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.

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.

Short Stories I Read In September

It’s October twenty-ninth. So it’s time to write about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in September.

The 6% Squeeze by Eddie Robson (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Sixty)

The 6% Squeeze by Eddie Robson was an uncanny and engrossing short story (no pun intended) with hints of absurd and horror, about a man—Miles—and the design of a product package, for a brand referred to as “Mr Zeb.” Seems pretty mundane right? Well, the story quickly took a turn, and the instructions for how to design the packaging read like a manual for a cult, as Miles discovers just who he’s doing freelance for. I liked this story. It had a great, eerie atmosphere, and the build-up toward the reveal and the end was tense.

The Music Must Always Play by Marissa Lingen (Clarkesworld Magazine; Issue 216 September 2024)

The next short story I checked out was Marissa Lingen’s The Music Must Always Play. This is the second story I've read from this author this year (the other one was And the Dreams That You Dare to Dream). This one was a first contact story set in Mankato, Minnesota, after an alien ship crash landed. The aliens were significant but also a small part of the story. They weren’t the focus, rather it was the aftermath of the crash, and a linguists, Maryam Mohamed’s, attempts to understand the clues they left behind. There was nothing dramatic, in terms of twists, due to how the emotional arc in this character sturdy was the point. I liked what Lingen did with Maryam. She was a complicated character, who was caught between her dedication to linguistics and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study an alien language and her desire to be closer to her family during her father’s illness. All-in-all, The Music Must Always Play was a good one. 

From around the web…

• The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris is Full of Charm [Liz Bourke; Reactor Magazine; September 30 2024]

I Listened to Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechii

Doechii is one of my favorite rappers recently, alongside the likes of Megan Thee Stallion. 2024 has been a busy year, with numerous releases including standalone singles like Alter Ego featuring JT and Pacer, and a series called Swamp Sessions—which proceeded the release of this mixtape. Titled Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii’s latest was released on August twenty-third. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Doechii is a great rapper, as proven by her earlier work, and that trend continued with this mixtape. This is some of her best work and, honestly, it didn’t even feel like a mixtape while I was listening to it. If someone told me this was an album, I’d buy it—I had a similar opinion about FKA Twigs mixtape, Caprisongs.

Alligator Bites Never Heal is grungy, reflective, open, and defined by some incredible flows and production that tended to get creative (for example Boiled Peanuts, GTFO, and Skipp). It felt, at times, like hip-hop and rap from the early 2000s and 90s with a classic/timeless vibe. There was everything from the bite-size Swamp Sessions songs on the album (Bullfrog, Catfish, Nissan Altima, and Boom Bap), to the reflective intro Stankapoo, and the almost pop adjacent Beverly Hills where Doechii shows off her singing chops. There are plenty of other great songs on this one too like Fireflies, HUH, and Wait, just to name a few.

So, Alligator Bites Never Heal was a great collection of music from Doechii.     

Spooky Books to Read This October (2024)

I don’t often do a recommendation list for books but, each year, if there’s a month I’ll put one together, it’ll be for October. So, welcome! Here’s a short list of spooky books.

Middle Grade & Young Adult

It Came From the Trees by Ally Russell is one of my favorite middle grade horror novels to-date. It has plenty to offer: outdoorsy main character, an eerie atmosphere, and a creative (and terrifying) twist on Bigfoot.

Give Me Something Good to Eat by D.W. Gillespie is aptly compared to Hocus Pocus and Stranger Things. The MC, Mason Miller, is in a race against time to save his sister from the macabre tradition hosted by a witch each Halloween.

The last middle grade novel on this list is Amalie Howard’s Bumps in the Night. Darika Lovelace confronts family secrets and ends up on a supernatural adventure through a dangerous, otherworldly maze.

Up next is Holly Horror: The Longest Night by Michelle Jabès Corpora. One of my most anticipated sequels of 2024 and an atmospheric ghost story that finally answers the big mystery of the series, which began in Holly Horror.

