The Friday 56 (227) & Book Beginnings: Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees

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...

Lud-in-the-Mist - a prosperous country town situated where two rivers meet: the Dawl and the Dapple. The latter, which has its source in the land of Faerie, is a great trial to Lud, which had long rejected anything 'other', preferring to believe only in what is known, what is solid. Nathaniel Chanticleer is a somewhat dreamy, slightly melancholy man, not one for making waves, who is deliberately ignoring a vital part of his own past; a secret he refuses even to acknowledge. But with the disappearance of his own daughter, and a long-overdue desire to protect his young son, he realises that something is changing in Lud - and something must be done.

Lud-in-the-Mist is a true classic, an adult fairy tale exploring the need to embrace what we fear and to come to terms with 'the shadows' - those sweet and dark impulses that our public selves ignore or repress.

Beginning: "The free state of Dorimare was a very small country, but, seeing that it was bounded on the south by the sea and on the north and east by mountains, while its centre consisted of a rich plain, watered by two rivers, a considerable variety of scenery and vegetation was to be found within its borders."

56: "Sometimes their path led through a little wood of liege-oaks with trunks, where the bark had been stripped, showing as red as blood, and everywhere there were short, wiry, aromatic shrubs, beset by myriads of bees."

Comments: One of my last reads of 2022 was Hope Mirrlees' 1926 fantasy classic: Lud-in-the-Mist. I loved the story! 

Clock Striker Volume 1 by Issaka Galadima and Frederick L. Jones

Title: Clock Striker

Series: n/a
Author & Illustrator: Issaka Galadima; Frederick L. Jones 
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Manga; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Rockport Publishers/ Quarto Publishing; February 7, 2023

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Cast dreams of being a SMITH, and though she’s rather handy with her tools, no one in her small town ever realizes their dreams. Besides, these legendary warrior engineers haven’t been seen in years and were never known for having female members. Fortunately, Cast meets one surviving member named Ms. Philomena Clock, who agrees to take her on as her apprentice, or striker. Now Cast is thrust into one deadly adventure after another! From cybernetic desperadoes to technology thieves and more, Cast has to use her mind and her remodeled robotics-lab prosthetic hand, which offers unfathomable offensive power in the form of scientific experiments. Need lightning? Cast can generate it from her hand! Cast’s mentor seeks to uncover an ominous mystery that explains what happened to the SMITHS and shines a light on a hidden power that may be within Cast herself. Can Cast become a new member of the SMITHS? More importantly, can Cast survive the process to become a SMITH? 

My second read of the year was Issaka Galadima and Frederick L. Jones’ Clock Striker. I saw this manga on Netgalley, and I was instantly intrigued by it.

The opening felt very on-brand for the genre, but I also enjoyed the backstory that was provided in the subsequent chapters afterwards. It was appropriately called the “Origin Arc.” And it clearly illustrated the type of character Cast was, as well as serving as a foundation for what led her to the situation in the first chapter. The characters—Cast, her brother, Fender, their mother, and people from their community—were easily endearing.

The following arc felt like another beginning, which turned out just as engrossing as the first. I easily got invested in the story, particularly with the mystery surrounding the current state of the Smiths.

Clock Striker also felt timely, because of the issues and themes. Even though it was under fantastical circumstances—with technology that on one hand was seemingly based on science and engineering, but it also behaved like magic—there was a frank realness to the story. This was particularly illustrated through the first arc of volume one, which hinted toward a link between the Smiths and the decline of a certain industry. The results were a struggling town and crooks targeting the vulnerable.

The visual storytelling was excellent, and I liked the character designs. There was also plenty of action mixed in with a few lighter scenes. Ultimately, however, it ends on a cliffhanger. That being said, I still had a lot of fun reading Clock Striker. 

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Rockport Publishers/ Quarto Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (229): Hemlocke Springs, Steve Lacy

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 one of my favorite songs from the end of 2022. It's called Girlfriend by Hemlocke Springs. I love everything about it!

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Bad Habit by Steve Lacy. I heard this song a long time ago, but I didn't know who sang it until last week. And then he performed the song at the Grammys. I had already planned to share Bad Habit, so if you haven't heard it, you can listen to it below. Enjoy your week!

What are you listening to this week?

So, I Watched Matilda the Musical

One of the first movies I watched this year was the Matilda the Musical on Netflix. The trailer was enough of a hook, but, my co-blogger, Adri, watched it before I could and recommended it. For context, the 1996 film is one of my favorites. It was charming, but it also had frank commentary mixed in with plenty of literature themes, and creative (and justified) uses for telekinesis alongside a handful of comedic moments. There’s also the narrator, who interjected at just the right moment. So, I was interested in Netflix’s version, since, as I read, it’s an adaptation of the stage musical—which is a version of Matilda I haven’t seen before.

There were notable differences, but I didn’t go in expecting the musical to be a perfect match for the 1996 film. Either way, I was hooked.

The intro is almost whimsical and colorful, but it’s also entirely ironic, given the substance of the majority of the rest of the film. However, it introduced Matilda’s parents as well as her circumstances in a succinct way. To quote Adri, “It’s an intro I didn’t skip.” It also served as an early offering of the kind of musical numbers to expect going forward. And that aspect was really well-done!

Like the earlier movie, the musical didn’t shy away from the tougher subjects present in the titular character’s story. Agatha Trunchbull is still terrible—personality wise, but also by her actions and behavior towards others. But, I liked the way it was handled, especially how some of the song portions accentuated the narrative.

Overall, Matilda the Musical was bittersweet but hopeful, and the ending was expected, especially if you’ve seen the 1996 film. But, after everything, it was entirely satisfying to finally get there.

Music Monday (228): SZA, MAJOR.

  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: SZA's SOS has a lot of great songs on it. Another one of my favorites is Seek & Destroy.  

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to MAJOR., an artist that's new to me.  This song is called Why I Love You. Enjoy! Until next time, have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?