Quarterly Recap: July-September

It’s October 1st, and the spooky season is officially upon us. It’s also time for the last quarterly recap of 2021, as the feature takes a break in December when we post our favorites lists before our annual break from blogging. Without further ado, here are the reviews and other posts that have appeared on Our Thoughts Precisely from July to the end of September.

July Reviews:

• Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
• The Brilliant Abyss by Helen Scales
• Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You by Scotto Moore
• The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien 

August Reviews:

• Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno Garcia 
• Mine by Delilah S. Dawson
• You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton 
• Seven Year Witch by Angela M. Sanders

September Reviews:

• Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez-Wallach
• The Case Study of Vanitas vol. 8 by Jun Mochizuki
• What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie
• Fire & Ice by Natalie Starkey 
• Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney 

July Other Posts:

• Short Stories I Read in June
• I Listened to Planet Her by Doja Cat
• Quarterly Recap: April-June

August Other Posts:

• Short Stories I Read in July
• I Listened to Pink Noise by Laura Mvula
• I Listened to Last Year Was Weird vol. 3 by Tkay Maidza

September Other Posts:

• I Listened to Music by Magdalena Bay
• Short Stories I Read in August
• Thought Corner: What I've Been Watching (2021)
• I Listened to If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey

Looking ahead, “Short Stories” is taking a break this month. I never found the time in September, but I do have a small TBR of short stories I hope to read in October.

This month, I’m doing a reread of the first two books in the Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden. I love the books, and I wanted to refresh my memory before diving into Dark Waters, Small Spaces #3, which came out in August of this year. My reread starts on October 8th with a Friday 56 post for Small Spaces. Also in October, Adri and I are doing a mini Halloween themed art challenge. There are two parts, and they will be posted on the second and last Sunday of October respectively.

Short Stories I Read In August...

It’s the twenty-ninth of September. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in August.

Survival, After by Nicole J. LeBoeuf (Apex Magazine, August 3, 2021)

Survival, After was an apocalyptic and surreal narrative about a person trying to survive a strange and limited but seemingly world-ending event. This is a fantasy story, so the speculative elements are strong with this one. It was written in second person, and I liked it; although, I recommend checking out the content warnings before giving this one a read.

What Cacti Read by Mary Soon Lee (Strange Horizons; Issue; 26 July 2021)

I rarely read poetry, but the title of Mary Soon Lee’s poem, What Cacti Read, got my attention. It was short, but I really loved this one. It reminded me of the style of poetry from A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein (think Homework Machine). 

Cocoon by H. Pueyo (Strange Horizons; Issue: 2 August 2021)

Everything I read over on Strange Horizon’s in August has been really good. From Mary Soon Lee’s What Cacti Read, and now to H. Pueyo’s Cocoon, it’s all been great. I liked this story a lot. It was about eventual loss while also exploring the associated guilt of the “what ifs,” which couldn’t be changed. It was a really lovely read that had a tone of sadness and trepidation.

From around the web…

• When the Dancing Horses Go Viral (Judith Tarr; Tor.com; August 9, 2021)
• Decadent Magic and Dangerous Secrets: Revealing Hotel Magnifique (Tor.com, August 4, 2021)
• Even and Odd: Fun and Thought Provoking (Jana Nyman; Fantasy Literature, August 9, 2021)
• Memory and Politics: The Justice in Revenge by Ryan Van Loan (Paul Weimer; Tor.com, August 12, 2021)
• Our Opinions Are Correct Episode 90: How To Use Research To Make Your Fiction Even More Irresistible
• Comfort Me With Sadness: Grief, Hope, and a Different Kind of Comfort Read (Molly Templeton; Tor.com, August 19, 2021)
• Print Run Podcast Episode #145
• Becoming the Thing That Haunts the House: Gothic Fiction and the Fear of Change (Holly Kybett Smith; Tor.com, August 25, 2021)

ARC Review: Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney

Title: Chapter and Curse
Series: The Cambridge Bookshop series #1
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Cozy Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Press; September 28, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Elizabeth Penney's Chapter and Curse is the first in a brand new cozy series introducing Molly Kimball and set in one of the oldest bookshops in Cambridge, England...

I’ve been into mysteries lately, and my latest read was Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney. I rarely catch the beginnings of cozy mystery series, but that hasn’t ever stopped my enjoyment of later books. Chapter and Curse is the beginning of a new series, and so far I like what I’ve read. From the charming setting to the loveable characters (and cats), there’s already a lot of promising aspects to the first foray into The Cambridge Bookshop series.

Chapter and Curse was quite the mystery. The story had a strong beginning, which laid the framework for the events to come while also introducing an eclectic cast of characters. There was everything from a big move to another country, some family drama involving shady relatives, a struggling bookstore, and a cat. Oh, and books. The story mainly takes place inside of a bookstore, so there was a strong literary theme.

Molly Kimball, the narrator, was awesome. In general, I liked her personality and the interactions she had with the other characters, namely her family and new neighbors.

Chapter and Curse was also the kind of story where the more you find out, the harder it is to guess what’ll happen. It seemed like a standard whodunit, but the delivery was what set this one apart. The situation just got more complicated as it went, with a lot of clues and too many suspects to count. I’m not being dramatic. That’s just an accurate description, because the victim of the case seemed to have run afoul of a number of people. All of them had an adequate motive to commit the crime. It could have been anyone, literally; although, at times it was hard to imagine it because much of the cast was so charming.