General Fiction

The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo, the fifth novella in The Singing Hills Cycle. Cleric Chih is accompanying a bride, and the story that unfolds is a haunting, gothic mystery set in a crumbling, isolated estate.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden is set during the “Great War,” and follows a combat nurse who’s looking for her brother, who may (against all odds) be still alive, despite being presumed dead. It’s a bittersweet yet hopeful story as well as one full of ghosts and the visceral horrors of war.

Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker is a slightly lighter story than The Warm Hands of Ghosts. But it was, at its core, still a ghost story, which took place on the sets of a niche TV show—a cross between ghost hunting and home renovation.

Classic

Sabriel is Garth Nix’s 1995 fantasy novel, the first of The Old Kingdom series: Necromancy, a crumbling kingdom succumbing to the dead, and a heroine reluctant to pick up the mantle of Abhorsen. There is a sense of dread that permeates across the entire story.

So, that’s every spooky book I’m recommending this October. Happy reading!

I Listened to Paradise State of Mind by Foster the People

Now, I’m not as familiar with the indie pop band, Foster The People as I am with other artists I’ve mentioned for the music related posts on Our Thoughts Precisely. That can be explained by the seven year gap between their last and current major musical project. However, I was anticipating their fourth studio album anyway, Paradise State of Mind, after listening to the single, Lost in Space, in May of this year. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Released on August 16, 2024, Paradise State of Mind was preceded by three singles: Lost in Space, Chasing Low Vibrations, and Take Me Back. And it can be summed up as an infusion of genres—funk, some jazz, disco, and even some notes of gospel tossed in there—with quality production. It’s not the longest album I’ve listened to lately with just eleven songs, but it’s a cohesive listening experience that felt just right, in terms of length and substance. In some ways, it had a Very retro feel to it, particularly around the 1970s style of music, but it was a great combination that didn’t feel dated! For example: Glitchzig, the opening See You In The Afterlife, the titular Paradise State of Mind, and even the closing track A Diamond To Be Born.

So, Paradise State of Mind wasn’t an album I started the year anticipating, but as the singles were released, my hype only grew. And, ultimately, I ended up loving it.

 

I Listened to Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay

Magdalena Bay is one of my favorite music duos on the scene right now. I know their music best by their debut album, Murcurial World (2021), as well as their extended plays (EP)—Mini Mix volumes 1-3 (2019-2023), and A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling (2020). Now, they’re back with their second studio album, Imaginal Disk. Released on August 23, 2024, this latest offering follows the same vein as a lot of their previous work, while also keeping it fresh and interesting. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Imaginal Disk falls right into synth/dance pop, and it’s done with Magdalena Bay’s usual flare. A little strange, completely fun, thematic, and with something a little dark but also light and dreamy to it (which was really sticking to the concept behind the album). (And if you have the chance, I recommend reading about it.) It also brought in some rock influences, such as on the single Tunnel Vision—one of my personal favorites off the album—That’s My Floor, and Love Is Everywhere. It also wasn’t afraid to slow the tempo down by a notch on tracks like Vampire in the Corner, Cry for Me, and Watching T.V., without losing the almost cinematic atmosphere that defines much of the album.

Magdalena Bay knocked it out of the park with Imaginal Disk. It was dramatic in all the right ways, and honestly, at the end of the day, just good music. So if you’ve enjoyed this duo’s music in the past, you’ll likely love Imaginal Disk too.

What I've Been Listening To

In the last two months, there was a flurry of new releases, including some of my most anticipated albums of 2024. So, in addition to the other music related posts scheduled for this month, it was time to do another What I’ve Been Listening To. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Big Ideas by Remi Wolf

Remi Wolf has a particular style to her music, which I appreciate as a listener. As such, she’s one of my favorite artists, and I was excited about her upcoming album, Big Ideas, since I first heard about it. Big Ideas is Wolf’s second album, and it was preceded by the singles: Cinderella, Toro, Alone In Miami, and Motorcycle. Released in July, the album is aptly named. It had big ideas, lots of them in fact, supported by Wolf’s vocal performance and creative direction with the production. It reminded me of her debut, Juno, with its splashy pop infused with other genres. And you’ll find a lot of that on Big Ideas as well. This was another good album from Remi Wolf.

