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Monday, January 22, 2024
Music Monday (269): Fall Out Boy, Tamia
Friday, January 19, 2024
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
Author: Heather Fawcett
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Romance
Publisher/Publication Date: Del Rey; January 16, 2024
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Synopsis from Goodreads...
When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.
Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby. Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger. And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans. But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.
If there was one book I was looking forward to in January of 2024, it was going to be Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. This is Heather Fawcett’s follow-up to the Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Suffice it to say, I was more than ready to be back with the smart, adventurous, but awkward—and as the book synopsis describes her, “curmudgeonly”—Emily Wilde.
This book had the same style as the first one, in that it’s essentially Emily telling the story to the reader via her journal.
In Map of the Otherlands, Emily, Wendell, Shadow, and two new characters, set off into the Austrian Alps. It’s partly to continue research for her next project, the titular Map of the Otherlands, as well as the potential of finding a door into Wendell’s realm. There was also the necessity to get out of Cambridge for a while.
The set up for this adventure happens relatively early in the story. The threat to Wendell’s life—and the collateral damage that comes from a sudden attack fueled by magic—ensured Map of the Otherlands, from that point, had VERY high stakes for the remainder of the story. It also had a good balance between Emily’s penchants for putting her desire for discovers first with the danger posed by the very subjects of her studies. There was action, and also an element of whimsy. The fairy realms—the doors and the places that share borders—were bizarre in an ethereal, if not surreal, manner.
I loved the setting from the first book, but I also liked this one as well. It too shared a relatively remote locale, being in the mountains, and it was described as very quaint and picturesque with a lot of open land. The terrain once again posed its own issues, and the local customs had certain requirements and dictated the time of day they could be out and about. It’s one of the things I appreciate about this book: the attention to detail.
This series has such a lively cast. A few faces from the previous book were present here as well, but I also liked getting to know the new characters as well, particularly one who she could verbally spar with. Wendell is in a tough spot in this one, but he still manages to come off as witty, sometimes a little arrogant, but also very caring for the people he holds in regard.
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is a fantastic sequel. If you’ve read the first book then I highly recommend this one too.
Heather Fawcett is the Sunday Times and internationally bestselling Canadian author of books for adults, kids, and teens, including Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Even the Darkest Stars, Ember and the Ice Dragons, The Grace of Wild Things, and more. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages and somehow all include dragons in one form or another. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature and a Bachelor’s in Archaeology. She lives on Vancouver Island.
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
I'm Back + Most Anticipated Releases of 2024
So, what have I been up to?
I always tell myself I’m going to read a lot more during my breaks than I ever do, but during the holidays, I inevitably end up preoccupied by other things. Whether that’s with a TV series, movies, some form of arts and crafts, or video games. This time, I got into making miniatures. They were supposed to be for small unfinished snow globes, but I got overly ambitious and overestimated what I could do with the size constraints. I had maybe too much fun with that, since the project is ongoing and has followed me right into the New Year.
As for video games, I’m working my way through the last dungeon in Fae Farm as well as the remainder of its central story. This is a game I’ve really taken my time with, and I don’t have any plans to change the pace with how I engage with it. I’m also still playing Tears of the Kingdom. There’s just so much to explore, but I’m genuinely enjoying it.
I don’t have any other goals this year, except to finish a couple of book series (especially the two that I already have the books for).
What upcoming books am I looking forward to?
I always try to keep my anticipated books list kind of short, because I know I’ll come across plenty of novels as the year progresses. What I am looking forward to is: The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden, The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo, Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue by Kate Pearsall, and Holly Horror: The Longest Night by Michelle Jabes Corpora.
Like books, I know I’ll come across my albums later in the year. For now my list includes: Lana by SZA (sometime in 2024; deluxe version of SZA's 2022 album, SOS) Savior by Green Day (January 19), Girl with No Face by Allie X (February 23), Funk Generation by Anitta (Unscheduled), Into the Unknown by Nero (Unscheduled), and ORQUIDEAS by Kali Uchis (Already released; January 12, 2024).
Last, and certainly not least, I want to go over the video games coming out in 2024 that I’m most excited for. I primarily play on my Nintendo Switch Lite, so the games I’m going to mention consists of releases that will be available on that console.
Luigi’s Mansion HD (Luigi’s 2: This Dark Moon Nintendo Switch Port) is at the top of my list for 2024 video game releases. Even though I always wanted to play the original, I never did. So I’m very excited that it’s coming to the Switch. Another one is Princess Peach: Showtime! How many years has it been since Peach had her own game? And from the look of the trailer, it seems like it’s going to be an exciting game. As for indies, the two I’m watching for potential Switch releases is Moonlights Peaks, a vampire life-sim, and Camper Van: Make It Home, a decorating game.
So yeah, I’m looking forward to the year ahead. Happy reading!
