Review: The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

Title: The Collapsing Empire
Author: John Scalzi
Series: The Interdependency #1 
Source/Format: Borrowed from the Library; Hardcover
More Details: Science Fiction 
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor Books; March 21, 2017

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The first novel of a new space-opera sequence set in an all-new universe by the Hugo Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Redshirts and Old Man's War...

Our universe is ruled by physics and faster than light travel is not possible -- until the discovery of The Flow, an extra-dimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transport us to other worlds, around other stars. Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It’s a hedge against interstellar war -- and a system of control for the rulers of the empire. The Flow is eternal -- but it is not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it’s discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster than light travel forever, three individuals -- a scientist, a starship captain and the Empress of the Interdependency -- are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse.

Going into The Collapsing Empire, I expected to like it based on what I already knew about Scalzi’s ability to tell a compelling story with interesting characters and even more interesting in-book universes. Even with that in mind, I was still surprised by The Collapsing Empire. And I mean that in a good way. It was a relatively quick read and a good story with a number of interesting components. One such detail was the quirky names of the ships. For example: Tell Me Another One and Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby, among others. I'm not kidding, and more than once I found myself thinking that the names sounded like the punchline to a joke when spoken aloud.

There’s a definite difference between Old Man’s War and The Collapsing Empire. The former had more military elements, while the latter focuses heavily on politics, and as the title suggests a collapsing empire. Even so, there was a substantial amount of action and nefarious plotting throughout the book, as well as political maneuvering done by the main characters and those around them.

This book is told from a couple of different perspectives. Each one had something to offer to the plot, which I appreciated. Having the alternating perspectives in different places around the Interdependency contributed to how expansive the story felt. The distances between the characters were sometimes vast, and it drove home the fact that the story took place in an “interstellar empire”. I expected nothing less.

So, the Flow is a thing. It’s integral to the way the Interdependency functions, and is the sole source of travel between the different systems. Yet, there wasn’t much of an explanation for the origins of the Flow, only how it was being used by the Interdependency. However, the mysterious and formerly static nature of the Flow kind of worked, especially when put into context with the events that took place in The Collapsing Empire.

All in all, this was a very good beginning to a new series. I recommend it to fans of space-opera and those who are already familiar with or want to read a book by Scalzi.

Music Monday (42): Tinashe & Kimbra

   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, there have been a lot of new albums coming out, and what I’ve been listening to basically consists of almost everything I mentioned in my last music related post. My first pick is Joyride by Tinashe. This is one of my favorite songs from the album and it’s second only to No Drama...

Kimbra’s new album came out last Friday and I’ve been listening to it off and on since. One of my favorite songs is Human. I love the sound of it....

Of course, there are other songs from Primal Heart that I really loved like Top of the World, Like They Do On the TV, and Recovery. With that said, I recommend checking out the whole album particularly if you’re already a fan of Kimbra’s music or are looking for a good place to start…

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (130) & Book Beginnings: How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price

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. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

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...

Packed with tested strategies and practical tips, this book is the essential, life-changing guide for everyone who owns a smartphone...

Is your phone the first thing you reach for in the morning and the last thing you touch before bed? Do you frequently pick it up "just to check," only to look up forty-five minutes later wondering where the time has gone? Do you say you want to spend less time on your phone--but have no idea how to do so without giving it up completely? If so, this book is your solution. Award-winning journalist Catherine Price presents a practical, hands-on plan to break up--and then make up--with your phone. The goal? A long-term relationship that actually feels good. You'll discover how phones and apps are designed to be addictive, and learn how the time we spend on them damages our abilities to focus, think deeply, and form new memories. You'll then make customized changes to your settings, apps, environment, and mindset that will ultimately enable you to take back control of your life...

Beginning: "It's tempting to think of smartphones as just one more technology in a long list of technologies that have freaked people out. Telegraphs, telephones, radios, movies, television, video games, even books--all caused panic when they were first introduced, and all have turned out to be less harmful than people feared."

