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.

Quarterly Recap: July-September

It’s October, a.k.a one of my favorite months. It’s also time for the last quarterly recap of the year. And included below are links to posts that have appeared on the blog through July, August, and September.

July Reviews:

• Meet Me by the Fountain: An Inside History of the Mall by Alexandra Lange
• The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow

August Reviews:

• Blog Tour & ARC Review: Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley 
• Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
• The Cartographers by Peng Sherhperd 
• The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim
• Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer
• A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney

September Reviews:

• Lakesedge by Lyndal Clipstone
• In The Shadow Garden by Liz Parker

Other July Posts:

• I Listened to Dawn FM by The Weeknd
• Short Stories I Read in June
• I Listened to The Beginning of the End by Les Friction
• Quarterly Recap: April-June

Other August Posts: 

• I Listened to Special by Lizzo
• Short Stories I Read In July
• I Listened to Supernova by Nova Twins

Other September Posts:

• I Listened to: August Music Roundup 
• Short Stories I Read In August
• What I've Been Watching + Upcoming Movies & TV Shows

Looking ahead, I always use October as an excuse to rewatch old favorites—I think it’s time to watch Over The Garden Wall again too. Otherwise, there are a lot of new movies/TV series I’m looking forward to, which I explained in a post HERE.

There's no Short Story post this month. And as far as books, I’ve prepared reviews for two books themed perfectly for October. Plus, Adri and I are going to have a reading list for spooky novels, similar to the one we did last year. I’m also going to be participating in #Peachtober on Instagram. I likely won’t do the full prompt list, because I prefer to keep a laid-back approach to art related challenges (I’ll see how many I get to).

Music Monday (217): Rina Sawayama, Rico Nasty, Soul II Soul, Coolio

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 finished reading Frankenstein last week. As it so happens, there is a song by the same name on Rina Sawayama's 2022 album, Hold The Girl. It's one of my favorites. Give it a listen!

 

Adri: I was listening to some of my heavier playlist and remembered this Rico Nasty: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, which is what I'm listening to this week.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Keep on Movin' by Soul II Soul

 and Fantastic Voyage (Timber Mix) by Coolio.

What are you listening to this week?

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. 

Questions For The Fallen by Omodero David Oghenekaro (Strange Horizons; Issue: 1 August 2022)

The only piece I got to in the month of August was a poem called Questions For The Fallen by Omodero David Oghenekaro. The title gives a good idea of what it’s about. I loved this poem so much. It was short, metaphorical, and beautifully written.

From around the web…

• The Joy of Painting Middle-earth With Ted Nasmith [Jess LaSala; Tor.com; August 5, 2022]
• Print Run Podcast Episode #152: Show Trial
• The Power of a Myth Retold: Hadestown Make a Melodic Case For Reviving and Reimaging Stories [Cole Rush; Tor.com; August 4, 2022]
• Print Run Podcast Episode #152: A New Achilles Heel

I Listened To: August Music Roundup

In August, I bounced between two albums: Beyoncé’s Renaissance and Megan Thee Stallion’s Truamazine. They’re two very different albums—in terms of sound, theme, and genre—but I appreciate them for what they are.

Renaissance

• When I read about what kind of album Renaissance was supposed to be, I had high expectations. And every single one of them was met. The range in sound made every track feel different than the last, but the strong themes and genre influences—dance, house, R&B, and more—made the album feel cohesive. I mean, even the transitions between each song were smooth. Its music you can move to. Renaissance is a treat.

Traumazine

• Moving on, Traumazine was another excellent album to come out in the July-August months. It had its foot firmly in hip-hop and rap. The title is indicative of what you’ll get with this one, and the complexity and depth of the lyrics is what keeps drawing me back to this album. Traumazine features some of my favorite songs by Megan Thee Stallion. It also had a handful of interesting features including Rico Nasty, Latto, and Jhené Aiko among others.

What have you been listening to?

Music Monday (216): Mariah The Scientist, Leela James, & Wyclef Jean

 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: Over the weekend, I checked out some of the music Mariah The Scientist released in 2022. My favorite song of the bunch is Spread Thin.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Say That by Leela James featuring Anthony Hamilton and 911 by Wyclef Jean featuring Mary J. Blige. I look forward to discovering what everyone is listening to this week. Until then, have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

What I've Been Watching + Upcoming Movies & TV Shows

It’s September, and I thought it was time to talk about some of the stuff I’ve been watching lately. I also wanted to talk about some of the upcoming shows and movies I’m looking forward to. Without further ado, here’s what has kept me entertained. 

Murder She Wrote

• I’ve seen most of Murder She Wrote, but I still tune in to the reruns. It’s one of my favorite shows.

