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: One afternoon, I was surfing through my spotify recommendations, and I eventually landed on a page of new releases from artists I already follow. One of the songs I listened to and instantly added to my playlist was GLAM! by Allie X. I adore this song for its punchy, retro-pop brightness, and I wanted to mention it on the blog.
Adri: Hello, this week I'm listening to two vastly different artist I love. The first is Flowers by Kelly Rowland from her new EP, K. And the second, more on the metal side, is Pisces (Live Sesson) by Jinjer
Andrea: This week, I'm spotlighting music, performed, written, and/or produced by the late Prince Markie Dee (Mark Morales). Prince Markie Dee was a member of the Fat Boys and later released music with his band, Prince Markie Dee and The Soul Convention.
Can You Feel It by Fat Boys
Mark Morales, Darren Robinson & Damon Wimbley
Typical Reasons (Swing My Way) by Prince Markie Dee and The Soul Convention
Songwriters: Mark Morales, Mark Rooney, Raymond James Calhoun & Damon Johnson
Author: Jun Mochizuki Source/Format: Gift; Paperback More Details: Manga; Fantasy; Alternative History Publisher/Publication Date: Yen Press; December 24, 2019 GoodreadsAmazon Barnes & Noble Synopsis from Goodreads...
On the trail of the Beast of Gévaudan, Vanitas and Noé are led to the heart of the incident and the noble house of d'Apchier. There, they discover that a brave, heartrending wish to save a daughter from a vampire's fate became the haunting first cry of the Beast itself...
Note: there may be mild spoilers for volumes 1-5
It has been a couple of months since I last picked up a volume of The Case Study of Vanitas. Last time I checked, volume 5 ended with the main cast stuck in an odd time warp like situation while searching for the truth behind the Beast of Gévaudan's sudden reappearance. There was so much going in this volume, and I almost don’t know where to begin.
It was good.
I still feel excited whenever I step back into this story. Mochizuki’s artwork is, as always, gorgeous and expressive. There’s a perfect balance between visual storytelling and information imparted by dialogue.
From the beginning of the series, there have been a number of mysteries woven into the plot alongside major conflicts, and finally some of those long sought answers are appearing. Volume 6 was no less interesting of course. It was still just as action packed and atmospheric as the previous entries in the series. Plus this one moved the story further into this arc.
The Gévaudan storyline is shaping up to be one of my favorites, second only to the vampire masquerade a few volumes back. One note I forgot to mention when I reviewed volume 5 was that I thought the plot was building toward more backstory. I was right. From the way the world is set up, there has been more than enough evidence shown that there was a major conflict between vampires and other people sometime in the past. Volume 6 dipped its toes into that. There was backstory abound here for some of the key characters in the series—like Jeanne, Ruthven, and Chloe—as well as adding more world building. I’m glad so much of it was delivered with minimal interruption, because it afforded a clearer picture of what happened in the past and what it had to do with the current events. Yet despite the answers provided in volume 6, there are still many outstanding mysteries.
Overall, volume 6 was excellent, and I’m looking forward to the next one.
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: Recently, I was listening to Laura Mvula's music again. I came across a more recent release that I missed from February 2020 called Brighter Dawn. I haven't watched the movie, Clemency, so it's no wonder I missed this one. I like Brighter Dawn. It has a nice sound as well as Laura Mvula's amazing vocals. Somehow this song feels way too short.
Adri: This week I am listening to The Sea by Morcheeba. Honestly, it feels like I've heard this song before, like a long time ago. But, I don't recall.
Andrea: Hi all, this music Monday is more of a what am I
listening to and thinking. Last Music Monday, Lauren Stoolfire over at Always
Me shared the song Kings & Queens. The tune sounded all too
familiar to songs by Bon Jovi. Of course, I wanted to know the connection between the song Kings & Queens by Ava Max; and Bon Jovi’s songs You Give Love A
Bad Name and Livin’ On A Prayer. What did I discover??? Well, all of the
songs are co-written by Desmond Child. Child has also written songs for
Aerosmith, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Kiss, Ricky Martin, and many other
well-known Artists.
