The Friday 56 (246) & Book Beginnings: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

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. **Note: Freda @ Freda's Voice is taking a break from The Friday 56; Anne @Head is Full of Books is hosting for now.**

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...

The third installment in the all-new series from the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater!

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs. The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost. Friends can betray. Mothers can disappear. Visions can mislead. Certainties can unravel.

Beginning: "Persephone stood on the bare mountaintop, her ruffled ivory dress whipping around her legs, her mass of white-blond curls streaming behind her."

56: "Blue did not hate it, because that would require acknowledging that it was really happening."

Comments: I'm steadily making progress on my goal to read The Raven Cycle. I've finished book three, Blue Lily, Lily Blue, and I enjoyed it just as much as The Raven Cycle and The Dream Thieves. What are you reading this week?

I Listened to Girl With No Face by Allie X

Before February was over, there was one last music release I was waiting on: Allie X’s highly anticipated third studio album, Girl With No Face. For context, it’s been four years since Cape God (2020)—and three from the release of its deluxe edition with five additional songs (Cape God Theme, Milk, Limited Love, Anchor, and Rising Tide). There was plenty of time to build anticipation for Allie X’s next project, and, going into 2024, Girl With No Face was at the top of my list for albums releasing in the first quarter of the year.

On February 23, Girl With No Face arrived. Before then, the direction of the sound, aesthetic, and themes were teased for months with the release singles like Black Eye and the titular Girl With No Face. This album is a blend of pop, synth, and a little bit of glam rock. It feels very retro, especially in terms of how the beats are arranged. But Allie X manages to set her music apart with her vocals and lyrical depth, which keeps the album from feeling redundant.

Some of my favorite tracks (not including the singles) were Galina, You Slept On Me, Staying Power, and even the closing song, Truly Dreams. Another good one is Hardware/software, which sounds, honestly, like a soundtrack you would find in a video game from the eighties.

 
Girl With No Face was another excellent project by Allie X. Even the most upbeat track on the album—in terms of sound anyway—deserves more than a passing listen. There’s so much to sit with and chew on, and I know I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. For today, however, I’ll leave it here. Just know: I enjoyed every second of my listening experience.   

Music Monday (276): Allie X, Mary J. Blige, Physics

 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: Another one of my favorite songs from Allie X's new album, Girl With No Face, is Staying Power. I love this one. Give it a listen!

Adri: I think I have mentioned that I like long songs. With it being nine minutes and eighteen seconds (and being house), my pick for today, Viva L'amore by Physics, checks all those boxes. 

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Gone Forever by Mary J. Blige featuring Remy Ma and DJ Khalid. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For!

It’s only March, and I didn’t think I would be back so soon with a proper “Upcoming Music I’m Waiting For,” except there have been some developments on that front. So here I am. 

First up, Normani has announced her long-awaited debut album: Dopamine. There’s no concrete release date as of writing this, but from everything I could find out about it, it seems like it’ll drop sometime in 2024.

Next, Tierra Whack is returning with her second studio album called: World Wide Whack. The wait for this one is super short, since it’s going to be released on March 15.

Later this month, on the 29th, Beyoncé is finally releasing the follow-up to Renaissance, Act ii. While the former album was inspired by house, this one is, from what I’ve read—and the genre of the two singles—is going to be country.

Then there’s Conan Gray’s upcoming third album, Found Heaven. I’ve only started listening to this artist recently, because of Never Ending Song (coincidently one of the singles from Found Heaven). Even so, I’m anticipating its release on April 5th.

Later in April, on the 19th, Taylor Swift is releasing The Tortured Poets Department. I’m a much more casual listener, when it comes to Taylor Swift. But, from time to time, I’ve liked some of her music. And I’m interested in seeing where this one goes.

On May 17th, Twenty One Pilots is releasing their next album: Clancy. It's the conclusion to the storyline that began with Blurryface (2015) and continued with Trench (2018) and Scaled & Icy (2021). The first single from Clancy, Overcompensate, has me very excited to see what the rest of the album has to offer.  

And last but not least, there seem to be some rumblings about a new FKA Twigs album and one from Doechii as well. I’m going to have to keep my eye on that.

That’s it for me, for today. Have you listened to any good music lately?

What I've Been Listening To

We’re already three months into 2024. It feels weird to write that, because, every time I glance at a calendar—whether digital or on paper—I realize how much it feels like the year is flying by. But I digress, because the point of today’s blog post is music, specifically everything I’ve been meaning to write about—even from last year—that I never go around to writing about. 