56: "Unsurprisingly, ignoring distractions is tiring work, and the less we practice it, the worse at it we become."

Comments: I received How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price for review, and I have to say that I absolutely loved this book. It was a surprisingly engrossing read that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a book covering the topic of phone use. My beginning comes from chapter 1 instead of the introduction. What are you reading this week?

I Watched Jupiter Ascending Again...

Recently, I watched Jupiter Ascending again, and I had some thoughts once the credits started rolling. I just have to mention how awesome those end credits still are, but I digress. Back to those thoughts I mentioned. So, yes, I watched Jupiter Ascending and evaluated my initial perception of the movie, comparing it to when I first saw it in 2015 to how I view it now in 2018. It’s surprising how much of a difference almost 3 years can make. Let me tell you, my opinion is on a whole different spectrum. So it comes down to a very simple question: why is it that I consume and enjoy Jupiter Ascending's specific brand of media? What's the quality about it that brings me back again and again?

The first time I watched Jupiter Ascending, I didn’t really like the movie. There were things about it that I found interesting, and the visuals were stunning to watch on screen. But, it wasn’t my favorite movie and some parts of the dialogue left me scratching my head and wondering why it was a thing. The way the movie is structured had an almost video game quality and the bad guys’ sort of stepped on screen, were dismissed, and never seen again. At the time, I thought it was a little unsatisfying to never have gotten those concrete answers as to what ultimately happened to the antagonists. I also mentioned that the movie would have been better suited in a longer format—or at least given a sequel—to allow more time to develop those interesting story kernels and flesh-out the character backstories into something awesome. Sadly, to date there's no sequel.

Since this is a post about watching Jupiter Ascending again, rewatch it I have. I watched Jupiter Ascending again when it came on TV, went out and bought the DVD, and have watched it twice more since then. Why? Because the movie has not only grown on me, but I’ve also come to appreciate it.

I thought about it for a while while trying to come up with a good analogy to compare it to. I came up with one: comfort food. I realized that Jupiter Ascending is kind of like comfort food, and it's something that I find myself going back to again and again, especially if I need to relax. It’s not a movie with a deep, literary, metaphorical meaning that will positively make me question everything I know about, well, everything. But it doesn’t have to be. And yeah, it’s a little silly but it’s also entertaining. For example, if I’m stressed out the odds of me watching Blade Runner, or Logan’s Run, or something that’s bound to make me cry or add to that stress are next to none. No, if I’m stressed/angry/upset, I want space-werewolf-angels flying around on hover skates, and space DMVs and robot lawyers. I also want beautiful visuals and spaceships that are so extra that parts of them are probably made of gold and marble. In other words: Jupiter Ascending.

That brings me to that aha moment that led to the original thought behind this post: Jupiter Ascending is a specific kind of entertaining fluff. And I like it. There’s something about it that’s highly watchable, and that element has brought me back for a second, third, and even fifth viewing. And I'm sure that I’ll end up eventually watching the movie again. Because, the more I look critically at the types of media I consume regularly, the more I see a pattern to what I watch and when I watch it.

My stance on Jupiter Ascending just proves that opinions can change. I now see the movie from a perspective I never thought I would have. But now that I have it, I don't want to go back. What about you? Has your opinion about something ever changed after any extended length of time?

That Post Titled: a.k.a. Everything Is being Released in March and April...

Today, I'm here to talk about music.  Since my last music oriented post (not Music Monday), I've sporadically worked on a new list of recent releases and upcoming albums that I wanted to talk about. This is also going to be a bit of a review/reaction type post, because the excellence is everywhere with these new releases.…

Invasion of Privacy (Cardi B)—I mentioned this one last time, but since this an update post and there has been news, I have to include Cardi B again. I happened to catch part of the iheart music awards when Cardi B announced that the release date for her album. Invasion of Privacy was released on April 6, 2018. And I like it. It met all my expectations for what I was hoping Cardi B's studio album would be. There are a lot of catchy songs on the album and some familiar tracks, i.e. Bodak Yellow and Bartier Cardi. Some of the other songs required a second listen for me to really appreciate the sound and lyrics, but overall, Invasion of Privacy was a strong studio album debut.