Agatha Christie’s Marple

• Speaking of mysteries, I’ve been watching episodes of Marple on Sundays. I like the way this series was filmed, and the casting choices were excellent. One of these days, I will read this particular Christie series.

Svengoolie

• For the past couple of months, I’ve been into Svengoolie. I like classic movies, especially horror, fantasy, and science fiction. And so far, the selection of movies broadcasted on the program has been really great.

Sonic 1 & 2

• I finally watched both Sonic movies, and I loved them! One of my favorite series that I used to watch on Saturday mornings when I was a kid, was Sonic. These movies were great. They were fun and funny with enough action to keep me interested. There were so many little details that reminded me of the cartoons too. I liked the casting choices, especially Jim Carrey’s Doctor Eggman, Natasha Rothwell’s Rachel, Tika Sumpter’s Maddie, and James Marsden’s Thomas. And after the end credit scene of Sonic 2, I’m really looking forward to the next one.

Upcoming Shows and Movies

I’m really excited about Abbott Elementary season two. It’s one of the funniest shows I’ve watched this year, and I’m looking forward to what this season has to offer.

Another series I’m waiting on is The Midnight Club, which will be released on Netflix this October. I have my fingers crossed that it turns out good, because the trailer looks amazing.

I’m also looking forward to The School For Good and Evil film (also this October on Netflix). I never read any of the books, but I’m still excited for the movie. Again, the trailer for it seems really good, and I have high hopes for this one too.

Another Netflix movie that is on my list this October is Wendell & Wild. It’s stop-motion fantasy horror, and when I learned that Jordon Peele was involved with the project, well, I can’t wait for it to be released.

There’s also Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio this December, and I’ve waited all year for it so far. So, December can’t get here soon enough.

There's also the next Knives Out film to look forward to. 

What have you watched lately? Are there any shows or movies you're waiting for?

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

Title: Lakesedge

Series: World at the Lake's Edge #1
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Source/Format: Bookish First; Paperback
More Details: Young Adult; Gothic Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR); September 28, 2021

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble  

Synopsis from Goodreads...

A gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake.

There are monsters in the world. When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem. There are monsters in the woods. As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name. Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.

When I read the excerpt for Lakesedge over on Bookishfirst, I was intrigued by the story. The beginning is dark and deals with heavy themes, but it offered a good glimpse of the characters, atmosphere, tone, and the setting/lore that would influence the rest of the story. I wanted to keep reading, so the excerpt did its job. And I’m glad I read this one, because it was an entertaining book.

The two sentences that open Lakesedge’s first chapter boldly assert: “There are monsters in the world. There are monsters in the woods.” Pg.1

It’s labeled as gothic fantasy, and for the most part I agree with that description. It did feel like fantasy YA that picked up certain aspects about the gothic genre to add to it—such as decayed wealth, tragic characters, and a curse. The setting—which was dark, isolated, and enigmatic—also helped build the immersive atmosphere. It was a highlight.

I also stuck around to see how their efforts to unravel the curse would turn out. I’m all for a story about dangerous woods—it’s one of my favorite fantasy tropes—and I liked how Clipstone built the history of the curse. It was appropriately horrifying, and it demonstrated the kind of deity the Lord Under actually was.

Even while writing this, I’m still trying to decide how much I liked Violetta Graceling as a main character. On one hand, I appreciated her dedication toward protecting the only family she had left. She’s the sole POV in the story, and she had her moments of witty banter and ingenuity. On the other hand, part of the explanation offered for withholding certain details until it was convenient to know them, left me feeling a little let down. It went from “I know nothing about this,” to “Okay, maybe I did, but that’s beside the point.”

But, the ending was riveting. All the consequences I was waiting for—they happened. The character arcs Clipstone steadily built during the story—those paid off. There were no easy victories, and I loved it.

Lakesedge was a solid story, and the questions that came about as a consequence of its ending presented plenty of options of what could happen next. It was an entertaining read, and I would read the sequel.

About the author....

Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian who grew up running wild in the Barossa Ranges of South Australia, she currently lives in Adelaide, where she tends her own indoor secret garden. She has a Bachelors in Creative Writing and a Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Management.

Goodreads     Website     Twitter     Instagram

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Henry Holt & Co. [BYR]) via Bookish First in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Music Monday (215): Rina Sawayama, Andy Grammer

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: This week, I'm listening to Rina Sawayama's new album, Hold The Girl. I love it, and one of the songs I've had on repeate is Your Age. 

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Saved My Life by Andy Grammer x R3HAB. I heard this song on TV, and I chose it for my Music Monday pick. Have a great week all!

What are you listening to this week?