Music Monday (219): Qveen Herby, Lou Hayter, Lone, Whodini

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: My pick this week is a song called Spoil Me from Qveen Herby's Ep, Mad Qveen. It reminds me of the Queen of Hearts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Adri: This week I'm listening to Lou Hayter. I need to listen to the rest of her album Private Sunshine. For now my favorite track is  What's a girl to do?, and the first version I heard, which is What's a girl to do? (Lone Remix).

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Freaks Come Out at Night by Whodini. 

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (223) & Book Beginnings: Empty Smiles by Katherine Arden

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...

New York Times bestselling author Katherine thrills once again in the finale to the critically acclaimed, spook-tacular quartet that began with Small Spaces.

It’s been three months since Ollie made a daring deal with the smiling man to save those she loved, and then vanished without a trace. The smiling man promised Coco, Brian and Phil, that they’d have a chance to save her, but as time goes by, they begin to worry that the smiling man has lied to them and Ollie is gone forever. But finally, a clue surfaces. A boy who went missing at a nearby traveling carnival appears at the town swimming hole, terrified and rambling. He tells anyone who'll listen about the mysterious man who took him. How the man agreed to let him go on one condition: that he deliver a message. Play if you dare. Game on! The smiling man has finally made his move. Now it’s Coco, Brian, and Phil’s turn to make theirs. And they know just where to start. The traveling carnival is coming to Evansburg. Meanwhile, Ollie is trapped in the world behind the mist, learning the horrifying secrets of the smiling man's carnival, trying everything to help her friends find her. Brian, Coco and Phil will risk everything to rescue Ollie—but they all soon realize this game is much more dangerous than the ones before. This time the smiling man is playing for keeps. The summer nights are short, and Ollie, Coco, Brian, and Phil have only until sunrise to beat him once and for all—or it’s game over for everyone.

Beginning: "His friends said the carnival that year was special, but Tim Jenkins didn't believe it."

56: "Coco's head was spinning and her sunburns were just starting to ache when she and her mom and Mr. Adler finally got in the car."

Comments: Empty Smiles, the conclusion to the Small Spaces quartet , was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I read the book last month, and I loved it. What are you reading this week?

I Listened To: September Music Roundup

Some of the music that kept me entertained in September was Juno, Remi Wolf’s album, as well as the deluxe version of Magdalena Bay’s Mercurial World.

Juno is the October 2021 debut album by Remi Wolf. I came across it well after its release date, because the sixth song, Volkiano, crossed my feed. It was an instant hit for me, and I quickly went on to listen to the rest of Juno. This album is a strong debut for Remi Wolf. The songs were fun, and the execution of the lyrics and vocals was superb. I also liked the music videos that were released in support of Juno. They were colorful and retro—the filming had a soft grainy quality to it—which reminded me of old cartoons or shows from the 90s.

Magdalena Bay released a deluxe version of Mercurial World on September 23, almost a year after the original’s initial launch date of October 8, 2021. I’m always interested in special versions of albums, particularly to see what the artists decide to add. Mercurial World’s deluxe adds a couple of new songs, remixes, instrumental versions, and 15 “Secrets” divided between eight intermission-type tracks (which added to the immersion). Mercurial World was already a great album, and I thoroughly enjoyed the robust list of additions.

What have you been listening to lately?

Music Monday (218): The Dickies, Janelle Monae, Janet Jackson

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: My pick this week is Killer Klowns by The Dickies. This is the theme song for a 1988 science fiction horror comedy movie called Killer Klowns From Outer Space. I love this song! I couldn't find the band's official channel on Youtube, so you can check out the Spotify preview below.

  

Adri: This week I'm listening to one of my favorite songs by Janelle Monae, Many Moons.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Doesn't Really Matter by Janet Jackson. I hope everyone has an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

Spooky Books To Read This October

Welcome! Today, Adri and I have put together a list of some of our 2022 reads. These books are right at home in October, and you can also check out our list from last year HERE.

 

Breana: This year, I have six books for my part of the list. Up first is Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. It’s a classic, and now that I’ve read it for myself, I better appreciate and understand the praise its garnered. Then there’s Katherine Arden’s conclusion to the Small Spaces quartet, Empty Smiles. Summertime, clowns, what more do I need to say? The next book is Monsters in the Mist by Juliana Brandt. I read this book as an ARC back in May of this year. And I praised it for the balance it struck between the supernatural scares and the personal nature of the issues, which had negatively affected the characters. Switching gears, I had to mention Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer. It was horror comedy—occasionally over the top with its suburban cliques and hijinks—but the supernatural aspects were appropriately nerve-wracking to read about. Plus, I had a good laugh at certain parts of the story. Next is Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone. There was everything from a dark atmosphere, isolated setting, sinister Lord Under, and the horror of one particular and very cursed lake. And last, but certainly not least, is Middle Game by Seanan McGuire. The synopsis says “Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.” The story is a page-turner with some truly horrifying moments—particularly with the nature of alchemy that McGuire created—which is why it deserves to be on this list.

Adri: Hey everyone! I actually didn’t read that many spooky books this year. I did get to read Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley. I thought it was just the right amount of spookiness plus friendships. And the other books I read were the last three in the Books of Elsewhere series by Jaqueline West. And those are The Second Spy, The Strangers, and Still Life. It’s a slightly older series (2010-2014) but still up there on creepy. Especially since it dealt with magical paintings that the main character could enter in a creepy old house.