Expectations (Hayley Kiyoko)—I did not realize that Hayley Kiyoko was about to release a new album. She is. And there’s no wait because Expectations was released on March 30, 2018. I haven't gone through the whole album yet, but I liked the songs I've already listened to.

Joyride (Tinashe)—Joyride also had an April release date. Out of all the music/albums I'm mentioning today, I was most excited for Joyride. Tinashe has been an artists I've followed off and on over the last couple of years. Then No Drama happened, and my excitment for the album was rampped up by at least ten fold. I don't know what I was expecting, but oh my goodness, the entire album not only met but exceeded my expectations. From the simple intro Keep Your Eyes On The Road, to the sharp and catchy sound of the album's titular song,  to the melodic finish with Fires and Flames, it's a joyride . To date, Joyride is my favorite album by Tinashe.

The Kids Are Alright (Chloe x Halle)—I almost forgot about Chloe x Halle’s debut studio album, The Kids Are Alright. Their song Warrior for A Wrinkle in Time (2018) reminded me about it. The Kids Are Alright was released on March 23, 2018 and it’s worth the listen.  I love the vibe and sound of the entire album. Chloe and Halle's vocal capabilities shined through on tracks like Galaxy, Hi Lo, and all others. I caught their performance during the Coachella livestream over the weekend, and I continue to be impressed by how well they've honed their singing capabilities.

Primal Heart (Kimbra)—Admittedly, I haven’t listened to much music by Kimbra in a while. However, that has changed since I learned that she’s coming out with a new album, Primal Heart, which is set to be released on April 20, 2018. She already released a couple of songs from Primal Heart including: Top of the World, Everybody Knows, Human, and Version of Me. So far, I really dig the sound of those songs and am looking forward to the rest of the album.

Bittersweet Vol. 1 (OSHUN)—Bittersweet was released on April 6, 2018. Adri was the one who introduced me to OSHUN's music, and I discovered that I like their style a lot. So I was pretty excited when I first learned that they were gearing up to release new music. Well, Bittersweet Vol. 1 is out. And I love it. OSHUN's ability to create unique and catchy songs shines through.

Pray For the Wicked (Panic! At The Disco)—I admit that I haven't kept up with a lot of Panic! At The Disco's newer music. However, I recently went on a binge-listen where I systematically went through all of their music. Suffice it to say, the hype I feel for Pray For the Wicked is real. The expected release date is June 22, 2018.

So, that's about it for today. I know I’ll do another post like this sooner or later. And I have to say that I’m incredibly excited for the rest of April because there are a couple more albums I'm waiting for. But until then, I have music by Chloe x Halle, Cardi B, Tinashe, and OSHUN to listen to. What music albums are you looking forward to? Or, what new music have you been listening to?

The Friday 56 (129) & Book Beginnings: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

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. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

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...

A rollicking space adventure with a lot of heart...

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn't expecting much. The patched-up ship has seen better days, but it offers her everything she could possibly want: a spot to call home, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and some distance from her past. And nothing could be further from what she's known than the crew of the Wayfarer. From Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the chatty engineers who keep the ship running, to the noble captain Ashby, life aboard is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. That is until the crew is offered the job of a lifetime tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet. Sure, they'll earn enough money to live comfortably for years, but risking her life wasn't part of the job description. The journey through the galaxy is full of excitement, adventure, and mishaps for the Wayfarer team. And along the way, Rosemary comes to realize that a crew is a family, and that family isn't necessarily the worst thing in the universe… as long as you actually like them...

