Break Notice

We usually have posts planned for December, but, unfortunately, not this year. So, we’re starting our annual break from the blog early. We hope everyone has a great holiday, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. See you all in 2025. Happy reading!

Short Stories: The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke illustrated by Victoria Sawdon

I'm taking a brief break from the usual format of Short Stories, to take a look at the new Susanna Clarke story, The Wood a Midwinter, illustrated by Victoria Sawdon.

Title: The Wood at Midwinter
Series: n/a
Author/Illustrator: Susanna Clarke; Victoria Sawdon
Source/Format: Purchased; Hardcover
More Details: Fantasy; Short Story
Publisher/Publication Date: Bloomsbury Publishing; October 20, 2024

Goodreads 

Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the internationally bestselling and prize-winning author of Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an enchanting, beautifully illustrated short story set in the Strange universe.

"A church is a sort of wood. A wood is a sort of church. They're the same thing really."

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scott is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees - and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods. One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst - and the path of her life is changed forever.

As my Short Story intro above says, I’m taking a break from the typical format to look at Susanna Clarke’s short story, The Wood at Midwinter, illustrated by Victoria Sawdon. I was very excited to pick this one up, considering how much I adored Piranesi—and I’m slowly working my way through Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norwell, which has, so far, been as entertaining as I’d hoped. But, I digress, this post is about The Wood at Midwinter.

A woman, Merowdis, sits in a forest at midwinter, which was, now that I think about it, very fairy tale-esque of her. She talks to animals, to the bugs, and even to the trees; her loyal animals and, as the title suggests, the wood at midwinter. It’s a conversation between all of them, wherein she laments about her life, what she doesn’t wish to do, and admits to what she desperately wants to have and hold—regardless of the consequences and what she might have to give up to have it. And in a story with a setting like this one, with a quietly magical atmosphere, anything was possible.

The Wood at Midwinter is short but still a delightful little story with an enigmatic character and a wintery backdrop, which featured a nice visual aspect accompanying the prose with Sawdon’s illustrations.

Music Monday (307): Lil Nas X, Jon Batiste

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Recently, I added Lil Nas X's new song, Need Dat Boy, to my playlist. I'm really enjoying the direction his latest music is going in.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Für Elise - Batiste by Jon Batiste. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (251) & Book Beginnings: The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. **Note: Freda @ Freda's Voice is taking a break from The Friday 56; Anne @Head is Full of Books is hosting for now.**

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the internationally bestselling and prize-winning author of Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an enchanting, beautifully illustrated short story set in the Strange universe.

"A church is a sort of wood. A wood is a sort of church. They're the same thing really."

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scott is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees - and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods. One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst - and the path of her life is changed forever.

Beginning: "It was winter, just a few days before Christmas. A few flakes of snow fell on the quiet fields."

56: "Some stories sink down into your bones. In my own writing I had become fascinated by characters who are bridges between different worlds, between different states of being, characters who feel compelled to try and reconcile the unreconcilable."

Comments: I really liked this short story from Susanna Clarke. Its a very quick read but a good one, and it's illustrated by Victoria Sawdon. Since this was a so short, my 56 this week comes from the author's afterward, just because of how much I loved the quote. What are you reading this week?

What I've Been Listening To (October 2024)

October was actually a busier month for music releases than I anticipated. So, it’s time for another What I’ve Been Listening To. 

Ache In My Tooth by Flowerovlove (October 11): I was first recommended Flowerovlove’s music by my co-blogger, Adri, and since then I’ve gone on to check out more of her music. Last month, she released an EP called Ache In My Tooth, which included the single Breaking News. It was an airy, sugary Pop EP about love and relationships with a bright aesthetic. I liked this one, and I look forward to seeing what Flowerovlove does next.

Clancy by Twenty One Pilots (May 24): Admittedly, it took me entirely too long to listen to Clancy, considering it was one of my more highly anticipated albums of 2024. But, anyway, it is what it is. Did I like Clancy? Yes, and by a lot, actually. I’ve been following along with the lore/story being told, since Blurryface, and this album felt like a nice wrap-up to the journey, and it was done in Twenty One Pilots usual style—a genre mashup. Some of my favorite songs included Overcompensate, Backslide, Next Semester, and At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb, just to name a few.

Symphony of Lungs (BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall) by Florence + The Machine with Jules Buckley (October 25): Symphony of Lungs is Florence + The Machine’s new live album with Jules Buckley and an orchestra. I wasn’t expecting it, but I love it! And, it was nice to revisit the band’s 2009 album, Lungs, with this performance.

Megan Act II by Megan Thee Stallion (October 25): Megan Thee Stallion released a deluxe edition of her album, Megan. Titled, Megan Act II, this version added an additional thirteen tacks to one of my favorite rep albums of the years. And, I had as much fun listening to this one as I did the original. I also liked the features too: Flo Milli on Roc Steady, a remix of Mamushi with Twice, another collaboration with Spiritbox on TYG, and Neva Play with BTS’s RM.

Brat and it’s completely different but also still Brat by Charli XCX (October 11): And, the Brat train continues. It’s not the deluxe, no, we already got that, instead Brat and it’s completely different but also still Brat it’s the remix album. And, for the most part, I enjoyed this version of it too. It’s Brat but a rework of the formula, which offered another way to experience the album as well as some great features. After all, Charli XCX worked with artists like Troye Sivan, Tinashe, Caroline Polachek, Kesha, Billie Eilish, Shygirl, Bladee, BB Trickz, and more.

New singles and songs on my playlist: On Your Knees and Don’t Mess With The Messer by Grace Jones, Supernatural by Frost Children featuring Haru Nemuri, Pull Up by Internet Girl Featuring Maglera Doe Boy, RIP by Qveen Herby, and Frankenstein by Qveen Herby featuring Tech N9ne.