What I've Been Watching (May 2025)

May was a month where I spent most of my viewing time rewatching some of my favorite movies.

Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal

These are two movies I often associate with each other. Not just because they feature puppetry work by The Jim Henson Company, but also because I typically watch them back-to-back whenever I see them on—which has recently been on Roku’s free channels (since that’s the TV I have). Labyrinth is a coming of age narrative, while The Dark Crystal lands more in the chosen one territory with a story centered on resisting and undertaking a quest to reclaim a dying land before it’s too late. I love these movies equally.

Jaws

Jaws is still one of my all-time favorite man vs creature films. It’s a classic, and the cinematography and acting are part of what makes the movie so memorable. I’ve seen it a handful of times, and even during my latest viewing, I found myself dissecting certain scenes (and admiring the way it was shot).

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

This movie has a special place in my heart. For starters, it’s fun and kind of silly. But, because of how much I liked it, it ended up being the whole reason why I read the book and most of the sequels. Also, the opening musical number is still, to this day, incredibly catchy.

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

After reading the novel, I was itching to rewatch the 2005 movie adaptation. I have a new appreciation for this film. It does cut out some of the scenes from the book, which is often true for most adaptations. However, it captures the essence of the book—like the tone, time and place, as well as the personalities of the characters.

Contact (1997)

Whenever first-contact stories are mentioned, I usually think of two films: E.T., and Contact. After a number of years, I finally watched this movie again last month, and it holds up pretty well. I like this one, generally, for the characters and its approach to tried and true staples of the genre, while putting a spin on it. And, like Jaws, I also appreciated Contact for the style of its filming.

 

So, that was just about all the movies that kept me entertained in May. What have you been watching lately?

What I've Been Listening To (May 2025)

I listened to so much good music in May, not to mention how three of my most anticipated albums/EPs for the second quarter of the year were released after long waits. So, with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely.

The first of my anticipated May releases was Kilo Kish’s new EP, Negotiations. The singles were a complete vibe, and I enjoyed the overall style of the visuals—which were this tired office aesthetic. And the rest of the EP lived up to my expectations. It continued with the moody pop and electronic infusion featured on the singles.

Then the second of my most anticipated May releases was Pink Pantheress’ newest release. There are some mixtapes that just feel like albums (like FKA Twigs’ Capri Songs), and that’s pretty much how I view Fancy That. It was a whole lot of fun to engage with. I also wasn’t very familiar with UK Garage before this, but now I want to delve more into that genre.

And finally, there was Lethal. I loved it so much. It was everything I like about Rico Nasty’s past discography but from a slightly different angle. Lethal was a combination of rap and punk rock, and Rico Nasty leans into what she does best here. It just works.

Emotional Oranges is one of the duos I checked out last month, with their album Orenjii. It was solid R&B with influences that called backed to music from the 90s and early 2000s (which is kind of a trend lately)—and if you’ve listened to any of it, some of the songs here might feel familiar (such as That Girl). But, the album had plenty to offer, because its influences weren’t the sum total of what it was. Instead, it used its references effectively, and delivered an album firmly grounded in the group’s style. It was fun.

And last but not least, one of the most unexpected (and surprising) finds from last month was Better Dreaming by Tune-Yards. The duo is new to me, and their new album came up under my recommendations. Some bodies of work are what I would describe as smooth, and Better Dreaming fits that bill perfectly with its indie alternative sound. This was very easy to listen to.

Singles that made it to my playlist: Cali by Clea, No Holding Back by Joya Mooi featuring Joeyturks, The Only Love We Know by Naomi Sharon, Messed Up Ways by Abi Ocia, Toes in the Grass by Adanna Duru, Rozzelle Court by TheBabeGabe and The Human, Spend It by Cydnee with a C, Maybe by HIHEME featuring Yourz, and three songs by Ambar Lucid (Stranger Dressed In White, 6am, and I Feel Everything).

Music Monday (318): Clea, Original Broadway Cast of Boop! The Musical, Shaboozey, Jelly Roll, Chapel Hart

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: I really like this song by Clea, who is new to me. Check out Cali!

Adri: I've been listening to Boop! The Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording) since it released. I haven't seen the show but it sounds like it's up my alley. So my picks for today are A Little Versatility and Where I Wanna Be by Jasmine Amy Rogers, David Foster, and Original Broadway Cast of Boop! The Musical.

Andrea: Hi all, this week I'm listening to Amen by Shaboozey and Jelly Roll, and Perfect For Me by Chapel Hart. Have an Amazing eek!

What are you listening to this week?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Title: Pride and Prejudice
Series: n/a
Author: Jane Austen
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Classics
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Spirited Elizabeth Bennet is one of a family of five daughters, and with no male heir, the Bennet estate must someday pass to their priggish cousin William Collins. Therefore, the girls must marry well—and thus is launched the story of Elizabeth and the arrogant bachelor Mr. Darcy, in a novel renowned as the epitome of romance and wit. Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s masterwork, an entertaining portrait of matrimonial rites and rivalries, timeless in its hilarity and its honesty.