Beginning: "As she woke up in the pod, she remembered three things. First, she was traveling through open space. Second, she was about to start a new job, one she could not screw up. Third, she had bribed a government official into giving her a new identity file."

56: "Jenks quirked an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea what this song is?"

Kizzy blinked. "Socks Match My Hat," she said. She went back up into the ceiling, tightening something with her gloved hands.

"Soskh Matsh Mae'ha. It's banned in the Harmagian Protectorate."

Comments: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers is a slightly different kind of science fiction book. Less action and more about the characters. And, I loved it! What are you reading this week?

Review: How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price

Title: How To Break Up With Your Phone
Series: n/a
Author: Catherine Price
Source/Format: Blogging for Books; Paperback
More Details: Nonfiction; Self-help
Publisher/Publication Date: Ten Speed Press; February 13, 2018

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository



Synopsis from Goodreads...

Packed with tested strategies and practical tips, this book is the essential, life-changing guide for everyone who owns a smartphone...

Is your phone the first thing you reach for in the morning and the last thing you touch before bed? Do you frequently pick it up "just to check," only to look up forty-five minutes later wondering where the time has gone? Do you say you want to spend less time on your phone--but have no idea how to do so without giving it up completely? If so, this book is your solution. Award-winning journalist Catherine Price presents a practical, hands-on plan to break up--and then make up--with your phone. The goal? A long-term relationship that actually feels good. You'll discover how phones and apps are designed to be addictive, and learn how the time we spend on them damages our abilities to focus, think deeply, and form new memories. You'll then make customized changes to your settings, apps, environment, and mindset that will ultimately enable you to take back control of your life...

I was mildly apprehensive about whether or not I would like and find some useful advice in How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price. I’ve read a book that covered a similar if not the same topic (Unfriending my Ex and Other Things I’ll Never Do by Kim Stolz), and I liked it. However, thinking back on it now, it was more about Stolz’s experience with taking a break from her phone and her thoughts about it, whereas Price’s writing reads more like an analytical study about the pros and (mostly) cons of heavy phone/tablet/computer/ social media use has on almost every corner of a person’s life, including time and even how our brains function. She also covers how to make changes and healthier choices, and that’s what I liked about How To Break Up With Your Phone.

This book has two parts: the wake-up and the breakup. In the wake-up, Price cites studies as evidence to support the point of the book. It’s meant to be a wake up call: the hard facts and the ugly truth. And this book is more than successful at not only stating those points but making the information stick. The more I read, the more I realized that some of the things being mentioned were habits I exhibited almost unconsciously. As I continued to read, the more I agreed with what was being said. Part two covers the breakup. The writing made the steps for the 30-day plan approachable. There was a focus on realizing, questioning, and changing habits accompanied by a lot of useful tips and simple exercises. Price’s writing is done in a positive, encouraging tone that makes you want to try some of the things being mentioned to find out if the changes will have any effects.

How to Break Up With Your Phone is a quick read that wasn’t just surprisingly good, but also eye opening in a lot of ways. I haven’t had the time to try the 30-day plan for myself. However, the book has given me ideas about smaller changes that I can implement now. How to Break Up With Your Phone is a book that I’m definitely going to keep on my shelf for future reference.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by Blogging for Books (Publisher) for this review. 

CATHERINE PRICE is an author and science journalist whose articles and essays have appeared in The Best American Science Writing, the New York Times, Popular Science, O, The Oprah Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post Magazine, Slate, Parade, Salon, Men’s Journal, Self, Mother Jones, and Health magazine, among others. Her previous books include Vitamania: How Vitamins Revolutionized the Way We Think About Food and 101 Places Not to See Before You Die. A graduate of Yale and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, she’s also a recipient of a Middlebury Fellowship in Environmental Reporting, a two-time Société de Chimie Industrielle fellow at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, an ASME nominee, a 2013 resident at the Mesa Refuge, a fellow in both the Food and Medical Evidence Boot Camps at the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, and winner of the Gobind Behari Lal prize for science writing. You can learn more about her and her work at catherine-price.com...