Quantum Baby by Tinashe

Tinashe is back with her seventh studio album, the follow up to BB/ANG3L, Quantum Baby. This was my most anticipated August release, and also the shortest album I listened to last month, with just eight songs. It was another good one, though. The two singles, Nasty and Getting No Sleep, were pretty accurate, when it came to gaging what the album was going to be. Themes are carried over from BB/ANG3L, but where that was more R&B, Quantum Baby gets a little more experimental with its arrangements, and dips its toes into synth-pop—which almost had a futuristic vibe going on. Overall, I’m left in the same position as I was by the end of BB/ANG3L: I want more. Luckily, from what I’ve read, Quantum Baby is only the second release of a planned trilogy. So there’s more to look forward to.

Trouble In Paradise by Chloe

You might know Chloe better as half of the duo (and sisters) that made up the group Chloe X Halle, and for the past couple of years she’s been releasing music as a solo artist. Trouble In Paradise is her second studio album, which was supported by the singles Boy Bye—an upbeat pop track about breakups—and FYS. It was summery and fun with an island vibe, and I enjoyed my listening experience, simple as that. It also had some great features such as Might as Well featuring Ty Dolla Sign, Favorite featuring Anderson .Paak, YG Marley on Never Let You Go, Shake with Jeremih, and Want Me featuring Halle. All-in-all, Trouble in Paradise was a great album.

And last, but certainly not lost, here are the singles that made it to my playlist: The girl, so confusing version with Lorde by Charli XCX featuring Lorde, Back To You by Kimbra, and Demi God by Kimbra featuring Sahtyre.

I Listened to What Happened to the Heart? by Aurora

For the past few years I’ve been following Aurora’s music. Her last one, The Gods We Can Touch, was one of my favorite releases of 2022, so I was more than excited for what would come next. Aurora’s fifth studio album was released on June 7, 2024. Titled What Happened to the Heart?, it’s prefaced with a remark about a letter the artist read, which influenced the direction of this latest body of work, and it was to great effect. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

What Happened to the Heart? was supported by a handful of singles—I mentioned a couple of them previously as my picks for different Music Monday posts. These include songs like Your Blood, Some Type of Skin, The Conflict of the Mind, To Be Alight, and Starvation. I already liked what I’d heard, and it built up a high expectation for the album, on my end.

And yet, in the end, I was still surprised, especially hearing the singles in the context of the album as a whole. It created a cohesive listening experience without being repetitive. Every song felt like its own self-contained chapter within the album. It was indie pop with some disco and techno influences, as well as dipping its toes into a folksy flare at times (for example A Soul With No King). It was grounded in the core theme surrounding the question posed by the title, delivered with Aurora’s distinctive vocals. As I mentioned above, everything was done to great effect.

I could go on and on all day about What Happened to the Heart?, but the best way to experience the album is by actually listening to it. This is one of Aurora's best. So, if you can’t tell, I highly recommend it.

I Listened to Megan by Megan Thee Stallion

Another June release I was waiting for was Megan Thee Stallion’s self-title third studio album, Megan. This is her first major release under her independent label (Hot Girl Productions), since leaving her old record label. It was supported by three singles, Boa, Hiss, and Cobra. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our thoughts Precisely!

If you’ve listened to any of Megan Thee Stallion’s music before, then you pretty much know what to expect. For me, though. Megan was like a palate cleanser after all the other music I listened to and wrote about in June. It was released on the twenty-eighth, so it capped off the month quite nicely. Its solid hip-hop and rap with Megan Thee Stallion’s lightning quick lyric delivery and a creative direction in terms of beats, samples, and pop culture references (for the latter look no further than Boa and it’s video game inspiration as well as and Otaku Hot Girl, which had lyrics about Naruto and Jujutsu Kaisen).