I love the fact that even though the beat sounds
familiar each song is written from a different perspective. And remember
this is only my opinion. Kings & Queens seems to present the
perspective of an independent woman who’s certain that her partner can’t live
without her. Whereas You Give Love A Bad Name by Bon Jovi seems to blame one of
the partners for all of the problems in the relationship—Like how does a
relationship like that work out. Finally, my favorite song by Bon Jovi, Livin’
On A Prayer seems to present a couple who can make it through anything as
long as they have each other and work together.
I have a couple of reasons for having a special
affinity for Livin’ On A Prayer. First, I have gone to several events in
which the crowd warmer had the audience sing this song—I guess you can say it
brings back good memories. Also, I’m hooked on Livin’ On A Prayer’s
message.
I have posted the YouTube videos for Kings &
Queens, You Give Love A Bad Name, and Livin’ On A Prayer
below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Have an amazing week & stay safe! -Andrea
What are you listening to this week? Are there any new songs you discovered recently?
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 Readerthat asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.
On the trail of the Beast of Gévaudan, Vanitas and Noé are led to the heart of the incident and the noble house of d'Apchier. There, they discover that a brave, heartrending wish to save a daughter from a vampire's fate became the haunting first cry of the Beast itself...
Beginning: "It's morning...?"
56: "I became a curse-bearer of my own accord...."
Comments: I finally got around to reading the sixth volume of The Case Study of Vanitas. I enjoyed this entry in the series, and I'm looking forward to volume 7. What are you reading this week?
Author: Hafsah Faizal Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback More Details: Young Adult; Fantasy Publisher/Publication Date: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; May 14, 2019
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya--but neither wants to be. War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds--and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
I’ve wanted to read We Hunt The Flame for a while now. It seemed to have all the aspects I look for in a fantasy novel. A story involving the absence of magic and the quest to restore it is one of my favorite types of fantasy tropes, and the story Faizal crafted was just excellent.
We Hunt The Flame is a slow moving fantasy novel that deserves to be savored. The story was engrossing from what was basically the first paragraph. The world is rich with history. The characters are engaging, and they seemed to come alive on the page. The pacing set by the opening chapters really benefited the story later on. There needed to be that time and space to set up the foundation of the world, as well as introduce the characters. So when the characters set off on their adventure, I was already more than invested in them because I knew what their everyday life was like—as well as their connection with the secondary characters. There were many emotional scenes throughout the story, and I felt every one of them because of it.
Zafira was a great, well-rounded protagonist. She lived in a particularly strict part of Arawiya called “the caliphate of Demenhur.” As the Hunter she was skilled, but despite her achievements she was openly plagued by fears. That being said, she was brave, and had a willingness to step into the unknown to go after what she sought—even if her future was uncertain. Another notable aspect was the relationship Zafira had with her sister and best friends, Yasmine and Deen. It was great, and that’s all I can say about it.
On the other hand, there was Nasir. He’s supposed to be this tough guy, but by the end he was coming off as kind of sympathetic. His end of the story surprised me the most. His internal struggle was integral to his perspective, and at every turn there just seemed to be a revelation regarding him.
The other characters in the story came from just as varied backgrounds. They were interesting in their own right.
We Hunt The Flame was fantastic. The ending though, now that was one heck of cliffhanger, and I’m left with way too many questions. Luckily, I already bought a copy of the next book in the duology, and I plan to read it soon.
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: Recently I went on a binge of Kylie Minogue's music, and I started with one of my favorite albums: Aphrodite. It's actually the first album I listened to by Minogue, and I still love it. One of my favorite songs from it is Everything Is Beautiful.
