Music Monday (175): Rina Sawayama, Tyler The Creator, Teezo Touchdown, V.I.C., Cupid, The Slide Man, Los Del Rio, Marcia Griffiths

 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 Sawayama. It's such a good album, and I wanted to share another one of my favorite songs. This one is called Who's Gonna Save U Now?.

 

Adri: Hello, I've been listening to Tyler, The Creator lately. My picks for today are Earfquake featuring Playboi Carti, Charlie Wilson, and Jessy Wilson, and Runitup featuring Teezo Touchdown. Anyway see you later.

Andrea: Hi all! This week, I'm line dancing. There are so many songs great for line dancing, and I am currently listening/dancing to some of my favorites: Wobble by V.I.C (2008), Cupid Shuffle by Cupid (2007), The Cha Cha Slide by The Slide Man (2000), Macarana by Los Del Rio (1993), and Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths (1990).

 

Until next time, have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

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

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble

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...

Goodreads     Website     Twitter 

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?