The Friday 56 (247) & Book Beginnings: Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages by Frances & Joseph Gies

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...

In this account of Europe's rise to world leadership in technology, Frances and Joseph Gies make use of recent scholarship to destroy two time-honored myths.

Myth One: that Europe's leap forward occurred suddenly in the Renaissance, following centuries of medieval stagnation. Not so, say the Gieses: Early modern technology and experimental science were direct outgrowths of the decisive innovations of medieval Europe, in the tools and techniques of agriculture, craft industry, metallurgy, building construction, navigation, and war. Myth Two: that Europe achieved its primacy through Western superiority. On the contrary, the authors report, many of Europe's most important inventions--the horse harness, the stirrup, the magnetic compass, cotton and silk cultivation and manufacture, papermaking, firearms, Arabic numerals--had their origins outside Europe, in China, India, and Islam. The Gieses show how Europe synthesized its own innovations--the three-field system, water power in industry, the full-rigged ship, the putting-out system--into a powerful new combination of technology, economics, and politics. From the expansion of medieval man's capabilities, the voyage of Columbus with all its fateful consequences is seen as an inevitable product, while even the genius of Leonardo da Vinci emerges from the context of earlier and lesser-known dreamers and tinkerers.

Beginning: "In the centuries following the Middle Ages, thinkers of the European Enlightenment looked back on the previous period as a time "quiet as the dark of the night," when the world slumbered and man's history came to "a full stop.""

56: "When European horsemen finally adopted the stirrup and matched it with the contoured saddle, they gained a dramatic advantage."

Comments: This book has, admittedly, been on my shelf for a while. I was in the mood for nonfiction and finally picked it up. I enjoyed it. What are you reading this weekend?

I Listened to World Wide Whack by Tierra Whack

 
Tierra Whack is one of my favorite artists. She is creative and unafraid to experiment and take risks with her music—i.e. her debut album, Whack World (2018), had fifteen songs and none of them were longer than one minute in length. So, when Tierra Whack is involved, I’ve come to expect the unexpected. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

Don’t let the cheery, quirky, and colorful imagery—or its most lighthearted tracks like Shower Song and Moovies—fool you. Tierra Whack’s new album, World Wide Whack, released on March fifteenth, is a deep, contemplative body of work that often approaches (and examines) darker topics—think depression and so forth. It opens with Mood Swing, setting the tone for what’s next. And then it transitions into tracks like Ms Behave, Difficult, and Numb, before ending with 27 Club—which really drove home the themes and statements present on the album.

Tierra Whack’s production is always quite interesting to take a look at, and it’s a highlight of the album. She can catch a beat when rapping (Ms Behave, Snake Eyes, and X), and the background music perfectly meshed with her vocals and, ultimately, suited the tone of any given track, even if it didn’t seem like it would work.

As far as second albums go, World Wide Whack is an excellent one.

Music Monday (280): Beyoncé, Lion Babe, WILLOW

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 still listening to Cowboy Carter. Another one of my favorite songs is Beyoncé and Miley Cyrus's duet, II Most Wanted.

Adri: I'm listening to So Pretty by Lion Babe. I absolutely love how cheery it sounds.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Symptom of Life and Wait a Minute by WILLOW. I hope everyone has an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

I Listened to Act ii: Cowboy Carter by Beyoncé

I’ve been anticipating the next part of Beyoncé’s trilogy project, which began with Renaissance’s release in 2022. Now, about two years later, she’s returned with Act ii: Cowboy Carter, which was supported by two singles (16 Carriages, Texas Hold ‘Em) released on February 11th, after a commercial that aired during this year’s Super Bowl. And with that, welcome back to the music minded corner of Our Thoughts Precisely!

When Beyoncé said Cowboy Carter was a Beyoncé album, rather than just a country one, she was telling the truth. There are hallmarks of the genre present throughout, but it’s a Beyoncé album: pitch switches, harmonies, and superb production with incredibly smooth transitions. As a follow up to Renaissance—one of my favorite albums—Cowboy Carter, with twenty-seven tracks, exceeded my expectations. From the artists she collaborated with, to covering classics— with Jolene and BlackBiird—with minimal (but meaningful) changes, to a wealth of original material, Cowboy Carter is an experience. It’s one that’s almost cinematic in the way it handles its concept and themes as well as smaller details—like having a full circle moment between the opening (Ameriican Requiem) and the closing track (Amen).

