Short Stories I Read In June

It’s the twenty-ninth of July. So it’s time to talk about the short stories, miscellaneous posts, and podcast episodes I read or listened to in June. This post is going to be brief.

The Life & Death of Mia Fremont: An Interview with a Killer by A.K. Hudson (Apex Magazine; May 4, 2021)

The only short story I read in June was The Life & Death of Mia Fremont: An Interview with a Killer by A.K. Hudson. This was an interesting story. It mostly felt like a character study mixed with a hefty dose of misogyny. It showed up in the form of the way society/family can treat and expect women to be and behave. This messaging is conveyed through what the main character records, while sitting down at an interview with someone who was initially said to be a literal criminal. But with this story, there’s a slight speculative angle. And the ending left off with an overall question, a “what if,” that isn’t quite answered by the time the story ended.

From Around the Web…

• The Fragmented Horrors of Josh Malerman’s Goblin (Tobias Carroll; Tor.com, June 11, 2021)
• Print Run Podcast Episode #142: Change the Frame
• Into the Woods: Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf (Molly Templeton; Tor.come, June 15, 2021)
• Closing the Book on a World: Andre Norton’s The Warding of Witch World (Judith Tarr; Tor.com, June 7, 2021)
• The History and Politics of Wuxia (Jeannette Ng; Tor.com; June 29, 2021)

I Listened to Planet Her by Doja Cat

Hot Pink was a hit for me, and I liked how experimental the sound was throughout the entirety of the album. It had hits such as Say So, Streets, and Rules among others. So I’ve been waiting for the follow-up since then, and Planet Her is my top anticipated album of the year alongside Laura Mvula’s Pink Noise and Tkay Maidza’s Last Year Was Weird Vol. 3. 

Planet Her has finally arrived, and Doja Cat delivers a pop and R&B album with style. I had a great time giving this one a listen. And while there was a much more cohesive feeling and sound to this album, it didn’t stray too far from the fun and experimental edge that exists within the same vein as Hot Pink. Planet Her plays off Doja Cat’s strong suits, and there was, overall, a really catchy and memorable sound as well as a sharp delivery of rap and other verses to all fourteen tracks.

Besides the singles (Kiss Me More, Need To Know, and You Right featuring The Weeknd), there were many other earworms to jam to as well. I liked the entire album. However, some of my top favorites included Get Into It (Yuh), Aint Sh*T, and Woman.

Planet Her was pretty great, and I’m left with a positive impression. This one is going on my playlist.

Have you listened to Planet Her?

Music Monday (165): Kid Cudi, Robin Thicke, Billie

 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 Kid Cudi's music, and one of my favorite songs so far is Mr. Rager.

Adri: This week I'm listening to Nobody's Business (extended radio) by Billie. I think it's both fun and too true.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Look Easy by Robin Thicke. Have an amazing week!

Have you added any new songs to your playlist?

Review: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Title: The Return of the King
Series: The Lord of the Rings part #3
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Source/Format: Purchased; 50th Anniversary edition 
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: First published October 20, 1955

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Target

Synopsis from Goodreads...

In the third volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy the good and evil forces join battle, and we see that the triumph of good is not absolute. The Third Age of Middle-earth ends, and the age of the dominion of Men begins. 

I haven’t read The Hobbit. But, I can finally mark The Lord of the Rings from my TBR list, because I have, at last, read The Return of the King. As a whole, this was a long but great story about the struggle against an evil so large it was the stuff of legends, as well as the cost of war on a large but also personal scale.

In The Return of the King, all the threads that were laid in the first two parts of the story came together for an epic confrontation that not everyone made it through. There was a moment of calm early on, but the tension was high. It was the proverbial calm before the storm, and once the story and action got going, it never seemed to stop. The character arcs came to a satisfying conclusion, and it seemed like everyone ended up where they were meant to.

I’ve known about the discussions surrounding the overarching themes of the story, even before I sat down to finally read The Lord of the Rings. Even so, the point of Frodo’s journey—and the way it came to its eventual conclusion—was done so well. The ending was achingly bittersweet, and yet it was a fitting final chapter to bring this story to a close.

Music Monday (164): Aurora, Diana Ross, Biz Markie, Lisa Shaw

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: Aurora released a new song called Cure For Me. It's one of my favorite songs by this artist.

Adri: I don't think I mentioned it before, but, I found a ton of new songs and artists by going down a rabbit hole of deep / chill / ambient / downtempo house. That's where I found the likes of Copyright, Kathy Brown, J. Axel, etc. I also found the artist I'm talking about today, Lisa Shaw. Two of my favorite songs right now are, All Night High (Vocal) and I'm Okay.

Andrea: Hi all! This week I'm listening to Thank You by Diana Ross and Just A Friend by Biz Markie.

RIP Biz Markie (April 8, 1964-July 16, 2021)

What are you listening to this week?