Adri: Have you ever had one very small part of a song stuck in your head but can't find it or remember the rest? Well that's where I'm at right now. Although I haven't found the song that I want, I have come across way too many new ones. Anyway, this week I am listen to I Get Lifted by Barbara Tucker. My second pick is the X.T.C Mix, which is my favorite.
Andrea: Hi all, this week I’m listening to music by Jordin Sparks. I was excited to find out that she recently released new music, You Still Think of Me. I’m also listening to No Air featuring Chris Brown & One Step at a Time. No Air is one of my absolute favorite songs by Sparks. I can't wait to discover what everyone is listening to. Have an amazing week, and thanks for stopping by!
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 Readerthat asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya--but neither wants to be. War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds--and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
Beginning: "People lived because she killed. And if that meant braving the Arz where even the sun was afraid to glimpse, then so be it."
56: "At least, she didn't think he would."
Comments: We Hunt The Flame has been on my TBR list for way too long. I finally read it, and I loved the story. What are you reading this week?
Author: Melissa Savage Source/Format: Publisher; eARC More Details: Middle Grade; Fantasy Publisher/Publication Date: Crown Books For Young Readers; January 19, 2021 GoodreadsAmazon Barnes & NobleTarget Synopsis from Goodreads...
While staying in a haunted Colorado hotel for her father's ghost-hunting television series, Karma Moon must battle her anxiety, interpret the signs of the universe, and get footage of a real ghost--you know, the usual.
Karma Moon is a firm believer in everything woo-woo, as her dad calls it. So when she asked her trusty Magic Eight Ball if the call asking her dad to create a ghost-hunting docuseries was her dad's big break, it delivered: No doubt about it. Because the universe never gets it wrong. Only people do. Karma and her best friend, Mags, join her dad's Totally Rad film crew at a famous haunted hotel in Colorado over her spring break. Their mission: find a ghost and get it on camera. If they succeed, the show will be a hit, they can pay rent on time, and just maybe, her mom will come back. Unfortunately, staying at a haunted hotel isn't a walk in the park for someone with a big case of the what-ifs. But her dad made Karma the head of research for the docuseries, so she, Mags, and a mysterious local boy named Nyx must investigate every strange happening in the historically creepy Stanley Hotel. Karma hopes that her what-ifs don't make her give up the ghost before they can find a starring spirit to help their show go viral--and possibly even get them a season two.
With Melissa Savage's quirky cast of characters and spooky setting underlaid by a touching and relatable struggle against anxiety and grief over her fractured family, Karma Moon--Ghosthunter is bound to charm and delight.
In the past year or so, I’ve read a number of middle grade ghost stories—everything from The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Bown to Ghost Squad by Clairbel A. Ortega. So, I was more than thrilled to get an ARC of Karma Moon: Ghost Hunter. This one turned out to be just okay. It was less of a ghost story and more about the characters—which gave it a more contemporary feel—and the paranormal aspects were kind of sparse and didn’t happen until much later.
The book spent a lot of time on movie references rather than building up its own ghostly-lore and spooky atmosphere. Even the subjects of the ghost hunt took a backseat to the analysis of movies like Poltergeist and The Shining. The last one I kind of get, since the setting of this book was the Stanley Hotel, which is the same one from the Shining. However, there were some interesting ideas here, and I wish they had taken up a little more of the focus in the story.
Where Karma Moon: Ghost Hunter excelled was in its messaging. A lot of the story dealt with an absent parent and how it directly affected Karma, who was twelve. I did like how the author chose to handle the main character—i.e. the detail about her therapy sessions just being a part of her life. That was great. It was excellent. Savage nailed it.
Overall, Karma Moon: Ghost Hunter was fine. If you go in expecting a story that shines a light on its characters—rather than ghosts and other paranormal happenings—you’ll like this one a lot. I also think the book’s target audience would enjoy this one, particularly for readers who don’t like a lot of scary occurrences. So I do recommend it.
About the author....