Like The Weeknd’s Dawn FM (2022), Cowboy Carter is structured like a radio broadcast complete with DJ interludes featuring artists like Linda Martell, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson (for example: Dolly P, Smoke Hour Willie Nelson, and The Linda Martell Show). But those weren’t the only artists featured on Cowboy Carter. There was Beyoncé’s duet with Miley Cyrus (II Most Wanted), her collaborations with Post Malone (Levii’s Jeans), Just For Fun with Willie Jones, and Sweet Honey Buckin’ with Shaboozey.

Cowboy Carter has Beyoncé’s vocal capacity and creativity on full display. As a sequel to Renaissance, it works. As a country album, it experiments, effectively creating a long but memorable listening experience. This is one of my favorite albums to come out in the first half of the year, and it set the bar high.

Quarterly Recap: January-March

It’s April and officially time for the first quarterly recap of the year. In this post, you’ll find links to reviews and other posts that have appeared on Our Thoughts Precisely from January to the end of March. As always, I’m starting with reviews.

January, February, and March Reviews...

• On Rereading The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
• Bumps in the Night by Amalie Howard
• About The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
• About Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Other January, February, and March Posts...

• I'm Back + Most Anticipated Releases of 2024
• Happy New Year!
• Short Stories I Read in December
• I Watched Pokémon Concierge!
• Favorite Recipes Ice Cream + a Sorbet
• Short Stories I Read in February
• I Listened to Girl With No Face by Allie X
• What I've Been Listening To
• Upcoming Music I'm Waiting For!

Looking ahead, I don’t have any specific plans for the next three months, other than continuing my goal for the year of finishing some of the series I started from what feels like ages ago.

Upcoming posts this month and beyond include more music reviews. The first quarter of the year has been busy with new music from Beyoncé, Brittany Howard, Tierra Whack, and more. And yet, there’s more on the horizon to look forward to.

Book wise, I have a nonfiction review that will be posted to the blog later this month. 

Music Monday (279): Beyoncé, SiR, and Chenayder

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 week, I'm listening to Beyonce's new album, Cowboy Carter. I love it so much (more on that later, on a different post). One of my top-favorite tracks is Ameriican Requiem.

Adri: I stumbled onto this new artist: Chenayder. I've been listening to her song, One Last Time, on repeat, and I love the music video. 

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Brighter by SiR. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Short Stories I Read in February

 

It’s the twenty-ninth of March. So it’s time to mention the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in February. 

Do Houses Dream of Scraping the Sky? By Jana Bianchi (Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Six)

I have said, on multiple occasions on Our Thoughts Precisely, how I like a good house story. It doesn’t matter if it’s a novel, novella, novelette, or short story, tales about houses are, in most cases, an instant must read. Hence the first short story I read in February is Jana Bianchi’s Do Houses Dream of Scraping the Sky? This is a nested narrative, where it’s clear a story is being told to another character by the narrator. And, well, it’s time to break out the tissue box, because you’re going to need it for this one. Specifically, this story is one that explores grief, and it does it through two characters. One is the narrator, who is dealing with the complicated emotions—of guilt, regret, and longing, among others—after the passing of their grandmother. The second is the house where the woman lived. Both are great characters in their own respect, and I like how Bianchi gave them enough space to fully express their sorrow. It was messy and things got broken in the process, but this was a story about goodbyes and new beginnings.

Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga by Mari Ness (Lightspeed Magazine; February 2024; Issue 165)

The second story I read in February was Mari Ness’s piece for Lightspeed Magazine: Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga. I am a sucker for folklore and myths, and this story, while short, checked a lot of boxes for me. What I like most about this one was for how much it reminded me of the narrative style of the Emily Wilde books by Heather Fawcett. Rather than a journal entry, Further Examination and Capture of Candle Skulls Associated with the Baba Yaga is essentially a letter. It was framed as a record of a study being conducted on the skulls associated with Baba Yaga, but with an interest in their potential application for practical, modern, and commercial uses and benefits. This was interesting and worth the read.

