The Shining by Stephen King

Title: The Shining
Series: The Shining #1
Author: Stephen King
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: First published January 28, 1977

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing. But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels ever more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old.

Admittedly, it’s been some years since I’ve seen The Shining, so some of the details I knew I’d forgotten about, but the more iconic scenes and most of the story I did remember. And, for a very long time, that was as far as my knowledge about the story went. But, as I’ve said on numerous occasions on the blog, some of my favorite kinds of stories—whether horror, fantasy, contemporary fantasy, and even, on rare occasions literary fiction—are ones with settings that are memorable and seem to come alive with as much personality as the characters. And as I’d heard, the book differed from the movie.

I like it better, actually.

The Shining isn’t for the faint of heart, though. It’s a horror novel through and through, and it deals with a variety of dark themes like murder, alcoholism, and domestic violence, just to name a few. Even so, I found the book to be engrossing and the writing style engaging.

One main area where the book is far more successful is how much space King devoted to exploring the interior lives of the Torrances. So, by the time they actually arrived at the resort for Jack’s job as the winter caretaker, there was a clear understanding of who the family was, and it made what happened to them at the Overlook so much worse.

And the Overlook, in all of its sinister glory, was something else. I loved how much detail went into the hotel and its history. I was fascinated by how King managed to make it such a menacing presence with how it encroached on the Torrances in more and more destructive and horrifying ways. It came alive, in a manner of speaking, and in a way that was thoroughly creepy.

I wasn’t particularly scared by anything in it, instead it was more atmospheric and eerie, and this sense of dread just crept up and permeated the majority of the story. There was a tipping point in The Shining, though, where the occurrences gained in intensity, and you just kind of know there wasn’t going to be a happy ending for everyone involved.

But its horror and a tragedy, and I knew what I was signing up for when I sat down to read it.

Music Monday (314): Banks, Kilo Kish, Muni Long

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: My pick this week is Meddle In Mold by Banks. This is one of my favorite songs from her recent album, Off With Her Head. This is the Colors version, though, which is equally as good as the original.

Adri: I've been waiting for new music from Kilo Kish and am excited for her upcoming EP. So my pick is Negotiate featuring Miguel.

Andrea: Hi all! This week my pick is The Baddest by Muni Long. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

What I've Been Listening To (March)

When I’m not reading, I’ll often reach for music—and sometimes just to have noise in the background. Lately—and thanks to having the Spotify app on my tablet—I’ve gotten a lot of amazing recommendations, which has greatly expanded my playlist. That and the fact that some of my favorite artists returned in March and the end of February with new music. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely.

Banks is one of my all-time favorite artists, and at the end of February, she returned with her latest album: Off With Her Head. This is one of Banks’s best (as well as cohesive) albums to-date, which leaned into this pop and alternative style of sound. Does it experiement as much as Serpentina? Well, no, but Off With Her Head still gets creative with what it does. At the end of the day, it was a VERY "Banks" kind of album, and that’s exactly what I was looking for.

Desires by Giift was an EP which popped up under my Spotify recommendations, and I’m so glad I gave it a chance, because it was fantastic. And, by the end, I was left wanting more. Desires had a particular vibe to it, which I enjoyed. It lands firmly in the R&B space, but it got creative with the sound, particularly on the closing song, All I Need (one of the best tracks).

Nao is another one of my favorite artists, and she was also back with new music. Jupiter was an R&B and Soul album done Nao’s way, and it was incredibly fun to listen to. Tonally, it was almost a sequel to her sophomore release, Saturn, back in October of 2018 (which remains one of my all-time favorite albums). And Jupiter lands pretty high on the list, when it comes to my the stuff I’ve listened to so far in 2025, and I appreciated it for its lighter tone and blend of genres.

Next, I checked out Antidote by SYNGA. This one was also a recommendation, and I was looking for something that had a similar vibe to Banks’s music, to tide me over during the seven days left before Off With Her Head was released. Antidote was moody pop music, so it checked all of those boxes and then some.

Michi is another new-to-me artist (found through a recommendation on Spotify), thanks to her new album, Dirty Talk. This was a solid funk and disco album with lyrics that often delved into the nuances of relationships, which offered a chill/smooth listening experience. If you listen to it, though, it’ll feel a little familiar around the edges, especially if you’ve listened to those genres before in any capacity, but it still feels lively and fresh—basically an updated and unique take while still paying homage to its inspiration.

And, of course, last but certainly not least was one of my most anticipated March releases: Lady Gaga’s Mayham. It was a callback to her other albums, but rather than remaining grounded in a vintage era, it was an upcycled affair doing what Lady Gaga does best with a blend of genres including rock, pop, and funk among others. The singles, Disease and Abracadabra, did have a bit of a different tone and substance than the later end of the album, but it was still a great album and a lot of fun to listen to. And it also reminded me of what makes Lady Gaga a great artist.

Some singles that have made it onto my playlist: Reprogram by Kilo Kish, Cut Up by SAILORR, Butterfly by Marina, Falling In Love by R.A.E., and Anxiety by Doechii.

Thought Corner: Revisiting How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price Seven Years Later

I first read Catherine Price’s How To Break Up With Your Phone seven years ago (in March), and it was for review. I remember liking this book, even though nonfiction, specifically self-help, isn’t something I typically reach for. Since then, it’s sort of sat on my shelf and become the kind of book I would always look at and think it was time to revisit it, but somehow I never made the time for it (even though its short, coming in under two hundred pages). In 2025, I’ve gotten more reflective about the internet at large, and as a result, I took a detour last month and ended up rereading this book.

Even after six years, How To Break Up With Your Phone retains its timeliness, especially with its chapters about social media, memory, and the way technology intersects with our lives, in both helpful and harmful ways. It’s an excellent book. And, even though this was a reread, I was left with plenty to think about by the end of it (essentially food for thought), because when I thought about it, I’m not sure I fully appreciated everything this book does when I first read it. At least, the topic it covers wasn’t as relevant to me then as it is now, especially when lately I’ve been thinking more and more about how I want to engage with the internet and social media.

For example, at the beginning of 2025, I thought I would dust off my old Instagram account and start posting regularly about books again—even if it was only once a week—since I no longer use twitter to share even links to blog posts. But, then Meta changed its policy, and I was left in the same position as before. I know there are other platforms I could try, but I haven’t done that, especially when I know it’s just as easy to post things like reviews and photos to the blog too.

All that to say, How To Break Up With Your Phone offered plenty of information to engage with independently, but it could also serve as a starting point for conversations.

Music Monday (313): Olivier Deriviere, Nova Twins

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: Over the weekend, I started watching some playthroughs of South of Midnight, Compulsion Games's newest release. And, oh man, I'm loving everything about it so far. A definite highlight has been the soundtrack. My first pick this week is The Floods by Olivier Deriviere.

And, another one of my favorites from the soundtrack is The Storm.

Adri: I'm excited for Nova Twins' upcoming album, Parasites & Butterflies. So my pick this week is Soprano.

What are you listening to this week?