Memorable....

It’s been a while since I wrote a discussion post, but a couple of recent things got me thinking about what forms of media—i.e. books and music, etc.—I find memorable and the reasons behind what makes them stand out. This is completely subjective of course, because I can only speak about my personal preferences. As such, there will be a number of references to music and books I’ve enjoyed, particularly the former since one album in particular inspired this post.

Do you know those books, the ones that are so deeply atmospheric that you can’t help but get caught up in the journey from start to finish? That’s how I feel about Back to the Woods by Angel Haze. Originally, I wasn’t going to write anything about Back to the Woods, because the album has been out since 2015. However, it’s so underrated, and that’s a shame. It’s one album that I would compare to a complex book. And just like Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, Back to the Woods  was wonderfully atmospheric with a fairy tale like vibe. Rather than having a setting, history, and tale rife with detailed scenery, in this case, the compositions of the album was gorgeously layered and undeniably thematic from the opening tracks, D-Day and Impossible, to the brooding and dreamy closing, titular song, The Woods.

So, in thinking about all the ways Back to the Woods reminded me of Spinning Silver, my thoughts began to shift toward what made them so memorable to me in the first place: the emotion or feeling they elicited while being read or listened to. Specifically speaking, there’s nothing inherently similar about Spinning Silver and Back to the Woods. There are no lyrics that specifically speak to anything from the book. And there’s no text from the book that implies a connection to the album. They’re their own separate entities. However, I find it’s all based in the language I use to talk about them that led me to compare them in the first place. Often with words and phrases like layered, complex, thematic, and deeply atmospheric. What I’m saying is, when I listen to Back to the Woods it makes me think of a fairy tale. And when I read Spinning Silver, the story elicits much of the same reaction. In that way, they’re similar. And besides the fact that they’re both great in their own right, as I stated before, my reaction to them is part of what makes them memorable.

Of course, being memorable can come about in different ways (also entirely dependent on what a person likes/dislikes) and fairy-tale-like isn’t the only criterion that applies—poignant and difficult reads that’ll make you think; fantasy, science fiction, or contemporary; or even books that are light and enjoyable escapism can also leave long-lasting impressions. It could even be specific things like settings, characters, overall story, or subject (for nonfiction). So, books like Mem, The Tea Master and the Detective, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, Why We Sleep, and the Heroine Complex series were all memorable to me for different or sometimes similar reasons respectively.

What do you think? What makes different forms of media—whether books, music, movies, TV shows, etc.—memorable for you?

Music Monday (65): Lindsey Stirling

   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: It’s officially December, which means I have a legitimate excuse to talk about holiday music for the next couple of weeks. So my pick for today is Silent Night by Lindsey Stirling. I’ve listened to many versions of this song and Stirling’s is one of my favorites....

What are you listening to this week?

 

ARC Review: The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman

Title: The Mortal Word
Series: The Invisible Library #5
Author: Genevieve Cogman
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Historical
Publisher/Publication Date: Ace; November 27, 2018

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

In the latest novel in Genevieve Cogman's historical fantasy series, the fate of worlds lies in the balance. When a dragon is murdered at a peace conference, time-travelling Librarian spy Irene must solve the case to keep the balance between order, chaos . . . and the Library. When Irene returns to London after a relatively straightforward book theft in Vienna, Bradamant informs her that there is a top secret dragon-Fae peace conference in progress that the Library is mediating, but that the second-in-command dragon has been stabbed to death. Tasked with solving the case, Vale and Irene immediately go to 1890s Paris. Once they arrive, it seems that the murder victim had uncovered evidence suggesting that he may have found proof of treachery by one or more Librarians. But to ensure the peace of the conference, some Librarians are already hostages in the dragon and Fae courts. To save the captives, including her parents, Irene must get to the bottom of this murder—but was it dragon, Fae, or even a Librarian who committed the crime?

The Invisible Library is one of those series that keeps getting better and better. And while I’m guilty of not keeping up with this series as much as I should have—and I really need to—I had no problem reading The Mortal Word. This book was fantastic. The mystery kept me guessing and the action and danger made the story that much more exciting. There was a hefty dose of political intrigue and maneuvering as the Dragons, Fae, and Library all came together for a peace conference.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Right from the start, it opens with Irene doing what she does best: retrieving books. But as it quickly became apparent, there was so much more going on this time around. There was a multitude of characters in a situation best described as volatile and high stakes. There were a lot of different sides to keep up with such as the Fae and their nature, some of the inner workings of the Dragon society, and how past animosity came into play while trying to make negotiations. So, there was never a boring moment. I also liked all the details about how the idea for the conference came about + all of the danger that came with it. As such, it was interesting to see how the opposing forces affected the setting—an alternative version of Paris—where the story took place.

The overall plot was fantastic, because, I’m going to be honest, there were a lot of characters with dubious motivations who did a number of questionable actions. It’s one of the things that made the mystery at the core of The Mortal Word as interesting as it was, which was why the buildup to the twists were all that more rewarding by the time the book was over. The ending was a satisfying conclusion to The Mortal Word while also leaving room for the story to continue.