Rembrandt, Graffiti, and the Strange Disappearance of Ducks by C.H. Irons (Strange Horizons; Issue: 12 February 2024)

The next (and last) story I checked out in February was from Strange Horizons, called Rembrandt, Graffiti, and the Strange Disappearance of Ducks by C.H. Irons. Graffiti and augmented reality meet in a story about the varied meanings and interpretation of art. In this one, it was something similar to reading and how different readers come away with different opinions about the same story. To Jana, the glyphs appearing around the city are a mystery she’s desperate to solve, and her involvement in forums include her theories. It included how they’re commentary about societal issues relevant to the story—invasive technology, capitalism, a means of resistance (or a statement decrying) against the two. But the answer to their meaning is interesting, unexpected, and far more complicated. It presented another quandary that changed the way she viewed the glyphs. It was a definite turning point and, ultimately, I loved what C.H. Irons did with the story.

From around the web…

• Read an Excerpt From GennaRose Nethercott’s Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart [Reactor Magazine; February 5, 2024]
• Dance Dance Matrix Revolutions [Amanda Wakaruk and Olav Rokne; Uncanny Magazine; Issue Fifty-Six]
• Portals, Secrets, and Curses: Georgia Summers’ The City of Stardust [Tobias Carroll; Reactor Magazine; February 1, 2024]
• Read An Excerpt of The Warm Hands Of Ghosts [React Magazine; February 6, 2024]

Music Monday (278): Aurora, Lisa Stansfield, & Leona Lewis

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 Aurora's new song, Some Type of Skin. I'm enjoying the music she's been releasing this year, and this one is another good one.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to All Around The World by Lisa Stansfield and Better In Time by Leona Lewis. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

About Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

**Note: There may be mild spoilers for book one and two.**

I’m steadily making my way through The Raven Cycle (not the spinoff series). And, with Blue Lily, Lily Blue, I’m officially over halfway done, and all that’s left is The Raven King. If you want to know what I thought about the prior installments (The Raven Cycle and The Dream Thieves) click HERE and HERE. But I digress.

The best way I can sum up Blue Lily, Lily Blue is: change, balance, and the power of three. On a specific note, the characters struggled with coming to terms with the changes in their lives. They were growing up and considering what their lives would look like after high school, after the quest for Glendower was over. And while some of the interpersonal plotlines were resolved in The Dream Thieves, its ending left the familiar cast in a…less than ideal spot. There was their new ally—Mr. Gray, the reformed (reforming) former hit man—which was good. But what was less good about it was: Maura was missing. The “how” and the “where” were answered fairly early, but that didn’t lessen the impact Maura’s absence had on the residents of 300 Fox Way and her daughter, Blue. And with a new obstacle arriving in town to, once again, shake things up—with a motivation that was pure acquisitive and vengeful—Blue Lily, Lily Blue was exciting.

“”This is the corpse road,” she said, aligning her body with the invisible path. As she did, she could feel something inside her begin to hum agreeably, a sensation very much like the satisfaction that came from aligning book spines on a shelf.”—page 1

I wouldn’t call it a cat and mouse chase, exactly, but the present, aforementioned, danger had a way of looming in the background, casting a cloud over the story. There was a sense that time was running out, for the characters, for their hunt for Glendower.

The series has always been gradually building toward something. In The Dream Thieves, the conclusion of their adventure—including the prophecy about Blue and her kiss and the implication of seeing Gansey on the corpse road—didn’t feel as pressing as they do here. The clues were portent, which ramped up the tension. And, for a story that is largely driven by its characters—and the way they inhabit and influence the world in the books—that was a good thing.

On the other hand, the series has also been about searching for the impossible and finding magic in unlikely places. I appreciate the meticulous detail and care given toward weaving together the folklore and Welsh mythology with the respective powers possessed (or lack thereof) by the characters. It wasn’t, of course, without its own particular and gut-wrenching brand of pitfalls and unpredictability. But for me, the reader, however, it was fun to follow the characters as they explored new locations.

I’m still enjoying The Raven Cycle and am looking forward to the conclusion. So I know it won’t be long before I read The Raven King.

About the book...

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.

Music Monday (277): Måneskin, Justin Champagne, K. Michelle, and Keyshia Cole

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: Lately, I've been into Måneskin's music. One of my favorite songs so far is Valentine.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I found more country music that caught my attention. I'm currently listening to Country Love Song by Justine Champagne featuring K. Michelle, Just Like Jay by K. Michelle, and No Love Lost by Keyshia Cole. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?