Monday, January 15, 2024
Music Monday (268): Tinashe
Rules:
Monday, January 1, 2024
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Break Notice
Monday, December 25, 2023
The Cookie Book Tag (Batch 6; Solo Edition)
It's December 25th, so Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! And Happy Holidays to everyone else! I hope everyone has not only a great day but a safe one.
Today I'm going to participate in The Cookie Book Tag. It's the only book tag we do annually on Our Thoughts Precisely, because it's a fun way to look back at the books we've read. It's a year to the day since Batch 5. Adri usually participates but, this year, she's decided to skip it. Before we begin, here are the more technical details about the tag.
The Cookie Book Tag was created by Nicole @ Sorry, I’m Booked. And you can check out the original tag post here: Sorry, I’m Booked, The Cookie Book Tag.The rules…
- Link back to the person who tagged you + the creator of this tag
- Pick a book that corresponds with the cookies theme
- Have fun
- Tag 1-3 people
Breana: I have a couple of books for this one: Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans; Bittersweet in the Hollow, Field of Screams, and Mammoths at the Gates.
Friday, December 22, 2023
2023 Favorites: Music, Movies, and TV
Music
There was so much good music that was released in 2023. My top albums and Eps released in 2023 were: Sweet Justice by Tkay Maizda, So Much (For) Stardust by Fall Out Boy, A Reckoning by Kimbra, Going…Going…GONE! by Hemlocke Springs, Tension by Kylie Minogue, and Feed the Beast by Kim Petras. I also enjoyed Holiday Sidewinder’s Forever or Whatever, Wednesday Campanella’s expansive backlist, The NYChillharmonic’s album 1, and Marina’s The Family Jewels. Along with songs by Halle (Angel), Caroline Polachek (Bunny Is A Rider, Dang, Caroline Shut Up, and Welcome To My Island), METTE (Van Gogh), Doechii (Pacer), Aurora (Your Blood) and Allie X (Black Eye and Girl With No Face).
I didn’t watch as much this year as I thought I would. For movies, some of my favorites were: Barbie, The Haunted Mansion, and The Portable Door. As for TV, I’ve mostly been watching: Mystery Science Theater 3000, SurrealEstate season 2, Svengoolie, and a number of classic shows like Murder she Wrote.
And, with that, there is my list of 2023 favorites. If you want to check out the first part, you can use THIS LINK.
Happy reading!
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
2023 Favorites: Books & Short Stories
The blogging year is coming to a close, and I thought it was time to go over some of my favorite things from 2023. This concerns media—books, short stories, music, movies, and TV shows—that I read, watched, or listened to this year. In this part, I’m focusing on books and short stories.
My favorite young adult books and manga were: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid, Holly Horror by Michelle Corpora Jabes, Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, and Clock Stricker vol. 1 by Issaka Galadima and Frederick L. Jones. For general fiction, my favorites were: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ninth House & Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo, Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, The Fatal Folio by Elizabeth Penney, The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland, The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett, and Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo. My three middle grade reads were excellent: Field of Screams by Wendy Parris, Adia Kelbara and the Circle of Shamans by Isi Hendrix, and Totally Psychic by Brigid Martin. And last, but certainly not least, my favorite nonfiction books were: Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton, The Cult of We by Eliot Brown and Maureen Farrell, and The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan.
- Your Wings a Bridge Across the Stars by Michelle Denham (Apex Magazine; April 6, 2023)
- Did You Hear About The Neighbors? By Seth Wade (Strange Horizons; Issue: 24 April 2023)
- Yingying—Shadow by Ai Jiang (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-One)
- The Gratitude of Mice by Yume Kitasei (Strange Horizons; Issue: 6 March 2023)
- Our Exquisite Delights by Megan Chee (Lightspeed Magazine; Mar. 2023 (Issue 154))
- Silver Necklace, Golden Ring by Marie Brennan (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty)
- Guidelines for Using the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library by Marie Brennan (Lightspeed Magazine; Issue 153)
- The Magazine of Horror by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki [Apex Magazine; August 15, 2023]
- The Discarded Ones by Linda Niehoff (Apex Magazine; August 8, 2023)
- Four Steps To Hunt A God by Athar Fikry (Strange Horizons; Issue: 12 June 2023)
- Mirror View by Rajeev Prasad (Clarkesworld; Issue 201—June 2023)
- All These Ghosts Are Playing to Win by Lindsey Godfrey Eccles (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Two)
- A Lovers’ Tide in Which We Inevitably Break Each Other; Told in Inverse by K.S. Walker (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Ffty-Two)
- The Locked Coffin: A Judge Dee Mystery by Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com; October 25, 2023)
- What You Are and the Wolf by Jae Steinbacher (Lightspeed Magazine; October 2023; Issue 161)
- Simmered in Their Wealth Like the Richest of Sauces by Jo Miles (Lightspeed Magazine; September 2023; Issue 160)
- The Tale of Clancy the Scrivener by Ramsey Shehadeh (Tor.com; September 20, 2023)
Monday, December 18, 2023
Music Monday: Christmas Edition
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