Ep #118 – LUST & FOUND

“PRIDE & SHMEJUDICE”

This week Meka and Melinda, aka Melinka, host the podcast with special guest author Suleikha Snyder as they discuss romance retellings

EP 118 HOSTS

> MEKA WHITE (she/her) is the voice behind BookAbility.me where she writes about her adventures in reading romance and being visually impaired. Meka loves pushing books and can’t wait to share her favorites with you. When she’s not reading, Meka also enjoys singing and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her guide dog, Treble. You can follow Meka on Twitter @Mektastic

> MELINDA UTENDORF (she/her) was that child reading Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High books with a flashlight until 2 a.m. and checking out stacks of books from the library every week. After getting sick of ‘important’ books in her English degree classes, she turned to romance and HEAs and hasn’t looked back since. Melinda spends her time doing puzzles, listening to podcasts, and helping as admin for @RomanceSparksJoy. When she’s not busy with all of that, she’s a freelance editor or talking about books as @MelindaEdits

EP 118 GUEST

> SULEIKHA SNYDER (she/her) Editor, writer, American desi and lifelong geek Suleikha Snyder is an author of contemporary and erotic romance. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusivity in publishing, Suleikha is frequently ranting when she should really be adding to her body of work. Suleikha lives in Chicago, finding inspiration in genre fiction, daytime and primetime soaps, and anything that involves chocolate or bacon. Visit her online at www.suleikhasnyder.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @suleikhasnyder

EP 118 DISCUSSION

NOTE: This episode includes some salty language and innuendo

> “Melinka” is Meka and Melinda’s cute portmanteau

>We can’t wait for Suleikha’s new PNR series due in 2021, here’s the announcement

Link: https://twitter.com/suleikhasnyder/status/1123588617073496065?s=20

> Suleikha’s work previously discussed on the podcast

>> Short story In Her Service discussed in RBP ep #109

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39848290-rogue-hearts

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49097921-prem-numbers

>> Novella Tikka Chance on Me discussed in RBP ep #113

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48694922-tikka-chance-on-me

> Suleikha recommends the film Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) a Pride & Prejudice retelling

Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0243155/

>> Which is adapted from the novel by Helen Fielding

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227443.Bridget_Jones_s_Diary

> Suleikha also recommends the movie Bride & Prejudice (2004) another Pride & Prejudice retelling

Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361411/

> Title: Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors (The Rajes #1)

Author: Sonali Dev

Relation to theme: Pride & Prejudice retelling

Representation: South Asian author, South Asian MCs

Content Warnings: cancer, ableism, fatshaming, racism, miscarriage

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41154302-pride-prejudice-and-other-flavors

> Title: Ayesha At Last

Author: Uzma Jalaluddin

Relation to theme: Pride & Prejudice retelling

Representation: South Asian/Muslim author, South Asian/Muslim MCs

Content Warnings: racism, Islamophobia, fat shaming

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43124133-ayesha-at-last

> Sonali Dev has another Austen retelling, Recipe for Persuasion (The Rajes #2), due May 2020 inspired by Persuasion

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47942531-recipe-for-persuasion

> On Suleikha’s TBR is Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal due Feb 2020 also inspired by Pride & Prejudice

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39926661-unmarriageable

> Meka mentions the horror novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith another Pride & Prejudice retelling

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5899779-pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies

>>Which was also adapted into a movie

Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1374989/

> Here’s the link to the trailer for the new Emma (2020) adaptation Melinda refers to

Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9214832/

> Title: Bollywood and the Beast (Bollywood Confidential #3)

Author: Suleikha Snyder

Relation to theme: Beauty and the Beast retelling

Representation: South Asian author, South Asian MCs

Content Warnings: sexual abuse, depression, attempted suicide

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34838617-bollywood-and-the-beast

> Title: A Spark of White Fire (The Celestial Trilogy #1)

Author: Sangu Mandanna

Relation to theme: Inspired by the Mahabharata and other ancient Hindu stories

Representation: South Asian author

Content Warnings: toxic family members, abandonment, violence, grief

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37588503-a-spark-of-white-fire

> Title: A House of Rage and Sorrow (The Celestial Trilogy #2)

Author: Sangu Mandanna

Relation to theme: Inspired by the Mahabharata and other ancient Hindu stories

Representation: South Asian author

Content Warnings: toxic family members, parental abandonment, violence, grief, adoption, stabbing, murder/execution

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43258307-a-house-of-rage-and-sorrow

> Title: A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2)

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Relation to theme: Inspired by Hindu mythology

Representation: South Asian author

Content Warnings: mentions/discussion of transphobia

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34964865-a-crown-of-wishes

> Title: The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1)

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Relation to theme: Inspired by Hindu mythology

Representation: South Asian author

Content Warnings: none identified

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28177121-the-star-touched-queen

> More than one Jane Eyre retelling has been announced

>> Rose Lerner’s Jane Eyre retelling The Sea May Burn is due in 2020

Link: http://www.roselerner.com/coming-soon/

Link: http://thebookvoyagers.blogspot.com/2019/07/cover-the-sea-may-burn-rose-lerner.html

>> Escaping Mr. Rochester by L.L. McKinney is due in 2022

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48760736-escaping-mr-rochester

>>> If we’re missing another Jane Eyre retelling, please let us know!

> Anyone want a plot bunny for a Moby Dick retelling where Ishmael and Moby Dick wind up together?

> Note about Suleikha’s latest short collection containing a retelling of the Patrick Swayze movie Road House (1989)

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49097921-prem-numbers

Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098206/

> BANG IT OUT OR GTFO! Anyone want to make us a t-shirt?

> Title: Flashed (Happy Endings #3)

Author: Zoey Castile

Relation to theme: Beauty and the Beast retelling

Representation: Latinx author, Latinx MC, White MC

Content Warnings: PTSD, anxiety

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43506240-flashed

> Title: The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan

Author: Sherry Thomas

Relation to theme: Mulan retelling

Representation: Chinese-American author, Chinese MCs

Content Warnings: war violence, description of poisoning/assassination, murder

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44059557-the-magnolia-sword

> Suleikha refers to Robin McKinley’s fairytale retellings

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5339.Robin_McKinley

> Melinda refers to Anne Rice’s fairytale retellings

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7577.Anne_Rice

> Melinka’s monthly romance blogger shout-out goes to Sil from The Book Voyagers who you can follow on Twitter and Instagram @TheBookVoyagers, or link to blog below

Link: http://thebookvoyagers.blogspot.com/

> Which #InclusiveRomance favorites of yours did we miss? Let us know on Twitter or Instagram @RomBkPod

Happy Reading!

EP 118 MUSIC CREDIT

Music: “Lift Off” by Jahzzar

From the Free Music Archive

CC BY-SA 3.0