The characters from this series have always been interesting, and there were a lot of familiar faces that appeared in The Mortal Word. Irene is, of course, my favorite character. I like her personality. Her job is pretty cool at times. And I also liked how she handled herself during some of the tensest moments of The Mortal Word. There was also Kai, and while he was present, his role was a little more in the background this time. Although, I enjoyed the moments where Kai and Irene got to interact.

All in all, The Mortal Word is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. It’s effectively renewed my interest in The Invisible Library series. And after that ending, I hope there’s going to be another book after this one. If you’re a fan of this series, then The Mortal Word should be on your TBR list....

About the author...

Genevieve Cogman is a freelance author, who has written for several role-playing game companies. Her work includes GURPS Vorkosigan and contributions to the In Nomine role-playing game line for Steve Jackson Games: contributions to Exalted 2nd Edition and other contributions to the Exalted and Orpheuslines for White Wolf Publishing: Hearts, Swords and Flowers: The Art of Shoujo for Magnum Opus: and contributions to the Dresden Files RPG for Evil Hat Productions. She currently works for the NHS in England in the HSCIC as a clinical classifications specialist. She has had eight books of her series about the multidimensional Library accepted by Tor Books; the first three books, The Invisible Library, The Masked City, The Burning Page, and The Lost Plot are now available: the fifth, The Mortal Word, will be available in November 2018...

Website     Twitter     Goodreads

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review, thank you!

Review: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

Title: Why We Sleep
Series: n/a
Author: Matthew Walker
Source/Format: Borrowed from the library; paperback
More Details: Nonfiction; Science
Publisher/Publication Date: Scribner; October 3, 2017

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The first sleep book by a leading scientific expert—Professor Matthew Walker, Director of UC Berkeley’s Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab—reveals his groundbreaking exploration of sleep, explaining how we can harness its transformative power to change our lives for the better....

Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life—eating, drinking, and reproducing—the purpose of sleep remained elusive. An explosion of scientific discoveries in the last twenty years has shed new light on this fundamental aspect of our lives. Now, preeminent neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker gives us a new understanding of the vital importance of sleep and dreaming. Within the brain, sleep enriches our ability to learn, memorize, and make logical decisions. It recalibrates our emotions, restocks our immune system, fine-tunes our metabolism, and regulates our appetite. Dreaming mollifies painful memories and creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge to inspire creativity. Walker answers important questions about sleep: how do caffeine and alcohol affect sleep? What really happens during REM sleep? Why do our sleep patterns change across a lifetime? How do common sleep aids affect us and can they do long-term damage? Charting cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and synthesizing decades of research and clinical practice, Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; increase longevity; enhance the education and lifespan of our children, and boost the efficiency, success, and productivity of our businesses. Clear-eyed, fascinating, and accessible, Why We Sleepis a crucial and illuminating book....

Why We Sleep is probably one of the most fascinating nonfiction books I’ve read this year. Organized in four sections—This Thing Called Sleep, Why Should You Sleep?, How and Why We Dream, and From Sleeping Pills to Society Transformed—Matthew Walker expertly writes about the science behind sleep and dreams.

Why We Sleep went into a number of topics. Things like the effects from the lack of quality NREM and REM sleep can have on the mind and body was talked about, as well as the benefits of sleep well with a healthy number of uninterrupted hours. Walker also went into the connection between sleep and memory. So, as a whole, I liked the majority of this book. It was highly informative.

While I was reading Why We Sleep, it was easy to see that Walker knew what he was talking about. Throughout the chapters, he goes in depth about studies that have been conducted over the years, and many of the ones he cited were those he was involved in during his career. That kind of first hand observation and knowledge about what it takes to study sleep—the high and low points experienced during the research process + revelations (aha moments) from unexpected sources—was part of what made the book so interesting.

One of my favorite sections of Why We Sleep was How and Why We Dream, which, as the name suggests, went in-depth about some of the science behind dreaming. And there were studies to back up the information provided. It was pretty cool to read about since I never considered those specific reasons for how dreams correlate with things experienced while awake.

Later down the road, I would like to read more about the subject of sleep. For now, I want to look into buying a copy of Why We Sleep since I only checked it out from the library. This is one book that I want to have on my shelf.

What about you? Have you read any books about sleep or dreaming? If you have, feel free to leave any recommendations down in the comment section below....

Music Monday (64): NateWantsToBattle

   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, I took an impromptu break from blogging. Now that I’m back, I wanted to participate in Music Monday, because one of the youtubers I follow did the opening theme for Beyblade Burst Turbo. And I took an unexpected trip down nostalgia lane. I haven’t kept up with Beyblade even though I used to watch the original series plus the seasons after it. I mean, I was a really big fan of the show to the point where I had one of the stadiums + some of the Beyblade sets. 

After a quick search, I discovered that I still have two of my old Beyblades; although, the white one is missing a piece. But, they’re pretty old now. And I was actually surprised that after all these years, the stickers on the orange one are still there and recognizable/readable so I can’t really complain. But that was years ago. However, the funny thing is I just happened to be following NateWantsToBattle when he did the announcement video revealing that he did the vocals for Turbo. I like this song and wish there was a full (longer) version of it to purchase....

What are you listening to this week?