “Yep, pretty much!”
I don’t know why this scene stuck with me. Probably because it’s demonstrating real and caring parental attention to this collection of children, and also because it’s so on the nose it’s hilarious.
He’s a viking. (A very virile one!) And he and all his kids start out in 999, and end up in 2014 Hollywood. Because of course they do. This is a Sandra Hill book.
I mean, this is the author of the book we dubbed “The Pull My Finger Viking.” Better known as The Bewitched Viking.

Perhaps her publisher is who gave us the Pull My Finger Viking, but we know it was Sandra Hill’s work that inspired a cover this wonderful, this absurd. Truly majestic.
In addition to virile vikings, you know what else Sandra Hill gave us?
Immortal Viking Vampire Angel Navy SEALs.
AKA “The VVangels.”
Just…just gaze upon that sentence
Immortal. Viking. Vampire. Navy SEALs. And is the cover copy for book one, Kiss of Pride, as incredible as the above? Ha. Of course it is.Is he really a Viking with a vampire’s bite?
An angel with the body of a thunder god?
A lone wolf with love on his mind?
D: All of the above?!
Yes, indeed, the answer is D. (The answer is always D, especially when the viking vampire angels are involved.)
Then there’s book 7 in the Deadly Angels (that’s their proper series name. Immortal Viking Vampire Angel Navy SEALs takes way too long to say): The Angel Wore Fangs.
This book is TUMBLR FAMOUS. Look at the range of Sandra Hill. TUMBLR famous.
Why, you ask?Well. Let me tell you.
Once guilty of the deadly sin of gluttony, thousand-year-old Viking vampire angel Cnut Sigurdsson is now a lean, mean, vampire-devil fighting machine. His new side-job? No biggie: just ridding the world of a threat called ISIS while keeping the evil Lucipires (demon vampires) at bay.
I need to stop and catch my breath. A thousand year old Viking Vampire Angel named Cnut is going to fight ISIS. And demon vampires but also ISIS.
Let us continue:
So when chef Andrea Stewart hires him to rescue her sister from a cult recruiting terrorists at a Montana dude ranch, vangel turns cowboy. Yeehaw!
The too-tempting mortal insists on accompanying him, surprising Cnut with her bravery at every turn. But with terrorists stalking the ranch in demonoid form, Cnut teletransports Andrea and himself out of danger—accidentally into the tenth-century Norselands. Suddenly, they have to find their way back to the future to save her family and the world . . . and to satisfy their insatiable attraction.
Cnut and Chef Andrea end up in the 10th century. WAIT. Did they take over the Very Virile Viking’s home? I imagine it was spacious; he had 10 kids and he didn’t need a home in the tenth century anymore, now, did he?
The delight that I found in Sandra Hill titles is not measurable. Her books remain one of my favorite examples of what happens when truly unlimited imagination and fluency in romance meets high-grade silliness and camp.
Sandra Hill’s contributions to the genre are truly unique. They are masterpieces of the elements of romance fiction that we celebrate unreservedly, specifically over the top, absurd, campy, often silly, and enjoyable stories.
I have said many times that I do take some things very seriously – the comment space here, for example – but I do not take myself seriously at all. And I read Sandra Hill’s books with the suspicion that she didn’t take herself seriously, either. Which is probably one of my very favorite traits in a person.
Thank you, Sandra Hill, for making romance what it is. The genre would not have been the same, and certainly not as a fun and zany, without you.

Hey y’all! We’re having some really annoying technical difficulties with images this morning, which means your regularly scheduled (and really excellent) edition of Cover Snark is delayed until I can…get the covers to show up.
So in lieu of a lot of rippling ads like packs of King Hawaiian rolls (
Amanda) and really jacked, dehydrated men staring at their junk, and floating alien babies affixed with bad Photoshop – you can almost see the covers in your mind, can’t you?! – I’m going to ask:
How you doing?
It’s been A Morning for me: on top of having no images on the site and a lack of Man Titty
, had my second shingles shot today, so I’m prepared to feel Extra Crappy tomorrow. Plus I got a parking ticket despite having bought parking for said shot appointment, and I have to fight with my health insurance, too. I’m logged into like six portals right now trying to connect to the right people.
Administrivia is exhausting! And the site of my vaccine is ITCHY.
But, aside from it being A Morning, this week is Passover, and so there will be Big Feasting this week. And I have sweet potato tacos in the fridge for lunch. So life isn’t entirely annoying, just mostly annoying.
So how are you today? What’s up with you? DOTH THOU NEEDEST TO VENTE! Or CELEBRATE WINS? Please feel welcome to do so in the comments.
And please allow me to share the meme (fingers crossed the image loads correctly!) that has caused me to almost say, “I’m here for my shongles shit” at the doctor’s office.