Albums

The last quarter of 2023 was actually pretty busy in terms of music releases—and specifically there was new stuff from some of my favorite artists.

On November 3, 2023, Tkay Maidza returned two years after 2021’s Last Year Was Weird (Vol. 3) with her second studio album: Sweet Justice. Part R&B, pop, and rap, Maidza delivers a stylish offering. Sitting at fourteen songs, Sweet Justice leans into what this artist is good at: vocals, lyrics, and production. There’s never a dull moment (no skips) on Sweet Justice, and it’s, hands down, one of my favorite albums of 2023.

On that note, I came away with a similar view of Tinashe’s sixth album, BB/ANG3L. Released on September 8, 2023, this was a shorter body of work with just seven songs, but every second of it was enjoyable. She’s singing about the many faces of relationships, good, bad, and everything in between. But, despite the tried and true subject, Tinashe always excels at giving it a spin, which makes BB/ANG3L straight to the point and perfect at its length. Her approach to R&B remains as one of my favorites.

There was also Victoria Monet’s debut studio album Jaguar II (August, 25 2023). As a long time listener of Monet, I was beyond pleased with this release. Supported by the singles Smoke featuring Lucky Daye, Party Girls featuring Buju Banton, and On My Mama, this was an air-tight and enjoyable listening experience.

As for 2024, so far I’ve listened to ORQUIDEAS, Kali Uchis’s fourth studio album, the deluxe edition of Carolina Polachek’s Desire, I Want to Turn Into You, and Girl With No Face, Allie X’s third studio release.

Kali Uchis has a style and she knows how to utilize it to its fullest potential. The deluxe edition of Desire, I Want to Turn Into You was a happy surprise and added a handful of songs to an album that was already quite good—with another version of Butterfly Net (featuring Weyes Blood) and the single, Dang, among others.

Singles

Beyoncé is back! I feel like I had to start with that, because I have been waiting for the follow up to Renaissance. The wait isn’t too long, because Act ii will be dropping later this month, on the twenty-ninth. Until then, there are two singles to listen to: Texas Hold ‘Em and 16 Carriages.

Some of the other singles that have made it to one playlist or another of mine include: Oh No :: He Said What? By Nothing But Thieves; Hunned Racks by The Whales featuring Tkay Maidza, Never Ending Song by Conan Gray, Overcompensate by Twenty One Pilots, and Your Blood by Aurora.

Honestly, the year is off to a strong start, and I’m looking forward to what the rest of 2024 has to offer. What about you, have you listened to any good music lately?

Music Monday (275): Allie X, 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: I'm currently listening to Allie X's new album, Girl With No Face. Its one of my favorite releases of 2024 so far, but more on that on a different post. Checkout one of my favorite songs: Galina!

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Made For Me by Muni Long. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Music Monday (274): SZA, Chapel Hart, Loretta Lynn

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: Last week, SZA released a new song called Saturn. I love it already, and I'm very excited for the upcoming deluxe version of SOS, Lana.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Welcome To Fist City by Chapel Hart and Fist City by Loretta Lynn. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard

Title: Bumps in the Night

Series: n/a
Author: Amalie Howard
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Middle Grade
Publisher/Publication Date: Delacorte Press; February 20, 2024

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The middle grade horror debut from USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard in which a girl stays with her grandmother in Trinidad for the summer and discovers that she comes from a long line of witches.

Thirteen-year-old Darika Lovelace is in big trouble. The kind of trouble that means she’s being sent off to her grandmother in the Caribbean. She should be grateful, but instead she’s angry. Angry at her dad and step-mom for sending her away for an entire summer. Angry at her mom who went away and never came back. But the island is definitely not what she remembers! The minute she steps off the plane, strange things start happening, including being stalked by a baby iguana. When she meets a ragtag group of children on her Granny’s estate, she knows they are not what they seem, but after they promise to take her to her long-lost mom, she leaps at the chance. Thrust into an incredible adventure involving strange monsters, a supernatural silk cotton tree, and a mysterious maze, soon the truth about her unique magical roots comes to light. She’s the island’s only hope, but unless she learns to believe in magic, all will be lost.

Amalie Howard’s Bumps in the Night is a new middle grade fantasy adventure set in the Caribbean. There’s folklore, mystery, and endearing characters that, along the way, learn valuable lessons about teamwork, the environment, and importantly about themselves.

There felt like two discernable parts to the story.