Quarterly Recap: January-March

It’s finally time for another Quarterly Recap. That obligatory recap post that appears once every three months on Our Thoughts Precisely. It feels like forever since I last sat down to write and collect links for this type of post, the time gap even longer thanks to the annual skip I took at the end of last year. So, starting with reviews….

January Reviews...

• n/a

February Reviews...

• Daughter of the Burning City
• The Cruel Prince
• Ancillary Sword & Ancillary Mercy 

March Reviews...

• The Tea Master and the Detective
• Elevate
• Ready Player One
• Envy of Angels

**All weekly meme labels can be found on the Extras page**

Other January Posts...

• New Resolutions for a New Year
• Happy New Year
• Most Anticipated 2018 Books

Other February Posts...

• January Poetry Roundup
• Upcoming Albums I'm Waiting For
• The Longest Book Tag

Other March Posts...

• Acrylics #1: The Night
• Lets talk about older artwork

Looking back, the last three months are pretty much what I expected them to be. In January, there was a small decrease in the amount of blog posts since I was just coming back from being on an extended break from blogging after the holidays. So, it took a minute to get back into the swing of things. So, looking ahead, I have a couple of posts that I’m excited to share on the blog including Acrylics #2 and an updated upcoming music/recent release list.

In Which I forgot About the Blogiversary + Pardon the Construction...

As you can tell by the title of this post, I completely forgot about Our Thoughts Precisely’s blogiversary. What’s ironic is that last year I said I was going to do something different to celebrate March 15th (like a Q&A), and instead, I completely forgot about it until I started going back through the archive to get a scope for how many different graphics I would need to make before updating the look of the blog. Well, it’s April. The 15th of March has long since been over. And instead of a Q&A or some other type of commemorative post, my way of celebrating the blog turning 5 years old is to give it a completely updated appearance. Yes, I’m at it again—sorry Andrea, Adri...

A little backstory…

As I continue to work on my art, I’m paying closer attention to composition. And as the months rolled by, every time I looked at the latest header and disorganized design of the blog graphics, I kept having the same thought: “Wow, this is really unfocused.” Where was the composition? What part of the header did I want the eye to be drawn to? In fact, I didn’t know. And from there, I fell down the rabbit hole of searching every corner of the blog for the cohesiveness I wanted. And I didn’t find it. Last year, I changed the header and some of the graphics, but rather than update my entire arsenal of art, I mixed in the new stuff with images that I made back in the first, second, and third year of running the blog. The result was a mix-mashed collection of random graphics. It certainly wasn’t cohesive, which prompted me to make more changes. I told myself that I was only going to make little updates to make things match. Except, those small changes spiraled into an entirely different look that then required a lot of work and more time to make it into something I was happy with.

So…

The blog is 5 years old and has gone through a lot of changes over the years (the only consistent aspect about it is the name). And over the next 1 to 2 weeks, I’m going to be updating basically all corners of the blog. Some things may take longer than others as I go through the process of phasing out old graphics for the new ones. Somethings won't immediately change, for example the weekly meme graphics, because I'm currently in the process of working on those.

And I think that about covers it for today. Now, I’ve got some work to do....

ARC Review: Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Title: Ace of Shades
Series: The Shadow Game #1
Author: Amanda Foody
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin Teen; April 10, 2018

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository



Synopsis from Goodreads...

Welcome to the City of Sin, where casino families reign, gangs infest the streets...and secrets hide in every shadow...