RECOMMENDED: Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren is $1.99! This is book one in the Wild Quartet series and I gave it an A. The entire series is on sale and I hope it lasts. I saw it listed as both KDDs from yesterday, but also as part of Amazon’s Big Spring Sale which lasts through the 31st. Fingers crossed!
One-night stands are supposed to be with someone convenient, or wickedly persuasive, or regrettable. They aren’t supposed to be with someone like him.
But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation—and terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out—Mia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume—her sweet, filthy fling—to France for the summer and just…play.
When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away.
The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur is $1.99! This release was featured on Dahlia’s monthly queer romances post and I think in a deep dive on comic-style covers.
“A fantasy-tinged sapphic romance with perfect banter.”—People
A down-on-her-luck woman makes a deal with a crafty demon to win back her ex-girlfriend after a proposal gone awry, only to discover the girl of her dreams might be the devil she knows, from nationally bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.
Samantha Cooper is having a day from hell.
In less than 24 hours, her life has unraveled, leaving her single and with nowhere to live. Adding insult to injury, she’s trapped in an elevator with a gorgeous woman claiming to be a demon.
Daphne is not at all what Samantha expected from someone claiming to be an evil supernatural entity. She’s pretty, witty, dressed in pink, and smells nice. And she’s here to offer Samantha a deal she can’t refuse. Six wishes in exchange for one tiny trade—Samantha’s soul. There’s a glaring loophole in their contract, one Samantha fully intends to exploit so she doesn’t fork over her soul. After all, she only needs one wish to win her ex back.
Hell-bent to gather the last of the one thousand souls she needs so that she can be free of her own devilish deal, Daphne grants each of Samantha’s wishes . . . with a twist, so that Samantha is forced to make another.
As Samantha’s wishes dwindle and Daphne offers her glimpses into the life she thought she wanted, the unlikely pair grows close. Perhaps the girl of Samantha’s dreams is actually the stuff of nightmares, but Samantha and Daphne will have to outsmart the Devil himself if they want a chance at happily ever after.
Never Trust a Rogue by Olivia Drake is $2.99! This is book two in The Heiress in London series. This one seems to have a fake engagement and mystery elements.
A pretend engagement is filled with very real desire in the midst of a dangerous undercover investigation in this Regency romance from the RITA Award winner.
The wealthiest heiress of the season, Miss Lindsey Crompton finds detective work far more fascinating than social engagements—at least until she meets Thane Parker, the Earl of Mansfield. Thane is a paradox: a war hero and a cad, a wicked scoundrel and an indulgent guardian of his young ward. When Lindsey sneaks into his house to investigate his role in a series of murders, he blackmails her into a betrothal.
Thane has a secret life he keeps hidden from everyone, especially the infernally curious—and curiously alluring—Miss Crompton. Working with the Bow Street Runners, Thane is tracking a killer who may be one of Lindsey’s suitors. Even if their engagement is a ruse, the heat between Thane and Lindsey is undeniably real. And with a murderer on the loose, desire has never been so dangerous . . .
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yamboa is $2.99! This released January 2025. Elyse mentioned it on Hide Your Wallet because it sounded cozy and magical.
A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.
On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.
Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.
Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.
But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.
Recently here on CW I took aim at frog cakes, which I might have insinuated are all slimy hell beasts of Wreckage. A few of you took issue with this. So, here to defend their good name are some more frog cakes.
Take it away, guys!
"Well, Jen, as you can see we're extremely well-rounded."
"And we always put our best feet forward."
"In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find a frog cake that was too dimensional.
(And if you did, I'd be crushed.)"
"Never mind all that, though: The eyes have it, dahlings."
Uh huh. I see.
Well, frankly, guys, I think you're just making my point for me. But wait - what's this? Dribbles has prepared a short statement summarizing why frog cakes are awesome? Ok, then. Preach it, Dribbles.
"Thowwy, I can't wewwy tok wight now. Ma tongue is bwoke."
Aw, what a shame. Well, slimy hell beasts you remain, frog cakes. Sorry.
Thanks to today's hip-hop artists Wesley T., Jen C., Erin R., Tim W., & Andrea L.
*****
P.S. I take it back; I *do* like chocolate frogs. Or rather, the resin DIY chocolate frogs John and I made a few years ago for our Harry Potter party:
This was such a fun craft, click over for my tutorial and links to all the supplies and free box template.
NB: Images are back! Hooray!
Welcome back to Cover Snark!