In the beginning, we’re introduced to Darika Lovelace, who has landed herself in hot water and is sent to stay with her grandmother for the summer, in Trinidad. She doesn’t want to like where she is; not the people, food, or places—because she doesn’t want to enjoy herself. For the first hundred pages or so, some of the story can come across slightly repetitive with how much she denies what she sees. However, I understood what Howard was trying to do with her character, because Darika had internalized a lot of false concepts about herself—often feeling lonely, abandoned, and as if she isn’t really being heard. Even though she was surrounded by people who still cared and loved her, it was the absence of her mother—the mystery surrounding it, and the evasiveness of the adults in her life—that negatively affected her in a very significant way. This, arguably, had an effect on the way she dealt with the others as well as the obstacles thrown her way—particularly in situations she was woefully unprepared to deal with. It was a good scenario to begin with, though.

In the second half, all the groundwork—the clues, the strange and magical instances—starts to pay off, and the fantasy adventure arrives in full force. This is one of the areas where Bumps in the Night excels (for me at least), and I flew through the rest of the story. Mazes are obstacle-laden fun, especially when they’re done well. This one was a good one.

So in Bumps in the Night there were big concepts with higher, world ending, consequences. But the journey the main character, Darika, had to undertake was never far from sight either. There was a good balance between the two, and the overall story is as fun as it was meaningful. I highly recommend Bumps in the Night.

About the author....

AMALIE HOWARD is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author. Always Be My Duchess was one of Cosmopolitan’s 30 Best Romance Books of 2022 and The Beast of Beswick was one of Oprah Daily’s 24 Best Historical Romance Novels to Read. She is also the author of several award-winning young adult novels. Her recent YA release Queen Bee was called “A true diamond of the first water” by ALA Booklist. Her books have been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, and Seventeen Magazine. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found reading, being the president of her one-woman Harley Davidson motorcycle club, or power-napping. She lives in Colorado with her family.

Goodreads     Website     Instagram

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

Music Monday (273): Beyoncé, Tracy Chapman

 Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I'm very excited for Beyoncé's Renaissance Act II! There are two singles right now, and my pick this week is 16 Carriages. Give it a listen!

Andrea: Hi all! I have been listening to Tracy Chapman's song, Fast Car, on repeat, since seeing her performance on the Grammys with Luke Combs (To see the Youtube video, click HERE).  Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

About The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

In January, I posted a Thought Corner about my reread of The Raven Boys. If you read it (HERE), you’ll know I was in desperate need of a refresher before attempting to continue with the series. It had been around a full decade since I last picked it up, and details get lost overtime. That was true for my recollection of the VERY fine print about the overall story of The Raven Boys. So, I reread it. And when I was considering what my 2024 blogging goal would be, one of the series I kept in mind was The Raven Cycle.

“There are three kinds of secrets.”—page 1.

The prologue begins with a page long monologue about three kinds of secrets and what Ronan Lynch has to do with them. In a way, it does some heavy lifting by informing the reader about the exact kind of story The Dream Thieves is going to be.

Where The Raven Boys was about exploring (the hunt for Glendower and the places it took the characters), new friendships, and laying the groundwork for the series. The Dream Thieves felt (and often read) like a book about consequences, risks, and implications.

The book is hectic, but I mean that in the best way possible. The consequences—Adam’s sacrifice, Blue’s prophecy, Ronan’s penchant for trouble, Gansey’s quest, and Noah’s reliance on the ley lines—were catching up to the main cast. It tossed a proverbial monkey-wrench into the fray, which tested the limits of both the platonic and romantic relationships. And that was coupled with the introduction of The Gray Man (a literal hitman) and Kavinsky (an endless source of potential trouble), which only added to the strain. Something had to give. And give it did.

And where The Raven Boys felt more like Blue’s story of how she got involved with the hunt and the titular Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves felt like it was for Ronan. The other characters were present and had their own growth to go through. There was a broader exploration on the meaning of Ronan’s secrets: a deep dive into his character, his family, and the circumstances and aftermath of his father’s death and the terms of his will. Since dreams and dreaming were a large aspect of the story, the focus on these things, on his character, was only fitting. I liked the way it was handled. It was portrayed as a serious, and more often dangerous, manner that never crossed the line into being hyperbolic—the consequences were too steep for that.

I enjoyed The Dream Thieves as much as The Raven Boys. Up next, I look forward to tackling Blue Lily, Lily Blue.

Happy reading!

About the book...

If you could steal things from dreams, what would you take? Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.One Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.Ronan is one of the raven boys - a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface - changing everything in its wake.