I think the number of people who read both is pretty significant, which is why I'm curious to hear what critics think, because my anecdotal experience may not be representative, obv. :)

Interesting thread! I'm curious to find out how romance critics would respond to this chapter. @oliviawaite.com, is this on your radar? As a cross-genre reader/writer, you already don't fit the model here, it sounds like. But I can acknowledge that we're often not representative of our audiences.

The Book News Isn't All Bad - Reactor Some bookish headlines can be dire — but it’s important to note the good stuff, too.

this week's column is entirely the project of how badly I needed a break from the prologue discourse, the imported Threads drama, the phrase "performative reading," and ... just so many other things

Congrats to the backyard!!!

Best Thai food I ever had in my *life* was in New Orleans. Going back soon and we picked our hotel to be walking distance from that restaurant so we can eat there a lot. 😂

Perfection. 💯

😍😍😍

This is PERFECTION. 😍

TY! :)

Yeah, when it comes to dowitchers, I got nothing. Less than nothing. 😂 I just bring my photos to Lauren, aka tinylongwing on here, and hope she can tell me!

Same! 🥰

Technology. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

It cracks me up. 😂

Just a Muppet of a bird!

Right?! I saw my first Little Blue Heron earlier this week and I had a moment of wondering if it might actually be a Reddish Egret and how would I know. Then 30 minutes later I saw a Reddish Egret doing its hunting dance and it was *extremely* obvious which was which. 😂

Gorgeous shot!

I was today years old... 😱😭

Congrats! I got to see one for the first time this spring after it took up residence for a couple days in the black bear enclosure at our zoo. 😂

(Also, I would've just looked up cask wine and been pleased to learn something, so I may not be representative. 😂)

Yes, definitely. That seems like a weird thing to flag? I wouldn't have known cask wine, but this one, yes!

CRIMINAL. All my relatives are out of the Navy now, but I can't fathom the waterfall of failures to get to this point. Holy shit.

So cute! 💯😊

Argh. I downloaded a funky version of that one somehow. It's sharper than that. 😒

Photo of another Tri-colored Heron standing among scattered yellow trees in the dawn light, neck curved in an S, with its brilliant half-light blue and half-black bill on pointy display

I mean, COME ON. 🤩 #birds

Photo of a dark blue-grey heron with a white belly and a reddish neck and two-toned light blue and black bill as it stabs something in the marsh, sending water flying everywhere

There were SO MANY Tri-colored Herons at Merritt NWR, I couldn't get over it. I'd seen them flying overhead many times the day before, but always pretty far off. Not at Merritt! 😍 #birds

Photo of a pink Roseate Spoonbill tilting its head and staring straight into the camera like it's trying to flirt with me, giant peach spoonbill shining wetly

So many Roseate Spoonbill photos! This goofy one might be my favorite. :) #birds

Seriously. I just tried to reply to someone and got a red 'forbidden' error message. And all yesterday I had to reload so many threads to get the full text. I'm willing to believe there might be some legitimate AI use cases out there, but coding does not seem to be one of them.

😍💯

I could not believe how much they just glow in the sun!

It really was! So pretty!