Some of it was introspective—such as the single Cobra, which on the album was preceded by Moody Girl (the two complimented each other tonally). On other avenues, parts of the album showcased Megan Thee Stallion’s interests (Boa and Otaku Hot Girl). Plus it had good mixture of features: Kyle Richh on B.A.S., Yuki Chiba on Mamushi, GloRilla on Accent, Victoria Monet on Spin, UGK on Paper Together, and Big K.R.I.T. with Buddah Bless on Miami Blue.

Megan Thee Stallion knocked it out of the park with Megan. It was creative and just enjoyable to listen to.

 

Short Stories I Read In June

It’s the Twenty-Ninth of July. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, podcast episodes, and miscellaneous posts I read or listened to in June.

An Otherworldly Cat Tells You the Secrets of the Universe by Megan Chee (Lightspeed Magazine; June 2024; Issue 169)

An Otherworldly Cat Tells You the Secrets of the Universe by Megan Chee is a delightful story about cats essentially being cats with a speculative twist. Told by a cat, as the title suggests, the narrative conveys, well, the secrets of the universe from the perspective of the felines who can move freely to all of its corners. That included everything from space faring to living alone on strange planets. I liked this one.

Loneliness Universe by Eugenia Triantafyllou (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Eight)

The next and last short story I read in June was was Eugenia Triantafyllou’s latest, Loneliness Universe. I love this one. Initially, it’s about two people—former friends who’d grown apart—Cara, and the story’s narrator, Nefeli, attempting to meet at a bus stop. Things don’t go as planned, because even though they’re in the same place, they might as well be worlds apart. What followed was an incredibly tense and atmospheric story, as Nefeli experienced a puzzling and terrifying phenomenon. Despite the urban setting, there was a feeling of isolation, which further heightened the atmosphere I liked what the author did with this story as well as the commentary on the relationships between people, cherishing time and whatnot, in a story which showed how everyone was, in theory, still close together, but also alone in their own separate universes. So in that way, the title was very fitting. Loneliness Universe is a good one.

From around the web…

• Read an Excerpt From Jordan Ifueko’s The Maid and the Crocodile [Reactor Magazine; June 20, 2024]

I Listened to Dopamine by Normani

Normani is one of those artists where you had to wait and then wait a little more for that album. Originally part of the girl group, Fifth Harmony, she branched out on her own after the group went on hiatus in 2018, with songs like Motivation (2019) and Diamonds (2020) featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Well, after a few years, Normani’s long awaited solo debut album, Dopamine, was finally released on the 14th of June 2024 with thirteen songs. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Dopamine pretty much met all of my expectations, especially based on the direction I assumed it was going in, which was hinted by the singles supporting its release (Wild Side featuring Cardi B, 1:59, and Candy Paint). I was, generally, pleased with it, because it’s the kind of fun music I can relax to or have on in the background while I read. 

It’s firmly planted in the R&B and pop sphere with some creative direction with its arrangements, particularly on some of my top-favorite tracks on the album—Insomnia, Lights Out, and Big Boy featuring Starrah. It also had some good features, including the aforementioned Starrah as well as Cardi B, Gunna, and James Blake.

Overall, Dopamine was a great album.

I Listened to Brat by Charli XCX

I’ve listened to Charli XCX’s music since the True Romance days in 2013. So, I was moderately looking forward to her sixth studio album, Brat, which was released on the seventh of June. And then on the tenth of the month, a deluxe version—Brat and It’s the Same But There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not—was released under a very ironic title. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Brat was bold, loud, and full of hyper and electronic pop club friendly beats—for example Von Dutch, 360, Apple, and Club Classics, among others. Those aspects of the album were fun and, essentially, the kind of music you can move to. They also showcased the inspiration behind the album, which I’d read previously was pulling from “London rave.” While songs like I Might Say Something Stupid and So I slowed it down by a notch, and they were among some of the most vulnerable tracks on Brat. 365 closes the initial album with lyrics and a beat recycled from 360, but remixes it enough so while it was a full circle moment, the track still stood on its own.

