The Friday 56 (200) & Book Beginnings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkein

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. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

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...

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them...

Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

Beginning: "Aragorn sped on up the hill. Every now and again he bent to the ground. Hobbits go light, and their footprints are not easy even for a Ranger to read, but not far from the top a spring crossed the path, and in the wet earth he saw what he was seeking."

56: "Then he began to hum again, and passed into a murmuring chant."

Comments: I finally got around to reading the second part of The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers was a great read, and I'm looking forward to the last part of this one. What are you reading this week?

ARC Review: Jelly by Clare Rees

Title: Jelly

Series: n/a

Author: Clare Rees
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy; Science Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Amulet Books; May 18, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The biggest problem with being trapped on a jellyfish isn’t what you’d expect. You get over the fear of death (because you start looking forward to it) and the smell of fish (because it quickly becomes your breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Boredom is an issue, sure, but it’s not the main one; the biggest problem is not being able to get away from everyone. Martha is stuck on the back of the jellyfish and has been for a long time. She and everyone else living there don’t know how exactly they got there or how long they’ve been there or where they’re going—they just remember that something traumatic happened. And they can’t escape. But now, the crew has finally had enough. They’re going to escape the jellyfish—or die trying. (Which probably means dying.) Funny, strange, and completely original, Jelly is an unforgettable young adult

debut.

Jelly is probably one of the strangest post-apocalyptic novels I’ve read to date, but I liked it. From the start, its premise was a point of interest to me, and the end result was as fascinating as I thought it would be. After all, how many stories do you get where the setting is on the back of a giant jellyfish? Not many.

One of the reasons I kept reading was because I wanted to see if the questions I had would be answered. How did they end up on the jellyfish anyway? Why did it keep them alive for so long? And will they ever escape? 

There was a lot I enjoyed about Jelly. The beginning was kind of shaky, but once I got into the story, I was really into it. The time period was set in what could have been a handful of years from now—if giant frightening sea creatures existed—and as such there was a lot of commentary about global warming and rising sea levels woven in with the more fantastical elements of the story.

The setting was limited to the back of a giant jellyfish, and I did like how Rees handled that aspect of the story. There was a bit of a mind game going on here. While there was no authoritarian government to fend off, the jellyfish could almost be taken as a metaphor for one. The characters were in a bad predicament, and they were essentially forced to survive on what trash floated by and the handouts from the jellyfish. Where the mind game comes in, is how close the jellyfish remained to the coast. So it was always in sight, but there was no way to get to it. The sense of isolation and desperation was a common point for many of the characters for much of the story, but there was always that thin sliver of hope. This goes into characterization as well. For example, the narrator, Martha, was often snarky or quietly plotting as a way to pass the time. Her character was a prime example of the ways the isolation of the setting shaped who they were and how they navigated what was a horrifying situation.

Overall, Jelly was a good story. While I would have liked to see more about what was going on in other parts of the world, by keeping the focus of the story limited to one group, the ending proved to be a satisfying conclusion. 

About the author...

Clare Rees is the debut author of Jelly and works as a Head of English. She feels privileged to work with teenagers and loves that she gets to spend her days encouraging reading and writing skills in others. Clare has an MEd and an MA, and has had educational resources published by Pearson, AQA, Teachit and Zigzag. These have included co-authored books, lesson resource collections and teaching units. She has also written education articles for The Independent and ‘Secret Teacher’ blogs for The Guardian.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Amulet Books) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (157): Laura Mvula, Troop

 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: Laura Mvula released another song from her upcoming album, Pink Noise. It's called Got Me, and I love it.

Andrea: Hey all! This week I'm listening to music by Troop, All I Do Is Think Of You and Still In Love. I hope everyone has an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

I Listened to The Bitter Truth by Evanescence

It’s been a long time since there was a body of work released by Evanescence that contained completely new material. It’s been ten years in fact, but it was well worth the wait. 

The Bitter Truth is a very good album, and it met my expectations and then some. It has the same gothic aesthetic quality and superb lyricism as much of Evanescence’s prior music, while also making the 12 tracks feel fresh and exciting to listen to. Some of my personal favorites include Take Cover, Part of Me, Wasted On You, Use My Voice, and Yeah Right. 

I truly missed Evanescence during their absence. That being said, The Bitter Truth is a triumphant return for this band. I don’t have anything else to say besides this: if you’re a fan of Evanescence, then I can’t recommend The Bitter Truth enough.     

Review: Aristocracy by William Doyle

Title: Aristocracy 
Series: A Very Short Introduction #251
Author: William Doyle
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Nonfiction; History
Publisher/Publication Date: Oxford University Press, USA; November 28, 2010

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Aristocracies or nobilities dominated the social, economic, and institutional history of all European counties until only a few generations ago. The relics of their power, in traditions and behavior, in architecture and the arts, are still all around us. This engaging Very Short Introduction shows how ideas of aristocracy originated in ancient times, were transformed in the middle ages, and have only fallen apart over the last two centuries, following the outbreak of the American and French Revolutions. William Doyle, an authority on eighteen-century European history, here strips away the myths in which aristocracies have always sought to shroud themselves, but he also astutely delineates the true sources of their enduring power. Their outlook and behavior affected the rest of society in innumerable and sometimes surprising ways, but perhaps most surprising was the way in which the centuries-old aristocratic hegemony crumbled away. In this Very Short Introduction William Doyle considers why this happened and what is left today.

I’ve been into history lately, and one of my recent nonfiction reads was Aristocracy by William Doyle. It’s a part of Oxford’s A Very Short Introduction series, which has been publishing since 1995. There are a number of titles I want to read from this series, but my first foray into it was with Aristocracy.

“Aristocracy is a word coined in ancient Greece. Originally it meant not a group of people but a form of government: rule by the best. But who were they?”—pg.1, Aristocracy, William Doyle.

Aristocracy was excellent, and it was way more informative than I originally thought it would be. It was a short book at just one hundred and two pages. Even so, it was a precise summery of the roles, privileges, and powers of the aristocracy through the ages. In its five chapters total, it covered everything from the way titles were obtained (or lost), as well as the eventual decline that came with changes to the public’s perception of the aristocracy.

I honestly had a great time with this read. The compact format didn’t require too much commitment, but it was a fascinating read regardless.