Although I have no formal goals for this year (as far as the blog is concerned), the backlist and classic titles that I’ve wanted to read for years, have been on my mind lately. So far, I’ve read The Shinning, and now I can cross Jane Austen’s classic, Pride and Prejudice, off my TBR list as well.

I knew of the basics premise of the story, thanks to having seen various adaptations of it (that was years ago, but I’m hoping to rewatch the 2005 one soon), but as is true for most adaptations there was bound to be differences. And I find there is usually value with going back to the source material. All that to say: Pride and Prejudice was a delight to read. Darcy and Elizabeth both, at times, let their preconceived notions, bad impressions, and assumptions about the other guide their actions into misunderstandings. Bingley and Jane had a story of similar circumstances, but from the beginning they had a better impression of each other and were slightly more open about their intentions, but their side of the novel wasn’t without conflict. After all, the relationships and potential marriages—the complicated interpersonal ties between the characters—are what propel the story forward and was a standout when it came to why I found Pride and Prejudice so entertaining.

The story was further supported by a cast of minor characters as well, which made the everyday ordinariness (for the time period) as interesting as the relationships central to the plot. That included (but wasn’t limited to) the other Bennets (Lydia was just messy), Bingley’s sisters, the Collins’, the Lucas’, as well as others.

 
There are a couple more Austen novels that I definitely want to read (Persuasion and Mansfield Park are at the top of my list), regardless, Pride and Prejudice is a new favorite.

Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings

Title: Meet Me at the Crossroads

Series: n/a
Author: Meagan Giddings
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Literary Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Amistad; June 3, 2025

Goodreads    Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads...

From the award-winning, critically-acclaimed author of Lakewood and The Women Could Fly, a dazzling novel about two brilliant sisters and what happens to their undeniable bond when a mysterious and possibly perilous new world beckons.

On an ordinary summer morning, the world is changed by the appearance of seven mysterious doors that seemingly lead to another world. People are, of course, mesmerized and intrigued: A new dimension filled with beauty and resources beckons them to step into an adventure. But, perhaps inevitably, people soon learn that what looks like paradise may very well be filled with danger. Ayanna and Olivia, two Black Midwestern teens—and twin sisters—have different ideas of what may lie in the world beyond. But will their personal bond endure such wanton exploration? And when one of them goes missing, will the other find solace of her own? And will she uncover the circumstances of what truly happened to her once constant companion and best friend?

Megan Giddings brings her customarily brilliant and eye-opening powers of storytelling to give us a story that dazzles the senses and bewitches the mind. Meet Me at the Crossroads is an unforgettable novel about faith, love, and family from one of today’s most exciting and surprising young writers.

The synopsis is what sold me on Megan Gidding’s new novel, Meet me at the Crossroads. I mean: portal fantasy with an air of family drama involving twin sisters (one of them missing).

While I liked this book in the end (enough to give it a high rating on goodreads), I think the synopsis gave me the wrong impression, which initially clouded how I viewed the story. Let me explain.

Meet me at the Crossroads was portal fantasy, but it also wasn’t at the same time. The portal aspect had a presence in the story but much smaller than I assumed it would be. And that’s on me for assuming. The portals (the mysterious doors) inhabited an almost metaphorical role. While, if I look at the story from a more literary fiction angle, then the way it handles its subject and theming makes more sense to me.

Meet Me at the Crossroad was, essentially, a study of characters, grief, and depression—or the study of grief and complicated relationships through the novel’s characters. It was also kind of a haunting as well as a story about the aftermath of tragedy (how it can destroy a life and tear apart a family; and it did go to some dark places).

And, I don’t mean that as a criticism, though. I think the book did well with those aspects, especially since I was, by the end, far more interested in the characters and the resolution of the interpersonal relationships than I was about the doors specifically.

In terms of the doors, by the end, they were fine. They were a subject often not just discussed between the characters but also researched/theorized throughout the story. But, it was also an experience that impacted them in a myriad of ways, whether good or bad—creating extraordinary circumstances or some of the worst tragedies (and sometimes the lines blurred so much it often felt like a combination of the two).

While I had a somewhat rocky start, the complexity of Ayanna’s story was something I loved!

About the author....

Megan Giddings is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. Her novel, Lakewood, was published by Amistad in 2020. It was one of New York Magazine’s 10 best books of 2020, one of NPR’s best books of 2020, a Michigan Notable book for 2021, was a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards, and a finalist for a 2020 LA Times Book Prize in The Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Speculative Fiction category. Her second novel, The Women Could Fly (Amistad 2022), was named one of The Washington Post’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy novels of 2022, one of Vulture’s Best Fantasy books of 2022, and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. In Fall 2023, she was the Picador Professor at Leipzig University. Her third novel, Meet Me at the Crossroads, will be published on June 3rd 2025. Her first short story collection, Black Arts, will be published in 2026.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Amistad) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!