From Karen H: I actually like this cover since I generally like men with muscles and the color scheme is different and pretty. But, the model’s left shoulder just looks like it has a weird growth. It’s probably the lighting but didn’t anybody look at it beforehand? Or does it look normal to everybody but me?
Sarah: I didn’t think so at first glance, but the more I look, the more the shoulder/pec/deltoid? sequence on the right looks…weird. Anyone familiar with anatomy want to correct me?
Dear god did he tear his pec and build up both parts?!

I asked my older child, who lifts, and he thinks the shoulder/deltoid area is normal, but that crease in the pec is concerning.
And folks, if you haven’t gotten your mammogram, Mr. Hero is here to remind you to have your regularly scheduled exam if possible!

From Nico: Because there I was, mindlessly scrolling through Copperfield’s, hot buttered rum in hand, when I had to double-check at what looked like a cover featuring a man pushing an axe handle through his head.
(I know he was supposed to be holding it behind his head, but something about the editing and angle looks like he’d pooled a Fooly Cooly and was pushing it through the extradimensional space in his forehead)
Sarah: I read the email from Nico first and thought, really? Then I looked at the cover.
Yup. That axe is coming right out of his left temple. This does not seem like a mountain boss move.
He has mountain bossed too close to the woodpile.
Elyse: That’s a tumor, sir.

Another from Karen H: I simply cannot recognize what the hero is holding in his right hand (actually, he’s not really holding it in my opinion but anyway) and I was hoping someone could identify it for me. Is it a tie, or a sock filled with sand, or what exactly? And what about the dirt or whatever on his left arm? Not to mention the strangely sharp, flat tattoo on his leg.
Sarah: Why does he have arm fungus?
Susan: I’m more worried about his other arm being a black hole that appears to be eating his shirt.
And if Disney sees that woman’s face they’re gonna sue.
Elyse: What is going on with his shorts? The legs are two different lengths.
Did the team order their gear from Temu?
Sarah: Wait, is that a…neck tie? What is happening?
Also she looks like a child and that gives me the creeps.

From Caroline: This cover raised some questions for me.
Sarah: Is Magenta even holding the baby? Or is the baby floating?
Amanda: That baby looks positively boneless.
Sarah: I am all for really good, long lasting sleep for all babies, and for their parents, but I have serious concerns about his caretaking skills. That baby won’t float in mid air forever!
After the Lansing Lightning Flippers (women's) pinball thing yesterday one of the players mentioned the league having the reputation for being woke (approvingly). Which, gosh, it does feel really good to know people say
bunnyhugger runs inclusive, open, friendly pinball events. Really says you've been doing well.
Meanwhile, in Dutch Wonderland photos, I rode the Sky Ride back the other way. Here's how that looked, thanks in part to some lucky timing.
At the high-diving amphitheater there's a couple of different shows done, and here are the banners advertising both. Unfortunately I missed both shows on my Sky Ride trips.
Did notice walking around the after-show theater this guy who's probably not off-season Santa Claus but can we ever really be sure?
This grain silo-looking thing was actually one of the park's first rides, a helter-skelter slide. They took the slides off only a couple years ago but at least the center of it stands.
View of Merlin's Mayhem from above and from an angle where you can see where anything is.
There's a train nearly up top of the lift hill and I realized this was my chance for some slightly different pictures of other people having fun!
There's the train going down one of the first drops.
Here's the queue area for Merlin's Mayhem, which was about seventeen billion times what was needed for the day, but gives you an idea the lines they expect to have at the height of the busy season.
And here's the carousel, particularly, along with a couple other rides as seen from high up. I don't know if the gravel path represents the old path of the original Turnpike ride.
There's that Mayhem again!
And I get a picture of the train roaring right back at me.
There it goes diving into the short underground tunnel, beneath the train tracks.
Back to the ground, and I catch the performers going out to a show!
Trivia: As part of budget-cutting in January 1934 New York City removed what the mayor's staff regarded as excess clocks in city departments. Medical examiner Charles Norris paid to replace the clock in his office and complained to the city papers how the law required they record the exact time a case is reported to them, and an office clock is required for accuracy. Source: The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, Deborah Blum.
Currently Reading: Lost Popeye Zine Volume 87: Nonny the Equine Genius!, Ralph Stein, Bill Zaboly. Editor Stephanie Noelle. And wow, Sir Pommy who's been Popeye's like only companion the last four years of story announces his extremely abrupt retirement from adventuring as if Ralph Stein knows the new writer taking over (Bud Sagendorf) is not going to be interested in the character at all. (Which Sagendorf was not, but still, it's not like Pommy couldn't have been useful.)