It was complicated, but it made for a great story. I really enjoyed Chapter and Curse, and I look forward to what’s in store for the characters next.

  

About the author...

Elizabeth Penney is the author of the APRON SHOP SERIES and the forthcoming CAMBRIDGE BOOKSHOP SERIES for St. Martin’s Press. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. Elizabeth's writing credits include over thirty mysteries and women’s fiction novels, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She's also written screenplays with her musician husband. She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends. Oh, and trying to grow things in the frozen North...

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (St. Martin's Press) via NetGalley for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (174): Rina Sawayama, Throw The Fight, 69 Boyz, Technotronic, C&C Music Factory

 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've been listening to Rina Sawayama's 2020 album, Sawayama. One of my favorite songs is Akasaka Sad. I love this song.

Adri: Usually I find music, but this time the music found me. When I got a DM from Throw The Fight, I went to check them out some more, and I loved their music. It feels somewhat nostalgic to me. Anyway, my picks are The Fallout, and their new song Wake up!

Andrea: This week I'm partying like it's the 1990's. As such, I'm currently listening to Tootsee Roll Rap Version by the 69 Boyz, Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic, and Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) by C&C Music Factory.

Until next time, have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

ARC Review: Fire & Ice, The Volcanoes of the Solar System by Natalie Starkey

Title: Fire & Ice, The Volcanoes of the Solar System 
Series: n/a
Author: Natalie Starkey
Source/Format: Netgalley; eARC
More Details: Nonfiction; Science
Publisher/Publication Date: Bloomsbury Sigma; September 28, 2021

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The volcano – among the most familiar and perhaps the most terrifying of all geological phenomena. However, Earth isn't the only planet to harbor volcanoes. In fact, the Solar System, and probably the entire Universe, is littered with them. 

Our own Moon, which is now a dormant piece of rock, had lava flowing across its surface billions of years ago, while Mars can be credited with the largest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons, which stands 25km high. While Mars's volcanoes are long dead, volcanic activity continues in almost every other corner of the Solar System, in the most unexpected of locations. We tend to think of Earth volcanoes as erupting hot, molten lava and emitting huge, billowing clouds of incandescent ash. However, it isn't necessarily the same across the rest of the Solar System. For a start, some volcanoes aren't even particularly hot. Those on Pluto, for example, erupt an icy slush of substances such as water, methane, nitrogen or ammonia, that freeze to form ice mountains as hard as rock. While others, like the volcanoes on one of Jupiter's moons, Io, erupt the hottest lavas in the Solar System onto a surface covered in a frosty coating of sulphur. Whether they are formed of fire or ice, volcanoes are of huge importance for scientists trying to picture the inner workings of a planet or moon. Volcanoes dredge up materials from the otherwise inaccessible depths and helpfully deliver them to the surface. The way in which they erupt, and the products they generate, can even help scientists ponder bigger questions on the possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System.Fire and Ice is an exploration of the Solar System's volcanoes, from the highest peaks of Mars to the intensely inhospitable surface of Venus and the red-hot summits of Io, to the coldest, seemingly dormant icy carapaces of Enceladus and Europa, an unusual look at how these cosmic features are made, and whether such active planetary systems might host life.

No matter how many times I read about the Solar System, there’s always something new and fascinating to learn about it. I’ve read a few books before I finally settled on my latest read—Natalie Starkey’s Fire & Ice—and they felt more like a broad overview, sampling a wide variety of relevant subjects. Where Fire and Ice clearly narrows the scope, and focuses on geological activity in its many forms (i.e. volcanoes)—whether hot or cold—from around the solar systems.

This was, by far, an excellent read. I came away from the book with a better understanding, but also a desire to read further about the subject. Let me explain….

Fire and Ice was truly fascinating. Starkey attempts (successfully) to explain volcanoes on other planets and moons—as well as even smaller and colder objects floating around out there—through an in-depth explanation of the ones on Earth. It went over, in great detail, about everything from how dangerous and destructive volcanoes—and a host of other geological processes—can be, how they're “built,” but also acknowledged how formative and essential they are to the environment we’re currently enjoying.

Fire and Ice takes a tour around the Solar System, starting with the life supporting geological processes happening right at home. And how what’s currently known can give clues to how these distant worlds function. After reading this book, I have a new appreciation and respect for volcanoes.

About the author....

Natalie Starkey is a geochemist and author. Following a PhD at Edinburgh University studying Arctic volcanoes, Natalie's post-doctoral work at The Open University shifted her research focus to comets and asteroids. She has analysed hundreds of pieces of stardust, samples from space missions to comets and asteroids, and many meteorites. Natalie has worked on samples from the NASA Stardust and JAXA Hayabusa missions and was a co-investigator on one of the ESA Rosetta lander instruments. Natalie's passion for her research makes her a keen science communicator. She received a British Science Association Media Fellowship in 2013 and a SEPnet media communications award the same year. Natalie is a science host on StarTalk Radio and her freelance writing includes work for the Guardian, The Conversation website, All About Space, BBC Science Focus and New Scientist. Natalie is currently an Outreach and Public Engagement Officer for Physical Sciences at The Open University in the UK.....

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Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Bloomsbury Sigma) via NetGalley for this review, thank you!