On the other hand, Brat and It’s the Same But There’s Three More Songs So It’s Not adds Hello Goodbye, Guess, and Spring Breakers to the original track list. The three songs were fine, and complemented the album.

All in all, Brat was a pretty solid album for me.

I Watched The Invitation (2022)

One of the movies I’ve wanted to watch for a while now was The Invitation, a horror thriller written by Blair Butler and directed by Jessica M. Thompson. Released in 2022, it stars Thomas Doherty and Nathalie Emmanuel. Honestly, I was sold on the film by the trailer, because around the time it was released, I was reading more gothic inspired fiction than I am now. Even so, it took me a while to come back to The Invitation. But I’m glad I did, because this movie was fun and campy, which on occasion is exactly what I’m looking for.

The Invitation starts off relatively benign with Nathalie Emmanuel’s character, Evelyn (Evie) Jackson, working a catering gig where she received a DNA test, as a party favor, from a goodie bag. Which, you know, was kind of random, but it jumpstarted the story with the entry of long-lost family and an impromptu trip to England, for a wedding. The Invitation had a number of gothic fiction hallmarks—secrets, a strange mansion, a heroine who starts out naïve—particularly with a focus on the paranormal kind. So while the setup seemed ordinary, as Evelyn arrived at the manor with wedding guests and a strangely unwelcoming household, it didn’t take long for odd things to start happening. And with a situation like that there was only one way to go from there, and it was downhill for her.

For a large part of its runtime, Evelyn’s experience was almost contemporaneous to its modern time period, except for the hints pointing toward the uncanny and supernatural nature of the traditions that actually dictated the area’s social structure, down to the way of life for the locals. It was insular and the other characters—even those who only appeared in passing—had loyalties, which often clashed with Evelyn’s drive to survive the situation.

Some of the most thrilling parts of The Invitation happened close to the end of the film, when the reveals started happening, and it turned into to a game of cat and mouse. The villains were menacing and effective at creating a daunting challenge for Evelyn to navigate.

Overall, while The Invitation wasn’t a profound film, it didn’t have to be to be good at what it had to offer. And, ultimately, I had a great time watching it.

I Listened to Born in the Wild by Tems

Tems has steadily released music since 2018, including work with other artists and two extended plays—For Broken Ears (2020) and If Orange Was a Place (2021). And while I’m not as familiar with her discography as some of the other artists I’ve mentioned for this segment on Our Thoughts Precisely, I was still looking forward to her 2024 album after I watched the livestream of her performance at this year’s Coachella. Titled Born in the Wild, Tems’ debut was released on June seventh with eighteen songs, including the singles Love Me Je Je and Me & U. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

I’ve loved a number of the R&B albums being released this year, and Born in the Wild is one of the best I’ve listened to so far in 2024. It sits solidly in its genre, but the quality and creativity of the lyrics and production made for an engrossing listening experience. And I have to praise Tems’ vocal performance. She has a very distinct voice, and the delivery across the track list was consistent. Born in the Wild also had two features, from the artists J. Cole and Asake, on Free Fall and Get It Right respectively.

At the end of the day, Born in the Wild was stylish and lyrically complex, and a great body of work showcasing Tems’ talent.

Quarterly Recap: April-June

It’s the beginning of July. I can’t believe I already had to write that sentence, but here we are. And because it’s the seventh month of 2024, it means it’s time for another quarterly recap, where I take a look back at the blog post from the past three months as well as a brief look at what’s coming up. As always I’m starting with reviews.

April, May, and June Reviews...

• What Fire Brings by Rachel Howzell Hall
• The Manicurist's Daughter by Susan Lieu
• The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
• The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo
• Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Frances and Joseph Gies

Other April, May, and June Blog Posts....