Enne Salta was raised as a proper young lady, and no lady would willingly visit New Reynes, the so-called City of Sin. But when her mother goes missing, Enne must leave her finishing school—and her reputation—behind to follow her mother’s trail to the city where no one survives uncorrupted. Frightened and alone, her only lead is a name: Levi Glaisyer. Unfortunately, Levi is not the gentleman she expected—he’s a street lord and a con man. Levi is also only one payment away from cleaning up a rapidly unraveling investment scam, so he doesn't have time to investigate a woman leading a dangerous double life. Enne's offer of compensation, however, could be the solution to all his problems. Their search for clues leads them through glamorous casinos, illicit cabarets and into the clutches of a ruthless mafia donna. As Enne unearths an impossible secret about her past, Levi's enemies catch up to them, ensnaring him in a vicious execution game where the players always lose. To save him, Enne will need to surrender herself to the city. And she’ll need to play...

Going into Ace of Shades, I was very excited. I’ve read Amanda Foody’s debut book, Daughter of the Burning City, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. I had high hopes that Ace of Shades would be the same way. I had some mixed feelings about it and didn’t like it as much as Daughter of the Burning City. Still, it was a good story.

The story starts quickly with Enne arriving in New Reynes. The reason is immediately stated, and the story and the main players are introduced and developed from there. New Reynes was definitely the City of Sin. Once again, I think Foody did a good job developing the darker themes of the story such as corruption, crime, and gambling. However, so much of the city was dark, dangerous, and rife with corruption with little to nothing else to break up those themes. It certainly lived up to its name. But, I would have liked to see a little more of the outside world beyond it. It was mentioned, but mainly through flashbacks and exposition from Enne’s limited point of view. But I never got a sense for what those places were actually like. The bulk of the action and mystery was centered in New Reynes and the search for Enne’s missing mother. Luckily, I didn't mind because there was a lot going on with the plot.

So who was good and who was bad? Who could be good or bad in a city nicknamed the City of Sin? There was no easy way to tell when many of the characters were morally ambiguous. That being said, the characters were a highlight for me, or more specifically, I liked the dynamics between them. Levi Glaisyer was far from an infallible character. He made a lot of mistakes and kept a lot of secrets. His past was catching up with him. And I could say the same thing about many of the characters from Ace of Shades, including Enne. At times, Enne was a little naïve, but it fit with the context of her upbringing and subsequent arrival in a new place.

Like I said above, Ace of Shades wasn’t a bad story. I liked it a lot actually. However, the beginning didn’t really draw me in the way Daughter of the Burning City did. It took several chapters before I was able to really get into the story. By far my favorite parts of the book took place in the latter half of the story when the true nature of the city and the game were revealed. There were hints of broader political and social unrest brewing beneath the surface of New Reynes, but they were hints. Of course, the implications point toward where the story could go after the end of Ace of Shades. And I’m interested in seeing where those implications eventually lead and what the consequences will be for Enne, Levi, and the other characters.

So, Ace of Shades was a good story. It was a promising beginning to a new series, and I know I’ll probably read the sequel. I also recommend it for those who enjoyed Foody’s last book, Daughter of the Burning City.

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by Harlequin Teen via Netgalley for this review.

About the author...

Amanda Foody has always considered imagination to be our best attempt at magic. After spending her childhood longing to attend Hogwarts, she now loves to write about immersive settings and characters grappling with insurmountable destinies. She holds a Masters in Accountancy from Villanova University, and a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature from the College of William and Mary. Currently, she works as a tax accountant in Philadelphia, PA, surrounded by her many siblings and many books. DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY is her first novel. Her second, ACE OF SHADES, will follow in April 2018...

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Music Monday (41): Chloe X Halle

   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: This isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned Chloe X Halle on a Music Monday post. It’s just been a while. Since then, on March 23rd, they released their debut studio album, The Kids are Alright. And I love it. So, my first pick is Warrior. You might recognize the song since it appeared on A Wrinkle in Time (2018) soundtrack. It’s also on their new album….

My second pick is Galaxy. I also love this song. In fact, it fits with the sound of the album and is one of my favorite songs by Chloe x Halle. 

I recommend checking out the entire album, because it’s pretty awesome. What are you listening to this week?