Melissa is a writer and a child and family therapist. She has worked with families struggling with issues of abuse, trauma and loss/bereavement. She believes that expressing oneself through writing can be a very healing process when struggling with difficulties in life. In addition it can be a vehicle in which to honor, celebrate and continue to share the spirits of the special people who have left us too soon. Melissa lives in Phoenix.
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: This week, I'm listening to a new song by Nao: Antidote featuring Adekunle Gold. This is a great song, and I'm really glad to see more music from this artist.
Andrea: Hi all, this week I'm listening to music by Blackstreet, No Diggity featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen and Before I Let You Go. Have an amazing week!
It’s the twenty-ninth of January already. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in December.
I read one short story in December, and it was Renovation of a Finite Apartment. This was a great story that was as much about assimilation and imposed limitations as it was about spaces. Much of Renovation of a Finite Apartment is as its title suggests, and I liked the gradual way the décor was introduced—first as being fine, then dark walls to represent nothingness, and then that it leaned into more colorful and organic theming with plants and creative flourishes. There was some subtle messaging of what a space could tell about a person—decoration or the process of decorating a space can be a very personal endeavor. Since the focus of Renovation of a Finite Apartment was the narrator, the décor acted almost as a physical medium that at time told a lot about the narrator’s state of mind and wants. All-in-all, this was a great story.
Title: Rogue Protocol Series: Murderbot Diaries #3 Author: Martha Wells Source/Format: Tor Ebook Club; Ebook More Details: Science Fiction Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; August 7, 2018 Goodreads Amazon Barnes & NobleTarget Synopsis from Goodreads...
SciFi’s favorite antisocial A.I. is again on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah’s SecUnit is. And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.
Rogue Protocol was the first book I picked up in 2021, and it was a fantastic read and the perfect way to start the New Year. There is always something so fun and satisfying about the Murderbot Diaries series, which keeps me coming back again and again for another adventure. Rogue Protocol was no different, and once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down—I ended up staying up past midnight to finish it.
Rogue Protocol picks up sometime after Artificial Condition, and it put a spotlight on some of the lingering questions pertaining to the consequences resulting from the ending of All Systems Red. I liked how the events of the first book directly impacted Rogue Protocol, with the semi-return of GrayCris Corporation. If you’ve read the first book, you already know about some of the crimes the company was responsible for. Rogue Protocol expanded on that, and took a deeper look at other parts of the corporate based world Wells has created—as well as GrayCris Corporation’s shadowy influence (and that laundry list of underhanded actions just keeps getting longer).
At times, Rogue Protocol almost felt like it could have been a ghost story set in space. The setting certainly qualified for it, with it being as abandoned and eerie as it was.
By now SecUnit’s media consumption habit is an endearing character quirk I look forward to. It had been previously shown on numerous occasions that it also doesn’t enjoy interacting with people and does so begrudgingly to meet its goals. However, its character underwent some gradual development throughout Rogue Protocol, and with the introduction of new key characters, it was put in a situation that forced it to acknowledge the emotions it was feeling. I found that side of the story to be one of my favorite parts, and Wells excelled at creating quick emotional bonds between the characters. So as the story unfolded, the delivery of the twists and the revelations about the characters stuck the landing and then some.
Rogue Protocol ended in a good place, and I’m exceedingly excited about the implications for what’s going to go on in the next book in the series, Exit Strategy.
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 recently released a new song called Good Days. It's one of my favorites, and I've already added it to my playlist.
Adri: A very long time ago, we got a tiny meditation book that had a CD in it. Also a long time ago, that CD disappeared. The pocket that held it has a track list, and, for whatever reason, I never thought about looking it up until recently. I like all the artists, but for today my pick is Flowers of Time by Stephen Rhodes
Andrea: This week I'm listening to songs that further address the societal problems of today. The first song on my playlist is Weeping in the Promised Land by John Fogerty. I'm also listening to State Of The Union and Family by Marlon Craft. I hope everyone has an amazing week!