• I Watched Marry My Husband (2024)
• Short Stories I Read in May
• What I've Been Listening To + Upcoming Albums
• Short Stories I Read In April
• I Listened to What Now by Brittany Howard
• I Listened to Found Heaven by Conan Gray
• Quarterly Recap: January-March
• I Listened to World Wide Whack by Tierra Whack
• I Listened to Act ii: Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé
• What I've Been Listening To (April)

Looking ahead this month, I have a couple of music related posts as well as reviews for some books releasing this month. So keep an eye out for that content.

Up next, I have a good selection of ARCs to read, including one of my most anticipated releases of the year from one of my favorite authors.

And in terms of gaming, the last Nintendo Direct brought some surprises and slightly expanded the list of games I’m looking forward to in the last half of 2024. Tales of the Shire (the Lord of the Rings farming sim), and The Legend of Zelda Echoes of Wisdom, the new 2D game set in Hyrule, where you get to play as Zelda, according to the trailer.

What I've Been Listening To + Upcoming Albums

So…it’s been a minute since I last did a “What I’m Listening To” blog post. I figured it was time to do another one since some of the albums I was waiting for released in April and May. There were some recent announcements I wanted to cover as well. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Radical Optimism, Dua Lipa’s third studio album, was one of my most anticipated releases for May, and it was ultimately one of the most mixed for me. While there were parts of it I absolutely adored—like the singles Houdini and Illusion as well as other tracks like End of an Era, French Exit, and Happy For You—there were some songs I felt lukewarm about and could skip entirely, particularly toward the back end of the album. The parts of it I liked most were the songs that were tonally in the same (or similar) vein as the singles. Those tended to bring in more of the retro influences I liked about Dua Lipa’s other album, Future Nostalgia.

The next one I checked out was Billie Eilish’s third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which released on May 17, 2024. I’m a very casual listener when it comes to Eilish and, over the years, I’ve had more than one favorite song. However, I was a big fan of Hit Me Hard and Soft. There are only ten songs on it, but I loved the moodiness as well as the quality of the production.

Another one of my most anticipated albums of May was Willow’s Empathogen. Released on May 3rd, I have to say that I loved this one. It’s features included Jon Batiste and St. Vincent. Where Empathogen shined was where, like its singles (Symptom of Life and Big Feelings), it delved into the nitty gritty when it came to complicated emotions and experiences. And it did so with a stylish mix of influences, including jazz and rock among others. My only gripe is how I wish some of the songs were longer. For example, one of my favorite songs, I Know That Face, was only a minute and fifty-one seconds long; the same applied to Ancient Girl (only a minute and thirty-one seconds long). Otherwise, I had a great listening experience with Empathogen.

Singles...

Some of the singles that made it to my playlist include: Love Me JeJe by Tems, Bet by Mette, Boy Bye by Chloe, In Your Hands by Halle, Light Again & Right There by Lil Nas X.

Upcoming Music I’m Waiting For...

• Big Ideas by Remi Wolf (July12, 2024)
• Quantum Baby by Tinashe, follow-up to BB/ANG3L
• Trouble In Paradise by Chloe

Releasing This Month...

• Born in the Wild by Tems (June 7, 2024)
• What Happened to the Heart? by Aurora (June 7, 2024)
• Dopamine by Normani (June 14, 2024)

Short Stories I Read In April

It’s the twenty-ninth of May. So it’s time to write about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in April.

The God, Descendant by Amanda Helms (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Seven)

The first piece I checked out in April was flash fiction by Amanda Helms called The God, Descendant. It’s a story about two gods, either rising or falling, who were locked in a seemingly never ending cycle inherent to their natures and names—only passing one another occasionally. Most of the story is contemplative, as the narrative is firmly rooted in the perspective of the Falling God. It’s a conversation between the two, as they questioned the state of, well, rising and falling, just as much as it was also about the answers (solution) they eventually arrived at. This was a relatively simple story, but I enjoyed it.

Afflictions of the New Age by Katherine Ewell (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Seven)

The next short story I read was Afflictions of the New Age by Katherine Ewell. The story excels at atmosphere and certainly knew how to set up a scene, because it does start with a narrator who may or may not be reliable as well as a series of questions by authorities, which hinted at the overarching mystery of the situation (how the opening scene came to be). It doesn’t take long, however, for the narrative to delve into the context and implications behind the title. The prose and storytelling were simply engrossing, and I enjoyed the melancholic impression left by Afflictions of the New Age. After all, it’s a story of cures and illnesses as well as the unforeseen consequences of finding a way to live forever—but of losing one’s perception of time as well as a linear grasp on the order of memories in the process.

The Oldest Fun by Natalia Theodoridou (Clarkesworld Magazine; Issue 211; April 2024)

Next, I decided to see what Clarkesworld was publishing in April, and I ended up reading Natalia Theodoridou's The Oldest Fun. The quickest way I can sum up this story is: a deadlier form of Jumanji. The narrative implies the game is far older than what one might think, and it pulls in players in a way that can feel reminiscent to the classic movie. The Oldest Fun is, in the end, it's own tale with its own implications and context. I liked this story, particularly for the writing style and the smart twist toward the end—which made it memorable.

From around the web…

• Black Futuras: How Three Pop Divas Adapted the Image of Metropolis’ Maschinenmensch [Kristen Patterson; Tor.com; March 26, 2024]: A really great essay on Metropolis (1925), its iconic robot, and the modern interpretation of the meaning of the character by artists like Beyoncé and Janelle Monáe.
• Print Run Podcast Episode #169: We're Just a Bunch of Guys
• Considering the Perfect Knits of Coraline [Michelle Jaworski; Tor.com; April 11, 2024]: This is a nice article that discusses some of the miniature textile work done for the stop-motion adaptation of Coraline (2009), specifically for the titular character's iconic attire. 

I Listened to Found Heaven by Conan Gray

I’ve heard of Conan Gray off and on since his 2020 album Kid Krow. It wasn’t until more recently, when he started releasing singles for his new album—such as Never Ending Song—that I finally decided to pay more attention to this artist. On April fifth, Conan Gray released his third studio album, Found Heaven. It was supported with five singles: Never Ending Song, Winner, Killing Me, Lonely Dances, and Alley Rose. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Honestly, Found Heaven is a vibe. And I can best describe it as retro with a 80s aesthetic, especially in terms of the background arrangement and the visuals—for the music videos accompanying Never Ending Song and Lonely Dancers as well as the lyric visualizers (invoking the grainy images of old camcorder footage). It doesn’t stick too hard and fast to its influences that it becomes redundant. Instead, Conan Gray’s modern interpretation of these familiar aspects unabashedly invokes a feeling of nostalgia, which was complimented by his dynamic vocal performance across the album’s thirteen tracks.

Found Heaven is a cohesive album and just a lot of fun to listen to. This is easily one of my favorites of the year so far.

I Listened to What Now by Brittany Howard

Do you ever, on occasion, suddenly think about a band you haven’t listened to in what feels like ages? That’s my story here.

Early in March, I was cleaning up an old playlist, when I revisited my favorite tracks from Alabama Shake’s Sound & Color (2015). There was the vague expectation of more albums, other music, but the band is on indefinite hiatus since 2018. That, however, has spawned projects from its members like the group Sun On Shade and Brittany Howard’s solo career—beginning with Jamie (2019).

What Now, released on February 9, 2024, is Brittany Howard’s sophomore solo album and is also my reintroduction to her music. It was also the release I was least expecting and the one I was most surprised by; I’ve been missing out, because it’s one of the most creative bodies of work I’ve listened to so far this year. There is an infusion of everything from rock, R&B, soul, funk, synth, house, jazz, and electronic. Howard makes it work, and makes it seem effortless while creating a sonically interesting listening experience that showcases her vocals and creativity.

Some of my favorite tracks include Another Day, the titular What Now, Red Flags, and Power To Undo—which instantly made me think of Prince’s music—among others.

What Now is memorable and an absolute delight, and it’s going to stick with me for a while.